Patagonia 2019

The tour bus picked us up from the hotel at 830. With about 12 other tourists, we set off for a 2 hour drive, much of it down a gravel road, to estancia harberton. Half the group hopped off the bus and kayaked (rafted) the last part of the trek to the ranch. The other half, which included us and the 'Irish team' took the bus to the ranch to take a tour of the grounds.

After the tour we loaded up onto a pontoon boat and jetted over to an island that is a home to a huge colony of penguins. The boat ride through the beagle channel was rough with plenty of wind and white caps. Penguins migrate to warmer climates (Brazil) during March and April so we were lucky to see the few remaining penguins. We couldn't get off the boat because the tour company didn't have the rights so we jetted the boat on the shore and all 14 of us jostled for the best view of the creatures. We saw three types of penguins as identified by their markings. I didn't know that theyade sounds or had the ability to swim like a duck but they do!

After the visit to the island we headed to 'the restaurant' a shack with a smoker adjacent to the outside. We ate a delicious smoked meal of chicken and beef. The meal was followed by a 3 mile hike on the island which I named the 'patagonian death march'.Read more