Tboxtracy's travel blogs:
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Puerto Madryn
Entry 33 of 40 | show all | print this entry |
Well it took a 18 hour bus ride to get here. The bus station is crazy and a bit scary. It is absolutely hugh will about 50 or so platforms. So many people too, this is the way most argentines get around the country.
The buses are nothing like I´ve been on before. So good. You have three classes, semi cama, cama and full. Semi is a seat that goes back about 140 degrees and includes food and drink, cama is a wider chair, more leg room, a proper leg rest, pillow and blanket and reclines 160 degrees. Its big enough for you to sleep on your side and comes with food and drink and finally full, this is the same as above but lies completely flat!! I went cama as its cheaper. I left at 6pm and was given dinner, cold starter, hot main (beef and mash) with wine and creme caramel for afters and a cold breakfast. The love sweet stuff for breakfast, a cake thing with caramel in the middle and a wafer bar covered in choc too. The best bus ride I´ve ever done even better than most flights I´ve had. Good movies too.
I got into P.Madryn about 10ish and headed for my hostel that a guy from spanish school recommended. It was a small hostel but really friendly. It was great because as soon as I got in I heard 4 yes 4 english accents...I hadn´t spoken to an english person for weeks!! It kinda makes you feel warm and safe. I booked to go and see the penguins the next day.
THe people working and staying at the hostel were really nice, they got to know your name and a group of us went out for dinner and drinks together. I met a guy from Canada, Marty, who has been here for 3 weeks as it is so laid back and spends most of his days sat on the beach catching a few rays....it´s too cold for him in Niagra.
There were only three of us going to the penguins so we had a guide and a car...better than a bus full of tourists. We headed to Rawson first to go on a boat to see some dolphins. We saw a few but not so many and I´ve seen dolphins many times now I just wanted to see penguins. The journey down to Punto Tom is quite a way away, we did about 400kms round trip. There is a colony of penguins down here of just short of a million birds. THey live in a kinda of desert where temperatures reach 40 degrees c!! They make there nest in burrows and return each year to the same one. You can walk by them and they don´t pay any attention to you. THe only rule is that you give way to them when they are coming or going from their nests. They currently have young with them. I would have loads of pics to show you but sods law my battery ran out after only 4 pics!! I´m going to try and get some from some friends to post on facebook. I really can´t believe penguins live in the sun, its completely mad. THey stand there all panting like dogs as they don´t have sweat glands. It was an amazing sight to see them stood on the beach having a chat and swimming about in the water. A sight I will never forget.
I left the next day to head for Esquel where I was meeting Trisha for New Years Eve and the rafting guys before heading across to Chile to go rafting.
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