Shortly after we left El Calafate, Zach had me take a minute to appreciate smooth ride we were having on the paved roads.
It wasn't long before we got onto the original gravelly Ruta 40 which really brought the imagination's impression of 'Patagonia' to mind: wild, barren and beautiful.
As we entered the biggest town on the map for 100's of kilometers, it reinforced that we really are in the middle of nowhere! The three roads were all gravel, there were no shops and only one small restautant - cerrado either for siesta or forever! The gas station didn't have diesel and only had a limited amount of food and drinks. Hmmm.
Zach did all of the driving today. I expect to drive at some point but he likes it and I enjoy my role as DJ, navigator and providing food and beverage services on the journey. The gravel, potholes and wind added nice challenges keeping the journey exciting. At one point we saw decent sized waves in puddles appearing to be blowing uphill. We also saw the iconic tumbleweed blowing across the road.
We made it to Estancia La Angostura, our destination for the day, by 18h. Staying at estancias, or big ranches, is a big part of Patagonian life. They come in varying degrees of grandeur. Some are castles with elaborate gardens, pools and stables. Ours was more of a simple affair with a main house, a small camping area, a modest building with 'dormis' and then a few outbuildings for the ranch. There was even the mandatory grizzled gaucho riding by with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a recently slaughtered sheep for that evening's dinner draped behind his saddle.
It was really in the middle of nowhere. In this part of Patagonia, houses are very far apart. No buildings in the way meant we had an unspoiled sunset. No light pollution meant we had the perfect sky for checking out the stars. Perfect.
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