MUNGO EATS Latin America

Yesterday we arrives in the town of El Chalte’n.  This apparently is Argentina’s newest town, exclusively created so that Chile would stop trying to claim the area as their own.  It’s a pretty small town, filled with hostels and hotels, all catering to the climbers, and hikers that come to hike the park and climb Mt. Fitz Roy.  Here is a picture of the mountain as we drove into town.  It is not the best shot, but I thought I would take it anyway, even though the clouds were not “right”.

We fully intended to camp in this town.  Everything we had read and the information we had obtained from the park info centre in El Calafate, told us that there were 2 free campgrounds and at least 3 pay campgrounds in town.  One of the free campgrounds was totally gone, and the second one had been turned into a day use area.  Two of the three pay campgrounds were closed for the season and the remaining one, would be closing the following day.  So camping was not an option.  We did end up finding a cabana to rent and this actually ended up being a blessing in disguise.  When we arrived in town, it was windy but sunny.  This area is well known for it’s wind.  In fact the wind is called “la escoba de Dios” or “the broom of God!!”.  Not long after we settled in, God got out the broom!!  The wind started to howl through the valley and at times the wind almost seemed to shake the little cabin.  If we had been in our camper, it would have been a most unpleasant night. 

We woke up this morning and found the valley socked in with cloud, rain and  more wind.  We were planning to do a little hiking, but with the weather as it was, decided to stay in for the morning.  Shortly after lunch, the rain broke and we decided to check out a waterfall.  The valley was quite nice.  Anyone familiar with the Ghost river valley will see the resemblance, as we did.

We were not really sure what to expect of the waterfall, hadn’t heard anything about it.  It was pleasantly spectacular!!!  We couldn’t hear it much before we got there, because the wind was still quite loud, so it almost snuck up  on us.  Peek around the corner and …WOW!

You could walk right up to the fall, with some careful rock hopping.  Sara, Sean and Kevin are somewhere in this picture, on the right side of the fall.

More fall colors too.

So tonight we are hunkered down in the cabin, listening to the wind as it starts to pick up again.  If it is a clear day tomorrow, we will try one of the hikes we had planned.  If not, we will pack up and get out of here.  My not so great pictures of Fitz Roy, might be the only ones I get.