Puerto Madryn (Porth Madryn in Welsh), the destination of the Welsh on 28 July 1865 and where I was to land following a 20hour bus journey from Buenos Aires on 8 March 2010! I have now landed in Welsh Patagonia... well part of it!

A harbour/seaside town, where the air was a little cooler and the town a lot smaller than the dizzy heights of BA city. The journey by bus, was my first glimpse of what people refer to as the barren land and endless nothingness of what Patagonia has to offer! I would travel for hours... the land, desert like, but full of small shrub type bushes, that look a rough and dry.

Over 1300km from BA and not many towns en route, well, there were a few and it was an overight bus, so may have missed one or two! Entering the town seemed as if I was entering a ghost town, but over the next few days, I realised that it wasnt that small and that the area along the seafront was a lot more vibrant... well, except for `siesta hours`between abt 1pm-5pm or so! This was my first time to really experience the effect of siesta! Realising shops open for the morning, then they shut for a few hours in the afternoon - for siesta (a nap!), before re-opening and open til late!

I stay at a very nice hostel and was very much appreciating the fresh air of the town! The hosts were particularly kind, given I arrive and burst out in a coughing fit, which had eased quite a bit since BA . I was offered herbal tea on a few occasions, which soothed the throat. I spent some time relaxing in Puerto Madryn, taking walks along the seafront and along the pier. Exploring the shops and finding a welsh tea shop 2 doors down called Te Beryl... it wasnt a Tea House (Casa de Te), but a place to buy `welsh tea` and buy cakes! Dolls and a mannequin adorned the little shop in Welsh costumes, along with welsh lovespoons... but the owners did not speak welsh. 5 doors up from my hostel was a shop called Melysion... a cake shop! There were plenty of gift shops around and I came across a lady whose name was Monica. I explained my mother is called Monica (in spanish) and she asked was it a family name, to which I answered no (well, I didnt think it was). Hers originated from France as her parents were French but had come over to Patagonia! With that, I spot a small brooch with Monica painted on it.... so had to buy it for mam!

As I mentioned, the hostel was very nice (HI Patagonia) and I spotted on first arriving a welsh flag was laid on a table, ready for inscription, as some national flags adorned the walls of the communal area, where previous travellers had left messages. I wondered whether there was a welsh person there, at the time, but when I read the message on the flag, it was one in Sept 09 and no one knew why it was down on the table.... they didnt know I was Welsh... but bizarrely, it was there ready for me to write on it... which I did before leaving!

I met some lovely fellow travellers at the hostel, including 4 friends from England... who oddly, had been to Rio carnvial and had a picture taken of them wearing the Black Cat head... with people wearing the Black Cat costume.. the one I was working on!! Of all the costumes during carnival, they came across the one I worked on!! Also met Fiona, from London, Ruit from Israel, Tom from Norfolk way and a couple of German lads.

The German guys, Ruit, Fiona and myself had a road trip to Punto Tumbo and the Gaiman on 10 March. Courtesy of the lads who hired a car for the trip. Punto Tumbo is home to a colony of penguins and the 2.5hours trip, of which 20km was on a dirt track was well worth it! Walking along side and besides the penguins. It was my first experience of windy Patagonia too... blimey it was a little rough.... though was told areas of south Patagonia are much worse!

Following our trip with the penguins, we ventured to Gaiman... to a town now famous for its Welsh Teas... with dozens of tea houses offering traditional welsh teas! Its a small town, and prior to arriving at the valley, again, we travelled along roads, along barren land, but the Gaiman offered a little greenery an some hills!

A short stop at the information centre to get a map and a little walk around town before stopping for tea at Plasycoed, where I met Ana, a fluent welsh speaker. I had been told to visit its Tea house, Breuddwyd, and we were not disappointed. A platter of treats were placed before us. Bread and jam, scones, a welsh cake, bara brith, swiss roll, along with many other creamy and jammy cakes - just for one person.... along with a large pot of tea... that was refilled a few times! Here, signage was bilingual... in Spanish and in Welsh! It was lovely to hear and get to speak welsh, and just see welsh things, even hearing Dafydd Iwan sing )on the CD!)

Apart from stopping for tea in Plasycoed, I also popped into the Ysgol Feithrin! I could swear I was in Wales, with welsh parafanalia adorning the building, the MyM logo, welsh book and cartoon characters on the wall, such as Sali Mali and Jac y Jwc. All the little children wore pretty pinafore derss type things, with the MyM logo and were green with red material. Hearing the staff and chilren speak and respond to welsh was very cute!

Having had a brief walk around the town, along the river bank, which is very picturesque and up the small hilll, to see the town and area from above, we then jumped in the car and headed to Bethel Chapel, a welsh chapel. It was closed, but managed a peak at the inside by taking a photo - at arms length as the windows were high. The we went to Ty Te Caerdydd... the teahouse mae famous by Lady Diana`s visit in 1995. The tea set she used has been kept safe and is displayed, along with the chair is sat on. Photos of her also adorn the wall as you enter the teahouse. The teahouse was in lovely grounds and can understand why she was taken there. It was a couple of minutes by car, so not in the actual town of Gaiman, but just on the outskirts.

A lovely day was had visiting both the pengiun colony and the tea rooms. I return to the hostel, only for others to tell me a `guy´was looking for me, but he had left a couple of hours earlier. No one knew who this man was, whilst I didnt expect to meet or see anyone..... So the next day I ask the staff and they explained a guy called Leighton had stopped there for the night prior to going to Esquel and he was from Wales. He had heard I was from there and came looking for me... but I missed him. Apparently he came from near me, a couple of streets from me.... but the hosts were a bit confused with my address, as I had only put Dinas Powys down... so he must be from a town near Dinas! Anyway, we have since emailed each other and he tells me his uncle lives in DP and looked after the hall! He on the otherhand is working abroad... hence his visit to Patagonia, as his submarine had been docked in Uruguay and he came down for a visit!! Small world!!

Next stop... the very south of Patagonia.... but not the énd of the world´.... as thats the town of Ushuaia and I decided not to go there, but head to El Calafate, which is south enough!! To the land of the glaciers!!