Because of recent difficulties with my blog, and also, because the opportunities to write extensively have been infrequent, there are gaps which I shall address hopefully, in the not too distant future. I still cannot upload photographs, but that does not prevent me taking them.
Two days ago, we were docked at the port of Puerto Madryn. This has already been mentioned previously. I enjoyed my stay there; the warm weather had returned after the previous sea day’s being cold and grey. I chose an 8 hour tour “Peninsula Valdes and Wildlife Reserve.” The round-trip was about 400 kilometres, offering plenteous views of the flat, almost desert like landscape. We would see various examples of wildlife from the coach, including numerous guanacos (which remind me, and may be llamas, and a rare sighting of a couple of tiny Patagonian Owls close to their home, a self dug hole in the ground. Our first stop was at the visitor centre from which we could view the shore line, at the foot of rocky cliffs (far below), with gulfs, shallow bays and lagoons. We stopped at four such viewing points. However, I had no binoculars and had to rely on those of a very kind and helpful member of our party who ensured I could make the most of my trip. Nobody commented that the wildlife was so far away, but I really should have been better prepared. Notwithstanding that ever so slight disappointment, the journey was superb, and provided the rarest opportunity to experience the Patagonian countryside. I had a very good day.
Prior to our time at Puerto Madryn, there were two sea days which followed an overnight stopover in Buenos Aires.
In Buenos Aires, I filled my time with four shore-side trips, the last one of which was a Cunard-staged gala for those partaking in the complete circumnavigation of South America. The first excursion, Tigre Delta and River Cruise took us by coach through the residential suburban neighbourhoods to the Cathedral at San Isidro y Acassusso and the adjacent square. There were no toilets at this point! We would continue to the town of Tigre, passing mansions and yacht clubs. The one hour boat trip was delightful, passing numerous riverside “second homes” and gorgeous landscaped gardens where the “well-to-do” of Buenos Aires spend their weekends.
In the evening, around sixty of us donned our formal attire for a journey around part of Buenos Aires in a spectacular convoy of vintage cars. We would arrive in rare style at Rojo Tango for dinner, and an absolutely superb floor show with dancers attired in the most authentic costumes, some reflecting, very convincingly, the era of the roaring twenties. Jo was my companion for this evening of high elegance. We were dubbed “Bonnie and Clyde!” Although highlights of this voyage come “thick and fast,” this particular event will surely stand out for a long time to come.
The following morning, I joined a “Sights of Buenos Aires tour which took in the widest boulevard in the world, 9 de Julio and the Obelisk marking 100 years of the first national government. We stopped at Plaza de Mayo for photographs, also the aristocratic cemetery in the Recoleta neighbourhood where the tomb of Evita Peron is located. This tomb does not stand out as one might expect; this is where a tour guide us most helpful.
The afternoon saw the second of two galas laid on by Cunard for guests participating in the whole circumnavigation of South America. This was a splendid affair for around 700 on both afternoons. There were displays of horsemanship to begin with, outside, followed by an indoor floor show of everything Argentinian including the now ubiquitous Tango! Food and drink continued in unlimited availability with gorgeous waitresses waiting on everybody, hand and foot. All of a sudden, it was time to go; soon we were sailing away from a city I thought I would never see the sky over. What an astonishing experience; these are the “good old days!”
The above notes were compiled rather hurriedly on 20th February, completed at 15.38 hrs. Thanks for reading, David.
David's Cruise 