3 April, 2003

This morning I slept in because I had been very tired from traveling and no pressing engagements. I got ready for my day and ate breakfast in the hotel dining room. I was finishing up when one of the researchers from another hotel came in and asked if I would go with her to the Raytheon Warehouse to receive our issue clothing since we both had appointments at 11 AM. I was glad for the company and after we finished our business, we went shopping at many of the artisans in Punta Arenas. An artisan is a local artist. They usually create cultural and historical handicrafts. It is a good way to meet local people and learn about the history and culture of an area.

We ate lunch at many researchers' favorite restaurant, Sotito's. It was fabulous. It is a very pretty restaurant located right across from the dock. The entire group currently in port decided to go on a tour of the Penguinera. It is about an hour and one half from town into unspoiled Patagonia where rookeries of Magellan penguins live. Not only did I see penguins, fox, rabbit, and skunk, but also sheep and emu grazing in pastures.

Patagonia means "feet" named by Ferdinand Magellan of the tall nomadic shepherds who lived in the area during his time of exploration- trying to find an inland passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Patagonia includes the entire southern tip of the South American continent. It is a desolate area darkened from lava fields scattered with bunch grass giving it a leopard spot effect. There are active volcanoes in the area. The Andes Mountains, the longest, continuous mountain range on Earth, shaped Patagonia. There are 5 climate extremes in Patagonia, which are the classic dry plains, the Lake Districts, Andean highlands, the Pacific coast, and the rocky Tierro del Fuego.

We spent a restful and relaxing evening at the Remezon del Calvo restaurant

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1. We saw many different types and species of birds at the Penguinera.

2. These are emu. Emu are large birds related to ostrich. They are raised for their meat. Many farmers in Patagonia raise emu. Many farmers raise sheep and/or emu in Patagonia.

3. We saw quite a few fox while at the Penguinera.

4. See how the fox is camouflaged? This fox was difficult to track in the brush because it was so well colored. A fox is a carnivore so its camouflaged coloring helps it stalk and catch its prey without being noticed.

5. This is a look out into Patagonia. It is a barren land used for grazing emu and sheep. Many farmers live here.

6. This is a Magellan penguin. I was actually very close to this cute little guy. I did not use a zoom lens to take this picture.

7. This is believed to be a sheep skeleton. There are many sheep farmers in Patagonia that raise the sheep for their wool. The wool is sold to make yarn to knit warm sweaters in the cold climate there. We deducted that since there are sheep in the area and that fox prey upon sheep, this must have been a sheep that was killed for food by the fox.

8. This is the outside of Remezon, the restaurant we ate at. Some say it is the finest restaurant in Punta Arenas, Chile. I do not know, but it is the finest restaurant we went to. It is beautiful on the outside and the inside and the food was beautifully prepared.

9. Now here is a group of serious scientists having dinner together!

10. This soup was served in a shell.