El Calafate, Argentina

As we took flight, Ushuaia bid us farewell with its silvery peaks glistening in the late afternoon sun.

The airport experience had been confounding. Multiple flights taking off from the same gate at the same time, announcements in rapid-fire Spanish flying past our ears making no sense at all, and people forming random queues everywhere. It took us a bit to figure things out and get on the right flight. Off to El Calafate now - our mini-detour from Torres del Paine.

We were completely unprepared for the sight that greeted us during touch down. The snowy peaks had been replaced by an unreal turquiose lake blooming like an oasis in the midst of barren steppes.

A shuttle bus drove us to our much recommended hostel located on the fringes of a village-like town dotted with shabby homes and street dogs spilling out of everywhere. Because the hostel was fully booked that night, Nagesh had opted for a dorm accomodation. Not our first preference but it was way cheaper and high time we had our true backpacker experience. Not really though! That thought disappeared as soon as we set eyes on the crammed room, furmished with three bunk beds for six with common shared bathrooms outside. To add to the excitement, a rastafarian looking guy turned out to be one of our room mates.

Ten minutes later we were checked into the most expensive private room the hostel had to offer. So much for our ten minute dorm adventure. We signed up that very evening for a super-trekking adventure to the northern part of The Glacier National Park in El Chalten.