Shalom and An'nyong in El Chalten

My previous post described the strange union of two species, glaciers and flamingos.  In El-Chalten, a small hamlet in Patagonia, we observed another incongruous union.  Several years ago, El Chalten was mainly a destination for backpackers heading into the Fitzroy Range.  Nowadays, many tourists like us, take day hikes only to the base of the mountains, and enjoy the  magnificent views of rugged, white-capped  peaks.

As soon as we boarded the bus, we heard more Hebrew than we did for the previous two months in Argentina. On our arrival, we were not surprised to observe that the village was dominated by large groups of post-army Israelis.  However, we were surprised by the second-largest constituency of tourists, which were middle-aged Koreans.  Soon we learned, that even though both the Israeli and the Korean species share the same flocking instinct (Facebook?), they differ in their habits.

We left our hotel for, what we considered, an early start.  Our destination was a glacial lake-with-a-view.  We were alone on the trail for the first half of the pleasant walk, until we encountered a group of Korean ajum'mas (housewives) already on their way back.  We were astounded, they must have left the village at least three hours ahead of us.  For the next hour, every single group coming towards us was Korean.  All were dressed in the latest outdoor fashions (Not including the parasols, which the more elegant women used against the strong sun).  Eventually, the trail regained its serenity.  At the lake, we joined a small crowd of assorted nationalities in admiring the view, and playing with the floating ice.  After eating our sandwiches, we headed back.  Half way home, we had a deja-vu experience, with one difference.  This time, all the groups going towards the lake were Israeli wearing clothes that seemed too light for the weather.  Superfluous to say that they were heard well before they were seen.

One additional fact:  According to a group of Korean backpackers, "It is advised" to be at the lake during sunrise.

Based on the above observations, I will leave it to the reader to deduce national traits.

Flamingos and Glaciers

Both Flamingos and Glaciers evoke fantastic and colorful images.  One brings forth coral colors and tropical plains, the other, high mountain peaks.  In Argentina, they inhabit the same lake.  We encountered the flamingos on the way from our hotel to the center of El Calafate, a two-kilometer walk along the shores of Lake Argentino.  It was a sunny but cold day, and we had to lean forward to overcome the fifty-km/hr headwind.  Through my watering eyes, I saw birds along the waterline, which to my astonishment, were not white.  Adi, who has the better eyesight, confirmed, "These are flamingos."  Due to their short legs, she named them "Asian Flamingos" .

In town, we boarded the bus to Perito Moreno Glacier, which is the main, if not the only, reason tourists flock to this faraway place.  The road to the glacier, which is on the far side of the lake, travels through another incompatible image, a cold desert.  The land is flat and barren with windswept sand dunes adding to the surreal scene.

Perito Moreno Glacier has not been affected by global warming, and maintains its original size.  The topography of the shore allows observation platforms to be placed a few hundred meters across the lake from the glacier, and its sheer size, awed us at first sight.  From the platforms, the vertical hundred-meter high ice wall, seems within touch, and the hypnotic deep-blue light glowing from within the crevasses invite you to explore.  Perito Moreno flows slowly to the lake, and every few minutes a loud roar can be heard.  With some patience and luck, about a second before the thunder arrives, you can observe the spectacular event as a gigantic chunk of ice drops, almost in slow motion, into the water below.
(The photo's point of view is from the boat tour)