Península Valdés: A Unique Wildlife Sanctuary

Península Valdés is an oddly shaped peninsula on the Atlantic coast about 1000Km southwest of Buenos Aires. It offers two protected bays utilized by whales, sea lions, elephant seals, penguins and other marine life.

It is one of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites found in Argentina. Cueva de las Manos, and Los Glaciares National Park are examples of others.



The peninsula itself is a barren flat landscape no different than the Patagonian Steppe found on the mainland. It is sparsely populated with the private lands divided by just a few large sheep farms.



According UNESCO, the reason Península Valdés was named an UNESCO natural world heritage site was:

it is a site of global significance for the conservation of marine mammals. It is home to an important breeding population of the endangered southern right whale as well as important breeding populations of southern elephant seals and southern sea lions. The orcas in this area have developed a unique hunting strategy to adapt to local coastal conditions.

The photo above is by Tony Galvez on Flickr and it shows a Southern Right Whale in the protected bay to the south of the Peninsula. The Southern Right Whales use the bay to birth their pups and rest before the long journey home at the end of Feb. We just missed them.

We were also a little too early to witness the "unique hunting strategy of the orca whales". In March and April, they will swim up onto the beach in the northern bay where hundreds of sea lions have just given birth to their pups.

The orcas use the unusually deep shoreline to spring up on the beach and surprise the pups for an easy lunch. It is pretty gruesome to watch. I'm almost glad we missed it. Here is a link if you really must see it for yourself

The, biggest colony of Magellanic Penguins is in Punta Tombo further down the Atlantic coast. However, there are some large colonies on the peninsula too. We were surprised at how close to the road these guys were.

If you visit, you will want to fly to Trelew (pronounced tree-lough) and rent a car. You can stay in Puerto Madryn, the closest city to the peninsula or you can stay in Puerto Pirámides, a small beach town on the peninsula where you can easily catch a whale watching tour in the bay.

We recommend you stay at one of the estancias on the peninsula. We stayed at Estancia Rincon Chico which allowed us onto their private, protected beach where we could walk right up to a large colony of elephant seals. I'll have a full review of the estancia in a later post.

Here are a few more photos of the elephant seals at Rincon Chico's beach.

Ushuaia: The End of the World

Ushuaia bills itself as the southern most city of the world and the last stop before Antarctica. Well Chile is actually closer, but Ushuaia is the last real city before Antarctica. Most tour companies book their Antarctic cruises from this port city.

In fact, Ushuaia has become a very popular port of call for many cruises. Over 500,000 people came through the port last year and even more are expected in 2008. English outnumbered castellano 2 to 1 on the streets.

All of those cruisers steer the demographics on the street to the grey haired set. Don't let that stop you from coming though. Ushuaia is a must see on any Argentina adventure.



Ushuaia sits right on the Beagle Channel and is a former penal colony modeled after Sydney. Below is a mural depicting some of the most notorious criminals held there.



Ruta 40 runs out well before Tierra Del Fuego. Tierra Del Fuego is a large island cut off from the main land by the Straits of Magellan, so it is not easy to get to Ushuaia by car or bus. Given the cheap air fair between here and El Calafate or Buenos Aires, you are better off flying (even with Aerolineas Argentina's typical 4 hour delays.)

The port city is surrounded by mountains and there is some pretty good hiking. But, the best part is the wildlife in the Beagle Channel. Book yourself a boat cruise and tour the channel.



We were a bit boat toured out after Bariloche and El Calafate so we found the smallest boat tour we could find—a sailboat that only fit eight. We lucked out and my family was the only ones on the boat so we had a private tour of the channel and its wildlife. Below is a pic of our captain.



There is an abundance of marine birds and mammals in the Beagle Channel. Below is a pic I posted earlier of some Sea Lions along with some of the other marine life found on the islands in the Channel.

El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier

Ask anyone who has done the whole Route 40 excursion down Patagonia what their favorite place was and you will likely hear just one answer—El Calafate.

And the star of El Calafate is the Perito Moreno Glacier. While it is by far not the biggest Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, it is the most awe inspiring.



I was truly blown away by Porito Moreno. You are able to get really close up and hear it creaking, cracking and slowly moaning. You can physically see it advancing. Every so often a loud explosion and crash thunders across the lake as a large chunk of ice breaks off and tumbles into the water below. Words just can't describe it.



I sat for hours just listing and watching the glacier. It was a moving experience.



Only the Grand Canyon had moved me like that before. And I would put Perito Moreno above the Grand Canyon. It is that spectacular.



However, there is one other reason that El Calafate is on the top of everyone's list.

The sunsets.

The first day we were in Calafate, we drove back from the Glacier during sunset. Suddenly, the sky was on fire with every color imaginable. Also, the lake which was already a unique shade of milky blue intensified with a deep turquoise color. The grass of the steppe became even more golden.



I have never done ACID in my life. But, I have to say Calafate at sunset must be the closest you can come to being on an acid trip without taking drugs.

El Chaltén: Trekking Capital of Argentina

Our first real destination after Bariloche was the small village of El Chaltén set to the backdrop of Mount Fritz Roy and located at the northern end of Los Glaciares National Park.

The town itself is in a beautiful valley just past Lago Viedma, in between the confluence of Río De las Vueltas and Río Fitz Roy.



If you are a hiker, this is the place for you. There are endless hikes of all lengths and levels of expertise. And the great thing is most hikes start right from the town.

We were only there for two days. The first day, we were forced inside because of a freak wind storm with hurricane force winds that kicked up dirt and debris and sent it stinging into your skin. No hiking for us that day.

The second day, things cleared up and I was able to head out early for a few hikes.
I even got a shot of an Andean Condor on one hike.



I highly recommend taking the all day hike to Laguna del Desierto which will take you past a beautiful waterfall (Chorrillo del Salto) and awesome views of Cerro Torre and Fritz Roy.



Another recommended outing is taking the Viedma Discovery cruise and hike. A boat takes you across Lago Viedma to the glacier and then you put on your crampons and head out over, on top of, under and through the glacier on a spectacular ice trekking adventure.



There are accommodation's for every price range in El Claltén. From very cheap hostels to a 5 star hotel (who's prices are as higher than Fritz Roy). We stayed at Lo De Tommy in a two story apartment. It was very comfortable and nicely furnished. They also provide a great breakfast at the main house.

Cueva de las Manos

Cueva de las Manos, or "Cave of the Hands" is an exceptional collection of primitive cave art dating back 9,500 to 13,000 years ago and made by the ancestors of the Tehuelche Indians, who inhabited Patagonia before the arrival of European settlers in 17th. century.

The cave name is a little misleading. It is actually a series of hanging rocks along the side of a beautiful canyon along the Río Pinturas in the middle of Patagonia. There is a cave there, but only a small one. Most of the cave art is outside on the hanging rocks around the cave entrance.



The name obviously comes from the stenciled outlines of hundreds of human hands you see above, mostly left hands. However, there are other images of animals like guanacos (they look like llamas, but have a cinnamon red color to their fur).

There are also hunting scenes with hunters and guanacos. In fact, the paintings are preserved with a guanaco fat and urine varnish.



The hands all look to be from adolescent males. One theory is that the hands marked a coming of age ritual or were done to signify the first kill of a young tribe member.

No one knows for sure. Another theory is that the hands belong to the artist making the stencil. That would account for the fact that their are hundreds of left hands but very few right hands. For some strange reason, there is even one foot.

The stenciling was done mostly in black, red, white, yellow and green tones with the earliest images done as a negative image. But, later images improved upon the technique, and used a colored undercoat (usually white) upon which the stencil was applied in another color.

Cueva de las Manos gives us a glimpse into the lives of the earliest inhabitants on the South American continent. In the 1990s it was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.



I'll close with a YouTube video of the site set to the music of Tangheto:

The Romance of Ruta 40 (Route 40)

In the States, we had the legendary Route 66 that personified the United States in the 40s and 50s and featured the diversity of our cities and landscapes. It passed some our most prized natural treasures like the Grand Canyon. The ultimate road trip was to travel its length from Chicago to LA.

The equivalent in Argentina is Ruta 40. It runs tip to tip up Argentina's western region. It passes through Salta, Mendoza, Bariloche, El Chaltén, El Calafate and on down to Tierra Del Fuego.

Most all of the natural treasures Argentina offers are a stone's throw away from Ruta 40. The biggest attraction though is the shear sense of isolation one feels once they leave the lake region south of Bariloche.

Between Bariloche and El Chaltén the road diverts away from the mountains and crosses the Patagonian plains. It is mostly flat empty desert spotted with dried pampa grass and shrubs. And it goes on and on for 1,000s of kilometers.

Nothing but you, your car, the dirt road (yes it is mainly a dirt road) and endless nothingness as far as the eye can see.



I was drawn by the mystique of traveling this stretch of Ruta 40. Only we had no car and rental cars were outrageously expensive. The one-way drop off fee alone was over $700. We even looked into buying a car because it would of been way cheaper than renting. Only, the red tape was too daunting.

Chaltén Travel to the rescue. Chaltén Travel offers a two day bus trip tour between Bariloche and El Chaltén, with an option of continuing on a third day to El Calafate. They can even tack on a side trip to the Cueva de Los Manos.

¡Perfecto!. Or so we thought.

We paid more than we would have if we had used a normal bus service like Andesmar. But, we were told that we would stopping for lunch and breaks along the route. Plus, anytime we wanted to stop and take pictures all we had to do was ask.

No problem. We thought it sounded better to have a guided tour bus than doing the overnight bus and sleeping through it all.



We'll the bus was old, dirty, uncomfortable and had no air conditioning. The only stop for lunch was at a gas station for 15 minutes where we all fought over 3 day old ham and cheese sandwiches. When we got to the town with our hotel for the night, we were told it was the only one with a grocery store and we better buy provisions for food for the next day's 12 hour ride.

The only problem, our bus arrived in the town a quarter till 9:00. The stores all closed at 9:00. So all thirty of us rushed to closest of the two stores and fought over the last remaining bits of bread, deli ham, and cheese. I picked through the mostly rotten and bruised fruit they were selling.

The next day was a twelve hour ride. Our crew and bus were switched out and our new bus was even more beat up with cracks and holes all over the windshield. We lost our "host". And the new crew didn't speak English. And when we did ask them questions they shrugged as if they didn't know and refused our requests for stops.

Fortunately, we didn't need an English guide. It was just that everyone else on the bus (mostly Europeans) were told that we would have a tour guide who spoke English.

As far as Route 40, it was truly awe inspiring in its vast emptiness. Only it was hard to get a sense of its true isolation when you are surrounded by 30 other people.

If you want to get from Bariloche to El Chaltén, fly or take a regular coma-class bus (one were the seats convert to a bed). Please don't waste your money on Chaltén Travel's non-tour.

Air, Foam, Ugly Betty, and the Hotel Llao Llao

Down here in Latin America, the Sony Entertainment Television channel has been doing a big push for the Ugly Betty show. The commercial is on non-stop.

The commercial features a scene where Betty and her date have to review a very trendy hotel restaurant. The date is fed up about being there and vents his frustration on the menu items. Especially the Air and Foam. He says something to the effect of, "Air and Foam, what kind of food is that!"

During our recent stay, my wife and I were fortunate to get a free meal at the Hotel Llao Llao's fancier restaurant, Los Cesares.

We showed up in blue jeans and t-shirts feeling a little out of place—just like Ugly Betty's date in the commercial. Only, we were the only ones in the pretentious, old-style dining room. It was completely empty.

We opened our menus and both started laughing at the same time. Our menu featured two dishes—one with Air and one with Foam. We both started cracking jokes about the Ugly Betty commercial and trying to figure out just what the difference between Air and Foam was.



We were still cracking Ugly Betty jokes when we looked up to see none other than Vanessa Williams walk in with her posse. (Well, it was more like a big group of girlfriends than a posse.)

My wife leans over after they sat down and asks, "You know who that is don't you?"

"Of Course!", I replied.

"No, do you know who she plays on TV?"

Not being a big fan of TV, especially the Sony Channel, I had to admit that I didn't know she was on TV. I just knew her from her from Penthouse...er, I mean Pocahontas.

My wife had to explain that she played the cruel boss on Ugly Betty.

What a coincidence. Here we were laughing about a show and in walks one of the main characters. In the remote reaches of Argentina no less.

They sat down in a big table adjacent ours and had a good time talking about things any other group of women talk about while having a girls night out. We left them alone and carried on with our diner. Although they were a little loud and the only other table in the restaurant so it was a little hard not overhearing each others conversations.

When we got up to leave, one of the woman in the group said something like, "Enjoy your long stay in Argentina. I hope you get to stay longer." I guess she heard our debate earlier about staying another year or not.

My wife replied, "We will. Only hearing you gals having such a good time together made me miss my girlfriends even more!"

Another woman in the group jumped in and said,"Well ditch your husband and join us tomorrow! We're doing the spa all day."

My wife thought about it a moment and looked at Vanessa who was silent during this whole exchange and said, "Thanks for the offer, but I have the whole day planned with him. It wouldn't be fair to dump him like that."

My wife must really love me if she passed up hanging out with Vanessa Williams' posse to spend the day with me.

What a wife.

Patagonia Express

Greetings from the end of the world. Sorry for not posting much lately. We have been on a world-wind tour down Patagonia for the last two weeks and are now in Ushuaia. Ushuaia is in Tierra del Fuego at the southern most tip of South America.

We've either been too busy or been stuck in some pretty remote areas without internet access. However, we will be back in Buenos Aires soon and I promise to update the blog with details of our Route 40 Patagonian adventure.

After we left Bariloche, we traveled the length of Ruta 40 and hit El Chaltén, El Calafate and finally Ushuaia. Now on to the Valdés Peninsula for a few days of resting and hopefully some late season whale watching.

I'll tease you with a few pics from the last two weeks.

Drive of the Seven Lakes

If you ever visit the lake region of Argentina, we highly recommend you rent a car for two days and take the La Ruta de los Siete Logos or Drive of the Seven Lakes.

The route takes you through two picturesque towns north of Bariloche. And of course, past seven beautiful alpine lakes.



Villa la Angostura is at the start of the route on the north Shore of lake Nahuel Haupi (Bariloche is on the south shore). Villa la Angostura is the place for Argentina's upper crust to stay in the region. It is a fairly new and quaint village with plenty of nice quite Inns and small hotels.

We recommend Las Balsas both to stay an to eat. Especially to eat. Some of the best cuisine of the region is prepared there.



After your stay at Las Balsas, begin your trip up Route 234 through Lanín and Nahuel Huapi national parks. You'll pass seven magnificent lakes surrounded by mountains, natural forest and connected by numerous creeks and rivers.



The road is only partially paved, but is decent in the dirt sections. But, if you head out in the next year, be warned that they are in the process of paving the rest of it. Unfortunately, the construction makes the dirt section even more dusty. All the construction dust can obstruct and ruin what is clearly one of the most scenic drives in the world.



You end your drive in the town of San Martín de los Andes. San Martín de los Andes is a magical town squeezed between two mountains and the tip of a large lake. The drive into town is amazing with views of the marina and the town nestled below the road.



San Martín is known for its fly fishing and is a good base for any Patagonian fishing trip.

For those that like to mix a little romance with their fishing, we highly recommend Hotel Río Hermoso just off Route 234 on Route 63 south of San Martín de Los Andes. This small hotel is situated right on Río Hermoso and is a perfect place to escape form the world.

More from Bariloche and the Lake Region

Thought I would share a view more pics from around Bariloche.

Our first week we did a Jeep tour with two other couples. One from Spain (pictured above) and one from Mexico. It was great to converse in Spanish with three different dialects.



The Jeep tour took us up to mountains of Cerro Otto and around Cerro Catedral before heading west of town towards Llao Llao (pronounced shou shou) where the hotel by the same name is. We completed the trip on the famous Circuito Chico drive.



Circuito Chico offers numerous breath-taking stops along its route. If you come to Bariloche, rent a car and drive the route yourself. You'll want the freedom to pull off and take pictures, hike or eat when you want.

Trust me, the organized tours of the area are for the blue-haired set and can be maddening. Avoid them altogether. The 4x4 jeep experience we took was more exciting than the typical tour and we we even had an Asado (BBQ) by the side of beautiful Lake Moreno.

Room With A View: Hotel Llao Llao

Through a mix up in scheduling, we arrived in Bariloche two days before we could move into our apartment. What do you do when you are stranded in Bariloche with nowhere to sleep?

Call one of the leading hotels in the world and see if by chance you can get a room without mortgaging the house. Normally, at the Hotel Llao Llao there is no chance in hell. However, thanks to American Express we got in for two nights for less than the family resorts we've stayed in back home.

Wow, what a stay! Take a look at the view from my room:



Hotel Llao Llao is 25km west of Bariloche and without a doubt is Argentina's finest hotel. Yes there are fine hotels in Buenos Aires, but none have the views that this hotel has. Also, the service was 5 stars. We were pampered all weekend like we have never been pampered before.

We have been fortunate to stay in some of the leading hotels of the world. I have to say that the Llao Llao is now my favorite. It is worth coming here just for the surrounding natural beauty.

If you're golfer, the views from this golf course make the views from Pebble Beach look boring.