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thetourist

39 Blog Entries
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Didier


Some panoramic views...

El Calafate, Argentina

For those of you that had the patience waiting for some new pictures, I have created, from the tons of pictures I did at the Perito Moreno Glacier, some panoramic pictures. This Glacier is so wide that I thought it would be the only way to show how it really is.
They look a bit the same (unless for the left side of the Glacier that is a mix of 11 pictures), and maybe not so nice to see through this web interface, so do not hesitate to download them and see if you like them better.
On the first one you can see some people on the left

That is the left side of the Glacier viewed from the boat.

Another view a bit later in the afternoon with a bit more sun.



permalink written by  thetourist on December 8, 2007 from El Calafate, Argentina
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Ice, Ice, Ice

El Calafate, Argentina

First, I apologize for the delay in uploading pictures. During the last days of the travel it was almost impossible to find a place to do that.
At around 70 km from El Calafate, there is this very impressive Perito Moreno Glacier (not to be mistaken with the Perito Moreno city). It is very difficult to describe how it is and even picture do not show as you would see it with your own eyes.
Here are some numbers to help you imagine it:
The terminus part is 5 km wide, with an average height of 70 meters above the surface of the water, with a total ice depth of 170 meters. It advances at a speed of up to 2 m per day!!!
It covers a surface of 250 km2 on a 30 km length.
But numbers do not say anything until you see it by yourself. So I just found a quiet place, sit and watch the ice cubes falling...

small ice cube

Imagine 30 km of ice like this

permalink written by  thetourist on December 7, 2007 from El Calafate, Argentina
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Un guanaco ...

Puerto Natales, Chile

Something amazing happened today. I was trying to get some close pictures of nandus and then, on the other side of the road, a guanaco was giving birth. In 20 minutes the young was on his feet getting some needed milk.

She changed several times the position on the left and on the right..

and the everything went quite fast



The first try was not successfull. Front legs are quite weak. All in all it did not take him more then 10 minutes to stay on his feet...

Error.... Try again.


et voila!

and less than one to find the food



permalink written by  thetourist on December 6, 2007 from Puerto Natales, Chile
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Guanaco´s life

Puerto Natales, Chile

In torres del Paine, the first things you will see are guanacos. They are just everywhere.
You can see the leader of the group taking care of its group by staying on one High Point and sometimes running (very fast) after the young ones to teach them what "territory" and "ownership" means.

I simply like their style..

Guanaco flexibility

This "future" ? couple had this game biting the neck of the other. It was funny to watch them.

Is this love ?

In December, such young ones can be seen.

This one still needs some education...

Insolent baby guanaco like those kids on the back window of a car

permalink written by  thetourist on December 6, 2007 from Puerto Natales, Chile
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Grey biiiiiig chickens

Puerto Natales, Chile

Other inhabitants of Patagonia are Nandus. They look like ostrich (autruche). They are quite difficult to see as they have the same color as the ground or bushes. If they sit, from far away, you can think it is a bush.

They are more afraid of humans than guanacos for example. They run fast too.

The nandus are also called choique in mapuche. The young ones are called charitos. Everytime I saw a mother with young ones, she had between 10 and 15 of those little ones running everywhere.

Come on kids


Nandus have style too...



permalink written by  thetourist on December 6, 2007 from Puerto Natales, Chile
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closer and closer

Puerto Natales, Chile

Just to finish about Torres del Paine, some pictures about chimangos again.
There is so much easy food around with those young ones of any kind everywhere, that you can always find a group of chimango eating somewhere. The most difficult thing to approach them is to be against the wind with the sun in the back for the picture. Not easy, but this time I could get a bit closer.

permalink written by  thetourist on December 6, 2007 from Puerto Natales, Chile
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Don diego de la vega

Puerto Natales, Chile

Do you know your classics?
Well, a special post for don Diego de La Vega who was also... zorro. Zorro means fox in spanish and in torres del Paine you can see grey foxes (Red foxes can also be seen in other parts of Patagonia). Like other animals in the area, they don´t really fear humans and it is a pleasure for the camera to work with such models.


How close do you think I was for this one?

The female was not easy to approach but well, I´m not a fox.

permalink written by  thetourist on December 5, 2007 from Puerto Natales, Chile
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What a landscape!

Puerto Natales, Chile

Still in Patagonia, but on the chilean side, the National Park Torres del Paine is a magical place that simply has everything in terms of landscape and wildlife. The mountains are not part of the Andes and the 3 towers in the middle gave the name to this park (torres=towers).
There are so many things to see that I will divide this topic in different sections. Landscape comes first.
I´ll probably put one of those as background for my computer...





permalink written by  thetourist on December 4, 2007 from Puerto Natales, Chile
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Real ... windy... Patagonia!

El Calafate, Argentina

The last 2 days travelling in the Patagonian steppe were quite interesting with changing landscape. The heat hit the stony road but the wind makes you come back to the reality. Yes, here we are in Patagonia, not in the Seychelles. The wind is so strong that I can not take a picture with a horizontal horizon :-) The tripod I brought for landscape pictures is of no use and is learning to fly together with my camera... not funny.
I don´t want to know how the same wind would be in the winter in such a desertic place. No need to mention that cellphones are not getting any signal here, In case of emergency, you can just try to burn it to make a smoke signal (if you manage to make a fire with that wind)

Heat on the road

Talking about wind, look a that sandstorm


6.0 in style, 6.0 in technical and 6.0 in synchronization

That guanaco came so close that I I didn´t know if he "guana" spit on me or if he was just curious as I was.


This piche looks like a medieval age war machine

Just to be seen on some 2 or 3 kilometers, those red bushes were quite interesting-

Red is an unusual color to be found in the estepa patagonica

permalink written by  thetourist on December 2, 2007 from El Calafate, Argentina
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One of my favourite place

Junin de los Andes, Argentina

From San Martin de los Andes, a one day excursion to the huechulafquen lake. This is now a natural reserve where the natives (mapuche community) try to get back part of what was once them. On the way there is a small "research" center where the reproduce trouts. I also had an interesting hypnotization experience with a lama.

Lama hypnotization!

On the way to the Huechulafquen lake and the Piamun chapel, the view on the Lanin volcan is just great.

View on the Lanin volcano


Huechulafquen lake with black sand beach

The place at the end of the road is just a little paradise to me although it is not "exclusive" as it used to be. The road is now wider and better so that more tourists reach the place. It is still quiet somehow. The lake, this little chapel, that tree with such a strange shape, the wind and also the fact that you would not expect such things at the end of a road going to nowhere. That is just nice

Paimun chapel on the huechulafquen lake

Inside the chapel, the mapuche version is quite something.

Inside the Paimun chapel, a mapuche culture treasure

permalink written by  thetourist on November 29, 2007 from Junin de los Andes, Argentina
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