Chapter Six: Puerto Madryn--Summary of my Patagonia Trip

Puerto Madryn, a city located off the Atlantic Ocean, was my last stop in Patagonia.  Having completed zero research on this city, I had no idea what to expect. However, without a doubt, I was pleasantly surprised.  Having been surrounded by mountains in the previous towns, I was expecting mountains--instead, I got a beach town! When we arrived, you could instantly smell the aroma of ocean. Accompanying this smell was a deep, salty smell of seaweed.  In the summer months, tons of red seaweed wash up onto the shore.  This leaves a lingering scent of what most people think of as nasty.  I, however, LOVE that smell.  It reminds me of New Jersey.  For those of you that don't know, my family has a place on the Jersey Shore--and no it is NOTHING like the TV show.  Don't judge, it's actually a very nice place to spend summers! But, back to the smell.  You take a deep breath in, and it is a mix of humidity, marshy, salty, damp air. Sounds gross, huh? But it is refreshing-- laughter-filled memories flood my mind when I get whiff of this scent. So of course, my love for Puerto Madryn happened at first smell!

The first full day in Puerto Madryn was spent confined within the walls of the hostel.  I woke up at 7:30 hoping to travel to Peninsula Valdez.  Fail.  I guess the luck I've had with weather couldn't last the whole trip. The first time in twenty five days it rained. No--poured.  ALL DAY.  I was going crazy.  I drank 8 cups of mate and was literally bouncing off the walls. I just wanted to play on the beach! Instead, I watched Finding Nemo, played many card games, and ate cookies. All in all, not to bad of a day.


Finally, the rain stopped and the sun began to shine.  We headed off to Peninsula Valdez accompanied by a tour guide named Maria.  Though I am not a fluent Spanish speaker--I understand almost everything.  Maria didn't seem to think so, and spoke to our entire group as if we were six years old.  It got real annoying real fast. For the most part, I tuned out her high pitch, slow sounding voice.  Nonetheless I saw some pretty spectacular things--wildlife! Puerto Madryn is known for their heavy focus on ecological reserves, as well as wildlife preserves.  Also, aluminum mining--but I didn't see much of this, only the outside of the factory.  We started off with a tour of the EcoCentro--mainly focusing on Right Wales. Peninsula Valdez hosts the largest breeding area of Right Wales.

Mimicking the mouth of a whale...felt more like an entrance to a discoteca! 

Right Whale Skeleton 

Thought this was a silly sign...whale beards.

The adventure continued as we made our way to the coast. Alas, Elefantes Morinos! We watched on as they played in the water, relaxed on the beach, and fought with each other (elephant seals love to battle with each other as an activity).  But mostly they looked like they were dead--laying on top of each other, hardly moving-- it was decided that seals are the siesta masters.

(my camera with the big zoom is dead, so this is the best I got--Sorry!)

We also saw Penguinos--silly little creatures!

On a random side note, it was a two hour drive from the hostel to Peninsula Valdez.  Rather then passing the time by dozing off, I FINALLY learned how to french braid my hair. It has only taken me twenty years to learn--pathetic!

Since our original tour was cancelled, we pushed back our second tour to the day we left.  This meant we had to wake up at 5am in order to have enough time to go to Punto Tombo and then make it back to town to catch our 3 o'clock bus back to BA. It was totally worth it! We spent the entire morning on the wildlife preserve.  We saw thousands of Penguinos, herds of Guanacos, Armadillos, Cuis Cuis, Albatros, Choiques, Elephant Seals, and Sea Lions! The reserve was mainly focused on the Penguinos, however, there were different  animals everywhere you looked.  A truly incredible way to bring a close to my travels.

I was lucky enough to see some jaw-dropping sand art!  This was on a different beach in a town called Puerto Piramides.

Watching this man create a woman out of nothing was a strange experience.  I felt as though I was watching a really intimate moment between the artist and his lover.  From the sand, rose the perfect image of a woman lying on her stomach.  The way he manipulated the sand was breath taking.  One second, people were playing futbol, trampling over the ground where there was soon to be a silhouette of a woman. And this man knew his lady.  He meticulously carved out each line, not forgetting any detail from her hair all the way down to her toes.

More Penguinos on Punto Tombo

Guanacos! 

My other camera ended up dying in the middle of the morning, so I am lacking on the pictures of all the wildlife I saw. 

Patagonia: Salud, Dinero, Amor y Timepo Para Disfrutar!

An Argentine cheer: Health, Money, Love and Time to Enjoy it!

Now, I am going to try and bring to a close the amazing three and a half weeks I spent living out of my pack, eating salami and cheese, talking to people from all over the world, sitting on many long bus rides, laughing until my abs couldn't take it, tasting delicious chocolate, drinking good wine, cheap beer, swimming in cold cold cold lakes, trekking up numerous trails, speaking spanish, drinking mate, making friends I knew I would never see again, exchanging stories about our different home countries, broken buses on Ruta 40, sleeping on rocks for pillows-well not actually, but the pillows in most of the hostels were comparable to a brick, sharing one bathroom between 12 people, floating in the ocean, getting sun burnt--kind of tan--then peeling, seeing the natural wonders that make up Patagonia, and not having a worry in the world! 

I have been in Argentina for a month already.  It seems as though I have been here for a year with all of the things I have done.  It is amazing how quickly time flies by. It scares me, I feel like I still have so much to do and the next five months are not going to be a legitimate amount of time. I could spend a full year in Patagonia and still have more to see. 

I felt so at home in Patagonia, mainly Bariloche and El Calafte. I grew up in a small town in Wyoming, surrounded by mountains and people seeking out adventure.  Patagonia encompasses this feeling.  You can see adventure etched onto the faces of the locals. In an instant, the locals jump to help the people who are passing through each town--eager to climb the towering peak, kayak the roughest rivers, bike up the infinite pass. If you are a lazy, unmotivated, boring person--Patagonia is not for you. Along with the scenery, I feel as though the mindset of Patagonia is in line with my own.  I am not the one to sit around, and let an opportunity pass me by. I have an eager personality, I like to journey around--and feel as though I have conquered the world.  In each of the six places I visited, I experienced this feeling.  Elation. Pure happiness that stemmed from genuine exploration. 

Traveling through Patagonia has left me with an urge to keep going.  I thought my travel bug would be cured with a dose of Bariloche, Esquel, El Calafate, El Chalten, Perito Moreno, and Puerto Madryn, but no!  This world holds to many jaw-dropping, eye-popping places that I need to see.  It surprised me how comfortable I was with traveling from town to town. Maybe my future contains a life on the road...

It was hard to decide, but here are my favorite pictures from each place I stopped:

 These may be repeats from my other posts, but I needed to do this for my sanity. I took over 400 pictures whilst down south! 

Las Cuevas de Los Manos- Perito Moreno

Cerro Torre- El Chalten 

Perrito Moreno Glacier- El Calafate

El Lago Nahuel Huapi- Bariloche

Parque Nacional de los Alerces- Esquel 

Well, I'm back in Buenos Aires and am excited as ever! This will be my first time taking on the city, and I'm hoping that I'm ready for it. Though there are no mountains to climb, or lakes to swim in--there is a huge cultural port right outside my door. Museums, milongas, theaters, discotecas, plazas, cafes, shops, markets, and beautiful people are scattered through the city awaiting my presence! Yesterday I took on the challenge of public transportation. I took the subte and the busses!!  For those of you that don't know, I am directionally impaired. As my parents say, I could "get lost in a plastic bag."  Hopefully the direction gods are on my side so I don't get TO dangerously lost in the city of four million people. 

Tomorrow I move in with my host family!  It will be nice to unpack, and do laundry. Settle down a little bit. Get into a routine. This also means I have an address! I would love to hear from everyone stateside. So if you get bored of studying, don't want to go to class, sick of the dreary weather--write me a postcard! 

Ayacucho 1570- Piso 2 "A"

Capital Federal

ARGENTINA 

Besos,

J. 

Chapter Five: El Calafate

El Calafate is, without a doubt, a tourist town.  An adorable main street is lined with cute shops, the aroma of chocolate, and small cafes where people are sitting and drinking mate. I am lucky to be leaving this town with money still in my pocket--the artisan crafts in this town are impeccable. The colors of the fabric are so bright, the silver well made, and each gourd was better then the next.  Oh, and the chocolate--best I have ever eaten. Right now I am eating a lamb shaped, vanilla-chocolate, Dulce de Leche filled, piece of heaven.  All over Patagonia they sell lamb products.  I know they have a big wool industry here, but these people are obsessed with lambs. And gnomes. Every town I have been in has gnome statues all over the place.

When we first arrived in El Calafate, a festival was occurring. It was honoring Fransico Moreno, the founder of the famous Perito Moreno glacier. The town was alive, and bustling with people at 1am.  There was a huge, free concert happening-- a really fun way to be welcomed into this charming place.

I spent three full days in El Calafate.  The main attraction here is Parque Nacional de Los Glaciares.  In my last post, I said I had never seen glaciers so huge.  I take that back. The glaciers I have been lucky enough to see in this park seem to stretch into infinity.  All along Lago Argentina are glaciers that shoot up to sixty meters in the air.  And only 10-15% of the glacier is situated outside of the water. These chunks of ice are incredible.  Saying that these glaciers are BIG is a huge understatement.

On the first day, I did an "All Glaciers" tour.  I took a nice bus ride into the national park, where I then got onto a "boat"--more like a cruise ship. I was on the boat all day, and saw some amazing things. For some reason, I couldn't help but feel worn out.  I have been hoping from place to place constantly for three weeks. Don't get me wrong- I am in LOVE with traveling, but all the go go go action finally caught up with me.  I left the boat feeling nauseous and tired--went back to the hostel and crashed. Here are some pictures of the All Glaciers tour.  I wish I had more information to provide, but I was a bit out of it.  However, even in my daze I still appreciated the beauty I was surrounded by.

My second day in El Calafate was spent in town, wandering the streets.  Oh, and spending money like a good American is trained to do. I couldn't help myself! I splurged and got a couple of shirts, and a silver (of course) ring. Deciding to take the day off was a good choice.  Laughing, sun bathing, and drinking mate --I couldn't have been any happier.

The happiness poured over onto the third day I spent in El Calafate.  Feeling rejuvenated, I was ready to take on the day. I returned to El Parque Nacional de Los Glaciares, but this time to trek on Perito Moreno.  That's right--I walked on glaciers! Strapped on some crampons, grabbed an ice pick and took on the world!  Not actually, but being atop of a glacier sent a weird feeling through my body.  Before I actually stepped onto the ice, I sat for a couple of hours just watching the ice.  That probably sounds boring to some, like watching grass grow, but I could not have been more enthralled.  The noise of the glacier was so eerie, I was hooked.  It sounded like gun shots firing, thunder clouds banging together, and Niagara falls.  All at once. Yet, there was zero movement.  Until, if you were lucky, (which I was), you would see a huge chunk of glacier separate itself, and fall into the lake.

I felt so utterly insignificant. Standing across from something so foreign to me was a scary feeling.  Mother Nature is so powerful.  I couldn't stop thinking about how we, as humans, continuously try to fight her, disarm her, and lay her to rest. But it won't happen. We will never reign power over her. This has always been obvious to me, but after seen how immense these glaciers were, it became solidified in my mind.

Here are some of my pictures that tried to capture the essence of what I observed today.

We did some Frosting!  Even though it is summer in Patagonia it was very cold on the glaciers! Really windy--Here's me sending some Missoula loving!

Well, with less then a week left in Patagonia, it's time to live it up!  Hope everything is great state side!

Ciao,
J.

Chapter Four: El Chalten

I feel extremely fortunate to have traveled to El Chalten this past weekend.  Give this town another five years and it will be booming. I spent some time with a guide from Lewiston, MT (crazy!) who was in El Chalten for the third time, attempting to climb Fitz Roy.  He was telling me that nine years ago, there were hardly any places to stay and two years ago there was only one place that offered WiFi--now the main street is bustling with hip hostels, vegetarian restaurants, breweries, and beautifully crafted artisan shops. Though there are only 600 true locals living in this town year round, a whopping 1,800 fill the town in the summer. Sooner, rather than later, this place is going to be overrun with vacation homes.

Not only am I glad that I was able to see the town as a young fledgeling, but also the glaciers.  Who knows what will be left in another ten years?  I have never been so close to a glacier so massive. There is no way to put in perspective how incredibly HUGE these chunks of ice were.

Cerro Torre was the first stop on my trip.  With three peaks shooting up into the sky, this mountain is a work of art.  It looks as if someone delicately painted each ridge.  With lines so vertical, it is hard to believe that these massive pieces of rock are exploding out of the ground. Lago Torre is the lake located at the base of the mountain.  With the water coming directly from the glacier, then feeding the flow of the river--it was remarkable to see the works of Mother Nature in one quick glance.

As I said earlier, I officially declared teal the color of Patagonia.  Without fail, a different version of teal leaked its way into El Chalten.  The color of the glacial water was one I have never seen before.  So blue it was almost green. Translucent, but opaque. The lure to venture into the icy cold water was strong. I wanted so badly to be immersed into natures purest of compounds, however I was only able to make it to my toes.

The second day led me to the unbelievable Fitz Roy.  A mountain well known among the climbing population.  As we ascended our way up the trail, climbers were scattered about.  Each practicing on their own separate route, but moving together in one fluid motion. As we walked along the pathway, sweat dripping off our foreheads, we were greeted.  I heard over fifteen versions of the word "hello."  Besides the incredible views, my favorite part about the trek was the one word exchanges I had with people from all over the world.  The word hello was not soley a greeting, but a motivation.  There was so much meaning behind the word "Hi"--Keep going! You got it! It's amazing up there!  We all shared one common goal, and the nod of the head, or the quick smile that flashed across the many faces I passed proved that we were all conquering the same task--to see Fitz Roy.

Chapter Three: Perito Moreno

To begin the journey to Perito Moreno, we endured what was supposed to be a nine hour bus ride.  Thankfully, our driver was a younger guy, maybe twenty years old.  We made it in seven hours. Flooring it through the heart of Patagonia in a top heavy van was an adventure in itself.  We had to stop four times to re-arrange the luggage, which was loosely strapped to the top. At one point, a bag was hanging from the roof, dangling by a thin piece of rope, banging against the window.  I made a motion to mention this issue to the driver, he said "oh, thats normal." The drive, however sketchy it happened to be, was beautiful.  The sky was clouding over, and the ground looked as if it was glowing--the world looked alive, colors bursting out of invisible seams.

I rolled into town around five, and made my way to the cabanas.  An adorable little apartment was awaiting the five of us. It was a fairly relaxing night, just wandering the small streets.  On my way to do laundry, I became distracted with two little black puppies.  They were playing with each other in their yard, so obviously I walked over to try to get their attention.  Instead of getting the puppies' attention, two little boys came out of their house wanting to play.  They invited me in not only to play with the puppies, but also a rabbit!  I spent almost an hour talking with these little kids, it made my day to see how welcoming they were to an apparent foreigner. 

The main reason for stopping in Perito Moreno was to see Las Cuevas de Los Manos.  Over nine thousand years old, the red rock walls are imprinted with thousands of hands. A truly remarkable sight. Only 31 are right handed, and there is one hand with six fingers.  We had to do a bit of a trek to get up to the caves.  I have never spent time hiking through red rocks--amazing. The rock walls were towering over us as we made our way closer to the caves.  

Another piece of the adventure--we took a 35 year old Russian imported van to the caves.  It's name was Mr. Wes. And he provided us with one hell of journey. 

Off to El Chalten tomorrow--the trekking capital of Patagonia!

Ciao,

J.

Chapter Two: Esquel

After a quick four and a half hour bus ride from Bariloche, we arrived in Esquel.  At first, this town of 36,000 people looks pretty barren.  Little shops, mainly carnecarias (stores that only sell meat), line the street.  Compared to Bariloche, this place is quiet.  However, once I began to wander off of the main streets, I realized the charm this little town emits. Most houses have little gardens in their front lawns; many of them accompanied by dogs.  Dogs run this town. They have owners, however, they roam the streets freely greeting every person that comes their way.  The dogs also assist in controlling the traffic, since there are no streetlights here.  When a dog decides to cross the road, the cars stop.  One would think that without streetlights, there would be accidents.  Yet, somehow the people of Esquel have learned to drive in a manner that would normally be chaotic, and then make it look easy.

Though the town itself is more subdued then other places,  Esquel is a port for adventure.  Skiing, hiking, biking, climbing and running are some of the major activities that Esquel offers.  Fishing, rafting, and kayaking are also a strong point since the Futaleufu is just a bus ride away.

The first day I was here, I took a train ride to an indigenous village that was previously inhabited by the Mapuches.  The train ride was beautiful, giving us amazing views of the landscape.  It looked pretty similar to Missoula! However, a pretty intense discussion followed the trip to the Mapuche village.  With indigenous cultures beginning to disappear, how should we be reacting to activities like the "tourist train?" Does this actually benefit the Mapuche directly, or is it creating a dependence on the tourism industry?  To give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. To teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

Argentine Forestry: what appeared to be tree farms were scattered all over the outskirts of Esquel.

On Sunday, we ventured to Trevelin. This is a small town, with about 6,000 inhabitants. It is known for its Welsh influence. Esquel was founded by Welsh immigrants, and was created as an extension of Trevelin. For a Sunday, this town was happening.  There was music being played in the town center, along with different activities going on around the park. I joined in on a volleyball game, which went surprisingly well.  Those of you who have played volleyball with me know that I am not the best volleyball player.

Today, I went to Los Alerces National Park. I was surprised to see how organized the park was.  All the trails were well marked, and the guides were very helpful.  The grounds around the park were extremely well kept--overall a very beautiful place to spend the day.  We hiked up to a beautiful point, then spent some time swimming in el Lago Futalaufquen.

El Lago Futalaufquen

This is the beginnings of what is going to be a really good Chaco tan

My time in Esquel was well spent.  I felt as though I really learned the reasoning behind the immense European influence this country seems to have. And of course, the scenery was breathtaking! So far, any expectations I had about Patagonia have been blown out of proportions.  This place is more incredible then I could have ever imagined, and as always, I am excited to continue on Ruta 40!

Ciao,
J.