Anti-freeze, Argentina, Avians, Austrians, Antarctica

So, I kind of decided I would go to Antarctica so I changed my plans a bit and took the bus back from Punta Arenas to my now, base town, of Puerto Natales (where Sang Kyoung and I stayed pre and post Torres del Paine). Sadly, when I arrived in the evening, there had been some sort of mishap on the bus where a liquid leaked into the luggage hold. My duffel bag was soaked. I was assured it was just water but as I got to the hostel I realized in neither smelled nor felt like water. So, I brought some damp items to the tiny bus office and started to complain. They didn seem so concerned. At first I just wanted to find out what was the liquid. Was it water? an automotive chemical? urine and disinfectant from the on board bathroom? (I have some expertise in this area what with college friend, Gil Pearman, and I inadvertently dropped an empty bottle of Blue Nun wine into the chartered LUV bus toilet in 1985 enroute back to Charlottesville from a football game at Georgia Tech--sadly we had to foot the bill for the costly repairs). So, they found out it was antifreeze, mixed with water. I demanded some compensation and I started getting worked up...ranting in my bad spanish. They kindly asked me to calm down, which I did. I then noticed the "smile, youŕe on camera" sign and noticed the security video camera. I can only imagine that the entire bus office crew now gathers to watch the video of the hysterical foreign woman muttering in crappy spanish. I am horrified that this video will get into the hands of the producers of Chiles funniest home videos. In any case, they took me to the laundry and had my damaged goods washed...all the time involved though kept me from going to the really good chocolate cake place.
The following morning I took a bus to El Calafate, in Argentina. The best part was the view--loads of fields of cows and sheep grazing with snow capped mountains in the background, every so often there was a small pond, full of flamingos. I was surprised, amazed and delighted.
I then arrived to El Calafate and within minutes ran into one of the Austrian duo. I do not know if I have previously mentioned them...Sang Kyoung and I met a guy and his dad traveling together from Austria. They were so sweet, and funny, and were our favorite pair (mainly we liked that this guy and his dad were traveling together) so after Torres del Paine, we trawled the streets of Puerto Natales for the better part of two hours hoping to run into them but alas, no. And we regreted that we didn t even have a picture. So, I was delighted to run into Johannes, the younger, and saw him and his dad yesterday afternoon on a walk to the nearby lagoon full of flamingos. I cannot get enough of these pink birds. There were tons of really great birds at the lagoon.
Today, I ran into father and son again at the super amazing Perito Moreno glacier which is the most amazing thing ever...HUGE. Again, my pictures won be good enough so look it up on the internet. Huge, beautiful, amazing.
And on the Antarctica front...Iǘe just handed over my credit card number so it looks like Iḿ in for a trip leaving on NOvember 7th for 11 days. Yikes!