Puerto Madryn, yet again!

I say yet again because I was here in February of 2013.  I know this because my 10 year Brazilian Visa expires in 2022 and I visited here on the same trip. It was necessary to get it a few months before because the Brazilian authorities do not work over the entire Christmas season!

I did not book a tour here although I sent my friends, Linda and Fred, to Punta Tombo to see the Magellanic Penguins.  They were not disappointed despite about 3 hours of total travel time over dusty, bumpy pseudo roads.  I was glad to hear that when they returned.

Go back and look at John's Antarctic pictures to get a refresher on these famous penguins that live in burrows!

Anna and I did not plan anything.  Anna has not been here but enjoys just walking everywhere and probably did so for 5 miles or more along the shoreline.  The first .61 miles was just the pier!  I joined her for a while but went into town to explore.  First I did join her on the beachfront promenade.  I like to take pictures and that slowed her down so off she went as far as one could go. 

I walked a ways then crossed the wide paved walkway and the street to a tourist bureau to get a map.  Leaving the busy main thoroughfare behind I went several blocks to the small tree covered square where there was supposed to have been a market.  I wasn’t looking to buy anything, just to have time ashore and meet people.  To observe habits of the locals which are usually easy to distinguish from the tourists.  Not so many ship people up here.  Several people taking their dogs for early morning walks.  One big dog was loose and chased the cars at the corner of the park.  I think he belonged to the one lonely booth operator who was setting out his wares.

I did stop to talk to three ladies sitting on a bench.  They commented that they had been told there was a market today but there wasn’t.  Of course, as I always do, when I heard the English accents, I asked about where they lived.  Sylvia said Glouster.   I commented that I thought we had met on the ship and they confirmed that in the elevator the first sea day many were going up to Deck 14.  They asked why and I said probably for Trivia.  After there was a blank stare on their part I told them that was a Quiz.  They joined in all along as they like quizzes at home.  After our long chat in the park and the exchange of information, I hope they will come to visit me.  I am very happy I am invited to be in touch with them when I return to England in the fall.  I even have an offer of a drive about the area and to Avebury.  It also turns out their town is about 15 miles from my cousin Lynda Rowe who lives in Wales.

I met a lady from our ship who was older than I and walking alone looking for a bus to go to Trelew, the Welsh settlement.  She wanted to have Afternoon Tea in the Tea Shop there.  She had been told to allow about three hours for travel plus looking around and tea time.  It was already about 10 a.m. and we sail at 4:30.  I don’t know if she went or not.  If she did, she got back in time as no one was page at the time of sail away.  I would not have done it at that time or on my own!  There were tours but surely when wandering around the countryside in a place where the language is not familiar you should have back up.

 Costa looks dwarfed in this picture!

 Interesting view of 'the Liberator'.

As I was walking along the seafront again I was stopped by the screaming laughter of a little boy on a swing.  His Mom was pushing him higher and higher and his laughter was gigglier and gigglier until it was really just shattering with joy.  I always think of how children are the same all over the world.  What a treat to watch this family enjoying a simple activity we have all shared with our own families.

Of course, I could resist taking my shoes off to walk along the broad sandy beach.  It was probably as wide as St. Augustine Beach.  I hope you have been there.  But this was compacted and hard.  No sand or even coquina sifting between my toes.  It was also cold and smelly!  Shoes on and back to the walkway.  Just as I started to continue on the 2 ½ mile beach front walk I met Anna returning.  She was going back to the ship to charge her phone.

I continued walking the opposite way toward the Aluminum plant.  It is the main industry, other than tourism, in Puerto Madryn.  At one of the many monuments, I took some pictures for a Chinese lady who was on her own with her walker.  I think her camera was old enough that it actually used film from what I could tell.  You might know I like to talk to people and language is no barrier if you really try.  So I did.  Later on the way back to the ship I met the Saturday night entertainment what was coming on board, but not onto our ship.  The Costa Luminosity was docked next to us.  About a half hour later, when I was back on the Eclipse, I was watching them as they waited to board with the help of Costa people.  The entertainers were definitely practicing their dance steps dockside in shorts in tee shirts!

 

Guess they are proud of whales?

 

I plugged in my phone and changed into my swim suit.  I picked up an iced tea and had the swimming pool to myself.  Then I read in the hot tub.  Sort of like having an oversized bathtub but the water was much cooler than at my house!  Later I dressed again and had a lunch of salad and fruit.  This ship has way too much good food, especially desserts, so I tried to cut back a little.  I packed while I had time and no fun activities to do. Soon this adventure ends.  Then I dressed for dinner as it was Elegant Chic night.  We had planned to take our gifted bottle of sparkling wine to dinner tonight but Anna decided to eat upstairs so we will take it tomorrow.

Long lines of everyone returning from their penguin expeditions.

Gary, Sue Ann, Linda, Fred and I shared stories of our day at dinner and greatly enjoyed it.  They all had the typical cruise ship formal night fare of lobster tail.  The guys each had two.  I enjoyed another classic, Beef Wellington.  Of course Baked Alaska was the dessert.  When we ordered, Gary told Sudiarni, our waitress, that it should be called Baked Antarctica.  Playing along she returned and presented us with our appropriately named ice cream and meringue treat.

The cookie on top was my favorite!  A crispy meringue confection.  Of course the Baked 'Antarctica' was delicious.  I remember when the waiters would parade through the dining room the one night these were served.  The lights were dimmed and candles were lit as the music played.  More recently they went to sparklers.  Now there are just slices!

Gary and Sue posed for a formal night photo.  That is a Texas formal jacket he is wearing!

Corduroy and leather worn with boots.

The show was called, Euphoria.  The production cast sang, danced.  The aerialists were especially featured.  The dancers had inflated characters of sting rays and dragons that swooped into the audience.  I went up to 14 for part of the ABBA show but it was sort of turned into a game show.  All in all, a great day!