Puerto Madryn

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Trip Start Sep 23, 2008 Previous
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  Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, Argentina
Friday, October 3, 2008

My time in Buenos Aires had come to an end, but not without its problems. The night before I was due to leave BA the ATM withheld my card as I had incorrectly entered my pin number several times. Before leaving Adelaide I recieved a new card as my old card was due to expire, unforntunately I forget this and entered my old pin number instead. Now that sinking feeling you get when the card doesnt come out the machine hit me, all I had was a printout in spanish and no card. I rang the phone number on the print out and and was informed to return to the bank and I might get my card back. This was tricky since I was due to leave on the bus the next day. I tried to change my bus times but that was not possible and cancelling would of meant no refund at all due to the short notice of cancellation. So the next day I made my way back to the bank and thankfully all went smoothly and I recieved my card back after signing numerous forms and speaking to just about everyone in the bank. Along came 1pm and it was time for the bus station. Reading my ticket I understood that my bus left at 1.05pm, but giving me platform 1 rank 1-15 made it quite confusing. Best I could do was walk along to every bus, and in my best Spanish was to ask if this was the correct ´autobus´, eventually I got that smiling face with ´Ci Sinor, autobus com est Puerto Madryn´ or something like that. Well 21 hours later, little sleep and an ipod starting to run flat I arrived in Puerto Madyn in Patagonia.

Puerto Madyn is 1200km south of Buenos Aires and is the gateway to some of the most amazing wildlife in Argentina.

Critter 1

Once I got my pack from the under carriage of the bus I made my way by foot to Chepatagonia Hostel, around about 4 km away. It was a pleasant walk at 6 in the morning, and due to the layout out of town very easy to find. The best way for me was to head straight to the coast, then turn right and about 5 blocks down I would find the hostel. I found the coast all right, but making the right turn was diffecult, in front of me was about 100 whales, blowing water and air skyward, splashing thier fins and tails agianst the water and making those funny deep whale noises... I was expecting to see whales but this many...
I made my way to the hostel and checked in, showered and made my way back to the beach. There was a large jetty approxiamtely 1 km down the beach. I made the sroll.. well the speed I was travelling at I could of been in the olympic walking team, from here the whales where making their way around the bay, often coming within 20 to 30 meters of the jetty. This was where I stayed for some part of the day, as the draw of these massive beasts is compelling and makes it hard to leave. The whales themselves where southern wright whales and where up in these warmer waters from antartica with their new born calves.

The next day I made my way down to Puerto Tombo, where Argentinas most important Magellanic Peguin coloneys is. Arriving I payed the discrimatory foreiner entrance fee to the park which is double the price the locals pay and made my way down the trail. Only 30 meters past the rangers office the penguins have set up camp.

Lhama 1

All along the trail the penguins go about their day all oblivious the passing humans. The only time they really took any notice of me was when I went to take their photo, thats when they turned thier heads upside down. I dont know if it was their reaction to seeing themselves in the reflection of the lense glass or just looking at me with curiosty... there where penguins digging, sleeping, making love and making their way to the water for a swim. The colony itself was massive. As far as i could see into the distant hillsides, there where couples set up at thier burrows. I guess there would have to of been over half a million of them. Unlike the fairy penguins back home these guys where pretty big. Many reaching to the height of my knees, and with a set of beaks that i wasnt too keen to to get to close to. Penguins were not the only inhabitants of this area as Lhamas, armadillos a armored insect eater, Giant Petrels, Steamer ducks and oystercatchers.

After half a day watching the daily life of penguins unfold I made my way to Gaiman, which is a little Welsh colony set up int he middle of Patagonia. Fleeing the British in the late 1800´s they set up townships in this area and as I was soon convinced turned the barron land into green fertile oasis of farming land. Using the avaiable water coming across the plains they have set up such well designed and constructed irragation systems that the valley is flushing green compared to the contrast that sorrounds it. Enjoying a welsh ctyle cup of tea and cake it was time to make my way back to Puerto Madryn and start packing for a journey that would take me further south again.

I will upload photos once back in an area where internets speeds better.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Lhama 2	Lhama 3	Penguin 1	Penguin 2
Penguin 3	Penguin 4	Penguin 5	Penguin 6
Penguin 7	Penguin 8	Puerto Tomba	Whale 2
Whale 3	Whale 4	Whales

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