4 March 2008
For our third day, we planned an afternoon trip to an estancia outside EL Calafate and a horseback ride on Cerro (Hill) Frías. To pass the time in the morning, we decided to attempt to find the camino (walk) around the laguna (lagoon, or in this case temporarily flooded lake inlet), which the hostel staff had insistently encouraged us to locate. Because everything off the main drag of the town is relatively ad hoc (neighborhoods abruptly ending in dirt roads leading to vestiges of farms), we were frankly surprised to discover a brand new, generously ample, and scarcely traversed boardwalk circling a large cove of water. Leafy tops of trees spread out over the surface, enjoying the temporary bath and community with ducks. I can only assume that the boardwalk is more popular in high tourist season, and that if and when I ever return, it may be scattered with vendors of cheap jewelry and ice cream; however, on that day, it was a quiet, breezy retreat from the main street tourist hotbed.
Our horseback ride on Cerro Frías was a plodding but pleasant loop up and across one side of the hill. We never reached the summit, but the views of the wide, scrubby basin and the distant, snowcapped peaks were spectacular regardless. The guides warned us not to let our poky steeds get out of line, but mine was so utterly bored with the whole ordeal that I could have easily dropped the reigns and turned 180° in the saddle to chat with my companions and take pictures. My favorite part of the trip, however, was watching our gaucho guide maneuver his pitch-black stallion in flamboyant circles around us as we walked. He was quite a show-off, but completely entertaining.
I think I have never eaten so much pumpkin at one time as I did at the asado (big, grilled meal) that followed the ride. There were also plenty of chicken, lamb, and onions, but I zeroed in on that delicious orange squash, well accompanied by Quilmes Cristal. As I periodically wiped beer and pumpkin off my face, Brett and I discovered that one of our fellow riders was the personal assistant to the world’s most famous female polo player, who also happens to be the mother of two of the world’s most famous male polo players. An enlightening discussion ensued about the recent history of polo, and it felt like we were brushing knees with celebrity, albeit once removed.
