Our transportation arrived at 4:30am to drive us to the aeropuerta for our 6:50am flight to Trelew, our first destination in Patagonia.


Thankfully, we breezed through security with only a check of Mario's carry-on, and the frisking of the other three family members. But, nothing was confiscated. We arrived at our gate with plenty of time to stop for a hot drink at a kiosk.
I wish I could report everything went smoothly from that point on...not so! We sat on the Tarmac for about 40 minutes, with no explanation (at least not in English) as to why we were late. The flight to Trelew itself went smoothly, thankfully. Dan and I were assigned to an emergency exit, and were required to read the info and be able to assist if any trouble arose. A snack was offered, and in a few minutes, we were at the terminal. All our baggage was retrieved except for Mario's, which was worrisome, since our plane was going on to Calafate. After explaining the situation to a baggage agent, he took our claim tickets and proceeded to search for it. In the meantime, our tour guide, Marta, met us, and helped to navigate the system.
About 15 minutes later, the agent came back with the suitcase and a frown. . He had thought we lost all four of our pieces, so was not happy that he returned with only one! We, of course, clapped in appreciation (and thanked the Lord) that it was found!
Marta, an Argentine who is half Italian and half Czech, is vibrant, informed, and easygoing. Athletically built, tall, dark haired and deep voiced, she is what I imagined an Argentine woman would be like. We lost no time, and after a short explanation of our destination on an area map, we headed to the penguin colony in Punta Toombo, south of Puerta Madryn, the town where we will lodge tonight. Of course, it was along the shoreline, where these Magellan penguins could make their nests and find food.
Did you know that penguins will never meet polar bears? The latter live at the North Pole, while penguins are found in many countries in the Southern Hemisphere. The Magellan penguins are faithful to the nest and colony, and return year after year to the same place. They live about 30 years, and mature at age 5. The "adolescent" penguins, who are close to maturity, gather along the shore to watch others, and teach the young to fish.
It's the male population that builds or rearranges (from the year before) the nest. When the female arrive, she choses the male that has made the best "home." These nests can be a hole in the open ground, or dug under a scrub tree. If they check out a nest, and it doesn't meet their approval, off they go to find a more suitable one! The female then mates and lays up to two eggs, and then takes off to the sea to find food. The male remains to protect the chicks from predators, like snakes and birds of prey. The mother penguin feeds her young from food that has been regurgitated (and therefore easily digested) and deposited into their mouth. We heard chicks everywhere calling out to their parents with a constant braying sound...they were hungry continually!
As we walked the mile path through the reserve, there where penguins as far as the eye could see. Some huddled in groups, others standing independently with their faces to the sun, and at times, a single penguin would cross the road in front of us. We were asked to allow them to pass, and not to disturb their route.
Marta was telling us that the reserve allows the wildlife to live and die as nature intends, so, even if a penguin is sick or being attacked, they are to let them be. This was difficult for me to accept when we saw two chicks whose parents never returned from feeding, probably because they were killed by predators. The twins were waddling aimlessly across our path, obviously very weak from hunger. No other penguin will adopt the two, so there is no one to feed them. It was all I could do to resist the urge to take them with me! Very sad, but, 'tis true...another result of the Fall. It's comforting to know that there will be no death in Heaven.


I, of course, had been looking forward to this visit for many months. This was the day that I would allow Olivia and myself to break our 9 month diet. Was it worth it! The tea was smooth and flavorful, reminiscent of the British Breakfast variety I have tasted overseas. The homemade bread an butter, raisin scones, various cakes and fruit slices, along with two dulce de leche (Argentinian version) made the experience a delight for all...even Mario!

Back to the hotel, and ready for a good night's sleep. Ta Ta for now!
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