Santa Cruz: 10. – 20.04.2010

We arrived once more in Argentina and after some night’s cold as ice we were looking for some warmth. We tried our luck on the east coast and drove the last part of the Ruta 40 towards Rio Gallegos to fill our Fridge. Then it went on north. 

In the Parque National Monte Léon we wanted to have our first look at the beauties of the Argentinean Coast and we have not been disappointed. That is if you don’t look at the organization of the park. At the entrance was a sign, to register at the office 6 km from here. Hmm, well the gate is open and entrance is free anyway; well do that on the way out, otherwise it gets dark to find a nice camp spot. So we drove the 25 km of bad gravel road to the coast. We sure won’t be arrested, well almost. So far in Argentina we had everywhere helpful and friendly Rangers. But here just as we wanted to set up Nisto in the campground a Ranger showed up and told us the campground is closed. Nothing to do and you have to be out of here by 7pm. The campground closed in the fall and there is the same treatment for everyone here! Not being registered was not an issue at all, but we had to drive back in the dark and sleep just in front of the gate along the busy highway, but we would be first in line when it opens at 9am.

Well at 10am the gate was still closed, so we went the 12 extra kilometers to register. As Markus got asked just by the way, if we would like to camp in the park, he had to keep quiet and keep the thoughts about the other ‘friendly and helpful’ ranger to himself.

Nevertheless the park is a treat, and we spent a wonderful day with Magellan Penguins, Sea lions and dramatic Sand Cliffs dropping into the sea. But the offer to camp we refused and went north, which seemed to be the right decision, because the temperature reached almost 20°C.

All the time we left the paved highway and took the gravel roads right along the coast. Where we liked it we just stayed, that way we reached a little quite relatively unknown place that gave us the impression of little Galapagos. Also Charles Darwin left his traces here in 1834, Puerto Deseado. We got lured there in hope to see Rockhopper Penguins. According to our smart travel guide book they breed from December till end of April in a colony on an island just off the coast. With great expectations we headed straight to a tour operator just to find closed doors. At another one we knocked at the door of the private house, they opened but we were told that the season is over in late March and the Penguins would be on the way to Brasil. Our disappointment was big and back in Nisto the travel book got to hear some not child prove words. But we remembered some other words of the operator, that at least Darwins Lookout, a viewpoint with breathtaking views into the bay of Rio Deseado, would be reachable by car. She told us to ask at the Tourist- Office for further info to get there since it would be private property. The Tourist Office was great and tried to help, their supposing only tourist in town, as best as they could but the Estancia- Owner was just not reachable. Also the road that we slept on last night, we wondered where would it go, was mentioned as the Reserva Natural Rio Deseado, we thought to ourselves that it maybe is a backdoor to the Lookout? So we decided for our “maybe backdoor option”.

With 25°C we headed for the at times Rollercoaster like road in the Reserva Natural. The landscape was unique and with the sound of sea lions in the distance we even have been lucky and saw some quite rare birds like the Grey Cormorant from really close up. Even though the backdoor was closed as well and without the Rockhopper Penguins and the Commerson Dolphins our homemade excursion was a highlight. And who knows maybe we’ll come back one day during the right season.

Now we wanted to explore the last tip from the Lady from the Tourist Office, so we drove to Cabo Blanco with its tall postcard like lighthouse. Here we also wanted to realize an idea that we had since quite a while. We wanted to send a message in a bottle. We prepared everything that morning to send our message past high tide on April 17th at 3:55pm off into the horizon. We followed it as long as we could and while doing so we’ve seen a Penguin and a Sea lion as well as a few Grey Cormorants.

After seven days of warm sea breeze we headed inland again towards Chilean border. But before we crossed it we first wanted to take a little detour to the Cueva de los Manos. On our way south a few weeks back we left it out and so we wanted to catch up on it. And so it should remain, because against our tour book the Estancia de los Manos closes its door on March 22nd until the next season. Again, the oh so helpful book, got some flying lessons through Nisto. There was the other possibility with the 100km of real bad gravel road we been driving before, but that being one way and having to come back the same way we rather turned our thought to the ‘Manos’ close to Chile Chico, just behind the border that we wanted to cross anyway.

How we passed that border and how it went with the hands you can read in the next report from Chile.

Love

Sonja and Markus

Here it goes to the pictures...