31 is wild and wonderful

My birthday really started on Thursday night, when Petra and I decided to go to Kau Kaleshen for dinner.  This entirely vegetarian restaurant is the brainchild of our El Chalten guide from Thursday, Paola, and her husband, who both attended culinary school.  When we found out that Paola owned a restaurant, and it was off the main street in El Calafate (I like to stray from the normal touristy areas when I can), we were all in.  The restaurant is set off a quiet side street and is inside of a real home - the feel is very warm and inviting, as if you´re visiting a friend´s house and not just another restaurant.  We enjoyed a pumpkin and ginger spread on our pre-meal bread; a really delicious pumpkin and orange cream soup (trust me on this one - it might sound like a strange combination, but it´s quite yummy); and a never-ending veggie and bread cheese fondue.  My stomach was stuffed to Thanksgiving-like proportions by the end of the meal and still there was more.  We ordered their black forrest dessert, which Paola served us herself, with a complimentary bottle of Chandon 187 to celebrate my birthday.  It was a simply fantastic meal, with such excellent service, that I don´t hesitate in highly recommending this restaurant to anyone and everyone who travels through El Calafate.  I wish Paola and Albert the best of success in their restaurant business!

Then Friday was my actual birthday.  Up at 6-ish, trying to wait patiently for my alarm to go off at 6:45 - it´s amazing how little your body is able to relax after such a tightly managed schedule for so long - and then it was off to hike on a glacier!  It is really hard to describe how awesome an adventure that was.  You take a bus to a boat, and you are standing in full view of one of only two glaciers in the world that are not receding (they´re stable, not advancing): Perito Moreno.  The guides told us that it is one of the lowest glaciers in the world as well, located only about 180 meters above sea level, with the average glacier being located around 2,000 meters above sea level.  So you can actually enjoy this glacier without freezing your tush off!!!

Well, Petra and I are kind of a force to behold, each one of us feeding off of the energy and laughter of the other, so by the time we were getting off the boat to start our glacier trek, we had concluded that the guides were going to rue the day that they got us as part of their tour.  It quickly became our motto of the day: "Rue the day!" we´d shout and then flash two thumbs up.  It sounds silly now, but it had us laughing through the whole day.  When I finally get back to my own computer in Buenos Aires and have the capacity to upload photos (and don´t have to struggle with this Spanish keyboard), you will note how many of our pictures of us sporting our thumbs up and flashing big goofy smiles - our new normal "Rue the day!" pose.

Of course, just as happened the day before, the weather started out absolutely beautiful, with lots of sun and a few clouds to give the sky some detail and depth (great for photography).  The guides had a hell of a time trying to get my enormous (read: not dainty) feet and my LL Bean slip-on finest shod in some cramp-ons (yeah, I didn´t plan that one all that well) and then we were off, climbing a glacier.  Let me repeat that, so it really sinks in, folks.  CLIMBING.  A.  GLACIER.  Yeah, you heard me...

Petra and I are laughing, singing, cracking jokes, and even dancing as we scale this glacier - which, might I add, entertained our guides to no end, prompting one of them to ask on a particularly vertical ascent, "Se corte el baile?" the Spanish equivalent of, "What, no more dancing???" - when, of course, the sun disappears behind an enormous cloud, the wind picks up and it starts snowing.  Did I mention how awesome this trip is?!!  It´s snowing, I´m singing, and I´m on a glacier.  Sweet.

Side note: Martha, Michelle, you know I´m totally remembering our hike up Mount Si as I´m trekking all over Perito Moreno Glacier, especially the parts where we were belting out show tunes and 70´s classics as we forced ourselves to keep moving up those switchbacks.  Oh, how I love you guys!  End note.

As the last part of the trek, the guides led us to this natural bowl in the glacier, where they set up some tables to serve the tour group some Scotch and alfajors (cookies filled with caramel, or dulce de leche).  Although I don´t drink Scotch, I did enjoy the gesture.

To end our day, Petra and I had made reservations at La Tablita, El Calafate´s premier restaurant, famed for it´s Patagonian lamb.  When it comes to meat in Argentina, these people really don´t understand portion control.  We ordered the mixed grill for two - which included lamb, rumpsteak, and lomo (forgive me, I don´t even know my cuts of meat in English!) - and it was as if they had slaughtered three whole animals for us, and only us.  Too much meat.  Seriously.  We also ordered their Provencal french fries, which, did not last more than 3 minutes, tops.  This Patagonia weather and all the hiking, it really makes a woman ravenous (moreso than her usual self).  Then came the Swiss chard, sauteed in garlic and olive oil, which I consumed by myself, happier than a clam, doing the happy food dance the whole time.  Guys, I don´t know if you know this about me, but I really like to eat.  And eat is what we did...it was GLORIOUS.

I don´t know if it´s all the physical activity, or if it´s the combination of being exposed to the elements all day (trust me, you should see how red my face has become due to the wind burn) and hiking my tush off, but food always tastes better after I´ve been wandering around all day in the Patagonian wildnerness.  The smells, the textures, the flavors, they are all that much more potent and inviting. 

So of course we ordered dessert - Petra, the calafate ice cream and me the homemade flan.  Then Petra treated me to dinner, that sly woman!  (Petra darling, thank you, thank you, thank you - it was a birthday I will never forget...)

And we even had them wrap up our leftover lamb and beef, and fed all the loose dogs on the way back to the hotel.  It was a nice way to round out our day, surrounded by our amorous puppy dogs, laughing, and breathing in the cool, refreshing Patagonia air.  I simply love it here.

Yet I must admit that I did miss all the phone calls from friends and da´ Momma, to help me celebrate my birthday by singing into my ear and reminding me why I love you all.  So while I was thinking of all of you and wishing you could be here to celebrate with me, I want you to know that my birthday still rocked my world.  Thirty-one is going to be good, I can feel it.