Day 71, Argentina: Welcome to Patagonia
Trip Start May 31, 2010
32Trip End Aug 26, 2010
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The name Patagonia comes from the word patagon used by Magellan to describe the native people whom his expedition thought to be giants when he discovered Patagonia in 1520. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches with an average height of 1.80 m (~5′11″) compared to the 1.55 m (~5′1″) average for Spaniards of the time.
Now...Just imagine being in the top of a mountain visualizing the most incredible view you´ve ever seen just like the first navigators and settlers.
Beautiful colors and shapes in every sunrise and sunset. Breeze that runs softly by immense and lonely fields. A land of legends, secrets and beauty that is impossible to tell in words...
El Calfate is the entry point to discover amazing glaciers: Upsala (one of the largest glacier formation in South America) and Perito Moreno (a glacier which is still growing)
Glaciers are made up of fallen snow that, over many years, compresses into large, thickened ice masses. Glaciers form when snow remains in one location long enough to transform into ice. What makes glaciers unique is their ability to move. Due to sheer mass, glaciers flow like very slow rivers.