DAY 21 - EL CHALTEN and PARQUE NACIONAL LOS GLACIARES

Leisurely breakfast after some good hot showers

Thank you Confiteria

Few small friends on the way

Back to the RN40 for 20km south and onto El Chalten (Chaltén being tehuelche for smoking mountain).  Splendid views ...

Soon we see Lago Viedma

– turquoise in sunshine – and with a glacial flow at one end.  Fittingly, Los Glaciares Park

Sadly, no sign of Mt FitzRoy (named in 1877 by Perito Moreno during the Charles Darwin expedition) - spot the condor!

Into southern Patagonia, and Santa Cruz province

  and into town

but, as we weren't going to climb or walk, the main activities El Chalten offers, it's not a long stop so out again to admire the mountains 

 
and the mountains with firebush plants and flowers

Next stop, El Calafate on the southern border of Lake Argentino (the biggest body of water in the country). The town's name comes from a yellow-flowered with dark blue berries, common in Patagonia (Berberis buxifolia)