A
GROUP JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 26, 2001:Miami
to Buenos Aires
Scribe:Danielle
Sharp
It
looked like it was going to be a reality.After
the past several weeks of agonizing over the economic collapse of Argentina
and our safety in such a volatile situation, we were at the Miami airport
and ready to fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina.All
of my reading about Darwin and the history and culture of Argentina, as
well as studying my Spanish was going to pay off, at least the reading.My
Spanish was still a little shaky.
Most
of our group members met each other at our gate while waiting for our departure.Some
of us had met on our previous trip in July of 2000, but there were many
new introductions to be made since our group was quite large this time.Our
leader, Jim Reynolds, handed out our much-needed nametags, but they were
in Spanish.How were we ever going
to remember that a long Spanish name, not even close to resembling the
English version, meant Sally in English? So
many names and faces to remember!
Our
flight was delayed about one-half hour, but we soon made our eight-hour
journey to Buenos Aires.We were
served both dinner and breakfast and slept restlessly in between.
THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 27, 2001:Log
starts at midnight-Miami to Buenos Aires
Scribe:Ross
McCasland
It
was after midnight when we finished supper on our American Airlines jumbo
jet.I had the chicken and others
around me had steak.The bite of
fillet I tried tasted like chicken. Since this was my first time across
the equator, I stayed awake until the flight monitor indicated that we
had crossed.Now after a few hours
of shut eye …and swollen feet, we woke to bright sunshine in the southeast.My
first view out the window to the east began with thick clouds and occasional
breaks allowing a view of the verdant green rainforest below.Soon
we were following the valley of an enormous meandering river – the Rio
Paraná, I think.Lots of lakes.
Breakfast
on the plane was a foretaste of future South American breakfasts, this
one consisting of a wet sandwich with ham.It
was hard to work up an appetite.
Buenos
Aires finally came into view.It
is situated on an enormous estuary.It's
on the southern side in Argentina, and north across the muddy water, we
could see the coast of Uruguay.One
of our tour guides said it is several hours to the nice beaches.Jim
Reynolds told us that an interesting trip is a ferry ride over to Montevideo.The
land is fertile here based on the amount of land under cultivation.It
is called the Pampas.To the south
is Patagonia, our destination, a much drier and windier part of Argentina.Many
of the farms appear prosperous and a subdivision we flew over seems to
have as many swimming pools as parts of Dallas, Texas.But
the day was one of stark contrast, as we began to see the troubles in Argentina
caused by the monetary crisis and pockets of poverty.
Customs
was a breeze.I wondered if Don Triplehorn,
from Fairbanks, had declared his intergalactic cellular telephone.At
least they didn’t take it away from him.Well,
we were tourists and they needed our U.S. dollars.The
humidity greeted us warmly when we walked out to the bus.I
was secretly amused looking at my dad with his two coats and a vest. He
assured me that The Philippines was much hotter.The
trip downtown took 30 minutes on freeway and tollway.The
trip took us by many barrios and government “project” style housing complexes.Jim
told me it is much worse in other places, although I saw none.
Many
Argentine motorists were enjoying the warm afternoon, parking in the middle
of the medians and beside the freeway on the greenbelts.
The
downtown area is a mix of old and new.The
Hotel Bristol where we checked in is on Ave. 9 de Julio, which runs north
to south.I was disoriented because
your shadow falls on your south side.The
extremely wide boulevard has an obelisk like our Washington monument and
is the gathering place for all demonstrations peaceful and violent.In
the unrest only a few days earlier, a number of people had died in protests
against the government.Graffiti
and broken glass reflected anger at the IMF and the government.
We
had time to unload in our nice, but stuffy, rooms before heading off to
a five-course meal at La Estancia Restaurant.This
was a wonderful time of getting acquainted.I
could tell the group was melding well.The
two Ericas joined up with the rest of us here, I think.Everyone
started learning phrases like, vino tinto o blanco, agua con gas o sin
gas, and café solo o con leche.
After
lunch, Dad and I had fun looking for the Correo Argentina, or post office.($1.25
postage to the U.S).I began polishing
rusty Spanish.Lots of fun.Lots
ofpeople.The
population is strongly Italian with many of Spanish descent, and most look
very European.Many had blue or green
eyes.The girls are pretty and dress
to be noticed. The movie theaters were showing Harry Potter. The tropical
humidity began to melt us and, later on, an afternoon shower washed us
off during more shopping.Finally,
we returned to the hotel to clean up for the Tango club – Carlos Gardel.
While
waiting on the group to assemble, we sat around and looked at the geologic
map of Argentina. (I’d like a copy of the Patagonia portion of that map,
if possible).Out the window in
the streets, a large noisy crowd began to assemble around 8 P.M.As
it turned out, the crowd was celebrating a soccer victory and was happy.In
fact, they were still celebrating well past one o’clock the next morning.Only
a few days later, the third of eventually five total leaders of Argentina
resigned amidst protests in front of our hotel again.We
were lucky to miss all that.
Back
to the Tango club.Excellent food.Excellent
music and dance.The music consisted
of a pianist, two accordions, two violinists (the lead was a young provocatively
dressed woman), a cellist and a percussionist.Three
different soloists sang and five dance couples.Tango
is a national treasure and not only reflects the sensual side of life,
but the tragic.The dances each seemed
to tell a story.A wonderful evening
was had by all.
…but
of course there's always another point of view.
SCRIBE:Mark
Nicolich--AA
Flight 0909--Miami to Buenos Aires
We
wake up about 1.5 hours outside of Buenos Aires, in the airplane.What
excitement!Many of the group have
gathered along the passageway to wait for the facilities – it’s been a
long flight.We smile and nod and
think about the upcoming adventure.Maybe
it’s the rhythmic nodding, but almost in unison the group breaks out into
the heart-inspiring song “Oh Patagonia, Land of Adventure” that Mel has
written especially for our trip.It
is very heart warming.After the
first verse and chorus, many of the other passengers pick-up on the lyrics
and join in.Joan A., as only Joan
A. can do, speaks to the flight attendant, who speaks to the flight Capitan,
who agrees to turn on the intercom so the whole plane can hear not only
the group singing our hearts out, but also the flight crew (including the
flight deck participants), and many of the other passengers.There
were very few dry eyes for that time.A
sign of the fellowship that was to follow.
After
we calmed down and the attendants composed themselves, breakfast is served
– an omelet with fresh asparagus, Roquefort cheese, and a dollop of caviar,
an individual brioche, and a latte.It
did make the discomfort of the trip a bit more bearable.I
passed on having the complementary champagne so as not to dull my senses
for the excitement ahead.
An
uneventful landing, passport check and customs.There
was a bit of humming of Mel’s song of welcome among the folks in queue.It
was infectious and I enjoyed seeing the normally stern customs agents pick
up the beat, almost without knowing it (shades of The Full Monty, the film
not our Monte).We gathered our belongings
and ourselves in the terminal and waited for the group to assemble then
ventured outside.My, outside it
is quite warm.The latitude is similar
to Charleston, SC and the season would be the end of June.It
is humid too.Don, with his sharp
eyes and decisive manner, sees the bus that is to transport us on our adventures.Many
of us marvel at his heightened perceptions and his calming demeanor – qualities
that we would later need in out adventures.
We
all pile into a bus.On the bus we
meet up with Angel – our local guide and an old time friend of many.He
has brought along his son, Raúl – a hardy fellow who was to prove
a great boon to our adventures – but more of that to come.We
have a rousing welcome and immediately and spontaneously burst into several
lusty choruses of “It’s So Exciting to See You Again on the Bus, Old Friend!”Despite
the high humidity there were many a damp eye as the echo of the voices
died away.
The
bus takes a quick 45-minute jaunt to the center of town.Ross
has cleverly thought to bring a supply of cooling refreshments for us.So,
on the journey our thirst is slaked with delightful blend of cantaloupe,
papaya, and a melange of citrus fruits – all besprinkled with a dusting
of cardamom and nutmeg.Quite refreshing.We
arrive at the famed Hotel Bristol, 100 m from the Obelisk on the Avenue
of July 9th.The street is one of
the widest in the world - wider than Champes Elysees."It
takes two traffic light cycles to cross the street.”It
is really a wide street with several [check how many] grassy dividers.The
Hotel is 4 (count them) stars!The
towels aren't monogrammed; they have the name and logo of the hotel cut
into the plush of the towel (Is there a name for this process or technique?
- I'm sure there is.).As we arrive
the hotel staff is at the bus to meet us and offer a relatively quick rendition
of the four choruses of “Famed Bristol Hotel Song of Welcome.”We
get our room assignments and have about 1 hour before lunch assembly at
noon.We planned to unpack and rest.
Well,
we got to the room and were nearly bowled over!The
size of the room!Like a bowling
alley (no just 1 lane, but the whole thing).Incredible!We’re
not sure where to unpack our things.I
decided to draw a map, like a treasure map, to know where my things and
Ruth’s things were. To be sure it was done correctly, I borrowed the Triplehorn’s
GPS and made an accurate map, to the nearest 1.0 meter, of what was packed
where [The map is available on request.].It
was a good thing too, because later when I went to look for my clean shirt
and tie, I needed the map to determine their location.Unfortunately,
by the time we unpacked and drew the map, it was time for lunch.We
traipsed downstairs and met the crowd.
At
12:00 we meet in the lobby and walk a few blocks toward a restaurant that
Angel has chosen.A block from the
famed Bristol Hotel we come across what appears to be a geological dig
directly on the Avenue of July 9th.The
hole is large and deep.Gary and
Bob Y. directly launch into a heated discussion and lecture pointing out
some of the features of the dig.Bob
points out how the left lateral fault has resulted in a protectoral fault
formation whose mineralization zone has been exacerbated by the compression
delineation.But wait, Gary points
out how the subduction zone seen under the carboniferous zone has been
poorly delineated in the direction of shear bolstering his contention that
Wilson’s Conjecture on Chelated Minerals would totally account for
the slight (1.2 deci-Gauss) change in the magnetic field strength.Bob
retorts that Wilson noted in his 1998 lecture at Ohio State that his conjecture
only applied to tectonic plates whose preferred orientation was not in
contradistinction to the fault delineations of the contrariety
plate.Just as Gary was about to
retort, Beverly pointed out that the putative geological dig
was in fact an Argentine size pot hole.Oh
well, on to the restaurant.
We
get to the restaurant; a large local place with may tables and several
locals.Bob Osinski is called away
by some officials.It seems the Minister
of Finance is having some problems, and has been checking immigration files
and has discovered Bob has entered the country.Bob
is whisked away in a small flurry and spends the remainder of the day in
an advisory capacity helping to straighten out some of Argentina’s difficulties
(financial, transportation, romantic, and gaudien).As
is clear from subsequent events, his advice on all these matters had fallen
on deaf ears.The mood at the restaurant
is somber for a few minutes, but our spirits are indomitable, and we carry
on with the festivities.
The
waiters bring us an opening empanada with some heated cheese.The
empanada is stuffed with a mixture of Moroccan crab, Latvian abalone, and
Italian truffle, which has some nice flavors, but the pastry is a little
less flaky than we would like.Next
a delightful cheese course and some sorbet to cleanse the palate.Next
a local favorite, rolled beef, with an apricot puree drizzled over it and
a lovely salad of wilted baby greens and arugula.The
wine was served with each course, both red and white.The
reds were mainly from Chateau Romorol, with the years in line with the
course – the lighter 72’s with the cheese and the more hardy ’78 with the
meat.The whites were a little pretentious,
mostly Chateau Pissedechat from the Loire valley.The
final course was your choice of either a piece of chicken or a full size
steak.Too much food!
Based
on a command decision from the Committee of Four (Jack & Jessie &
Barney & Lee & Carol, who have been voted as the Oversight Committee
that makes all the important group decisions – this was based on a complex
mathematical algorithm developed by John to allow the greatest summand
of intelligence in the fewest number of people) there is agreement that
at each meal each of us would leave 1$ as a tip.As
a corollary they have decided that wine would be settled on a meal-by-meal
basis.However, we still have to
deal with desert, either a fruit compote or a glace de chocolate.Quite
droll.
As
we are working our way among the tables to exit the restaurant, but before
we can leave, a large black car has driven up and 3 large toughs in tight
fitting black suits walk directly up to Monte and inform him he is needed
at the Ministry of Information.He
first asks why he was chosen from among all of us.The
chilling look from the thugs leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind what they
are thinking.Another question from
Monte concerning his non-involvement policy results in a minor scuffle.As
he is being brought to the car, Monte enigmatically calls out to us “It’s
all propaganda, anyway you slice it.”We
worry for some moments about Monte’s safety until Mary Emma points out
the Bob O (remember him) will not be too far away.We
have one more round of wine for its calming effects and find ourselves
with a free afternoon in Buenos Aires.
Danielle
and George decide to organize a union for the street beggars based on the
Fagan Model.They begin just outside
the restaurant and within 30 minutes have set-up a full organization with
a president, vice-president, CEO, etc.Danielle
is the CFO and calculates that, based on a mere 5% rake on the take (ROT),
she and George will be able to easily finance the Patagonian trip – including
the wine surcharges.With great flourish
they spend the afternoon recruiting new members to their organization –
The Union of Concerned Buenos Airean Mendicants,
(which in Spanish forms the acronym - BANDITS).
We
decide to do some work on Ruth’s book, so while the others are spending
their time in various pursuits Ruth and Mark rent a moped.A
nice, yellow, moped with saddlebags and a horn.Ruth’s
book, to be published by a major publisher in the spring, is a photographic
compendium of monuments – the tile is “Statues Whose Names Begin with T
in the Capitol Cities of South America.”The
title is simple and descriptive.With
a great deal of persistence, she gets photographs of all 114 statues/monuments
that fit the description.After the
last one on our list (Theresa and Abelard), we sit under a tree in a park
and decide to work our way back to the hotel.It
is hot - about 32 C (90 F) and humid.We
stop for am agua grande, then back to the hotel for a nap.We
have no trouble finding the hotel, but do have some problems navigating
around the room because we misplaced the map.We
finally find the bed and get a few hours shut-eye.
We
get up and shower and meet in the lobby at 8 P.M. for a trip to a Tango
Club for dinner.The streets are
awash with people in some sort of peaceful demonstration.The
head manager informs us that we should not be alarmed, it is merely “the
young people, celebrating the victory of one of the soccer clubs in the
all-Argentine soccer tournament” – he opines that it is like the baseball
world series or the US football Superbowl championship.Lots
of flag waving and fireworks and singing and shouting.It
is an orderly mob.They have gathered
at the Obelisk, which is the center of town (like Times Square).All
good fun.However, there was some
apprehension among the people in the lobby because of the rioting that
had happened the previous week and the rhythmic chanting.Monte,
who has returned from The Ministry, unharmed but wiser, has a different
interpretation.He confers with Grace,
Mary, and Dale who have been surreptitiously blending with the crowd to
discover their true mood – and their worst suspicions are confirmed.In
addition to the Authorities knowing about Bob and Monte, the local power
brokers have realized that Jim has again come into the country – now just
in their time of need.The brokers
have stirred up the local populace into a near frenzy to replace the current
El Presidente with the Norte Americano, el Señor Doctor Jim!We
listened more carefully and realized the chanting was “Queremos el Señor
Doctor Jim - Queremos el Señor Doctor Jim - Queremos el Señor
Doctor Jim.”Well, we knew we’d
never get to the Tango Club with the crowed out there – as Robin would
say “Holy Tippi Hedren, Batman!”Again,
the quick thinking of out Oversight Committee and multifaceted talents
of the group were put to good use.Using
the tailoring talents of Joan B and the makeup artistry of the two Ericas
they had Jim (aka el Señor Doctor Jim) in a disguise so clever that
not even his own dog would sniff him out.Within
a mere 15 minutes Jim was the prototypical Bedouin princess.He
looked so natural and graceful that he would never garner a second glance
from the crowd.So with great joy
in our hearts we broke into 2 quick choruses of “If You Could See Him Now”
and sallied forth to the waiting bus which whisked us through the chanting
throngs (unaware that their sought-after hero was among them even as they
called for his appearance).A short
ride to the Club.
The
club is a recreation (new) of an old club (Ciendo Cuarto?) that had existed
and was home to a famous Tango singer Carlos Gardel.The
menu was varied and fixed price.The
food is good and the wine ok (not nearly as good as lunch).Very
attentive staff that made sure there was enough bottled water and wine
available.During the meal they showed
a video of the history of Tango and a plug for the club.The
video was very well done with historical photos, film clips, and audio.Angel
gave each of us a piece of pottery from his home province as a gift - very
thoughtful.Some people received
water jugs, some plates, some masks.
Then
the show began.A live band (piano,
2 violins, 2 bandonians, and a bass).They
played well and loudly - amplified.Then
the dancers - 4 pair - and the singers.There
were 2 male and 1 female singers who only did solo parts.One
of the males sort of impersonated Carlos Gardel in dress and singing style.He
was very good.The female singer
must have been the owner or the owner’s wife or relative - or maybe the
band was angry at her and would not play in time with her singing.The
dancing was spirited with many difficult maneuvers.But
it was not very graceful - only technically demanding.Partway
through one of the ensemble pieces Sally leapt on the stage and began to
point out to one of the dance pairs how their passango de returnomedia
gambas was not in the traditional style.She
called her partner Greg to the stage and they gave a 4-minute demonstration
of the proper technique.The dancers
were politely attentive, the women in the red bouclé outfit pulled
out a notebook (goodness knows where she was able to secret it while wearing
that dress) and made a few notes as Sally and Greg demonstrated the proper
tango technique.In the meantime,
Peter was photographing the events, both the demonstration and the regular
show.Emboldened by Sally and Greg,
Peter climbed to the bandstand and took a series of photos from there.Some
of the best shots he got were while standing behind the lead (as in principal,
not the element) violin player.We
all were amazed at his unsuspected grace in the way he landed on the dance
floor after the violin player, who seemed to have tired of his clicking,
flung him over her meaty shoulder and over the railing – her movements
were quick and accurate, and she missed only 3 notes.
When
they all got back at the table there was some berating between Sally and
Greg concerning the use of tactile tango instruction as opposed to tactful
tango instruction.Of course, Bob
O. rose to the occasion and stepped in, as the great conciliator, and brought
things back to normal.On With the
Show!
There
was one male dancer who was a bit older (60 to 70) with a young partner
- they seem to have danced a lot together.Compared
to the other dancers (excepting Sally & Greg) he was more reserved/less
flashy and enjoyable to watch.
The
show was over about midnight and as we were about to pile back into the
busses we realized that Jim, who had shed his disguise, would surely be
recognized by the demonstrating crowds that were now all over Buenos Aires.Again,
Joan and the Ericas came to the fore and in short order, using Cristy’s
grosgrain peasant dress ensemble, whipped up an Andalusian sheep farmer
costume for Jim.We all awed with
amazement in the transformation, and in one of the very few choral conflicts
that we were to see on the remainder of the trip, about half of us broke
into a hearty chorus of “Lady of Spain” while the remainder had spontaneously
chosen the “We Like Sheep” aria from The Messiah (Schirmer Music, 1938
edition).Either way, when we finished
the songs we entered the buses for an uneventful journey back to the hotel
with our own sheep herder (ha-ha).The
bus driver gets a little confused by the crowds and the dark and makes
a wrong turn.We wander about for
a few blocks until Chris notices the problem and using his unerring directional
sense gets us back on “the right track.”We
are all grateful, but are too tired to burst into song.
The
celebration that was going on around the Obelisk had grown quite large
and boisterous.It looked like everyone
was having a good time - some drunk kids lying in the street, but mainly
a lot of shouting, flag waving, chanting for their presidential choice,
and fire works.All very well handled.Back
in the lobby of the Bristol we all kissed and hugged and, in what was to
become our nightly ritual at the hotels, all joined in for two lusty choruses
of the “Goodnight Irene” duet from Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda.There
was some question as to why there were so many sheep around.
We
returned to our room, and thanks to Ruth’s idea of placing breadcrumbs,
in the Hansel & Gretel manner, we had no trouble finding our bed in
the vast stretches of the hotel room.She
donned her 'kerchief, and I my cap, and we settled back for a well deserved
sleep.We slowly drifted off to
the crowd’s chants of “Queremos el Señor Doctor Jim - Queremos el
Señor Doctor Jim - …”
FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 28, 2001:Buenos
Aires to Rio Gallegos
Scribe:Danielle
Sharp
It
was an effort to get up and ready for breakfast at 6:00 A.M.We're
not quite used to the strong Argentine coffee, but if memory serves me
well, it won't take long.In fact,
I'm sure we will be begging for it before too much longer.We
certainly need its jump-start in the mornings with our long days and late
nights.
We
were taken to the airport for the four-hour flight to Rio Gallegos, the
capital of Santa Cruz province founded in 1885.It
has a large military base, and after 1945, the city grew rapidly due to
the transport from its port of coal and trade in wool and meat.
As
we were landing, we noticed that all of the roofs were metal and in a variety
of colors.Some of the houses looked
like props for a Monopoly game.George
informed us he had read that Rio Gallegos was the windiest city in the
world.So far it wasn't that bad,
and the temperature was much more pleasant than it had been in Buenos Aires.
Our
bus swept us away to the Hotel de Santa Cruz.We
were surprised to find such small accommodations with no room to spread
out our things, especially since we would be spending two nights here.In
fact, the bathroom door hit the sink, so wouldn't open fully.We
didn't particularly like hearing that Greg and Sally more than likely were
given the Presidential Suite.Sally
said, "Oh, we've got plenty of room!"We
may just have to toilet paper their room at some point.
After
lunch of thinly breaded veal and potato salad, our intended destination
was an estancia and then to the coast to view an old ship wreck.However,
we got somewhat lost and never found the road to the ocean.We
did see a small lake with numerous flamingos whose spread wings showed
bright pink plumage.We also saw
rheas, foxes, and hares, not to mention hundreds of sheep.About
the rheas, Ross asked,"How do we know if they're heas or sheas?"
We
passed by an estancia that was in the process of sheering sheep. There
were numerous dismayed-looking sheep in the pens on other side of the road
who had just lost their wool, and it looked like there were more than two
bags full.In fact, there were about
100 clear plastic bags of freshly sheered wool stacked against the outbuilding.
On
the return trip we were complaining about the curtains getting in the way
of our views.Well, George came up
with a great solution by using his paper luggage tag from his backpack
and securing the curtains on our window with it.Joan
B. was so impressed she started a campaign for all of us to gather similar
items and secure all of the curtains.
Once
we got the curtain situation taken care of, we were able to enjoy more
animal sightings.Some of us drifted
off for short naps, and soon realized why we were so tired.It
was 9:00 P.M. and still light outside.The
sun finally set a little after 10: P.M. and what a gorgeous sunset!
Just
as we were nearing Rio Gallegos, we noticed huge clouds of black smoke
billowing into the sky.Protestors
had set tires on fire.Were we going
to get into the midst of it after all?
It
was about 10:30 P.M. by the time we reached our hotel.We
made a quick trip to our rooms, then walked to The British Club for dinner.However,
we found out that our reservations were for the following night.Jim
made a quick decision to have pizza at the nearby restaurant called Super
Quick. At first I thought it was a grocery store because of the name, but
once inside we noticed other customers enjoying food.Our
pizza and drinks were good and just right after a long day on the bus.Everyone
was thankful that we didn't have to meet for breakfast until 8:00 A.M.
the next day.It was almost 1:00
A.M. by the time we got to bed.
SATURDAY,
DECEMBER 29, 2001:Excursion
to Cabo Virgenes
Morning
Scribe:Cristy
Brenner
After
breakfast at Hotel Santa Cruz, we left Rio Gallegos and headed south on
Highway One towards the penguin rookery at Cabo Virgenes.As
we drove across the rolling hills of the Patagonian steppe, we saw numerous
guanacos and rheas.For those who
didn’t see my book on Patagonia, here are a few interesting facts about
rheas:The male makes the nest and
several different females may lay from two to four eggs.Some
nests my have as many as forty eggs that the male incubates for forty days!The
diet of rheas consists of grasses, seeds, fruit and insects.
I
don’t have any “funnies” to report from our drive because I didn’t know
that I was going to be scribe.We
hadn’t signed up for our scribe duties yet, and I volunteered after the
penguin tour. Since traveling to Antarctica last year, I am an admitted
penguin addict and I had taken lots of notes, while most people were happily
enjoying the wonderful experience of thousands of cute penguins and the
beautiful weather.Here is a brief
summary of my notes on the penguins:
·There
are 500 thousand Magellanic penguins in this rookery.
·There
are 16 species of penguins (one of my books states 18).
·These
penguins are at the rookery from September until March.
·Males
arrive first and spend two weeks renovating their nests from the previous
year.
·The
Cabo Virgenes penguins come from southern Brazil, and this is the only
place where they come onto the land.
·They
spend 80 percent of their time at sea.
·They
mate for life and return to the same nest each year.
·Two
eggs are laid that are incubated by both parents for 42 days.
·They
grow until the end of February, when it takes three weeks for them to molt
from their down feathers to waterproof feathers.
·Once
the young go in the water, they are independent and migrate by themselves
to Brazil.
·After
the young leave, the adults feed on squid and sardines and then return
to land for their three-week molt.
·The
adults then leave and swim to Brazil to feed in the Brazil Current.
·Penguin
predators include seagulls (eat eggs), and skuas and foxes (eat chicks).
·At
sea, sharks, orca and sea lions eat the babies on their way to Brazil.
·The
average Magellanic penguin life span is 14-16 years.
·They
find a mate and nesting site at age four, lay one egg (usually infertile)
at age five, and lay two fertile eggs at age 6.
·These
penguins swim at 20 km/hr, dive down to 150 meters and can stay down for
four minutes.
·Five
thousand tourists visit the Cabo Virgenes Preserve each year.
Our
penguin rookery hike was wonderful.The
penguins were a bit more skittish than the ones in Antarctica, probably
because people used to hunt them.My
only regret was that the trail was a loop and I had planned to take most
of my penguin photos on the way back to the bus.When
we arrived back at the bus, lunch was ready, and it was time to head off
to a new adventure and a new scribe.
Afternoon
Scribe:Carol
Shropshire
Following
the visit to the penguin rookery, we had a lunch on the bus consisting
of a large piece of chicken and one and one-half cups of cooked, unsalted
potatoes and carrots which were dished up by Angel and Raúl.Waitress,
Erica Palson, did the serving.
Customer,
Monte, however was displeased that the women were being served first and
an exchange of bantering ensued.Monty
was heard to say after he got his meal, "This is the worst guanaco I have
ever tasted!"
It
was "potty time," and several women requested that the men relieve themselves
outside the rear of the ranger station.That
reduced the amount of time standing in line since the women could then
use both bathrooms.Bev entertained
the waiting lines by relating one of her wonderful stories.This
time it was about restrooms of various countries she and Gary had visited.
At
4:14 P.M., we illegally entered Chile (no border guards).At
this stop we were at the southern most tip of Argentina's mainland.
The
group immediately spread out on the beach.The
Erica's laid down on the sand for sunbathing (No one in North Dakota even
takes off their gloves in December much less sunbathes!).Someone
else was prone on the sand taking photos.Others
ran down to the water to put their hands in the waters of the Straits of
Magellan.
Back
on the bus, it was decided that Monte and Raúl should walk back
behind the bus since they had spent their time throwing fish skeletons
at each other.Then a discussion
began as to whether we had really been in Chile.The
outcome was "think South American Style," and 50 feet really didn't matter.Just
say it was Chile!
Watching
out the bus windows, we have seen sheep, cows, condors, and guanacos.Danielle
spotted a rhea with six or eight babies, and she was pretty sure she also
saw a Patagonian hare.
There
was a photo stop where 12-15 guanacos were grazing near the road. The
bus driver, Enrique, would stop whenever requested.Everyone
was re-energized after being off of the bus.
We
made another ten minute roadside-stop while Angel went inside a small building.He
emerged with two thermoses of hot water.He
then proceeded to serve matte to everyone.The
first time it was sweet, but the second time it was not, so it was extremely
bitter.Discussions on the bus included
topics of music and eating areas while drinking red wine.What
is in matte anyway?
Since
we were to return by mid afternoon, and it was 8:15 P.M., a few wondered
when mid afternoon arrived in South America.Only
waiting will reveal this answer.We
still had another stop to go.
Our
last stop was a visit to a shipwreck that occurred in 1912.A
boiler on a coal tender exploded and then a severe storm beached the vessel
a quarter of a mile inland.It was
low-tide when we were there and the beach consisted of gravel.A
sea lion was swimming near by.The
shipwreck is now "lover's lane" for the locals of Rio Gallegos.Its
hull is decorated heavily with graffiti.
The
wind was blowing strongly and a group of geologists were huddled together.George
said it looked like the survivor's group deciding who would be voted off
this trip first.However, our group
was beginning to "come together."A
core group of people knew each other.Nametags
were starting to disappear and the rest of us were working hard at remembering
names.
Mid
afternoon arrived;9:15 P.M.!We
went to the British Club for a lamb curry dinner.Some
participants were disappointed when they got a lot of bones and fat.However,
the conversations were pleasing.Bev
and Gary said the television reported more rioting in the area where we
had stayed in Buenos Aires.
A
few decided to stop at a cyber cafe to let folks at home know we were fine,
despite what Argentine political and economical news was being reported.The
dark upstairs area at the cafe was lined with computers.Each
station had a group of teenagers playing games.Since
the keyboard was a little different from American keyboards, we felt we
too were playing games, but eventually, we figured it out.The
cost was very inexpensive.We paid
less than $1 for sending our e-mail messages.
SUNDAY,
DECEMBER 30, 200:Rio
Gallegos to El Calafate
Morning
Scribe:Danielle
Sharp
I
got no sleep last night due to the taxi stand directly across the street.They
told a lot of jokes, but my Spanish wasn't good enough to understand, and
I was very tired.That wonderful
Argentine coffee is a godsend!We
had a pretty substantial breakfast, which made up for last night's dinner.Yuk!
During
breakfast we sat with both Joans, Mel, and Dale and Grace, and it was decided
that we needed to break up some of the seating groups.We
had observed that several people tend to sit in the same spots everyday,
and we don't have a chance to talk to them.So,
after bringing our suitcases to the bus for our three-hour journey to El
Calafate, George and I moved to the third row from the front of the bus,
and the others from our table spread themselves around, as well.We
sat across from the two Ericas and enjoyed talking to them very much.I
am, after all, their "mother."
We
arrived in El Calafate at about 2:00.Everyone
seemed pleased with our living quarters, Apartment Hotel Libertador, for
they were extremely charming.They
reminded me of the alps with the colorful window boxes filled with large,
beautiful petunias, lobelia, etc.…and
the roses in town were absolutely gorgeous.Our
apartment was a large, comfortable two-story apartment with three beds--perfect
for laying out our clothes.Several
of us leaned ours heads out of the windows, and someone asked to borrow
a cup of sugar.
George
quickly found a store that was open, and Mary came running up to me, holding
George's camera, and said that George needed me to translate.He
finally purchased a nice-looking burgundy coat, thus ending the "coat"
saga.The good thing about George
loosing his coat and buying a new one was that I should easily be able
to purchase for myself a cute shirt that I had admired in the window next
door.Unfortunately, that store wasn't
open.Oh, well!It
was finally time to get on the bus and drive to the Perito Moreno Glacier.I
had never seen a glacier in person before, so I could hardly contain myself.
Afternoon
Scribe:Chris
Metzler
We
ate lunch (warm milanesa sandwiches, yum!) on the bus, while chatting with
our guide, Soledad Lopez Belson.We
then drove 80 kilometers to Perito Moreno Glacier, along Lago Argentino.Along
the drive, Soledad provided a running commentary.Among
the many items we learned were the following:
-
Perito Moreno was a surveyor who first established the border between Chile
and Argentina.Perito is a
title, meaning "expert" or "skilled"in
Spanish.His
actual name was Francisco Moreno.
-
Perito Moreno noticed that the blue lake and white snow, glaciers and
icebergs
resembled the colors of the Argentine flag, and thus gave the lake its
name.
-
The lake has an area of 1560 sq. km, an average depth of 300 meters and
greatest depth of 1000 meters.It
drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the Santa Cruz River.
-
The town of El Calafate is named after a shrub, which produces berries.
Local
legend says that those who eat the calafate berry will return to
Patagonia.
-
The town was founded in 1927 and has a population of 7000.Tourism
is the major industry.
-
Estancias
in the area raise sheep.The area
has unusually good conditions for sheep, and they can be supported by only
2 hectares/head.In most of the province
it takes 7 hectare/head to support sheep.
-
The area gets 7-10 meters of snow per year.Soledad
mentioned that we would likely see a number of plants, and passed around
a photo album.Among the common plants
of the area is one called Mata Guanaco, which means "Dead Guanaco"
or "Kills Guanaco".She mentioned
a number of other plants, including one called Zapata de la Virgen.Unfortunately,
this scribe was so traumatized by having been locked in the bathroom at
the hotel that he was unable to record the other plants she mentioned.
-Animals
in the area include puma, red fox and guanacos.
-Common
birds include the Condor, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Crested
Caracara,
Black Neck Swan, Chilean Flamingo, Cuaquen Comun (Upland Goose,
which normally occurs in pairs), Buff-necked Ibis, and Garza Bruja
(which literally translates as "witch heron" but in the U.S. is usually
called the Black-crowned Night Heron).Soledad
mentioned a number of other birds, but the scribe was still traumatized
from having gotten locked in the bathroom.
-Perito
Moreno Glacier is the only glacier within Los Glaciares National
Park
which is accessible by land.
At
an overlook, we got off the bus.Soledad
explained that in both 1940 and 1988 the glacier surged across the lake,
creating an ice dam, which caused the upstream side of the lake to rise
25-30 meters.The bathtub ring of
dead vegetation left by the rise was quite apparent.At
present the glacier touches the peninsula, but water flows through and
under the ice dam, so the lake level isn't significantly affected.Jim
mentioned that at one time the glacier was surging forward at 10m/day!
When the ice dam broke apart, it created a jokulhlaup.
After
a short drive, many of us got on a boat, the Yagan (which is a word from
the native people of that region).This
boat ride allowed us to get up-close and personal with the glacier.(Erika
Palson mentioned that she was, up until then, a "glacial virgin", having
never before been intimate with one before.)We
saw a very nice iceberg calving event that created waves which rocked the
boat.The ice front is 50-70 meters
above the lake, and is 6 km wide.
After
the boat ride, we drove to the Moreno Glacier overlook.This
allowed us to hike along several trails to a series of viewing platforms.The
views were fantastic, and lots of photography was going on.Though
we were a little pressed for time, many of us enjoyed the chance to hike
up and down, enjoying both the views and the exercise.
We
were back on the bus at 7:45 for the drowsy ride back to El Calafate and
dinner at the Chinese place.All
in all, it was a fun-filled, educational and beautiful afternoon.
MONDAY,
DECEMBER 31, 2001: Boat
ride on Lago Argentina and visit to Estancia Cristina
Morning
Scribe:
MARY E. Dowse
Today
started with another too-early wakeup call (6 AM) and too-light breakfast
(coffee, croissants).We loaded
onto the bus for a 7:00 A.M. departure to drive to the dock.There
were geologic features to be observed on the road to the dock (if your
eyes were open).The road traversed
a flat glacial lakebed and then crossed a hummocky moraine.There
was evidence of landslides in the hillsides on the left side of the bus.
We
arrived at the dock and boarded the Upsala Explorer for our trip up the
Lago Argentino to see Upsala Glacier.The
speedy catamaran had plush soft seats and was well loaded.Breakfast
was served as we cruised up the Lago.Danielle
used the opportunity to collect the excess coffee creamer with plans to
later open Danielle’s Faux Dairy.We
remained in the cabin for much of the start of the cruise, but boiled out
onto deck when given permission.There
was a wide variety of whimsically-shaped ice bergs floating down the lake
from the glacier.We were alerted
to be on the lookout for “the Lilliputian ice follies coming to an iceberg
near you,” although it is not clear if anyone actually observed the follies.We
did note glacially scoured bed rock and roches moutonées.
The
Upsala Explorer worked its way through and around ice bergs to provide
the opportunity to view the front of the Upsala Glacier. It was much warmer
as we approached the glacier front.Geologically
it was possible to see some of the history of glaciation by looking at
the moraines and other deposits in the valley.A
small valley on the west side of Upsala held a smaller glacier and had
been at one time dammed by the glacier in the main valley resulting in
a series of flat lakebeds in the valley.At
least two levels of lateral moraines were evident along the walls of the
valley.
A
carefully conducted survey of geo-trippers indicated that most were impressed.Some
quotes…
‘Not
too bad.’
‘Yes!!!!!’
(said with a Jersey accent)
‘um’
(at a loss for words)
‘I
love what I am seeing’
‘Awesome,
but when are we going to see something beautiful?’
‘Awwesum!’
‘We
ain’t got nothing like this in Sandpoint’
‘Jim,
really knows how to pick them’
The
boat then headed for the Estancia Cristina and we loaded into 2 Mercedes
‘busses’ (Unimogs), truck-like rigs with seating for about 20.Couldn’t
we all use these for field trips?We
followed a track that wound up and around to an overlook of the Upsala
Glacier and ice field escorted by our guides Anahi and Amaren.The
bedrock geology, thinly-bedded turbidites dipping steeply to the east,
controlled the topography as we followed strike valleys and then up and
over ridges that paralleled strike.Many
of the valleys contained lakes and or had flat bottoms indicating former
lakebeds.
At
the end of the track we parked and then hiked on up to the outlook.The
rocks were primarily dark shales and some interbedded sands.They
contained abundant belemnites and awesome ammonites (which appeared to
be most abundant in the darker layers).The
rain at the outcrop deterred few geologists (or as Greg noted, "This is
a geology trip now – got some weather.").The
guide admitted that she had never had as much trouble getting a group to
return from the outlook and reload in the vans (Were we busy looking at
rocks?).
We
then returned to the Estancia Cristina for lunch ( by my vote the best
lunch on the trip).
THE
MENU:
Salads:
Cole slaw with paprika, carrot, lettuce, and tomato with a dab of dulce
leche, and chicken
Empanadasfilled
with cheese and corn
Breads:
little rounds, white and wheat sliced bread, bread sticks
Main
course:
Lamb and Chicken from the Asado with chutney, salta criolla, and chimichurri
(recipe follows)
Desserts:
tarts, chocolate mousse, and so many choices.
Wine
flowed (poured much liked ice tea in the states)
There
were important discussions over lunch.Inquiring
minds are looking for the answers to important questions. Why napkin rings?Etiquette
lessons were provided. Is it true that Barney’s cane is really a Jacob’s
staff or is he using it to dowse for oil?Of
course we now know that it is really a terrorist weapon. Do men wear cups
when they are learning to tango?Still
looking for input on this question.
Chimichurri
Ingredientes:
2
tomates
2
cebollas
perejil
c/n
1
cabeza de ajo
1
morron
100
gr de aji molido
100
gr de oregano
sal
c/n
pimineta
crispada (rota)
vinagre
de alcohol 900 cc
aceite
de oliva 300 cc
Procedimiento
Picar
todo los elementos bien chiquitos.
Poner
en un bol y agegar los liquidos Y reservar en la heladera
Afternoon
Scribes:Erica
Paulson and Erica Peterson
Our
New Year's celebration started in the afternoon at the Upsala restaurant.The
meal consisted of salad, bread, lamb, and tons of desserts (ok, maybe only
7 dessert choices, but they were fantastic!).Our
table consisted of Joan Baldwin, Pete, Don, Bob Yates, and of course the
now infamous E2 gals. At a moment of serenity, our table (the ‘cool table’)
toasted Dottie with champagne.
"This
is the earliest I've ever started New Year's celebration."-
Don
"Anything
is fair game." – Pete
The
day was overcast with occasional light rain, which seemed like perfect
napping weather.Apparently, there
were lots of jokes during the tour…something about Bob Yates being so concerned
about losing his camera that he lost his hat.A
big thanks goes to Pete for finding it!The
flowers looked nice to Bob O. who wanted to take a picture.Every
geologist knows you need something for scale so Joan Alger provided the
"British finger".
The
late afternoon alcohol may have had something to do with the abundance
of jokes, although E2 were oblivious to them due to uncontrollable, momentary
unconsciousness.The benches in
the restaurant were actually quite comfortable.Everything
looked nice through our eyelids.
Thank
you for waking us up!It would have
been a long swim back to El Calafate!Us
‘youngin’s’ needed a siesta to keep up with you party animals!Maybe
we’re just not used to being able to afford alcohol with EVERY MEAL! *
*
(We arrived back in the USA in true fighting form.Haven’t
met a bottle of wine that can beat us yet!)
On
the boat ride more people seemed to be suffering from uncontrollable unconsciousness.We
had about 1 ½ hours back at the hotel before leaving for the restaurant
at 10:00 p.m.It was decorated quite
nicely, with pink, green, and white iridescent balloons and Christmas decorations.Angel
brought red wine.The place settings
contained goofy little glasses.The
server looked at us like we were weird when we asked if they were for water
or wine…still don't know.The server
passed out numbers (which turned out to be quite beneficial to Don).The
buffet style salads and appetizers looked great with the watermelon carved
like a pumpkin. We weren't
sure if we could indulge until Don exclaimed, "Do not pass go, do not collect
$200, but do go to the salad bar."The
steaks were fantastic, although Chris complained "There's no tofu on the
trip" (insert sarcasm).The meal
was great, as well as the wine and champagne.
