Our Tours Through the Lakes District--Argentina to Chile

For Becca's and my third and final day in Bariloche, we decided to take a tour that just about everyone recommended to us. It was a combination of three mini-hikes in the nearby national park, and the final hike was to the Black Glacier, which turned out to be exactly what its name implies. Our morning started with a quick stop after we entered the national park to poke around a lake, field and river. Becca and I took many photos with the brilliant blue water (remember that Crayola named cerulean? I have now seen that color in nature). The river was so clear that, standing on the bridge, I could look down and see trout in the water. Next, we spent about an hour hiking to a waterfall that had three different pools. We got to view the waterfall from three different viewpoints. It was really pretty, but I was suffering a major low bloodsugar when we arrived, which somewhat diminished my enjoyment of the sights. The hike itself was pretty, too. There were bursts of yellow wildflowers at many points along the trail, and we could see part of Mount Tronador, where the Black Glacier was located--well, the part that wasn't hidden by the clouds. Our guide, Diego, was great. He stopped us at many points along the way and provided helpful and interesting information about the area. It was obvious that he loved his job and really cared about protecting the environment he worked in. He was one of the best guides I have ever had assist me on a tour.

Mountain, trees and field.
Standing by the cerulean water.
A gorgeous waterfall.
After stopping for lunch (and eating the worst, gristly hamburger of my life), we went on our second mini-hike to another little waterfall. Along the way, we got to traverse a labyrinth of lush, green bamboo, which apparently during winter forms a tunnel under the snow. Diego informed us that a big joke was to move the bamboo over your friend's head so all the snow would fall down on him. This sounded like something I wanted to try on Becca, but alas, it was summer. It was interesting to find bamboo in South America, but apparently it is a native species. The waterfall was cute but not overwhelmingly amazing. I could see how it had potential during the spring thaw. We also got to view a river of snowmelt, with crystal clear waters, mingling with a river of glacier melt, which is milky in color. The two rivers were very distinct when they first met, until the blended together farther along.

Becca treks through the Green Labyrinth of bamboo.
Hanging out with a waterfall.
Crossing a bridge that could only hold three at a time.
Finally, the best part of the day: the Black Glacier. The hike to it was very brief and pretty, and provided a view of the valley below. The Black Glacier itself was awesome. It looked like pure evil. We kept joking about being on Mordor. Apparently, the glacier grinds through the earth such that the earth comes up over the top of it, turning it black in color. Another source of the blackness was landslides. Diego performed a mini-demonstration by throwing a small chunk of glacial ice into the dirt and showing us how it turned black. The best part of our time at the glacier was (aside from a Lord-of-the-Rings-tribute photoshoot) was simply sitting and staring at the glacier. We could see up the mountain to the parts of the glacier that weren't black yet. Also, the mountain got its name, Mount Tronador, or "Thunderer," because huge blocks of ice crash off the sides of the mountain, creating the sound of thunder. We were able to witness this event several times. The long busride back to Bariloche gave us time to relax, and after another dinner of pasta and beer, we tucked ourselves into bed.

Our guide Diego explains something about the glacier.
Becca and me at the Black Glacier.
Close-up contrast of joy and evil!

The next day, we got up early to start our "Seven Lakes" cruise across the Andes into Chile! The title was a bit of a misnomer, since we only crossed three lakes, but it was a beautiful day. After our first, early morning ride across the lake next to Bariloche, we spent about an hour on the beach. I chased a butterfly with my camera, and Becca sat on a log and enjoyed the peacefulness of the Andes. Then, after a brief busride, we boarded the second catamaran and cruised for 20 minutes on a lake of glacial milk, encountering Mount Tronador as we creeped toward the shore. After exiting out of Argentina, we hopped out next bus and crossed into Chile! We got another view of the mountain from the Chilean side.

How can I explain my excitement at returning to Chile after a month away? We stopped at the border to horse around and take pictures, and at one moment, I kind of teared up. It really did feel like a homecoming. I knew I had missed Chile, but the extent of my yearning wasn't quite clear until I was back in. It was such a relief to know I was going back to a place where I knew how things worked, where I had connections and people that I loved and loved me. After this experience, I can't imagine the emotions I will have when I return to the US.

We stopped in the tiny town of Peulla, went through customs, ate lunch at one of the two hotels that made up the entirety of Peulla, and then layed under a tree until it was time to depart. Our final, nearly two-hour boat ride, was a bit frustrating. We passed two volcanos, including Volcan Osorno, a beautiful, snow-capped, perfectly formed crater. However, it was really hazy and we could barely see the volcano. Also, the inside of the boat was too hot, but staying outside was a bit of a hassle in the wind. Becca and I were both ready to arrive in Puerto Varas and relax, so we were kind of over it.

Exploring the beach.
Contemplating the surrounds from our catamaran.
Mount Tronodor as we creep up to it in our boat.
Becca with Mount Tronodor, as seen from the Chilean side of the mountains--she's pointing it out in case you don't know what you should be looking at!
The end of the line--we disembark in Chile!
Once in Puerto Varas, we settled into a really cute and comfortable hostel. After a quick dinner, again, we went straight to bed. Our busy vacation together was coming to an end, and we were exhausted.

Moving on in Bariloche

After spending several days basking in the sun of the desert, it was quite a shock to our systems to roll off the bus in Bariloche at 6 am and be met with chilly gusts of wind and ominous clouds. During the six hour bus ride, the landscape had changed drastically, and we were now surrounded (from what we could see through the clouds) by green-blue mountains, a wintery lake, and emerald forests. We hurried to our hostel, and Becca rested while I ran some errands. In the afternoon, we did our best to fight through our exhaustion and see the sights of Bariloche. Bariloche is a cute city on the shores of a huge lake, and it has a lot of European influences. More than one person has said it reminds them of Switzerland. The Plaza de Armas is all stone and log buildings. We went to a museum that had all sorts of displays on local flora and fauna, and detailed the history of the region. It was interesting, but we were tired, so we took a nap, then ate dinner and basically went to bed, because we had planned to do some hiking the next day.

Bariloche on a blustery day.

Becca found a pal!
We spent our second day in Bariloche out in the hills. Thanks to the detailed advice of a girl at our hostel, we decided to take on two hikes. The first, up Cerro Campanaria, was only a 40-minute hike, but it was steep and dusty. However, the views from the top made the struggle worth it. Once we reached the top, we relaxed for awhile and simply enjoyed the magnificent scenery. We were able to see the Andes and lakes that surrounded us, as well as the city of Bariloche. Coming down was a pain in the ass, however, as the dusty trails provided no traction. At one point, I totally ate it and rolled down the hill in a cloud of dust, following my water bottle. I still have an owie on my knee.

The veiw from halfway up.
We are almost to the top!

The views from Cerro Companaria are spectacular!

The second hike was much easier. We hiked for about 3 kilometers through a bamboo forest out to a little cove on the lake, where we found a secluded rock to soak up some rays and enjoy the sounds of the lake crashing on the shore. I also enjoyed a package of Mana cookies, my new favorite treat! After enjoying as much of the beach as possible, we retreated back to Bariloche, exhausted and pleased with ourselves.

Becca hiking through a bamboo forest.
We finally made it to the beach!
The view from our sunbathing rock.
As you can see, Bariloche and its surrounding areas are beautiful. Again, in many ways, it reminded me of the Pacific Northwest, except that the mountains of Patagonia are so distinct. I am inspired to do more hiking when I return to Washington.

The Real Jurassic Park

Our adventure started in the hot, dry city of Neuquen, an industrial hub in the center of Argentina. We stayed at the Residential Ingles, which cannot be faulted for false advertising because the ancient woman who checked us in peppered her explanations of the house rules with random English words and, unbelievably, sound effects. We spent almost the entire day straightening things out for our visit to the Paleontology Center, which was highly complicated by the distance of necessary destinations, the heat, untimely low bloodsugars, the failure of tour companies to accept debit cards, and the limit placed by banks on how much cash one can remove in 24 hours. Finally, we finished our errands, and we even had time that day to indulge in ice cream, pizza and beer.

Early the next morning, we spent one and a half hours shuttling through the desert to the shores of a giant man-made lake. The Proyecto Dino site was a collection of trailers and aluminum buildings on the beautiful red-orange sands at the edge of the lake. We took breakfast with an overwhelmingly large group of Australian high school girls and a collection of their teachers and guardians. Jorge, the director of the center, greeted us enthusiastically and invited us to walk with him and the Australians on a nearby beach to look for dinosaur bones. I was sort of surprised that upon arrival we would be immediately taken out the "field." After a brief explanation of what we were looking for (which to me made very little sense), Jorge turned us loose. I found a pile of suspect looking material on a rock, and Becca immediately crushed my hopes and dreams by informing me it was just a pile of petrified wood. She claimed a small piece to trick her friends with back home. After some more looking, Becca and I were starting to feel bad about ourselves because the Australians kept finding bones and our searching had yet to produce results. One of the Australian women explained to us that if you think you found a bone, to put it on your tongue or the inside of your bottom lip. If it sticks, it is a bone. I demanded the bone in Becca's pocket, and proved that my pile of petrified wood was in fact a dinosaur bone! We were really excited by this news, and pretty soon we were discovering all kinds of bones and running up to Jorge for validation, as if we were kindergarteners with watercolors. But, as Becca so aptly said, "I don't feel like it's a bone unless Jorge says it is!" I was extremely depressed by the fact that the man-made lake, created 30 years ago, had covered the vast valley of dinosaur fossils. The bones we were finding were merely scraps that had been unearthed and destroyed by the water. What a devastating realization. We were also extremely jealous when one of the Australian girls found a small black dinosaur tooth simply sitting on top of a rock.

Looking for bones on the beach in my awesome new Paleontology hat!

Taking a break on the beach.
Becca on the beach with a piece of dinosaur bone.

After our morning on the beach, we were given a tour of the site and museum, which was fascinating and informative. Our guide explained the geological make-up of the region, as well as the process of how fossils are made, which I will let you wikipedia if you care to know because I am a little fuzzy on the details by now. We also got to view a bunch of petrified trees, which was pretty cool. There was a petrified piece of Arucaria (Monkey Puzzle) tree, and I was fascinated to learn those existed 100 million years ago. There was also a tree that was in the process of fossilization. The outside had fossilized, but the inside was still wooden. I couldn't believe I was looking at actual wood that was between 40 and 50 million years old! We learned about the important discoveries made in the area, and found that in 2000 (I believe) someone had found a piece of bone on their property and informed the nearby university, who brought in Jorge. Jorge began excavating and made one of the most important discoveries in paleontology history. He uncovered a skeleton of a herbiverous dinosaur that was 70% complete--the most complete skeleton in the world! A normal skeleton in good condition is usually about 35% complete. We found out that Jorge, who had been skipping around the beach with us all morning, is actually more than the director of the center--he is a world-famous paleontologist! Other paleontologists visit the center just to meet him. I was elated; not only were we touching dinosaur bones and learning about one of the most mysterious and fascinating professions on the planet, but we were doing so with a world-famous expert! His skeleton contains the biggest dinosaur pelvis ever found. I have forgotten what kind of dinosaur it is, because who really pays attention to those names excpet people like Jorge, but I have it in some literature somewhere. We also learned that all of the finds in the area are from the Cretaceous Period, about 100 million years ago. We visited the excavation site where Jorge discovered the famous skeleton, which is an ongoing excavation project. Apparently, there are eight other skeletons in the area awaiting excavation. We also got to hold fossilized eggs and see some fascinating skeletons that had also been uncovered in the area--tortoises, pterodactyls (spelling? yikes!), the first flying dinosaurs, the first dinosaurs with wings who could not fly, and a crazy looking pelican beak with razor sharp teeth. We also got to witness our guide kill the most ferocious spider I have ever seen.

Becca with Jorge's famous dinosaur pelvis.

After lunch, we went back to the excavation pit and actually got to get in the dirt and dig! Becca and I were increasingly stunned with how interactive our experience was. I was floored by how accessible Jorge was. Someone in his position in the US would probably be confined to some sort of lecture tour or locked away in some sort of university, and I could maybe ask him a question in an auditorium. Instead, Becca and I spent practically the whole afternoon with him in the pit, and I had the opportunity to ask him all of my questions about the field of paleontology, which were numerous. I asked him what his favorite dinosaur was, and obviously it was Mr. 70%. On the tour earlier that day, we had learned that herbiverous dinosaurs used their tails as whips to fend off attacks, and that carnivores tried to attack the tails first to prevent being wiped out. I asked Jorge how paleontolgoists learn such specific information from such incomplete skeletons, and he gave me a very interesting answer. He said that there are paleontologists that study dinosaur behavior, especially in places like the US where they have more time, funding and resources, and that they look at other information like footprints, the diversity of species, flora, and clues in the geological makeup of the time. However, at his site, because there were so many skeletons, their main concern was identifying the skeletons. He also explained to me how they could identify new species when sometimes they were only discovering 10% complete skeletons, and he said that for that reason identification is difficult and mistakes are often made. He said that dinosaurs that seem to be the same (like long-necked dinosaurs, for example) often have very specific differences in their skeletons. Their pelvises may be wildly different sizes, for example. It still seems tiresome and complicated to me, but endlessly fascinating at the same time. I think Becca and I both felt enraptured for the entire two days of our stay at the center.I also got to ask Jorge about his goals and dreams for the center. He said he spends a lot of time writing grants to fund excavations, but not for improving the center. His goal is to construct a new, more sturdy museum, because they have so much to display. It would only cost about $6 million, which is like nothing to people from the US. I hope to be in the position one day to be able to donate something to the center. As an adult out of school, I rarely get to participate in a project so intriguing, enjoyable and educational. The center also seems like a great place to go with kids.

The digging in the pit was the best part, I think. Especially because I got a mallet and an iron stake and got to blast through layers of rock. The first layers were reddish and we had to remove this layer to get down to where the fossils might be. Rebecca discovered several plant fossils, which are extremely delicate and difficult to preserve, as evidenced by the fact that hers fell apart almost instantly. Becca kept thinking she had found bone, because she uncovered many rocks that were yellowish in color, and Jorge teased her that she was finding dinosaur pebbles, rocks that had at one time been bones but were now unrecognizable. I was blasting away, quite contentedly, when all of a sudden a suspect piece of bone flew out. Jorge confirmed that it was bone, so I started to chip away more carefully and something interesting began to take shape--I had found something! Unfortunately, it was wildly delicate, cracked in several places (including the places I had blasted apart with my equipment). I carefully dug around the bone, and Jorge applied super glue (a surprisingly central tool in paleontology!) to the cracks, but any time I worked directly on the bone, it threatened to come apart. Afraid of doing more damage, I decided to dig to the right of my find. After not much longer, I saw a shiny, tan piece of something in the grey stone. I pulled it out and shouted at Jorge, "Jorge! Is this a dinosaur tooth?" "Let me see," he replied, and as I passed it to him, the damn thing crumbled into like five pieces. Let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've had a world-famous paleontologist roll his eyes at you because you have broken one of his dinosaur fossils! He then came over to where I was digging, painstakingly collected the many pieces of my tooth, and glued them back together. In the commotion, he also uncovered another tooth that I had unwittingly blasted through and then he began to poke around the loosened stone and found another tooth. "Something unusual is happening here," he said. The teeth were all carnivore teeth, probably raptors, he told me! They were from three different species! "I want more!" Jorge demanded, and we dug until 7, but the magic was done for the day. Later, Jorge let me look at the teeth under a microscope. They had fine, cerrated edges and were shiny and beautiful. That experience, I think, will forever remain one of the highlights of my life.

World-famous paleontologist Jorge Calvo instructs me on how to dig.

I found something! (It's that yellowish spot in the rock.)
The excavation pit.
The raptor teeth. The one in the middle is my specific finding.
After dinner, I found I was addicted to digging, so I returned to the pit while Becca rested a bit. I spent about an hour digging with this darling girl named Silbana, an employee of Proyecto Dino. At first, she was nervous to go with me, but Jorge told her that I speak Spanish and that she would be fine. We had a hell of a good time, giggling and talking in the pit. Since we failed to make any new interesting discoveries, we had a lot of time to chat. Silbana had a lot of questions about my life and the US, and I got to learn about her life and some of the Argentine norms that had escaped me since I was traveling so quickly and not really making much genuine contact with Argentinos. Silbana was very warm and open and made good decisions (in that way reminding me of myself when I was her age). Becca joined us and then I really enjoyed myself translating back and forth. Romeo, the on-site cat, also joined us. After we got tired of finding nothing (and our backs told us it was time to quit), we took a walk along the beach to watch the sunset. Romeo followed us there, too, until I took pity on him and picked him up. It looked like the volcanic rock was hard on his paws.

Silbana, Romeo and me digging in the excavation pit.
The Paleontology Center (and Becca's shadow).
Sunset on the beach.
The goofy cat who accompanied us on our walk.
The golden sunset as seen from the center.
The next day Becca and I weren't quite sure what to expect, since it seemed like we had already done just about everything there was to do on the site. However, Jorge took a group of us on a small hike on the hills behind the center. He was very intent, always looking at the ground to see if he could see and signs of skeletons. Jorge filled us in on the geological history of the area, and showed us the extinct volcano that last errupted 100,000 years ago. We looked at the lines in the cliffs made by the different layers of dirt and he explained the geological implications of those layers to his research. He talked about wanting to compare the flora and fauna on the top of the hill with what he was finding down in the excavation pit. Becca and I were on point and started the day with an energetic photo shoot. That's one of the great things about having Becca around. She always has crazy ideas for random photo ops, and we always end up being really silly and giggly together. It was nice to have the security of my best friend with me, so that I could just let go and be strange. Those are some of my favorite moments with Becca--I love her and she always makes things more fun and interesting! The surrounding countryside was phenomenal and provided an excellent backdrop for our inspired poses.

Becca and me with "the mushroom."

The Paleontology Center as seen from our hike.
Tough girls on top of the mountain--it kind of looks like we are on the beach but we're not.

After our hike, we went to the lab and made replicas of some dinosaur teeth and claws to take home. After another huge lunch, we walked back to the pit to see how things were coming and found that my bone had been extracted and appeared to be a part of a rib! It was unclear what dinosaur it came from...but I found a dinosaur rib!

After lunch, we spent the afternoon involved in a very intricate and delicate project. We participated in "preparing" a fossil. Most fossils are too delicate to remove straight from the ground, so you have to cut around the rock that contains the fossil and cover it in plaster to protect the bone. The bones are then moved to another tented area where the plaster is removed and the rock can be more carefully chipped away. When we arrived under the tent, there was a huge pile of fossils waiting to be processed. Jorge found one for us to work on together (unfortunately, all the processing photos are on my camera in Chillan!), and man, was it a tedious project! I was feeling a little bit nervous about breaking yet another fossil, so I made Becca do the hard parts. Her primary tools were super glue and a push pin! She used the push pin to carefully scrape away the rock, and when the rock got really hard, she could only lightly tap the push pin with another small tool or the entire bone would crumble. We made very little progress, and I could finally appreciate what a painstaking process paleontology is. The shape of the bone gradually emerged, and Jorge suggested it was a dinosaur pubis. At one point, a piece of rock came off and part of the fossil underneath essentially turned to dust. Jorge assisted us--or rather, we assisted him--in repairing the damage because he needed to retain the shape of the bone. He called for "glue" and the "thumb tack" and, realizing he sounded like a medical doctor in surgery, began to horse around. He pronounced the dinosaur dead at 4 pm and said it was a tough case and he didn't know if he was going to make it but we would have to do our best to see if he could pull through. Again, I was struck by what a unique experience we were having, and wholly impressed that Jorge had such a great personality. I'm not gonna lie, I fell in love with him a little bit. He was so accessible and attentive, always coming up to us with ideas for new projects and seeing what we wanted to do. Becca and I were both impressed with the wide variety of activities we participated in during our short stay at the center. I have always been fascinated by dinosaurs, but never did I think I would actually be able to touch real fossils, excavate and prepare them. Ever since I was Dr. Elle Satler for Halloween in 5th grade, my secret dream was to become a paleontologist. This is probably the closest I will ever get, and you know, it was pretty damn satisfying!

Making molds if dinosaur teeth to show our friends. Me with my discovery (after a more skilled worker extracted it from the ground).

The sparkling bay next to the excavation site where Becca and I walked after our afternoon of processing.
It was really, really hard to leave that place. I hope to be able to go back someday with my brother, and anyone else who can come!

Buenos Aires, Part II: Every City is Better with a Friend

When I arrived in BA for the second time, I felt much more confident that I knew how the city functioned. I raced off to check into the hostel, then hopped a bus to the airport. My feelings of confidence shattered, however, when I realized I could only pay with coins on the bus. BA has a consistent problem of never having any change. People don't like to part with their change, and people in shops and restaurants will beg you to give them exact change and express exasperation if you don't have the right bills or coins. I was already on the bus, feeling (again) like a moron, when a kind young girl interveined and popped some change into the ticket machine for me. I was so grateful! Then, two stops later, I heard a man outside the bus ask the bus driver if he was going to the airport, and the driver replied in the negative. Panicked, I jumped off the bus and practically into the arms of the old man who had asked the question. After some discussion, I discovered that the 28 that has a red sign goes to the airport, while the 28 with a black sign does not. The old man ended up being named Ruben, and we rode together with another couple and chatted the whole way. The couple, by the way, were the most darling couple I have ever met. The woman had just gotten pregnant and her husband was so excited, they were both constantly smiling. I think the universe is conspiring to make me want a boyfriend! Ruben accompanied me all the way to the airport, and seemed reluctant to leave, so he stuck around and met Becca, then tried to make plans to meet up with us. I explained that we would only be in BA for two and a half days, but he seemed so excited that he had befriended a gringa, it was difficult to let him down. We finally parted with the tipcal besito to the cheek.

How do I express my joy at seeing my best friend of over 12 years in the Buenos Aires airport? It is nearly impossible, but as I hugged her bony body to my not-so-bony one, I just knew the next two weeks were going to be amazing. We went to the hostel and got settled, giggling and chatting the whole way. Then, we got some food, and I took her to all the sites of the city, including Av. de Julio, Plaza de Mayo, Plaza San Martín, and the Plaza del Congreso. We walked all over the city, and capped off the evening with a bottle of Argentine Malbec. Exhaustion creeped up on us quickly, so we went to bed early in preparation for the busy Sunday we had planned.

Becca arrives and promptly explodes in our hostel.

Relaxing after our hectic arrival with some beer at an outdoor cafe.

Best pals on Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest street in BA--14 lanes at its widest!
The Casa Rosada as seen from the Plaza de Mayo.
Another of BA's cool old buildings.
Me with part of the Statue of San Martín, who I have been informed is the Argentine George Washington.
I was really excited about this movie poster because it features two of my favorite Mexicans, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal! Here I am posing like Diego.
The Plaza del Congreso as the sun starts to set.

Sunday dawned and Becca and I headed over to experience the chaos of the weekly antiques fair in San Telmo. We had a lot of fun scanning the booths for amazing finds, and I especially enjoyed looking at the antique jewelry. Some of it is so weird! Afterwards, we were a little overwhelmed and lounged outside a cafe drinking cold beverages and sharing a salad before heading to La Boca, BA's famously colorful working-class district. As the story goes, La Boca was initially a neighborhood filled with dockworkers, and they brought home the extra paint from repairing the ships and painted their houses. Now, it is a cute, if highly touristy, little area. There are plenty of outdoor cafes that put on tango shows. Becca and I camped out at one and burned through a couple of forties of my new favorite beer, aptly called "Patagonia." It was a spectacular amber! I could have sat there drinking it all day! Instead, we took the bus to the Puerto Madero district and wandered along the riverside. We feasted, as you must in BA, on steaks and Malbec for dinner. We were rewarded by our waiter with a free glass of champagne, which inspired us to find this bar Becca's friend had recommended. Pretty soon, we were giggling and making a scene in the late-night streets of Buenos Aires.

Becca drinking iced coffee in San Telmo. You can see part of the antiques market over her shoulder.

El Caminito in La Boca. Some sort of traditional dancing--the pictures of the tango dancers are in Chillan. What a shame!
Creepy balcony in La Boca.

Cheers with strawberry champagne drinks! I love my little girl!

Our third day in BA was a little rough,as we paid dearly for the night before with a pair of hangovers. So, we tried to sleep it opff in a the nearby plaza, and then after a bite to eat we felt up to a bus ride out to the Palermo neighborhood. We wandered around the botanical garden, where I chased the cats that live there trying to get one to pretend to be my pet. Our stomachs drove us to the center of Palermo, where I was irritated to discover that no one was serving lunch and it was too early to order dinner. Defeated, we took a cab back to our neighborhood and ate heaping helpings of pasta and salad before boarding an 8 pm, 15-hour bus to Neuquen.

Sleeping off my hangover in the Plaza del Congreso.

The Botanical Garden.
This park was filled with cats, which I spent the afternoon trying to pet.
Becca and a pond.
As fun as BA was, I have to admit that it was in Neuquen that our real adventure began!