PENGUINS! (and Punto Tumbo)
November 8th, 2007
Today was penguin day!!!! Gregg and I, along with Morena and Simon rented a car - and drove the 2 or 3 hours south to Punto Tumbo - a premier penguin watching destination. And that it was!!!! The penguins were EVERYWHERE!!! many of them were buried in holes protecting the eggs that will hatch any day now. The others were waddling around, seemingly unperturbed by the spattering of humans paying them a visit.
We had opted to go later in the afternoon - which wound up being a great decision. all the tour buses had gone for the day, so there weren't many crowds competing for penguin attention. aside the penguins was the Atlantic ocean, filled with sea lions gathering together in search of food.
It was really an amazing day. It wasn't even tarnished when I got Penguin Poop all over my pantaloons and jacket. (I was kneeling down to photograph some penguin eggs - and stood up to find I was covered in poop.)
The drive back was long and boring - aside from the mountains, Patagonia has a desolate and lifeless landscape. It spans farther than I can even fathom, without any visual variance, whatsoever.
We passed Puerto Madryn, where we had started our day, and continued onto Puerto Pirimedes, where we would begin the next days' drive around the Valdez Peninsula. I was more tired then I can even remember and my head flopped into sleep every few minutes. The drive seemed to take forever, and I was thankful Gregg was awake enough to do it, while the rest of us slept. I think they probably put sleeping pills in our dinner.
When we arrived at the hostel, the four of us had our pick of beds - our room had about 8 bunk beds to choose from, and no one else around.
Today was penguin day!!!! Gregg and I, along with Morena and Simon rented a car - and drove the 2 or 3 hours south to Punto Tumbo - a premier penguin watching destination. And that it was!!!! The penguins were EVERYWHERE!!! many of them were buried in holes protecting the eggs that will hatch any day now. The others were waddling around, seemingly unperturbed by the spattering of humans paying them a visit.
We had opted to go later in the afternoon - which wound up being a great decision. all the tour buses had gone for the day, so there weren't many crowds competing for penguin attention. aside the penguins was the Atlantic ocean, filled with sea lions gathering together in search of food.
It was really an amazing day. It wasn't even tarnished when I got Penguin Poop all over my pantaloons and jacket. (I was kneeling down to photograph some penguin eggs - and stood up to find I was covered in poop.)
The drive back was long and boring - aside from the mountains, Patagonia has a desolate and lifeless landscape. It spans farther than I can even fathom, without any visual variance, whatsoever.
We passed Puerto Madryn, where we had started our day, and continued onto Puerto Pirimedes, where we would begin the next days' drive around the Valdez Peninsula. I was more tired then I can even remember and my head flopped into sleep every few minutes. The drive seemed to take forever, and I was thankful Gregg was awake enough to do it, while the rest of us slept. I think they probably put sleeping pills in our dinner.
When we arrived at the hostel, the four of us had our pick of beds - our room had about 8 bunk beds to choose from, and no one else around.
posted by Samantha Farbman at 4:16 PM
2 Comments:
OMG amazing! i am jealous of your penguin-sighting!! it's so weird that they are all wandering about in a giant shrubby fieldy place by the ocean! penguins are supposed to be animated and on icebergs!
Turns out penguin pictures make me giggle. I didn't really see that coming.
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