Where am I back from? Well, I wasn`t really planning to go to Argentina... but the Gods of the Travelling Road obviously thought otherwise. As one doesn`t argue with them, I went with the flow, and found myself exploring the Argentinean Patagonia. One might say I took the "wrong" turn, or didn`t ask for directions... or just went somewhere unplanned.

El Calafate is a town in Argentina which is close to a very popular glacier, Perito Moreno. I took a day trip to the glacier, on the way passing through various back roads and learning about the region from a very knowledgeable Argentinean guide with a great sense of humour. The glacier was very impressive, especially as we got closer and closer in a tiny little boat. It is one of the moving glaciers, advancing or retreating, with pieces falling off into the water, accompanied by a very scary sounds. We kept our distance...

From El Calafate I went to another little town, Chalten. It is located at the entrance to the Fitz Roy National Park, and I spent a couple of days there, doing day hikes in the park. One of the days I joined a group, for a combination of hiking, crossing a river with ropes, ice climbing and walking on a glacier. A day of adventures; not the least of them was, again, a dog. A small little fellow, with a huge spirit, who joined me from the town into the park. After about 2.5 hours I arrived to a campsite, where the group assembled, measured and tried on the necessary gear (climbing harnesses, cramp-ons) and took off towards the glacier. The black little fellow followed, despite the attempts of our guide to force it to go back. Dogs are not really welcomed in the park, as they scare the wildlife. But, to no avail - he just wouldn`t give up.

Once we reached and crossed the river, he was sadly left behind, barking and crying for us. Then he realized that we are not coming back... and without thinking much, jumped into the river. Now, the current was strong, and the river was freezing cold, as it was coming from the glacier. I was really scared that he will be swept away. He, however, wasn`t, and made it to the other side, and joined us for the rest of the day. Including spending a good few hours on the glacier, occasionally finding a dry stone to sleep on, before his paws would freeze completely. A true warrior spirit, in a small furry shape.

Chalten is an amazing place. A tiny little village by the foot of the park and the mountains. Somehow, the atmosphere is different and unique - peaceful, to the extent that one feels like time really stops right before you enter the village. And picks up when you leave the place.

Perhaps it is similar in other places in the Argentinean pampas. Life is so different here, when living in a place that is literally in the middle of nowhere. 2 hours by bus to another human being; small house along the road, with endless pampas to any direction you choose to look. And simply nothing else. On our bus rides, we stopped at a few of these places, to stretch our legs, and buy some food. And then we leave, and the people who live there, stay... until the next bus.

I am a vegetarian, and have been for a long time. Yet, people have been telling me about the famous Argentinean meat; seeing the animals grazing in these pampas, I figured that they are not too loaded with hormones and various other chemicals, and it would be safe to try. And so I did, with two other people I met in El Calafate. This was the "parella experience" where parella is a concept of an all-you-can-eat Argentinean grill. And I have to tell you - it was worth not being a vegetarian...

There was a free salad bar, good wine, and a waiter, who kept bringing plates of freshly-grilled meat to our table. Lamb, chicken, steak, chorizo, and I have no idea what else was on it. Eventually, when we really had enough, I asked for some bones. See, I have that weakness, where I like chewing on bones. Not meat, but just bones. Must have been a dog myself in one of my previous lives. Well, I got two more plates loaded with bones; these kept me happy for quite some time. Eventually, all food and desert later, and two bottles of wine, we paid a whole whopping $6 US each and slowly carried ourselves out.

I am realizing that there is one important difference between cycling and backpacking. These last two weeks or so, backpacking, I am much more on "the beaten path." There is no way (or just more difficult) to avoid the more touristy places, the tourists, and the places that don`t necessarily represent the real country. This is another reason I like cycling so much. When I am on my bike, I can go my own way, through the little places that buses don`t even go. Stop and stay away from the more touristy places, and get to see the "real" people, and not the ones who work for the tourism industry. There is a certain aspect of freedom - of timing, movement, choice of direction - that doesn`t exist to the same extend, when travelling by bus or car. On the other hand, it is nice to only have a backpack and not worry about the bike, the trailer, and all the extra gear that I end up loading the bike with. Yet, soon I will be on the bike again... and in the meantime, my direction is towards Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego.