It’s nice to have calm sailing on an at sea day. We didn’t do too much, kind of kept it leisurely. I went to a future exotic and repositioning cruise presentation and then Alan and I went to Angela’s final enrichment lecture, this one on the Welsh settlers in Argentina and especially in the Patagonia region. After lunch we napped and after naps, heard more Tango music, then dinner, then to bed. Pure leisure.

This morning we had to get up long before dawn in order to make our 7:10 AM tour time. We dressed quickly and then went to the Coffee Bar for cappuccinos and pastries. The ship had docked meanwhile in Puerto Madryn and we only had to walk off the ship and onto our tour bus. First we set out for Punta Loma and saw a huge colony of sea lions, their harems, and their babies.

Then an hour drive to Trelew. Trelew is the center of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia but our guide Max, who is from Trelew, said that the settlement has become very assimilated and, although he is part Welsh, he only knows a few words. In Trelew is the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio or the Paleontogy museum. It is the most important paleontology museum in South America and is extremely well done. Five years ago, the largest dinosaur ever discovered was found nearby, (Patagotitan mayorum) and there is quite a bit about it and about dinosaurs and pre-historic mammals found all around the region. It was great!

 

After guided tour around the museum, and some free time, we got back on the bus for Puerta Madryn. Alan and I got off near the main street and went to the restaurant our guide had recommended for lamb asado, La Estela Parilla. We both had the same flank steak with chimichurri and potatoes and Alan ordered a local beer which turned out to be the size of a liter of San Pellegrino. I must admit to having a glass just to help him out. The food was great and I have a new love, chimichurri!

We walked along the seawall and then went back to the ship. We did have a choice between watching rugby or cricket on ESPN back in the cabin. We watched some rugby, which is moderately incomprehensible, but very exciting and also did some laundry since the laundry will be closed on our last 3 days on shipboard because you are not permitted to discharge gray water into the Rio Plata estuary.

We were supposed to leave at 4:30 but the winds are so high (Strong Gale, about 45-50 miles an hour) that the harbor has closed down and we can’t leave until the winds drop. Hopefully, that should happen after sunset. The waves off our balcony are actually pretty impressive. The same delay happened to us in Iceland where we had to wait for 18 hours to be cleared to leave. Since tomorrow is a sea day, hopefully the Captain can make up the time and get us to Montevideo, Uruguay, our next stop, on time.