We disembarked the Octantis as planned at 8.30am and were to be bussed off to the Ushuaia airport to catch a domestic flight north to El Calafate.

But, first a minor hassle before heading to the airport. One of our bags could not be located. After a few calls around it was eventually found. It had beaten us to the airport and was about to head off to Buenos Aires, not El Calafate. Some intense conversation ensued and the guides made a more concerted effort to prevent it going to Buenos Aires. We were saved by the system and the bag was plucked from the BA cargo and redirected for our collection at the airport when we got there. Which we did! So all was ok in the end. The airport was a nightmare, it took us a bit over two hours to check in and go through security. Apparently, a number of cruise ships were disembarking and cruisers were leaving town but at the same time arrivals were coming to take their place on the ships.

The plane left on time despite all the people and made its way up over the Andes for the one and a half hour flight to El Calafate.

El Califate is located near the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, third largest after Antartica and Greenland. The city of 30,000 is located on the shores of Lake Argentina, which is fed by the melt from the numerous glaciers flowing down from the ice field. The lake is the largest in Argentina, average depth is around 155m with the deepest point at 720m.

We arrived before being able to check into our hotel. The solution was to take us off in a Mercedes Benz troop carrier with articulated wheels that allowed it to crawl up steep inclines and get to high places. This generally excited Leanne!

We first had lunch at what is known as an ‘Estancia’, essentially what we know as a ranch. In these parts ranches were historically big in the sheep meat and wool trade. In the last half of the twentieth century many shifted to cattle. Today this one doesn’t do much ranching, it is quite close to the city and focusses more on tourists. We had some tasty empanadas and a traditional ‘hiker’ stew.

After lunch we returned to the Merc and began the ascent of what is known as the Balcony of El Calafate. Magnificent views over the city and Lake Argentina, about 700ft up as I recall.

From the ‘Balcony’ you get a clear view of how the landscape was carved by successive periods of glaciation. From the Balcony heights it is like a step ladder descending to the current level of the lake, each step being a seperate glaciation event digging the lake lower and lower.

On our way back down we had time for a flat tyre to disrupt things a bit. The driver mucked around with some special stuff trying to reflate the tyre but this didn’t work. So, he eventually managed to raise the flat tyre and wheel up, doing the same on the other side, and we resumed our descent on a single set of wheels on the back and two on the front. Great vehicle!

Back at the hotel we settled in over dinner and enjoyed a little Tango exhibition among the tables.

Next day we headed off to Los Glaciaries National Park, an 80km drive, for a viewing of the giant Perito Moreno Glacier. Till then.