Wales and Whales

Patagonia; it’s a very big bit in the southern end of Argentina. What’s in it? Bugger all, apart from quite a bit of dust, Wales and whales.

I’m not entirely sure which of the latter two is the more prominent around the Puerto Madryn area. Certainly, when you arrive hoping to go on a whale-watching trip and making secret promises to yourself if you happen to spot a whale, you are rather taken aback to see them frolicking in the harbour, just off the shore. They’re Southern Right Whales, for anyone who cares, and are the ones with barnacles all over the front of them.

They come to the area to raise their young away from “interested males”, as our careful guide described them. Seagulls sit on them and used to just eat the lice (these are the ones that jump out of the water really far to try blast them off) but now they just eat the whales, which are tasty and fatty. As a result, the whales no longer stick their tails out of the water in the iconic manner. Hours can be spent not getting a picture of the tails of all the whales in the area. Here is my best shot:

There are, of course, many more photographs elsewhere. There are also killer whales in the area, where they do the beaching-themselves-to-eat-seals thing, but not right now. I think I will have to come back one day (in February) to see that.

I will also have to come back to have another afternoon tea. As I’ve already said, the landscape is really rather hellish, and the Spanish settlers told the government that they refused to live there. Of course, to the Welsh it seemed like paradise, so they all came across instead! The result is a wide range of towns with very Welsh names, said in a strong Spanish accent of course, which still offer afternoon tea.

And not skimpy British standard teas, either. They give you cakes with your unlimited, not too shabby, tea.

Most people get a doggie bag and take the cakes they can’t finish home with them. We…uh… didn’t. Nom nom nom. So much lace and kitschness.

Saf - Puerto Madryn