Today I got up very early around 4:00 to be able to watch the sunrise in Patagonia. After leaving my hotel, I went to the bus terminal and hopped on the 4:15 bus to Bariloche, a town in Patagonia that is surrounded by a glacial lake. Once I arrived I stopped at the many famous chocolate shops. I noticed the buildings were designed similar to those of the Swiss Alps. In fact, the surroundings of jagged mountains and gorgeous lakes is very similar to that of a small town, high in the Alps. I tried many different types of gourmet chocolate that tasted like regular chocolate. But soon after I was done exploring the town, I turned my attention to the calving glacier to the west of the town. This massive glacier is called Moreno Glacier and it covers over a hundred square miles. After watching this colossal glacier, I witnessed a chunk of ice the size of a truck crack off and fall into the water! Cuernos del Paine was my next destination. This spot is one of the shining jewels of Patagonia. Cuernos del Paine is in Paine National Park. Argentina has 33 national parks across the country. I then began a backpacking journey all over the jagged mountain. The hardest part of the backpacking was the lack of oxygen because Patagonia is already several thousand feet above sea level and is lacking in oxygen.After I had finished my route, I went and visited several small villages in the area. These extremely poor villages were full of weather tested people and shelters. Patagonia was like an alien world to me because of the uniqueness of its landforms and the scarceness of life. The extremely jagged mountains and the massive glaciers were unlike anything I had ever seen before. I got back to my hotel safe and sound and am incredibly sore from all the hiking. I really wish I had longer to explore Argentina.
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| Gourmet Chocolate |
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| Cuernos del Paine |
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| Villagers In Patagonia |
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