Right time, right place, Right Whale.

We were in Patagonia during Southern Right Whale breeding season, and part of our Peninsula Valdes tour involved going out on a whale-watching boat from Puerto Pyramides. We were very lucky in our timing and saw many mums and babies and were given a fantastic display of breaching. We hardly knew which direction to look, as whales leapt out of the water on all sides of the boat!










Just to show how close to the boat the whales were breaching








A baby whale comes right up to our boat.












Our whale-watching boat is pulled out of the water.















Argentina, November 11th, 2009

Day-trip around the Valdes Peninsula

Argentina (and Chile, and Uruguay) have a bit of an obsession with an herbal tea called yerba mate (pronounced mah-tay). Originally cultivated by the indigenous people of Paraguay, the caffeinated leaves were popularized around much of South America by the Jesuit missionaries. These days everyone travels with their mate; on the day we headed out to Peninsula Valdes, our tour guide and bus driver shared many many a cup while making the long drive from Puerto Madryn to the peninsula. The loose leaves are usually steeped with hot water in a cup made out of a gourd, and sipped up through a metal straw with a filter on the bottom.

Josh models a giant hot water dispenser for refilling your mate thermos (which also advertises a particular brand of mate), one of many that we saw throughout Argentina.


A typical sheepy Patagonian scene as we travel out to Peninsula Valdes






A far off elephant seal lazes in the shallows.










A handsome bull struts his stuff...



















Magellanic Penguins


















Argentina, November 11th, 2009

Día de la Tradición

Anne and her family took us to celebrate Argentina's national Day of Tradition in style in San Antonio de Areco, a town a few hours outside of Buenos Aires. Many of the best gauchos (cowboys) in the country gather here in the week leading up to this holiday to demonstrate their equestrian skills.














You can't have a party in Argentina without plenty of barbecued meat!
































































































A last photo with our host, Anne



Argentina, November 8th, 2009