The Patagonian Steppe is arid and the ranches large. Many people struggle to make a living. We visited such a ranch, in part to compare it to the one farther north where the weather is kinder, moister.

Jimena explained that the rancher’s English was not good, causing us to pay close attention. She also said he loved questions, so we obliged.

First , the proprietors wanted us to look the part, and loaned us traditional hats and scarves. Gauchos!

Next, we helped prepare lunch, and while the lamb cooked, we toured the ranch.

The black dog rounded up the sheep, while the larger white dog was the herd’s protector. Gerardo opened and closed fences. Prices for wool depend on the breed as well as the age of the sheep.

Gerardo enjoyed showing us the old ways of doing ranch chores, including throwing bolas. Some of our group tried it as well.

Gerardo has an interesting genealogy. His grandfather on one parent’s side is his great-grandfather on the other side. Examining his family tree certainly illustrates life in areas with sparse populations.

We went back to Calafate for time off at our hotel. Brian and Clare wandered around town and tasted wine.

We were headed for a long driving day to get back into Argentina for another national park. Goodbye Torres del Paine, we loved your geology, hikes and plants. But first, we went to the visitor center, which had a geological garden, one of only a few we have ever seen.

The museum was really good; the displays clear and informative. Rodrigo gave us a quick tour then let us explore.

Back to the bus for gorgeous scenery. The weather was not quite as good as on our lucky previous days.

Then the border crossing from Chile to Argentina, saying goodbye to Rodrigo and hello to our new local guide, Jimena.

As we left the mountains, the terrain was beginning to show the flatter and drier character of the Patagonian Steppe. Plenty of glacial erratics evidence the presence of large ice sheets in the distant past. They look a bit like sheep, don’t they?

We stopped for lunch at Hostel Estancio El Ovejero in Cerro Castillo, where many of us enjoyed a hearty bowl of chicken soup with large pieces of chicken (including bones).

Jimena got us off the bus at reasonable intervals to stretch our legs and learn things. The first stop was at a red shrine to a local saint, Gauchito Gil who, although not Catholic, was said to have performed a miracle. The offerings to this saint are beer and cigarettes, since he was killed at a young age. Many friends in our group prayed to this young saint.

At another stop , Marta and Jimena got us dancing an Argentian folk dance, a little like a polka. We didn’t get pictures, but everyone participated. I think that knowing everyone made being goofy easier.

Being stopped by police, one masked, and being sniffed by dogs, made many of our group compare the experience to ICE agents in the U.S. taking innocent people. Not a good feeling, but it only was a short delay in our travels.

We stayed three nights in a town called El Calafate, the meeting place. The name is historic in that a big beautiful calafate tree grew here, and since ranches were huge and populations sparse, people would meet at el calafate. Gradually, buildings sprang up near the tree, growing into a town.

Our hotel was nice, an old ranch. The owners still had a few sheep.

At the hotel bar, Clare asked for an Argentinian white wine, and the bartender brought out one made from Torrontes grapes. Its flavor was distinct, unusual and good. Brian’s beer contained Calafate berries and had a funky label.

Scenes around the ranch hotel.

The aim of the first hike of the day was a waterfall then a lake, about 4 miles round trip.

Abundant birds graced our hike. Also, our leaders explained how many of the plants were used.

On our walk, but mostly when we stopped, we heard low rumblings of small avalanches.

We met our new local tour guide, Rodrigo, who loves to hike and tell stories. From Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine NP, we drove alongside the Strait of Magellan. Rodrigo told us about Magellan’s journey, including the fact that he did not complete it. It was a long drive, but the OAT’s team had box lunches for us. Very efficient.

We saw new animals on the drive. Rodrigo told us that one Rhea egg is equivalent to about 20 chicken eggs. Also, Rhea chicks are raised by males, one dad many moms, in groups of forty, to start out. Usually only around ten survive out of each clutch.

We stopped outside the park to take a two mile hike to view the most famous peaks in Chile. Again, the weather was clear and sunny. What luck!

A fire burned almost half of the National Park. It was started by people camping illegally on Christmas Eve of 2011. Because they were burning toilet paper (in a high wind), the fire is known as the Toilet Paper Fire. The campers were found and admitted to the deed. Now there are strict laws against smoking and fires.

Rodrigo made us aware of possible dangers from animals in this area adjacent to the National Park. Marta told us about a different group she led that experienced a stampede of guanaco, who were being chased by a puma!

Photographs cannot capture the awe, the majesty of the scenes we saw.

The light grey part of the towers is a shallow intrusive of granitic composition. Rodrigo told us that three pulses of magma intrusion occurred at approximately 18, 16 and 12 million years ago. The magma baked the overlying sedimentary rock to a black shade, more visible in the horns.

We stayed two nights in the National Park lodge, Lago Grey.