Camping at the shrine to Difunta Correa

After shopping, we continued to drive along Ruta 3. The landscape was very flat and barren with no suitable places to bush camp. However, 30 kilometres north of Rio Gallegos, we came to a religious shrine by the river Gallegos from which the town takes its name. Despite the late hour, there were quite a few people making the pilgrimage up a long staggered staircase to pray at a statue of the Virgin and Child. We crossed the bridge to the other side of the river and got permission from some local fishermen to camp there.

Unexpectedly, there was no wind as we set up camp and it was surprisingly warm. Hopefully, it's a sign of conditions to come! Nikki had pre-prepared gnocchi with sausages in tomato and vegetable sauce for dinner, so it didn't take long to get ready. It made a pleasant change to sit and eat together. Lately, it's been a case of standing in huddles trying to keep warm!

Nikki told us about upcoming plans, including the fact that, once Ritchie drops us off in Buenos Aires, he will take the truck to a Mercedes garage in Montevideo, Uruguay to have the clutch serviced. He will take a new driver, Tim, who is flying out from the UK, with him. Tim will be taking over from Ritchie in Rio. Ritchie will return to the UK and Tim will continue to the Guianas with Nikki. The consequence for the rest of us is that we will travel from BA to Colonia in Uruguay without the truck. Instead, we will go by boat with Nikki. If the truck is ready, Ritchie and Tim will pick us up in Colonia on February 8th. If it isn't, we will travel to Montevideo by bus and catch up with the truck there. So, when we get to Puerto Martyn the day after tomorrow, we will have to pack appropriately for up to 12 days without the truck. Fortunately, we should have good weather for all that time!

After dinner, some of the group climbed the staircase to the shrine. I went with Rich and Derk to investigate a building close to our camp. As we approached, a car pulled up, a couple got out, and they went inside. Derk, with the better Spanish out of the three of us, asked what the building was for. They invited us inside and explained the story of the Difunta Correa (the Deceased Correa).

She was a young local woman, Deolinda Correa, whose husband had gone to war and was missing. She set off on foot to look for him, carrying her baby with her. She died of thirst in the desert. When her body was found, she is thought to have been dead for four days. Her baby, who was assumed to have died with her, was found to be alive. He was still suckling at his mother's breast. The fact that he survived was considered to be a miracle.

Taxpayers' money was used to build the shrine we were now standing in. Local people come here all the time to give thanks and pray for miracles of their own. They usually bring offerings of water because Deolinda died of thirst. Every year, on December 8th, thousands of people process on foot from Rio Gallegos, 30 kilometres away, to pay their respects.

The shrine houses a life-size statue of Deolinda lying in bed suckling her child, as well as numerous other effigies and paintings of her. There is also a large metal stand with a chimney above for burning candles in her memory. It all seemed a bit tacky and bizarre to our cynical western eyes, but to local people, it is obviously a very special place. Another car pulled up while we were still there. More mothers bearing offerings of water came in to pay homage to the Difunta Correa.

When I did some research later, I discovered that the legend of the Difunta Correa is common throughout Chile, Argentina, and parts of Uruguay. The story remains largely the same. It's unlikely, therefore, that she was local to the area where we were camping!Read more