There were quite a few people not looking their best this morning, and Duncan even missed the bus (he was staying in another hotel) so he had to catch up. He'll never hear the end of that one...

We took the bus to Glaciares NP, where there are over 300 glaciers, but Perito Moreno is the most famous. It is named after an explorer who explored the region, but never actually saw the glacier, the tour guide Cecilia told us.

Once we got there, we had the choice between the north side and south side for a boat trip and I chose the north. It was cold and miserable and due to my laundry crisis I was slightly underdressed. The glacier is huge, 70 metres high and something about 40 km long, but from the boat you did not really get the sense of scale.

Things perked up when we went to the balconies, wooden walkways that bring you close to the glacier. The weather was getting better and the sun made the glacier look as if blue light was shining from within. We saw quite a few big chunks fall off and crash into the water. But the most impressive thing about it is the sound. The glacier is constantly moving (two metres per day apparently) so there is a lot of creaking and cracking, plus the thundering roar when bits drop off.

I thought I would get bored (we had about 2 hours to look at a big lump of ice) but it was fascinating, and time really flew by. Afterwards I had a nap on the bus, and when I woke up we were near El Calafate again. The sun had come out and the clouds were paintings in the sky, with the turquoise of the lake underneath it. Very nice.

Back at the hotel our laundry was ready and it smells clean and soapy. It's funny how excited you can get about a few clean clothes...

In the evening, we were taken to a place called Pura Vida, which on the outside looks like a big mistake in decorating: the house is purple, the roof green. Inside it has a loungy atmosphere, with lots of fleece cushions. The food there is absolutely delicious, I had a stew with pumpkin and 'meat' (it wasn't specified which kind...) and it was steaming hot and beautiful. Also had a great empanada with choclo (sweetcorn).