I am now at Puerto Madryn, which is very close to the Peninsula Valdez, in the best hostel in the world - it is small and friendly with lovely staff who are incredibly helpful,with great senses of humour. I have made lots of friends in the brief time I have been here and have made two boat trips - one to watch Franco Astral Whales - I still can´t believe I actually did it - they were amazing - one just continued to surface with her fluke and then smashed it down in the waves - it was truly awesome. This is where they come to breed and then they will go south to the Antarctic. The gestation period is a year, they look after their young for a year and then they have a year off. I didn`t gather what the male whales do - except for the obvious. The second boat trip was to watch Toninos - small delightful black and white dolphins who just played around the boat with extraordinary speed and agility. They made us all laugh - I am not sure why but they were just irrisistible.
This is so different from BA. The musicality tango course with Joaquin was fantastic. He is coming to England in 2012 and it would be wonderful for all our group and more to experience his take on interpretation, timing and rythmn. He was so focussed and inspiring - I shall only remember a small amount of it but that alone will be something. Thank you so much Tony for letting me know about it.
My last week was wonderful - the last milonga at Ideal I danced non stop. Not all amazing dances but I have learnt to hold my own. I have only bought 2 pairs of shoes - so far and one is being altered while I am away travelling. I also took my old faithfuls to the shoemaker. When he asked when I would like to collect them and I replied `March` he was non plused. I hope they are still there when I get back! BA feels like home and I am so pleased I am returning there for my last month. Yes, I had my ups and down, but I ended on an up finding the milongas and Tea Dances that suited me. It all takes time. I have bought another camera so shall try and down load some photos of now. I shall also have a chance to take again some photos round BA that I would like to recapture.. Sadly the Jacaranda trees will be over by then - I know I cant have it all.
Am heading for Puerto San Julian and then across to Calafate and a few glaziers. I leave this great little hostel tomorrow.
I can`t believe that you have snow - it seems extraordinary from this side of the world.
The buses are amazing except one guy who snored and I poured water on his nose - he stopped. We were also stopped twice and searched by police with drug sniffer dogs - the dogs were so fat they could hardly move - obviously well rewarded by their owners.
Much love to all of you lovely people
Sal xxxxxx
Glad its all going well. When we went south we did not spot any glaziers but saw lots of glaciers - everyone to his/her own.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is the last Ipswich class before the Christmas break. The beginners class still has nearly 30 people - I hope they all sign up for the next sessions. So there is lots to be done when you get back!
Have fun.
Cliff
Sal, this is everything travelling should be. As they say, there are two countries in Argentina - Buenos Aires and Everywhere else.
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