Nov 1-14, 2016: Argentina

Nov. 5, 2016.  Patagonia Hostel, El Chaltén, Argentina.

• Cold and windy, mountains pretty much clouded up.  What to do?  Try the other standard hike: to Laguna de los Tres (13 km one way).  Started out ok, but the weather got gradually worse, and the last several hundred meters was very tough, up a very steep gradient, with heavy snow and wind helping me make an executive decision to head back down (along with the only other hiker on the trail, an Aussie from Perth).  The steep part had become covered with snow, and I am only glad I had my hiking poles to help me with the descent.  

• Another fine hamburger at the joint across from the hostel, watched a little football, then walked to the bus station to get a night ticket to Perito Moreno.  But hark!  The bus only goes on even days in November!  So back to the hostel to think things over.  And decided it may not be such a bad thing: if Perito Moreno is anything like El Chalten, it also won't have an ATM machine that accepts cards with chips, so I may end up stuck there because of a liquidity problem.  And there is no guaranty that I could find a way to see the Cueva de las Manos, which is the only reason to go to Perito Moreno in the first place.  So I bought a bus ticket for El Califate leaving the next day at 7 PM, and went to bed with the wind howling, the snow falling, etc.