Penguinomania!

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Ok so I wanted to see the penguins in Puerto Madryn and penguins I saw!!!! I arrived in PM after a very uncomfortable night on a ‘semi cama’ bus which was DEFINETLY not semi cama (which essentially means a leg rest). So I staggered to the hostel and fell into bed for a couple of hours. Trekked off to inspect PM which is a sleepy little town situated in a bay. The first thing which caught my attention was the weather. There was I dressed in jeans and jumper as I had been in Bariloche and I was sweltering! I had assumed that since it was further south it would be cold. Not so - we may be in Patagonia but it was 25 C. I found myself the one restaurant on the beach and ordered Arroz con mariscos (the guide book made me do it). It was divine - not only because it was delicious seafood but also because it was not meat! I hate to say this but I am actually having a bit of an off moment with meat, something I could never imagine happening, and I can imagine some raised eyebrows at such a comment!

Next day (Easter Sunday) and off I went to Punta Tombo to the Penguin colony. Front page of the local newspaper on Saturday because there are ½ million penguins at the colony at the moment. It was quite an experience. They are simply everywhere and you can get to within inches of them as long as you walk slowly. As you approach them they tilt their head from side to side and give you the inspection as they try to figure out which penguin species you belong to…. They are also very couply so there tend to be lots of pairs of them making me feel like a right gooseberry. They have been studied and they actually return to the exact nest year on year and stay as a couple their entire lives (30 years). I thought that was pretty amazing….. Have to say though that after 2 hours in the colony I have had my penguin quota for the next few years….

We were then taken to a town where 90% of the town are welsh settlers. This is a very welsh part of the country and lots of shop names are welsh and welsh flags flying everywhere. Since it was Easter Sunday and siesta time everything was closed apart from the Welsh Tea House - sooo I really had no choice but to have Welsh tea - which funnily enough is exactly the same as English afternoon tea - with scones, sponge cakes and sandwiches.

Ohhh and even to make my Easter more complete I saw real live Gauchos! Authentic and not for he tourists. They were herding sheep across the road. All very exciting and I have managed to see two armadillos (alive and kicking and not splattered across the road which is the only armadillo I ever saw in Texas). Actually Patagonia reminds me a lot of Texas - especially West Texas. All I need is a little tumbleweed and I would be there….

I grabbed a taxi with some Italians at the end of the day and we went off to a Seal colony to have a look at them. Not quite as exciting as the penguins as you can only see them from afar. I am hoping however to swim with them when I make it to the Gallapagos…. I joined the Italians for dinner and Cazuela de Mariscos - divine…. And so with fantastic memories I am heading off to Rio Gallegos (a mere 16 hr trip) and then hopefully jump straight onto a bus to Ushuaia (a mere 12 hrs more)...

More Penguinos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/foodiefloozie/my_photos

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Comments

[anonymous]

Welsh Tea in Patagonia
Actually Nats this is your second abfab Welsh Tea experience you shared one with us and Roger and our Argentian friends in October 1978!! - Mae