Just an additional narrative about yesterday: We had a couple hours before the van came to pick us up, so we decided to find some lunch. It was pretty cloudy and quit cool but not cold enough to wear a jacket. Boy, did we make a mistake! It started to sprinkle about the time we found Chocolatta, the place that had sandwiches as well as lots of chocolate goodies. By the time we sat down it was raining. It took so long to get our lunch that we had to have it "para llevar" (take out) and we had to walk (Jay cant run with his bad knee) six blocks in pouring rain and gusts of wind. We arrived, completely soaked and dripping, with just enough time to completely change clothes, hang up the wet ones, and get down to the lobby. It was an experience we laughed about but dont want to do again.
We boarded the travel bus to Porto Natales for more adventure. It is even farther south. We made sure to have all our cold weather clothing this time. We were able to see lots of the Patagonian countryside. It is sheep country for sure. We saw countless flocks and some were very large. Most of them were heavy with wool. We saw a few small herds of cattle, and a mounted cowboy and his dog working a group of cattle somewhere. The biggest surprise was the rheas. There were lots, usually just one or maybe two at a site. I got my camera out to get a picture, but was unsuccessful. The bus was moving too fast and we'd pass before I had time to spot and aim. Then I saw a group of about 15 all resting near a fence by the road. Unfortunately I didnt get a shot and they were the last ones we saw. A little late I saw a fox running and it literally flew over a bush in its way. There were a lot of backpacking trekkers on the bus, and lots more all over town. This is a pretty popular place for tourists.
We (all 8) went to lunch and then divided according to what we wanted to do. I had a seafood soup for lunch. It was full of clams, oysters, calarari and small bites of fish. Jay had a soup that looked just like mine, but had a palm-sized piece of fish. Nearing the end of his soup, he found a funny looking shell - a barnacle. We joked that it was a tooth: maybe from a Shrek-like girl, or the tooth from the chef, or maybe a gift to replace his own gap. The Roberts have been paying for Sister Onate, and the Laymans for Ida. That led to joking that Jay and I are looking for a stray woman who could be our beneficient. The waiter laughed out loud when we asked if the chef had lost his tooth. This shell was about three-fourths inch across and again that in length. One end was flat, the other end had several pointed sharp edges.
We spent the rest of the day shopping, resting, and tomorrow we will take a boat ride.
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