Onward Ho(s)!

We arrived in Patagonia's El Calafate on time -- apparently a miracle when it comes to Aerolineas Argentina's on-time track record -- and checked into the designer boutique hotel Esplendor Calafate. (Hotel lounge pictured above.)

It would have been heaven, if it weren't for two things:

1. The hotel's heating system was out of whack, so our room felt more like a schvitz than a suite.

2. The food at dinner royally sucked. They even screwed up lamb -- Patagonia's most famous carne.

Breakfast was a much better affair, including fresh fruit, sweet medialunas and a special hot herbal treat: Mate.

It tasted like rotten grass, but I knew it's healing properties would be worth the bizarre bitter aftertaste. We had a lot to accomplish in Patagonia and I wanted to ensure that I'd be in top condition.

From stunning lakeside vistas...

...to the majesty of mammoth glaciers...

...to the sight of stupendous icebergs, Karen and I wanted to see it all and more.

That said, we weren't planning on leaving without an impressive plate of Patagonian lamb. Clearly, once we left the ice behind, we were on a meat mission.

Check back. Carne to come.