Puerto Madryn & Punto Tombo, Argentina

My first 20 hour bus ride down to Puerto Madryn actually went quite well. We booked full-cama (beds) seats so we could lean almost all the way back. The in-ride meals were surprisingly tasty and the ride attendant was a star.

As soon as we entered our hostel on Wednesday, we met three Israeli fellows who had the same idea as we did: rent a car. The five of us, sped around Peninsula Valdez on Thursday where we encountered penguins, elephant whales, llamas, ostriches, sheep, cows, and horses (mostly the latter). The highlight of the day was a whale-watching tour. The southern right whales breed here in Puerto Madryn and number in the 1000s at times. They have already started to migrate and there are about 200 left in the bay. Still, our little tour boat sidled right up to a mother whale with her baby just chilling out. The baby was nursing for a long while and then with a burst of energy put on a pretty good show by splashing about and showing off its tail. I have a good video of it that I´ll post as soon as I can figure out how.



Today, Nati & I drove our little car through gravel roads at a speedy 60kph to reach Punto Tombo where the largest colony of Mallegenic penguins come to breed. We even backtracked once to give a stranded guy a ride back to civilization because that´s gravel road etiquette. When we reached the colony, we spent about 3 hours just sitting amongst the penguins. Amongst, as in face-to-face, foot-to-webbed foot. There were a few that even came up and nibbled at our jeans and tried for my toes. Their eggs have just begun to hatch, so we caught a few glimpses at some penguin chicks. They are so cute!! There was a main pathway that the penguins waddled up and down in order to get to the water. It was like a penguin highway!! It took my best efforts not to guffaw loudly so as not to scare them away.



When I started out on this trip, I thought 4 months was a good amount of time to be travelling. Now having met travellers who are on 6 month, 8 month, 1 year, and 2 year trips, I'm rethinking. I should have planned and saved for a longer trip. I won't lie and say that this is the happiest time of my life; however, I am quite content. Traveling to new places and getting to know the character of a place is very fulfilling. I wonder why I am not as excitable or as enthusiastic as I expected myself to be. Perhaps I am just getting old and youthful naivete has left me. Perhaps Karen's death has dampened my spirits in general. Honestly though, doing all of these wonderful things and thinking about her never being able to as she dreamed to, makes me very sad and melancholy. I hope it is not permanent.