Do you remember when...

These are the first lines of one of my favorite songs. The song reminds me of so many things...an awesome road trip to Cal with Kimmer, the incredible fall of 2003, singing...and lots of other fun things. Before going to Puerto Pírimides I purchased two disposable cameras with 27 photos each. As I clicked away I couldn't help but remember the days of 35mm film and how I either agonized over whether a shot was ¨worth it¨, or I snapped away and then agonized when I had to print 250 photos of the Washington, DC zoo. Now, with the convenience of digital I snap away endlessly, download them to my computer, share them with friends and family, but rarely print them. Anyway, with only 54 shots to work with I was back in photo conservation mode. It was actually fun because I really looked around, I waited for what I hoped would be a good pic, and mostly I tried to be satisfied with memories instead of a zillion photos. Plus, everyone gasps at the sight of a disposable camera and eventually someone asks why I don't have a digital. This is a great segway to the ¨maybe you could email me some of your pics¨conversation :) Anyway, there were many moments I wished I could click away, but I am also exited to print these pics and see what I`ve got. I will eventually get another digital, but for now things are good. I even have two pics left for tomorrow!

My two days in Peninsula Valdéz/Puerto Pírimides were great, but different than I expected. The peninsula is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and world famous for the Southern Right Whale, Magellan Penguins and numerous other types of wildlife. Have you ever seen a penguin, a sea lion and a sheep all on the same beach? Today, I did. Awesome, but weird. I had hoped to kayak, trek and maybe snorkel, but none of these worked out. The weather was terrible yesterday and the wind kept most of the boats in the harbor. I went on a boat to see the whales (so huge, so beautiful), but after only 50 minutes we had to come in because of the weather. Snorkeling and kayaking were canceled for the same reasons. I ended up hiking up to an overlook yesterday afternoon and it was fantastic. I was a long ways away, but from the hillside I was able to sit and watch the sea for several hours. I saw all kinds of beautiful birds, clouds and WHALES. It was really windy so sometimes I may have confused a wave with the top of a whale, but in my mind they were all whales. Eventually a park ranger spotted me and came to ask if everything was ok. He was very nice and even lent me his binoculars. THEN, I truly saw the whales. I saw them spout water high into the air, I saw spyhopping, and then I even saw a few jump into the air! So incredible. It's hard to imagine the amount of power it takes to propel such an immense animal into the air like that. Holy moley. Eventually made it back to my hostel for a nap, dinner and bed. Woke up early today and walked to the beach to watch the sea again. I am so inspired by the ocean. It blows my mind every time I see or hear it. The power of the ocean, the number of creatures that live within in, the unpredictability. It all blows me away. Later I ran into one of the guides from the whale watching boat and he invited me for a maté with his family. Maté is a kind of tea that every Argentinian drinks all day long. It's sipped out of a gourd through a shared metal straw. Might be a bit unsanitary, but it's an honor to be invited. After maté I made my way onto the bus for a tour of the peninsula. A long drive, but was able to see llamas, ostrich, sea lions, penguins, elephant seas and an armadillo. Also, tons and tons of sheep. It's so interesting how many animals live together on the peninsula without bothering each other. I would have preferred to tour in a private car, but without a few friends, renting is much too expensive. I'm glad I went, but if I return I may do things a bit differently.

I'm currently at a quaint but clean hostel back in Puerto Madryn. Tomorrow I go to Bs As for my final night before heading to Lima. The photos I posted on my blog are courtesy of Anmol's old iphone. While I originally thought the iphone was a cool but overrated device, I have to admit that it has been awesome in Argentina. Many places have wifi and with the iphone I can connect without a computer. Also, my friend at school unlocked it so I was able to use it as a regular phone here. Finally, with the loss of my camera I used the iphone camera to catch some pics and then realized I could email them to my blog. SO COOL. Way to go apple!

This week has passed so quickly and I am so thankful for the experience and the incredible people I have met along the way. I don't feel ready to leave Argentina, but I cannot wait to see Peru.