The Land Rover arrived at 10:30 and we joined a family group of four and another older couple - all from Argentina. We were told that it is Mother's Day today, so all the mothers present were congratulated.
After a few minutes we were off road on a private Estansia and were climbing steeply up a track until we reached a Road Closed sign and encountered a JCB blocking the road.
Evidently, this had been expected and we all disembarked and walked 100 meters up the track to where another vehicle was parked.
Safely in our new vehicle, we started on the real 4X4 experience, steep inclines and muddy tracks until we had ascended 900 meters above El Calafate and were able to see a panoramic view of Lake Argentina and were level with the soaring Condors.Then back down even steeper slopes, across boggy mud and snowdrifts until we became stuck (deliberately we think). Out we all got again and much to the amusement of the children, the driver drove back and forth in the ruts until he decided he could get out. Pete managed to get mud all over his trousers as he climbed back in!
On we drove with the driver having to keep his door shot, fortunately all of our doors stayed closed, until we rounded a bend to see an Argentine flag perched on top of a large cable drum used as a table, with a wood-fired barbecue to the side and a tin shack, which had a dining table, wood-fired stove and gas cooker. It was warm enough for us to stay out side so our driver turned chef and suggested we go for a 20-minute walk while he prepared lunch.He lit the barbecue and then found an upturned dustbin lid on which he fried onions and vegetables, before adding some wine and pieces of steak (two each)!.
We enjoyed our steak sandwiches outside washed down with cups of wine (we had to keep filling them otherwise they would blow away)!
Some more exciting driving followed, with the driver hanging onto his door, until we reached the point where we had left the first vehicle. By now the JCB had dug a big ditch across the road and a stream was running through it. so we had to climb the hill at the side and then slide down into the mud to reach our vehicle. So we even manged to get mud on our boots for the first time.
Back to the Hotel, we had time to sit on the veranda enjoying a welcome cup of Patagonian tea and petits fours, while we waited for our pickup to the airport.
The driver arrived early, so we did not have time to finish this blog and relaxed in a comfortable car (for the first time for 5 days). We checked our luggage in and discovered that our expected departure tax had been paid.
We had a pleasant flight mainly over clouds as the sun set and when we reached Buenos Aires, all we could see were the street lights, so we hope for a better view on our afternoon flight to Iguazu. For some reason everyone clapped as the plane landed and then clapped again after the stewards had welcomed us. We had to disembark onto coaches, and when we reached arrivals there was great confusion as to which belt our luggage would arrive on - first no 3 then no 8 and it actually came on no 5 with a completely different flight being indicated!
Claudio our young guide and the driver were waiting for us and he had managed to park right outside the exit door - try doing that at a UK airport! Claudio came into the Hotel with us, sat us down in reception and went through all of the rest of our trip with us in detail. He made sure that our room was to our liking in this amazing definitely boutique Hotel. He also gave us our bus tickets and passed on the good news that the pickup for our bus to Colon would be at 05:30!
He then arranged our meeting point for the following day and told us how to get to the subway station and that the green line D would take us all the way to Catedral, near to where he would meet us the following day in the Place Mayo. So it was off to our room, Afrodite, as by now it was now after 23:00, and a welcome night's sleep.
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