Peninsula Valdes (19-20/Jan/06)

Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Spent last Wednesday lazing about parks in Buenos Aires, our bus didn't leave until 7pm. Slowly making a mental list of all the little things that work slightly differently here than Spain, from the way houses are numbered to what type of shop sells methylated spirits (for the burner, not for drinking). Also slowly building up a vocabulary of Argentinian words; nearly all the fruits are called differently to in Spain.

The bus down to Puerto Madryn was great. When they say coche-cama (bed-seat) they mean it. Slept like a baby, hardly noticed the 17h trip. The Southern Pampas/Patagonia landscape is really amazing. Very desolate, nearly like a desert, but with shrubs. Not a bit of human habitation in sight for miles and miles, and completely flat.

Friday we took a tour to see the main attraction of the area, Peninsula Valdes. The same flat windswept landscape, with 4 different types of shrub (to the untrained eye, apparently there are about 12), but teeming with wildlife and we were lucky enough to see everything in season (wales leave mid-December, and adult elephant seals as well): ñandus (like ostriches), güanacos (related to the llama), pinches (armadillos), foxes, maras (Patagonian hare), but especially "baby" elephant seals, sea lions and penguins, and we were very lucky to see killer whales (orcas). Sea lions were the best as it was mating season, so there were loads of newborn babies and fights amongst the males, as well as the orcas preparing to start hunting them.

Next stop, Gaiman (just South of here), an old Welsh settlement. And soon after Rio Gallegos, on our way to Ushuaia, the Southernmost town on Earth.