I’ve seen many glaciers, yet I’d be in awe after today. Ever since I’ve returned from Antarctica, I’ve been dealing with an unprecedented bout of depression and I can’t figure out why. I’m this down after accomplishing such a huge goal. At this point in my life I’m thinking of quitting travelling, or at least having a break from it. If only people could understand the everyday life of an avid traveller: like last night, I got hardly any sleep at all due to listening to trucks, cars, and motorcycles all night, and it seemed the same motorcycle was driving round in circles at 4 AM. If this is really my last hurrah of my travelling days, it has been a great run. I mustn’t forget I’m going to NZ for Christmas to see Craig Smith and a few other friends, so I’ll have some relax time whilst in my favourite country. 40 countries under my belt, and all seven continents…I would love to build a career out of travel.
I think part of the reason I’ve been so depressed is because, even though in 2017 I’ve accomplished a lot travel-wise, a lot has happened with people in my life this year: in June I found out my friend Anna passed away in a rock-climbing accident. She was only 28. As I was in the Falklands a few weeks ago, my friend Irfan passed away, aged only 36. Less than two weeks later I found out my friend Keating passed away, aged only 43. During the summer, my mother was in hospital for two months and nearly didn’t make it out alive. Earlier this year another dear friend's sister passed away of cancer, aged only 34.
Last night I chatted to a nice couple from Belgium named Bart and Isabelle, and they bought my chicken schnitzel and chips as a Christmas gift and even offered me a glass of wine. This morning I couldn’t find them so I tore off a piece of cardboard from a box and wrote a note and put it, along with one of my Fearless Journey cards, in one of their boots located next to their tent. After sharing all that bad news with them last night, I only got more bad news afterward: another friend lost her husband in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident only two months after they got married! With all this drama, it’s no wonder I’m sick of travelling. I’m not just sick of travelling, but I’m sick of drinking as well…I want my mind sharp and I want to be focused 100% of the time.
At a time when I need a CouchSurfing host the most, I’d have some difficulty finding one in El Calafate, but last night a man named Dario finally responded. It turned out he was planning a camping trip for tonight but after last night I’m definitely not up for camping. Fortunately a young man named Fidel would respond and he agreed to host me. I wanted to set out for Buenos Aires tomorrow but I’d like to have a full day of rest and then start fresh the next day. Argentina is a huge country, and it will take me at least a couple of days, but more likely three or four, to reach the capital.
Dario agreed to give me a lift part way to the glacier, and I counted at least 10 hitchhikers along the way, so I knew it’d be a bit tricky. We picked up two French girls and he dropped us at the turnoff only about 30 km from the glacier. Patagonia’s landscapes look straight out of the South Island, and I noted that as I snapped a photo. The French girls were picked up by a ute, but it was full so I agreed to ride in the bed until we reached the entrance to the glacier. The entrance fee is $500AR but it’s per person and you can only pay in Argentine pesos: no credit cards, US dollars, or Chilean pesos. I was in a dilemma because I crossed over from Chile only yesterday and withdrew money only a day earlier. The park ranger suggested swapping some Chilean pesos with somebody but with nobody around I was stuck. I even said if they allowed me in for free, I’d write a really nice story and promote the glacier. I can’t complain too hard about saving money because I didn’t have to pay the park entry fee the other day at Torres del Paine. In the end I swapped some Chilean pesos and then received my first dose of Argentine hospitality: I was invited to a picnic by a family who drove all the way from El Mision, near Iguazu Falls: a three-day drive from here. Argentina looks smaller than Mexico on most maps, but Argentina is the second largest country in Latin America. Adolfo is the driver and his travelling with his wife, five children, and several friends and extended family members in a convoy. Why have I been so sad lately, when it’s moments like this that make travel so special? The people you meet, the things you see, the food you eat, the pictures you snap…it’s always a special feeling being somewhere different. After a lovely picnic with a gorgeous lakefront setting, we all drove to the glacier together.
Your first sight of Perito Merino Glacier will leave you in awe, no matter how many glaciers you’ve seen before.
Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are tiny by comparison and don’t have a teal-coloured lake at the base. I was advised to go in the afternoon when you can watch huge chunks of ice fall into the lake. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to fly Juliett over the glacier, but it would make for some amazing photos. With my camera I snapped enough photos that I ran out my battery, and then snapped a panoramic shot with my phone.
As much as I don’t like phone photos, my camera doesn’t have a panoramic option. I’ve been to glaciers in New Zealand, Iceland, Antarctica, Greenland, and now Argentina. This is the only glacier where I’ve paid an entry fee but it’s well worth it. The colours alone will leave you in awe.
If I was to really quit travelling, it’s beautiful places like Perito Moreno Glacier that I would miss. There are still many places I haven’t seen: the Gobi Desert, the Great Pyramids, the Himalayas, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the Amazon, just to name a few. My followers wouldn’t see me as “Chris Farrell” if I didn’t travel. However I’ll admit, I’m tired. Travel is fun and rewarding, exhausting and brutal. All the sleepless nights really take a toll on you. All the days you’re eating fried food and instant noodles because you can’t properly cook or are short on time take a toll on you. You meet truly awesome people on your travels and you only see them for a short time and then not again for months or years, if ever again. I’ve met ladies whom I feel could be a potential partner and I’m not in a place long enough to build something meaningful with them. Travel, just like many things in life, appears to be all glamour but a lot goes on behind the scenes.
In the face of this lonely battle with depression, today I saw another of the world’s highlights. There’s nothing quite like the raw power and colour of Perito Moreno Glacier.
