El Calafate, a new town, a frontier town, a Tourist town. It is all of these
Officially founded only in 1927 the area was formerly a meeting place to exchange goods like wool for transit to other places. It is in the throes of reinventing itself to cater to the ever increasing hordes of tourists. There is a new airport, newly redeveloped streets, foreshore to Lago Argentino and a new Tourist Information center on top of the hill. There are many shops in the main street that provider everything from Cerveza to postcards. The Antares Honey beer is very nice and the Red dangerous.
The backstreets are a little less civilized with many new houses and the streets often not quite finished. Then there are the horses that pretty much roam at will feeding off the surrounding Steppe, but they are owned and look well kept. No idea how they are found when they are wanted. There is still a strong Gaucho culture in the country, which would have never been developed or wrenched away from the indigenous Tehuelche Indians without horses. But now Cars and Utes in various states of repair are the preferred modes of transport.
By the way, the numerous speed limit signs just seem to be taken as a rough advisory by many, or just plain ignored totally. Or even taken as a challenge maybe. I am sure one of the transfers I was on was doing about 160 in a 60 zone, me being able to see the speedo dial.
Back to the frontier town. Down the main street drives a Ute with a shopping trolley in the back. Said trolley was half full of Antares Red beer. But the trolley was not tied down, which was alright as the gentleman sitting on the edge of the Ute tray seemed to have it well under control, so all good. And no I did not take a picture.
Regards
Walter
