Just one border crossing and a five hour bus ride north from Puerto Natales is El Calafate, nestled on the edge of Lago Argentino. Named after the yellow-flowered, blueberry plant found everywhere in Argentina, El Calafate is the major access point to all ends of the vast Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.

El Calafate was a pleasant place to spend a couple of days. I stayed at I Keu Ken hostel slightly up the hill with excellent views of the lake. Having the new La Anonima, Argentina’s biggest supermarket chain, only two blocks away was a bonus. I was also lucky enough to arrive the night of an asado, an Argentinian BBQ, something they have every Friday night. They served the best blood sausage I’ve ever tasted and the meat just kept coming.  There was so much, in fact, I just couldn’t eat it all. It was a great dinner and cheap at 90 Argentinian Pesos (AU$18), which included beer and wine. I Keu Ken also had the best internet in Patagonia, allowing me to post the backlog of my blogs and photos.

While the streets around the hostel aren’t sealed, the lower portion of the city has a certain beauty. In a bare countryside with yellow, over sheep-farmed fields, the garden town was filled with trees and flowers. The main street had the usual adventure stores and tour operators seen so commonly throughout Patagonia.

My trip to El Calafate was merely a two-day stop off on the way to El Chaltén, a township at the northern end of the national park. After 12 days in Antarctica, and 9 days of hiking around Torres del Paine, I enjoyed a restful couple of days.

Things to do near town are:

• Walk across the 30km long Perito Moreno Glacier
• Sail through icebergs on Lago Argentino
• See the rock paintings in the Walicho Caves
• Explore the petrified forest of Bosque Petrificado La Leona

A lovely place to spend a few days and with an airport, it’s a centre point of travel through lower Patagonia.

The Lone Trail Wanderer.