1-25-10: We visited Reserva Peninsula Valdes today. There were informative displays at the Visitor's Center then we drove a 300 km loop on gravel roads to 4 major viewing areas. We saw Magellan penguins, elephant seals, sea lions, piche armadillos ('peludos'), guanacos (wild relatives of llamas), and Darwin's rheas (ostrich-like birds). We didn't see any Orca whales (which are actually dolphins not whales) although they had been spotted in the area the previous day. The main way to see them from shore is when they come up to the beach for a sea lion meal-to-go.
1-26-10: We made a return trip to Trelew to hit the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio (MEF). First we viewed an hour-long movie on how several factors (climate change, volcanic activity, the breaking apart of the supercontinent) helped create variety among the dinosaurs of the mid-Jurassic period. The displays of authentic fossils and dinosaur skeleton replicas were fascinating. We could also peer behind some glass windows demonstrating an actual lab; there wasn't much activity because the scientists were out in the field since it is summer here. The kids (as well as the adults) definitely thought this place was well worth a visit. That evening we drove to Camarones and camped out on the beach for 2 nights so we could visit Cabo Dos Bahias.
1-26-10: We made a return trip to Trelew to hit the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio (MEF). First we viewed an hour-long movie on how several factors (climate change, volcanic activity, the breaking apart of the supercontinent) helped create variety among the dinosaurs of the mid-Jurassic period. The displays of authentic fossils and dinosaur skeleton replicas were fascinating. We could also peer behind some glass windows demonstrating an actual lab; there wasn't much activity because the scientists were out in the field since it is summer here. The kids (as well as the adults) definitely thought this place was well worth a visit. That evening we drove to Camarones and camped out on the beach for 2 nights so we could visit Cabo Dos Bahias.
1-27-10: Today's highlight was exploring Cabo Dos Bahias Reserve. This is actually a less-traveled site for seeing a Magellan penguin nesting colony compared to Punta Tomba but we thought it was no less spectacular. We were able to walk along a fenced path in the midst of the colony. There were penguin parents and chicks everywhere; nesting in little dens in the arid ground, crossing under and over a wooden boardwalk as they freely moved about, and parents waddling out to sea to find food for their young. There were even guanacos walking nonchalantly among the penguins as you can see in one of the pictures above. On a nearby shore, we saw sea lions sunning themselves. We returned back to camp and an unexpected, strong gust of wind picked up our staked tent and blew it in cartwheels until Mike quickly nabbed it. We repositioned it beside the rental car to protect it from the fierce wind that battered our tent with sand all night. The next morning we spent most of the day driving to Puerto St. Julian. We had some pizza at a small bar overlooking the bay and as a tour boat returned back to its dock, Mike and I saw 1-2 tonina overas (Commerson's dolphins) as they spun their bodies just above the water's surface! They are known to be very playful and like to follow boats around.
1-28-10: Before leaving Puerto St. Julian, Luke and I took a guided tour of the Nao Victoria. This was 1 of 5 ships that arrived here in 1520 from Spain. The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was at the helm as he searched for a passage between the Pacific-Atlantic Oceans. The true-to-scale replica of this ship recreated the people, animals, and interior of the original ship.
1-29 through 1-30-10: On 1-29 we continued south and drove from Puerto San Julian to Guer Aike. We spent the night at the rustic but cozy Hotel Guer Aike. Then 1-30 we crossed from southern Argentina into Chile! We spent the evening at Puerto Natales in the lovely Hostal Don Guillermo as we planned our subsequent trip into Torres del Paine National Park.
1-31-10: We entered Torres del Paine National Park and took in the spectacular mountains and turquoise blue-green glacier-fed lakes as we drove around. We camped at Hosteria Las Torres which was near the trailheadfor the 1st trail on the "W" hike circuit (east to west route).
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