22nd January Hasta lavista new and old friends

Got up early to give us enough time to pack up all our belongings. 






Went up to lounge to collect our passports

Had to leave our packed bags outside our cabin to be taken ashore before going to breakfast

After breakfast went up to gangway to leave the ship







Selected our bags from where they had been taken to onshore

Bags put on to bus and after lots of fond farewells we got on the bus to be driven to where our bags were kept in a special storage location

We then walked down to the cafe x-presto where we were before we went to Antarctica and spent time catching up emails etc and doing the blog.

There were set times when we could go and fetch our bags. Bill and Linda walked back to the storage place to make sure we were there on time. Heidi and Tejal went to Isla Vegana to pick up some food for lunch... and maybe another souvenir ;)




After collecting our bags we went by taxi to the airport, only 6000 pesos.

The airport was very very busy took us quite a while to get through to check in. Unfortunately, Linda had left one of her battery pack charges in her luggage, so was called out over the loud speaker to take it out.

We then waited in the very crowded lounge whilst we were all lined up according to which zone our tickets were. We were three, so waited for zones one and two to go through before us.

Flight was uneventful - we were all seated separately and Heidi was spoken to by a couple that she was seated between (He likes the aisle seat and she the window) about their Antarctica trip ... Tejal had a window seat and so managed to get a couple of great shots of the blue lake.




We were met at El Calafante airport and taken to our hotel, the Rincon. It was a full-size bus, with only the four of us on it. We went quite a distance, before reaching the township itself and our hotel.







Settled into our room, and then headed into town for dinner. 








We had chosen La Tablita to go to for dinner - good choice. 

It was very popular, but we were early enough to get a table. very enjoyable meal. Bill and Linda had lamb Parrilla something that Laurie had suggested we had in Ushuaia so pleased we could get it here. 








Needed to be back at our hotel before 10 so that we could order food to take with us for a picnic tomorrow.


The view from the rear of the Rincon Hotel








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