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October 16, 2007
Day 9: Tigre Delta
When I read things like this, I knew I wanted to go to the Parana River Delta. The problem was finding the right tour--the only tours I could find involved rides on catamarans that looked pretty touristy. I wanted a boat ride where I would potentially see capybaras and lots of birds. Fortunately, about a week before we left I found a recommended guide on one of the travel message boards and scheduled a private tour. As soon as we made our way down the delta, we were enchanted--it was unlike anything we'd ever seen. The first part of the delta is filled with vacation houses and the homes of people who live along the delta, and the river itself was filled with rowboats, kayaks, and other recreational boats. The second part of the delta is a lot less populated and more natural and, while we didn't see any capybaras or exotic birds, it was very peaceful and enjoyable. Riding in the boat itself (a small motor boat) was quite an experience--when we sped along the wider channels and areas where several rivers met, particularly when we passed larger motor boats, we bounced up and down (I wondered at times if I should be wearing a lifejacket) and, at one point, Adam even fell out of his seat. It was really fun though.
Our guide, who spoke English with a very Italian accent, shared information about the delta along the way and stories about previous passengers. He said he once had a woman from Spain who was dressed very poshly when he pointed out an eagle overhead. The eagle managed to catch a small bird and had ripped out its heart which landed, still beating, on the boat next to the woman. He said the woman didn't say a word the rest of the trip. Another time he was asked by three German backpackers who didn't have much money how they could explore the delta and he recommended they take a public bus. They asked to be let out in a spot that was in the middle of nowhere and ended up getting stranded. He happened to be taking a group out that day when he saw the girls waving their arms at him from a distance. He drove his boat to where they were and since he didn't have room on his boat, he left them his cell phone and repellent and told them to call him if they managed to get a ride with someone else, otherwise he would return in a few hours to pick them up. They hadn't called by the time he returned into town so he went back to retrieve them. When he found them, they were crying and didn't stop crying the entire boat ride back.
Towards the end of the ride, Fernando asked if we were interested in seeing his vacation home. We had seen so many vacation homes along the delta, I was curious to see one close up so I said yes. As we docked, we heard goats bleating and Fernando explained that he had recently bought two baby goats. We walked over to see the goats and Fernando said he would go get his baby otter. I couldn't believe he had a baby otter but he brought it over and explained that his dog had come home with it one night and they had taken to each other like parent and baby ever since. Adam and I actually got to hold and pet a baby otter. We couldn't believe it. Fernando then invited us to his porch to share a bottle of wine. The whole experience was amazing--it was one of those days I wished would never end.
Tigre Delta
Fiona, the otter
Fernando's porch
View from Fernando's porch
Posted by Jennifer at October 16, 2007 09:19 PM
Comments
Dear Jennifer,
We must have given you and Adam some excellent instructions, for your Salta trip somewhat mirrored ours. Wasn't it fun and beautiful. You have some wonderful descriptions here. There is one photo that just shows red rock, with the strata angled diagonally. Was this a huge cave half way along the road from Salta to Cafayate? We met an old man called Antonio there, who was selling polished rose of the desert, and in the cave we saw a Red-tailed comet hummingbird, which for a hummingbird was huge. We also tasted wine near Cafayate, and the whites were excellent. I have to disagree about Cachi, which we thought was wonderful. I did not want to leave. Did you drive the whole circuit? Much is gravel. And we also went to the salt flats. Franci loved it there, lying in the sun and complete, utter silence.
Posted by: Terence Baker at October 25, 2007 11:47 AM
Yup, the photo that shows red rock close up is a cave halfway between Salta to Cafayate (our guide told us the name but I forgot it, unfortunately). There were a lot of unpaved roads. It's too bad you didn't make it to Tigre Delta--I think you would have really enjoyed it!
Posted by: Jennifer at October 25, 2007 07:33 PM