Just stunning!
Trip Start
Jan 16, 2011
1
8
174
Trip End
Jan 15, 2012
Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, Argentina
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Breakfast table discussion: what to do today? Would love to go to the sea elephants in Ninfas, but the tour is not on today. Roger, a Dutch guy, would love to join as well and this morning arrived 2 German girls who have the same plan. We are 4, the minimum number they need for the tour. Now it is on! We are going to Ninfas!
Changed hostel to El Gualicho early afternoon, very nice place with little backgarden and hammocks. Bigger than HiPatagonia, so the familly-feel is not there, but it's very clean and nice.
4pm: Hop on the mini bus, 100km to go. Seeing guanacos, maras and sheep on the way and a lonely gaucho on his horse. Street is terrible - only gravel street - free massage included.
90 minutes later: speechless. The surrounding at Ninfas is just amazing. Super blue sky, cliffs, windy, in front of us a super coastline...just what I imagined Patagonia to be like. Just nature. As Ninfas is not a National Park, there is nothing but nature. No visitor centre, no toilets, just us. Then we had to climb down the cliffs. Slippery and dusty, 15 minutes later down at the beach wtih 7 sea elephants. All juveniles and female. Mating season is over, so all they do know is sleep on the beach as they need to get their fur changed in the next 2-3 months. Not much movement which makes them look dead. Really!
These creatures are amazing. They look fat, cute, topsy but they can run 40km an hour. So we should stay in a group and not walk upright as they might feel threatened. Best would be to crawl on our bellies like they do - but we didn't. Just be quiet and enjoy them. Stayed down there for 1.5 hours. Amazing to watch them! To fall in love with...the sea elephants and the landscape surrounding us.
Off to Ushuaia tomorrow...30 hours bus ride! Enjoy this night in a bed!
