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Firs things first...the picture is from ISla Malvinas/Faulkland Islands...Not Puerto Madryn!
So, leaving off from the last post, Lizzie and I abandoned El Bolson and went off to Esquel a small frontier town that used to be part of the Welsh Colonies, from there we explored Trevelin (Milltown) a town that still holds onto its Welsh traditions in some way, we visited Catref Taid the house of John Evans and the grave of his Horse Malacara, who saved his life once...the garden was wonderful and Lizzie and I both felt like we had been zapped back to the UK, lovely lawn, roses, a well, the sun shining and the Sheep baaaaa-ing, we spent a while there just taking it in. Then we visited Nain Maggies, they have a Welsh tea here, which is Bara Menyn and an array of cakes and a pot of tea, we didnt want the whole thing and so I had some Torta Gales and we shared a pot of tea, it was really strange as they Welsh Male Voice Choir was playing, there was furnature and paintings of Nain MAggie and her Grandaughter served us, I spoke a little Welsh, but the Spanish has really taken over and I find it much easier to speak Spanish now, and the Welsh feels like it has been buried deep! Anyway, after visiting Trevelin, Lizzie and I parted ways, she headed south to El Chalten and El Calafate and I headed back to El Bolson, I liked it there very much. I spent a couple of days hiking and made it put to Cerro Piltriquitron 1500Metres a beautiful refugion looking right over the Valley over El Bolson, as the sunset we saw Paragliders it was wonderful and tranquil, I was with a girl Georgina whos birthday it was that day. That night we slept in the refugio in the attick on matresses on the floor, it was so warm because of the fire fire below, I had a window over my head that looked onto the mountains and El Bolson, beauiful. The next day we walked up Mount Piltriquitron 2226m it was a little tough but not really it was mainly because of the terrain, scree. On the way down i fell a few times, and now am sporting some dashing massive purple bruises on my bottom!!!!
The same day, covered in dust, mud and sweat i set off for Puerto Madryn in anticipation of Penguinos and more Welshness...it is lovely here, very holiday-ee but the beach is beautiful, i have been very geeky visiting the Oceanographic museum ad the Ecocentro, learning about the history of the area, why the marine life is so special here, how the sea works, the history of Patagonia, the famous Orcas that attack the baby seals off Punto Norte on Peninsula Valdes every Febuary, I even got to watch some Planet Earth with good old Sir David....that was brill!
I went the next day to Peninsular Valdes in a car with 1 Israeli Ilay, 1 American Thom, and 2 British Girls Debbie and Jo we all shared driving....oh yeah I drove...woop. We looked upon Sealions and their babies, Magdellena Penguinos, Elephsnat Seals, I speotted an Armidillo and a Lizzard....the whole ladscape is strangly arid, deserted and yet beautiful.
Yesterday I headed to Trelew and Gaimen to visit more Welsh Colonies, there are Draig Gochs everywhere, I visited Museo Historico Regional de Gaimen, it was the old train station, there were artifact from the Welsh settlers, that picked this area in particular to move to in order to preserve the Welsh culture and Language, and they succeeded, there is still very much an air of Welsh patriotism, they guy the museum didnt even belive we still learned Welsh...not helped by my complete inability to conjure a sentance....stupid Spanish! i was having a strange conversation with him in a mixture of Welsh, Spanish and when all else failed English.....somethig like this...."Estoy vivir yn Bae Colwyn, pero personas aqui no habler mucho Cymraeg, ond ahora dwi´n byw yn Bangor a esta much Gales aqui" "Mae Gales asta primero language" bloody terrible, but it was interesting for him to learn that the traditions, mainly the language are still upheld, encouraged and strong within Wales!
Then me and Anya (a Swiss girl I was with) went to Plas y Coed the oldest tea house and shared a Welsh tea, which included a rediculous array of cakes, i said Diolch to the lady (Ana) and she came out with "Dach chi´n siard Cymraeg?" I answered "Si, dwi´n habler Cymraeg" made a complete tit of myself and she completely blew me out of the water with her command of the language, she has 4 WJEC (Welsh exam board) awareds for Welsh, and is off to Cardiff for a course....she looked Welsh (if that makes sence?) but she was lovely and gave us another pot of tea....so nice to have normal tea...we were there for 2 hours! The place was decorated in Welsh memorabilia, mainly teatowels, I wanted to bye a welsh flag patch but they had everything but, i ahvent been able to find one anywhere...ah well! It did stir up a strange and very strong feeling of patriotism that i wasnt aware was so strong, it was quite moving being in an environment so like home but in the middle of an desert that the Welsh irrigated for agriculture....im going back!
So that is it for now, we head to New Zealand in a week and will be writing new tales of different lands. Things taken from South America, I have learned of ancient cultures, wildlife and the land, I have eated stake, finished Lord of the Rings (sigh), i can hold a conversation and get by in Spanish, and the Bara Brith is much better at home, toasted with proper menyn, thats one thing we have over the settlers!!!!
Tara for now pawb:)
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