Meet the Dinosaur
Trip Start
Mar 01, 2006
1
329
551
Trip End
Dec 01, 2007
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El Chocon - CutralCo,
Argentina
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
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In the morning the sun was there, the sky was blue, it was warm and almost hot.
I went to the bathroom, found out there was only cold water. But I had to take a shower, as the last one was two days away. In fact the water was freezing cold.
I went to the tourist office and left my bags there, and then walked to the museum. There, was exhibited the fossiles of Giganotosaurus Carolinii, the largest carnivorous dinosaur (bigger than the northern american tyranosaurus rex).
I did not quite get if they were the original fossils (some were for sure), but the first exhibit was the squeleton on the ground, as if on an excavation site. 80% of the squeleton was found (which is a lot by international standards), including its 1,98m skull, complete with 29 teeths, the biggest of which reached 21cm.
Other data: size 13,5m, height 4,6m, weight 9,5 tons. Age: between 100 and 105 millions years.
Then there was a standing reproduction of the squeleton, a reproduction of the head, and a reproduction of the dino with flesh and skin and vicious eyes, of course.
There were other smaller fossils: tortoises, reptiles, small dinosaurs, crocodiles, teeth and bones of bigger dinos. Some fossilized bones were there to be handled and touched. I really loved it, my first close encounter with real fossiles, it is completely different than going to a museum and seeing a reproduction.
Having the fosiles in front of you or in your hands just makes it all more... real?
The way Rubbens Carolinii discovered the Giganotosaurus Carolinii and other fossiles is "simple": in this aride area, the rios create canyons. These canyons are usually dry, but after rain the water flows and takes away a bit of the soft rock...unearthing paleontological and archeological treasures. Carolini was an amateur paleontologist who was going regularly in search of fossiles.
The whole museum was just giving me a very strong desire, to go out there walking and looking at the ground for hours, searching for fossilized bones or archeological remains...
After that I had only an hour left,so I went to the lake, which is an artificial one, and the reason of the existence of Villa El Chocon: the town was built in the 70's at the same time as the hydroelectrical dam. That explained the strange look of the town, madeof aligned identical houses, and with a very artificial town center, made of a big sport complex (outdoors, indoors, swimming pool,etc), big schools, and a commercial center.
It has been ten years now that the museum oppened, so they are starting to get into dino fever, with dinothis and dino that everywhere, dino footprints painted on the roads, etc...
Language note: the old people would answer my Hola by an Adios, which usually means goodbye. But it is very similar to where I live in the countryside in southwestern France, where people say Adieu (which is normally used for farewells without hope of meeting again), as an everyday greeting.
I got back to the touritst office to get my bags back and wait for my bus. There was an american couple, they were a bit lost about what there was to do (I had been a bit lost too, but they looked quite upset with the lack of information, understanding nothing about rivalities between localities, museums, etc...) so I worked as a translator and touristic guide, and I talked about renting a car cause that was the thing to do, but they took too much time making up their mind, and my bus arrived so I jumped in.
The bus broke down.
I eventually arrived in Neuquen, took another bus to CutralCo.
There I struggled a bit to find a room. I could have gone to Jessica's friend, but I did not know her, and Jess was not in town yet. I eventually found what I believe to be the cheapest room. in town. CutralCo and attached Plaza Huincul make for a big town, based on oil service companies, so hotels there are used to host oilworkers, not backpackers.
I had no news of Jessica, and I had TV in my room, which is quite unusual, and I watched it, which is evn more unusual. I saw Grizzly Man, poor guy.
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