By the Sea

Story by Soledad Gil

From Comodoro Rivadavia to Puerto Piramides through Madryn, Gaiman, Camarones and Bahía Bustamante, this is a journey characterized by the constant presence of the Atlantic and its fauna. Snorkeling with sea lions, an alga-collecting town, two new museums and a brand new boat approach.

Some people watch buses go by through their windows. Others watch walls; some others watch balconies and those lucky ones, gardens. The inhabitants of Madryn, in winter, watch whales instead. All you need is to have the dining room window overlooking the sea (deep blue, clear and bright here) and you will have the chance to have your meals watching the whales. They arrive in June and settle down in the Golfo Nuevo, but you can see them throughout the Patagonian Coast. And so, in Chubut, you can overhear dialogues like that between a shopkeeper from Comodoro Rivadavia and his customer in Puerto Madryn: "I've just seen a whale from my car". "Ah, yes", replies the other, "I can now see two from my desk".

HERE WE GO

A trip to Valdes usually begins at airports in Trelew or Puerto Madryn and the highlight, in any version, is the boat trip in Puerto Pirámides.

A more extensive and much less obvious is the one through which you get to Comodoro Rivadavia -by Lan Airlines- rent a car and set yourself to explore the Route 3 with useful in-between stops.

This is the one we chose. We landed in Comodoro and went straight to the Hotel Austral. In terms of support and solidity, both the three-star Express sector and the four-star Plaza, are the best options.

Founded by Antonio Roqueta Prat in the 60s, his children Ricardo, Antonio and Alicia are who still run the place, not only renovating the building, but also the gourmet and services proposal.

The excellent food is handled by Catalonian Chef Joan Coll, a personal friend of the Roqueta's father. It was after him that he named the hotel restaurant Tunet, the affectionate diminutive of "Antonio" in Catalan. Coll, who arrived in Buenos Aires in the 80s and was the owner of the Hostal de Canigó, chef of La Cascada Hotel, the Tunquelén and the Danubio tea room, among many other restaurants and several teaching posts, landed in the Austral hotel in 1998.

The restaurant is as expected, specially inspired in the seafood. Live bivale mollusks from Puerto Lobos, razor-shells, mussels and scallops, prawns, raw spider crab and good fish are displayed in dishes of recognizably Catalan origin, in addition to classics like black crab ravioli, octopus with potatoes, olive oil and paprika, or noodles frutti di mare, in ther black or yellow versions...The room is classic, sober, impeccable, the type of environment preferred by those who come to work in the industry.

EN ROUTE

We rent a car, visit the Wind Park and Mount Chenque and we leave towards the route 3 due north... On our way back, we will stop at Camarones and Bahía Bustamante. Now we're going straight to Trelew, to follow the ritual of knowing the dinosaurs at the MEF (Egidio Feruglio Museum) and take a bath of insignificance by looking at the size of the femurs you can see there. Then we let ourselves be seduced by the cozy warmth of home Los Mimbres, Marcela Plust family's farm. The backyard, with a beautiful bend of the Chubut River, is one of the most beautiful in Patagonia.

Fate decreed that that we arrive "by chance" in Gaiman on July 28, Gwyl y Glaniad's day, when local people celebrate the landing of the first 151 Welshmen who came on board the Mimosa. On that day, the chapels are open: a special day to get closer to this unknown world and try something more than the famous black cake. Bethel, Selon, Bryn Crwun, Nazareth and Salem (the only one made of sheet) are among those chapels that make up the circuit.

Beyond that date, there is another valuable address to become familiar with the local traditions. Patricia Alvarez Herrero opened the Poet's House on Juanuary 8, 2010, a museum, which was once the home of the local author Evan Thomas. Patricia does not have Welsh blood but a Welsh heart. She is a retired teacher and lives opposite: she has put a cordless doorbell to open to each and every one of those who come to know her work: a Welsh home which seems frozen in time, with their everyday belongings intact, with very few cabinets and a never-ending story behind every object. You will find the 1947 Eisteddfod chair. "Eisteddfod" means "sitting" and it refers to the way you witness this typical festival of different disciplines that takes place in October each year. The award for the category "Welsh poem" is precisely the carved chair.

MADRYN, DIVINE TREASURE

Here the shock is still the color of the sea, the whales... and Almar`s size. One would like to believe that it all was because of tourism... this wonderful seene of jumps and tails right before the coastline...but no.

Until 1970, 4.300 people lived in Madryn; in 1972, the first aluminum casting took place. Today the city has 82.000 inhabitants.

That does not mean that tourism is not growing; it actually is. Ecocentro, the interpretation center of sea life has been open for ten years now and is a must.

In accordance to the environmental awareness that an urban center visited bye some six thousand whales each year must have, since a few years ago, the city has not dumped its sewage into the sea, but it is treated and reused for irrigation through a system of "stabilization ponds".

It's relief to know that at least as fas as the water quality is concerned, the whales have nothing to worry about. However, in the "green" field, it is too early to sing your praises: for several seasons, Chubut -and not only Madryn- has been suffering the invasion of a seaweed (Undaria) which has probably arrived in the tanks of ships and has broken the delicate balance of local sea. The damage is enormous. First, for the sea ecosystem because it is practically impossible to control. Second, in financial terms: it is spoiling the beaches for swimmers during the summer.

We talked about all this and more with the biologist Alejandro Carribero in the hotel bar of the Territorio Hotel, where we stayed. Opened in 2006 with 36 rooms, it is neither the newest nor the largest or the most striking one (the monumental Rayentray took care of all that when it opened in 2008); yet it is clear that Territorio proved to be a turning point in Madryn.

"Salem was the inspiration for the hotel Territorio", says the manager Gustavo Walter. Its luxury lies in discretion, space and the view. The exterior metal sheet may confuse you, but it is clearly not out of place. The interior is warm; the rooms are spacious with a serene atmosphere. Outside, an employee waters the coirones, while inside, Chef Francisco Moran gets the few, but carefully prepared gourmet proposals ready for dinner.

In the same vein, at a much smaller andd less exclusive scale in the house in Las Charas, the farm-house owners of the Territorio hostel have on the peninsula, a few miles off the access post to El Desempeño. This is another sheet house built high on a round bay, perfect and surrounded by the purest steppe. Each window in an ode to solitude, wind, desolation, to light and contemplation. There are only three rooms and a lighthouse type viewpoint where to let the hours pass by. Alejandro is in charge of the field; he is a biologist. Guests have not arrived yet, but everything is ready. And although it is an isolated place not suitable for anyone, it is clear that there will be more than one interested visitor... It's like having Valdes all for oneself. Only the whales on the horizon. Who could ask for more?

WHALES OVERDOSE

For Alejandro is enough. Responsible for a whales identification project -they are recognized by their callosities-, he talked about future of El Doradillo and La Cantera, the next beach; there are those who want to set an admission fee, others who say it should be a protected place by UNESCO and there are those who claim that it would be best to build a five-star complex. The controversy stems from an irrefutable fact. It is the best place to see whales without going on board: the place where mothers are with their baby whales... Alejandro says that this morning as we walk among the stones, there must be about 30 whale specimens at a glance.

I can not count them, but one of them releases a breath of air and water here, a male is jumping into the distance and beyond, Alejandro says, there is a copula group of four specimens over there. Anyway, there are many. They are so close that if you dove in for a swim, you could certainly touch them. They are so many that boats -and it happens- may run over them. It is believed that in an accident like that, the renowned local photographer Alberto Patrian and two others died last year. This same reason is the greatest threat of extinction for the right whales in the northern hemisphere, of which they say there are no more than 300 specimens left.

Their southern relatives have had a better fate: the world's population is estimated at about 15.000 individuals. Far more than 300, but much less that the 200.000 they were before the indiscriminate hunting. The fight was more or less even until 1840, when the explosive harpoon appeared. Then the factory ship came wwith a stern ramp to hoist the bodies and so they blew it: the following 25 years of commercial success proved to be the most devastating years for the species. "Every single bit of the whale was used throughout, and it is still being used because they keep hunting them: the whale oil is the finest in the world, used for lubricating extremely delicate mechanisms such as the ones in satellites and Swiss watches", says Alejandro.

However, in Valdes whales are pretected. Biologists are against the term "resource" with which they are often referred to by politicians; it sounds to them like the ownership of something that does not belong to anyone or anywhere. But the truth is that after the incorporation of Tiño Resnik's Southern Spirit in the last tender, there are no plans to change the map of the authorized operators. The cards are thrown in a way that Piramides holds all the boat outings and Madryn, the diving, specially a new and formidable one: sea wolves scuba diving. It is done with up to three boats (there are eight agencies offering the service) and a maximum of 18 people together in the water. The rest are sea wolves. Can you imagine?

DANCE WITH WOLVES

Properly speaking, it is not diving but snorkeling. Only licensed scuba divers can go diving. And it is enough to jump into the water, stand that second in chich the sea enters the semi-dry neoprene suit and suddenly one, two, three come close...to understand that if that was my first experience in diving, this otaria curiosity -otaria flavescens are the sea lions surrounding me- would be too much. It is true that divers have fun like crazy because sea lions under water feel even more confident and curious, and they comer closer. But with those who do snorkeling, they also come and watch us; they nibble our gloves; they let us pamper and touch them; they play, turn around, move away, come back... They are like puppies. Those who come nearby are mostly juveniles and some females. The lare male sea wolve, black and large, that mass of 300 kg doesn't show up... thank God! The others are soft brownish, shiny beauties with black eyes you feel like squeezing and moving on with them in this dizzy swimming.

It is a unique, exciting experience. It is cold? Yes it is. I would be lying if I didn't tell you about that. But it is the least important thing. Carolina Larracoechea from ScubaDuba is one of the pioneers in this activity. She tells me that kids can do it since they are 8... and that more than once you can see them cold blue, their teeth chattering, but with no intention of coming out of the water at all...They feel happy.

This tour is relatively new: it has bee on for about five years now. As time went by, they learned that it is best done at hing tide, when the lions are left with almost no beach and so they go swimming, that animals participate a lot more in winter that in summer and that the Punta Loma colony is permanent and the largest in Golfo Nuevo, so this experience is beginning to compete with the swimming along with stingrays in the Maldives or snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef... wowwwww! As such, it is not so accessible, but if you find the plan encouraging and tempting, you should know that it's worth while. It includes transportation, equipment, adequate outfit (socks, gloves, and neoprene cap in winter as well) and a handkerchief; not neoprene made but of tissue paper... you will certainly find those who come out in tears saying "this is the best thing I have ever done in my entire life"

PIRAMIDES

It is not my first time in the village, but the first time in which I find the port closed because of bad weather. A day and a half. Lesson learned: separated by mere 80 km from Puerto Madryn it is convenient to make a call to ensure a succesful tour in good weather in case there is a changing wind, the port gets closed and good-bye whales.

Moreover, we agree with the idea of staying for the night. It is not what most people do but it may be good starting point for going out around the peninsula (260 km of gravel road in all). Towns of a thousand inhabitants, on the other hand, always have a certain something... you come across people several times on the same street, going to and from the store La Araña Bionica, refilling their tanks in the ACA, the only gas station, eating at La Estación, te most advisable restaurant, or in the new cafeteria Karina Sfasciapagliari and her sister Vanessa have opened at the First Way Down to the sea. It was called Wind comes, wind goes. Quite a slogan for a nice place, where you can have a tasty espresso and buy designer items.

Mario Gadda, Karina's husbund, still goes on with Tracción a sangre (horse-dawn), cycling tours along infrequent roads in the region. Reaching Pardelas by bike is a must.

Sofia Benegas and her husband Pablo Passera from Patagonia Explorers, meanwhile, bet on kayak outings from Piramides. They usually make them at the San Jose Gulf and include restful picnics on the way. If a whale approaches, there is no permission to touch it, but no one prohibits the chance to watch them, and no one will ever take that memory away...

Finally, Gerardo Albert from the ACA Motel is very excited with the new rides he is preparing to launch this season. He is a pioneer in this field and if he works as hard in this project as he did with the inn, he will certainly set tongues wagging!

Speaking about hotels and about sleeping in Piramides, fortunately, there is good news. We chose Espacio Verde, two apartments that Maru and Rafael Banegas have above the agency: they are very well installed and are extremely comfortable for families (the large one) or for couples (the small one).

The other news to take into account is the Ecohostería del Nomade opened in December 2008 with eight rooms.

And of course, the new ships from the brand new Southern Spirit. They are two: the Zeus, with 57 places and the Flash Eco with 34 places, seat and roof... it is top VIP!

With 110.000 people coming for this outing every season (through the six authorized agencies: Peke Sosa, Hydrosport, Punta Ballena, Jorge Schmid, Tito Bottazzi, Whales Argentina, Pininos, and Southern Spirit), gone are the days when agencies were mere desktops without even a bath where tickets were handled. Infraetructure, suitable boats and captains. Whales and tourist deserve it.

CAMARONES

It doesn't have many more people that Piramides and yet it could not be more different.

Camarones town has been designed with wide streets, parks, public buildings of stone, wooden and sheet houses, sidewalks. Nothing to do with the capricious and unplanned knot in Piramides.

Founded in 1900, it has a general store, Casa Rabal, opened in 1901 and still good shape. Run by the fourth generation of the family -called now Mairal-, it is a duty to enter his spacious lounge where you can get anything from noodles to hooks, through sandals, pots and dolls made in China.

Camarones is still in a shock when its inhabitants are told about the Peron Family's Museum, which the provincial authorities inaugurated in mid-2008.

Although it was something expected, since Mario Tomas and Juana Sosa (Juan Domingo's parents) lived there, no one suspected about the magnitude of the work. The political bias is not exactly subtle; nevertheless, the exhibits is interesting and sheds light on the unkown stage in the life of the former President, his childhood and youth, when his father settled down in Camarones as a Justice of the Peace in 1903, while his son was in the Military Academy.

Camarones is 28 km away from the interesting Provincial Reserve Cabo Dos Bahias, also known as Caleta Sara, a sort of mini Punta Tombo but much less popular.

BAHÍA BUSTAMANTE

If there is someone I would have liked to know, that's is Lorenzo Soriano, Matias's grandfather. He must have been quite a character. He arrived from Baeza, Jaén, at the age of 14. He was a real hustler, the maker of Cruz de Acero razors and Malvik hairspray. Due to problems in the importation of Arabic gum, he tried to find a replacement and so he came in 1953 to the area called Bahía Podrida (Rotten Bay), because of the accumulation of decaying algae.

are finishing the trip, staying at one of the six Casas de Mar (Sea Houses), having dinner in the dining room, set in what used to be the general store that served the needs of 500 villagers. We're in Bahía Bustamante, the only algae-proccessing town in the country.

The firm still operates under the name of Soriano SA, but on a smaller scale that in the grandfather's time. The factory itself, where agar and carrageenan are made, is in the town of Gaiman. Here they still collect the Gracilaria, the main seaweed, without which it would not be the same the taste of yoghurt, sweet potato, and quince paste, and so many other things we don't even suspect they are made with... of course! ...seaweed.

Summoned agaig by Matias, and at this stage -in which Bahía Bustamante has three pillars: seaweed, wool and tourism-, Zunilda and her husband Tito (who has once worked with Don Lorenzo) are back. Zunilda does not attend to workmen anymore but tourists; she serves the tables and is responsible for the "city tour". She showns the three lines of houses that the town used to have, separated by streets and avenues, which are named after Lessonia, Gigartina, Macrocystis and Porphyra, the most popular seaweed known as Nori, with which sushi is made.

Opposite the sea and Gacilaria Avenue, you can see the first houses, which used to be occupied by senior staff. They are the most comfortable ones: a living room and two bedrooms with a bathroom.

In between, you will find the houses for the single, which were the hardest hit: rooms like closing cells, small and with no toilet; they are currently abondoned. Finally, the row of houses for the married people, where Zunilda and Tito used to live. They are similar to those facing the sea, but more rustic. Today they are Casas de Estepa (Steppe Houses), with a kitchen an ideal for families who live there for a few days or weeks. They can get to Camarones for food and prepare their meals.

Excursion on board can be booked separately, if you want, as well as the rides, a visit to Petrified Forest or a meal in the restaurant; everything Casas de Mar passengers have included in ther tariff.

In any version you may like, Bustamante Bay excursions are unavoidable. Beyond the charms of history and place, the great attraction of this project is sea life as well as the almost exclusive access to it. Nowwhere else will you find "private" colonies of sea lions, of penguins, of hundreds of birds from Patagonia. Blackish oystercatchers, gray gulls, Antartic pigeons, imperial cormorants, rock cormorants, giant petrels, white herons, Crested ducks, gulls and the emblem of the brand new Sea Coastal National Park Patagonia Austral... steamer ducks, monogamous and endemic to this place.

This new natural area -designated in 2007 and of which little is known- aims at protecting all these and many more. Straight out of the proceedings and arrangements between officials, the issue of Rangers and tendered services is still in its infancy. It is the first experience in the protection of the shore and its waters... holy! Congratulations.



En Route



Whales Overdose

Dances with Wolves



Bahía Bustamante



Cormorans

Magallanic Penguin