Tamango Reserve

Today Rafael and I are going to Tamango Reserve to see if we can spot huemules, pronounced weˈmuls - "The south Andean deer , is an endangered species of deer native to the mountains of Argentina and Chile". The website says, "This is the only place where visitors may watch a population of huemules from a close distance". This sounds promising. We walked round to the cycle place and it was open but the woman there said cos the owner wasn't there she couldn't rent us bikes. And obviously she couldn't call him cos that would be too easy. We had decided yesterday we would walk if no bikes as it was only about 4 miles away. It was drizzling and cold and I wondered if I could even be bothered. But what else was I going to do? There isn't a bus to Tortel until tomorrow and I'm not hitch hiking alone, which would be the only other way!

So off we went. I have found that when I'm with someone else I'm just letting them take over and not really thinking about where I'm going at all. So I'm just following him really and he only has a vague idea after directions from a couple of locals. Just 5 mins in, we see a dog carrying in it's mouth (where else would he be carrying it) wait for it, a cows leg! As you do. I managed to get a pic but I don't think you can see the hoof! Lol! An hour of up hill later and we reach a gate. No obvious sign saying we are at the reserve but it's some kind of enclosure so we look around for the huemules, expecting them to be right there, on the other side of the fence. But nothing. We walk on some more, following the tracks of the rangers truck that passed us when we started. Another hour later and the rangers truck approaches us from the front. Rafael and they chat away while I stand there nodding and smiling. We're told we're going the right way and given a map. This place is HUGE! Unless there's some kind of feeding going on, there's no way we're going to see them! The rain has stopped but it's still cold. This is great exercise but nothing else really. And then all at once we get to the top of an incline, see the most beautiful views and the sun appears! From then on the whole day has changed. I've forgotten about the deer now and am enjoying the walk and scenery. Why does the sun make so much difference?

So 5 hours of walking and I'm exhausted. No huemules spotted but thoroughly enjoyable 2nd half! I have a blister on my heel. We get back to the hostel and sit in the sunshine with a well deserved beer! All I can say id I'm glad we didn't have bikes. Must have been fate.

Rafael has pretty much told me I have no right to be traveling here if I don't speak the language. It came after I asked him (probably too many times) to tell me what he, and whoever else, was saying as they were talking in Spanish right in front of me and I felt completely left out. I guess he has a point but I think, Rafael, that the tour agency you're trying to set up will fail miserably if you have that attitude. What are you gonna do, just speak Spanish to all the tourists and tough cookies if they don't understand? It's their fault for not being fluent prior to their holiday???? Eejit!

Parrots!!

I wandered out alone to get away from Rafael and a whole lot of birds flew across me and into a nearby tree. I looked and they were PARROTS!!! What an amazing wonderful unexpected sight!