Wednesday, March 6
Today we booked "A Day in the Countryside with Penguins" with El Pedro Tours. The ship was offering this EXACT tour for only $500 cdn (each!). We paid $160 each by booking the tour ourselves.
They had originally told us they would pick us up at 9 am. Then 2 days ago we received an email saying they were departing at 7:15 am. Who's the ratfink that told them the ship would be here early????? Good thing the breakfast buffet opened early today!
El Pedro picked us at at the ship and we drove 70 km.
Yup, it took us almost 2 hours to go 70 km. It was an old rickety bus and most of the way was gravel/dirt roads. The guide told us we would get a "seat massage". Also, no washroom between the ship and the farm. But just let her know, no problem, and men could go on one side of the road behind the scrub brushes and women on the other. Natural toilets.
We had the front seat of the bus so we had a great view. There was a lake in the middle of the road because of the rain last week.
This is the El Pedro Farmhouse. El Pedro is an original farmhouse that was purchased in 1920 by Félix Arbeletche for his wife, because it had drinkable water needed for the plants that she loved. The house underwent some renovations and was inaugerated in 1923. Unfortunately, Felix's wife died before the house was finished.
imagecredit https://www.reservaelpedral.com/en/#blo-programas
imagecredit https://www.reservaelpedral.com/en/#blo-programas
We started (after the washroom break!) by taking a 2 km walk to go see the Magellanic Penguin colony (think March of the Penguins). The Global Penguin Society (GPS) actually monitors this colony at Punta Ninfas.
We expected to see all the penguins at the coast, but were very surprised to find them living in burrows under the scrub brushes!!!
We had to walk single file at times because there were penguins on the path.
There were more penguins when we got to the coast.
Then we walked the 2 km back to the farmhouse, and we were treated to a traditional lunch consisting of Patagonian lamb roasted on a spit. The cross image is rather disturbing. But I guess they are literally "sacrificial lambs."
After lunch, we had a stop at the Punta Ninfas Lighthouse at the southern entrance of the Golfo Nuevo over the Valdes Peninsula.
imagecredit https://www.reservaelpedral.com/en/#blo-programas
Back on board ship around 3 pm for a 4:00 sailing. Every night at dinner our waiter Bhukari brings Frankie the menu for the next day, so she can choose something gluten free and it can be ordered ahead of time. Last night when she looked at tonight's menu, there was really nothing she could eat. So we switched our night at Le Petit Chef, one of the specialty restaurants. However, we will save that and write about it tomorrow in the interests of actually getting today's blog sent out while we are in port.
Since we will be at sea for the next few days, it may be awhile before we have enough internet to send the next blog.
The show tonight: Sebastian Fucci Reloaded. Same singer as the first night, but we enjoyed him.
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