Day 43 - Dino Footprints

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This morning we set off in the dino truck to see 65-68 million year old dinosaur footprints. We were joined, coincidentally, by a couple from Manchester, Jenny and Gareth, who gave us more advice on where to live! The site has the most dinosaur footprints found anywhere in the world, bizarrely located on a vertical wall (tectonic plate movement had obviously moved them from their horizontal position). 5,000 footprints from 3 herbivores and 1 carnivore, we learnt how to distinguish between them based on whether they had hips like a lizard (the carnivores and long legged herbivores) which meant their left and right prints were parallel, or hips like a bird which resulted in prints turning either in or outward. Then of course the shape of the print and the number of toes. Unfortunately we had to view the prints through binoculars about 50m away due to risk of landslides preventing us from getting up close. But the biggest print is apparently 80cm in diameter. Fact of the day - the bird that is most closely related to the dinosaurs is the emu, descended from raptors.

After our dino trip we went for lunch at restaurant Manaypata - the best view in town, with white tablecloths and expert waiters who topped up our drinks for us! This atmosphere plus an amazing 4 course almuerzo (an extensive, cooked, salad bar with delicious dressings, soup, spicy chicken and blomonge) for 3 pounds 50 each! Even more bargainous was our trip to the market for dinner - 5 avocadoes for a pound and 4 bread rolls for 10p! The market was a weird and wonderful place - all the usual mounds of fruit and veg and meat in humongous quantities, but also everything we would normally buy in a supermarket or chemist - all the toiletries under the sun, cosmetics, batteries, kids toys and tons of other tat, piled up to the roof and further back into each stall than shoppers can even access. No prices on anything, every other stall selling the same selection... pandemonium! There was even a huge block of butter just sitting uncovered and un-refrigerated on the floor with a serving spoon poking out! And I would not like to reminisce over the condition of the meat stalls...

Chris's Corner

With the footprints found in a quarry (still working) we were dropped off at the entrance with little explanation from dino tours and left to wonder into the site up a clay dirt track. Surprisingly, at the end was an extremely tourist orientated, poor man's Jurassic Park... though excitement did ensue at the sight of the extremely large Saltasurus towering over us.

I also felt a little bit like Clark Kent's Jimmy, having to pay for the right to take photographs (before we knew the prints were so far away) and given a badge to pin onto me. No doubt not the last time we'll have to pay for this right.

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Photos

The Wall of Footprints!
Note recent landslide!