Penguin steaks

Today was definitely more rewarding than the last. Instead of chasing travel agencies for our ticket out of Ushuaia we did a small excursion to see tons of penguins on this little island called Isla Martillo in Canal de Beagle. The day started with a ride in a minibus with some 15 other folks. It was quite cramped and cozy to say the least but at least it was an invitation to mingle and talk with your neighbor. For once the French outnumbered the Chinese by one. :) We met this French couple, Franck and Christelle (sorry if I´m butchering your name guys) who had some really kick ass photo equipment. Thanks again for cleaning my lens Franck!

Once we arrived to the docking area where our boat was waiting, we were whisked away to Isla Martillo to meet our little feathery friends. These things were so damn cute you couldn´t help but want to sneak one in your bag to bring back home. As it turns out the tour company that took us there is the only one allowed by law to bring people on the island. They can only shuttle 15 people at a time and 45 people max per day. As for us we were asked to keep a safe distance of 2 meters so as to not disturb them.

After spending close to 1.5 hours mingling with the little creatures we had lunch waiting at a restaurant near the docking area where we indulged in the local delicacy: meat, meat and more meat. Penguin meat was the best by far and we all agreed it tasted like chicken. But my personal favorite since we´ve been here is chimichurri. OMG this thing is to die for. It´s the local salsa. This thing is so delicious that I had the cook come out of the kitchen and explain how it´s made. He was so proud that he sneaked back in the kitchen and brought me back a bottle full of it. Now Liang is in charge to bring it back for me because I´m so afraid it´ll open in my bag. The deal is that I cook him a dinner when we return so we can use our special sauce.

The trip back was pretty uneventful otherwise. Just a long ride back with all of us nodding off. At least trying to since it wasn´t the most comfortable seats. Liang and Susan had no problems doing so. Those Chinese are build tough for sure.

One thing I miss since I left is a good cappuccino. So I had to drag Liang and Susan in a cafe to satisfy my withdrawal. They had the local drink instead called mate. It´s an infusion made of leaves of the yerba plant grown in Corrientes and Misiones. I´ll stick to coffee thank you very much. Ta ta for now.....