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Published: October 23rd 2006
After our quick tour of the Jesuit ruins, we grabbed a bus to Posadas the capital of Misiones province and tried to figure out where to go next. Our destination was a small town called Colonial Carlos Pelegrinni, situated on the second largest wetland in South America behind the Pantanal of Southern Brazil and Paraguay, but harbouring the same ecosystem. The wetland, whose name is the Reserva de los Esteros del Ibera (Ibera meaning brilliant waters in Guarani), comprises over 1.3 million hectares and occupies over 14% the province of Corrientes in which it finds itself. There is only limited access to this part of Argentina and so our options for travel were somewhat limited.
It was 5pm, and we had been travelling since 7 this morning, Laurence and I were both tired and were not impressed by the options afforded us in Posadas. On one hand we could grab a bus at 6p that would take us 6 hours south to a town called Paso de los Libros, where we could catch another bus, this one being one hour which would take us to Mercedes, a small provincial town and the natural jumping off point into the Esteros (wetlands).
From their we would have to wait, until noon of the next day when the local bus would take us the final leg of the trip, some 120 km north along a dirt road into Carlos Pelegrini. Wow, I could hardly wait for that itinerary!.
Alternately, we could try and persuade a tour operator to take us into the wetlands from Posadas, following and even more difficult and temperamental road. The problem with this option is that it would be costly and we were unsure whether or not we could find a vehicle willing to take us the three hour journey south at 6pm. As luck would have it, Laurence was able to make a few phone calls and found that in fact a company would take us to Carlos Pelegrini is a 4X4 and that the cost was much less than we had anticipated. We were on our way!
Heading into the wetlands with our guide Roberto, we entered the 100 km dirt road just as the last rays of sun had faded below the horizon. Our trip would be nocturnal and would hopefully provide us a glimpse of some of the animals which we had come
to see. Inching nearer to the wetlands, we began to understand the importance of the area of a wildlife sanctuary and its larger role in the Rio Parana aquatic system. We encountered numerous skunks, carpinchos and caiman along the route and stopped to watch each of them whenever we saw the tell tale glow of their eyes. The 4X4 trip turned out to be like a nocturnal safari, which we had planned on doing and was a great way to access this isolated community of barely 600 people.
We arrived at our hostel, named Inambu and we greeted by a friendly and jubilant women named Julieta. Everything was ready for us and the room proved to be fantastic. We finally laid our heads to rest at 11:30, exhausted from a long and tiring day. We could hardly wait for the morning to come and our first glimpse of this spectacular area in the daylight.
We awoke late the next morning, having rested our weary bones and enjoyed a relaxing coffee and toast breakfast on the chairs outside of the hostel, eyes closed from the wonderful breeze that licked our faces and cooled our skin from the warm spring
sun. What a great feeling it was listening to the birds chirping and watching numerous horses munching on the grass, still wet with dew.
Corrientes province is the home of the ‘Gaucho’ and has historically been known for its fine leather tanneries and saddle making artisans. The pace of Carlos Pelegrini was slow to say the least and was a welcome change from the chaotic, fast paced life that renders Bs.As. as little more than a passing blur some days.
We had scheduled a boat tour of the lagoons for that evening at 5pm so that we could escape the midday heat and hopefully enjoy some of the wildlife as the sun was setting. Given this, we were left with the afternoon to wander through town and visit the interpretation centre and the Sendero de los Monos, The monkey trail. Julieta had explained that the trails we well marked and that we were likely to see monkeys. With monkeys on the brain, and Laurence’s making her best imitation of monkey noises we eagerly headed out, hoping to see these little creatures that capture all of our imaginations. There something about monkeys, there human like appearance and attitudes that
Don't let his spots deceive you!
This ferocious looking cat was purring for attention the entire timemake them hard to ignore.
We crossed the bridge separating the town from the interpretation centre and were immediately confronted by the sight of an enormous caiman that must have been close to two meters in length. HE was big to say the least and was enjoying the afternoon sun on the grass that grew adjacent to his lagoon home. Looking a little closer at the waters of the lagoon, we could now see many of the tell tale, eyes and jagged skin floating on the surface of the water, quietly waiting for the next fish to pass. In addition to Caimans, we saw numerous Carpinchos (the worlds largest rodent) grazing in both water and on land. These huge beaver-like creatures and the mascot of the wetlands and were definitely something that we had come to see.
Finding the trail head of the Monkey trail, we entered the thick confines of the jungle and we were immediately greeted by the tell tale sounds of buzzing mosquitoes. When I say mosquitoes, I don’t mean a couple, but in reality thousands buzzing about beneath the forest canopy. We needed to keep moving if we were going to avoid being devoured
alive by the blood sucking nuisances. After perhaps a hundred meters we encountered the monkey that we had so hoped to see. Sitting quietly above our heads, in the canopy of the trees, was a large family group of yellow howler monkeys, enjoying the breezes washing into the forest from the lagoons. Mothers held small babies and, what looked to be young juveniles played amongst themselves in the branches. We watch as one small baby, climbed his way down a branch, swung about using his legs and tail and then returned to the back of his mother. We stood and watched these amazing little creatures for half an hour and could have spent the day had it not been for the relentless attacks by mosquitoes, giant ants amongst other flying insects. We left the trail happy and satisfied that the wildlife that had attracted us to this place was in abundance. We left and headed back to town for lunch and to wait for our evening boat ride into the Esteros.
Joining a women from Mendoza province in Argentina and an older gentlemen from Belgium, we jumped into an old motor boat with our guide Fabian, a 22 year
old from the area.
We motored through the open waters of the lagoon until we encountered what is known as Corrientes canal, a marshy area where the vegetation floats in huge rafts and the wildlife is supposedly abundant. Turning off the motor, Fabian took in his hand a long bamboo pole that would propel us through the lagoon for the remainder of the expedition. Immediately we could see dozen of caimans and being in the boat, which quietly carved through the still waters by the gentle push of the bamboo stick, we were able to come up alongside the Caimans (Yacare in Guarani) and see them from less than 5 feet. We were able to literally get up alongside these reptiles and watch them sunning themselves, opening and closing their spectacular jaws in order to regulate their internal temperature. In addition to the Caiman and Carpinchos, the lagoon is home to more than 300 species of world ranging from tiny colourful song birds, the enormous cranes and storks.
The lagoons are also home to a species of deer, which we able to see only glimpses of through the dense vegetation which it was feeding on, but it was
great to know that they were here with us nevertheless. Our tour ended as the sun was setting with a quick excursion onto a large floating island where we could stretch our legs and feel the ground beneath our feet floating on water. It was a memorable trip and one that I hope not to forget soon.
The next morning we awoke early and prepared for our horseback ride into the lagoons, another way of enjoying these incredible wetlands. Our guide, a able teenage boy of maybe 14 years, rode up to our hostel with two other steeds in tow masterfully riding and controlling these beautiful, albeit a little overworked horses. His name was Alberto and he was the second oldest of 6 brothers and could be described as a typical Gaucho. He hair was jet black and his skin dark brown with features suggesting his indigenous lineage. We found out that Guarani was the language spoke at home and that his father also worked with horses and cows in the capacity of veterinarian. Alberto was a great guide, whose quiet demeanour and knowledge of the area, wildlife and horses was incredible. He took us into the lagoons, pointing
out bird species along the way and describing a little about life in Carlos Pelegrinni. There is one lasting image that I will try to describe, which we encountered during the last part of our trip on horseback.
Leaving the dusty dirt road behind we entered a large rice paddy field that had only recently been planted. The green sprouts had only pokes their heads from the earth a couple of weeks earlier and we comfortably growing in the 3 inches of water that inundated this beautifully lush field. On our right we could see an enormous and impressive bird that turned out to be a Jabiru stork, walking amongst the fledging rice plants. This bird, measuring at least a meter and half in height , has an upturned bill that is black as night. This black colouring continues, covering the head of this creature until it collides with a brilliant red collar encircling the bird’s neck; it’s body is a brilliantly white. Impressive to say the least. We quietly walked past this beautiful bird a top three horses that seemed to leave it at ease. In front of us, lay a group of a dozen or so, brown
Jabiru Stork
Not my photo, but gives you an idea all the same. and black horses that had been left to graze in these fertile fields. The manes were being swept to one side by the stiff breeze that had picked up, moving over the warming land and created a flowing effect like water over their bodies. The palm trees that stood behind the horses seemed to be caught in the same current, their green leaves rustling in the same direction and manner as the manes of the horses. It was quite a spectacular sight, riding a top of a horse accompanied by Laurence and a young Gaucho in an area that is one of the gems of the natural world; and is something that I will never forget in all my life.
We returned to the hostel energized from our experience in the lagoons and finally left Carlos Pelegrinni happy and amazed at the beauty that continues to exist on this beautiful planet we share with countless other creatures.
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mormor
non-member comment
god morning
Hi Jason and Laurence. I had just checked my mail and there is was, your next chapter of your journey, what a trip is has been so far for you both. We are amased to read about it all. thanks Jason and Laurence too. keep it up please. Mormor p.s take care.