Off the grid in (Si)Ibera - Nov 23-27

Another major attraction in Argentina’s North East in the Reserva Provincial Esteros Del Ibera – lets call that Ibera for short – a 13,000 sq km park that boasts some of the most diverse wildlife in South America.  350 species of birds, Capybara (the world’s largest rodent),  howler monkeys, deer, wolves, and the black caiman which I was most interested in seeing.

How to get to this isolated park proved to be a challenge.  Despite the extensive private bus system route knowledge only seemed to extend as far as the next town – maybe -.  Our choices seemed to be a 3-bus connection to the town of Carlos Pellegrini or a bus / 4x4 service that may or may not be running on the day we hoped.  Even the reliable Internet provided little help and admittedly our limited Spanish was not an asset – yet -.

We elected former and were somewhat impressed with both our ability to negotiate the numerous bus stations to make the connections. We elected a private vehicle for the final 120km, which was essentially driving across Manitoba on an unsealed farm road, complete with washouts from the previous days heavy rains. The private transport (all 7 of us stuff in a Ford Ranger 4x4) was part of a larger ‘all – inclusive’ park package hustled on us by an enthusiastic English speaking tourist information / tout. 

Arriving in the small town Carlos Pellegrini (pop 600) was stepping back in time.  Mud huts with thatched roofs interspersed between Posadas (small inns), and higher end Hosterias (full on resorts) yet all connected by dirt roads in an 8*8 block grids.  Roads running east / west won the road maintenance lottery while those North/South roads were essentially horse paths. 

Rush hour in C. Pellegrini

We welcomed the opportunity to stretch our legs after 16 hours of bus time and explored the town and park border.  After an ill-fated dinner we hit the sack in our slumping bed with a big day ahead. 

Visions of Nepal greeted us the next morning with a cold shower and a breakfast of café, stale white bread, and dulce – Someone please mail us some peanut butter! -.   Clearly we not hardened backpackers just yet!

We were here to see wildlife and our morning boat trip into the marsh accommodated that.  Within minutes we were staring at caiman, capybaras, and dozens of birds from an intimate distance.  Our (almost) English-speaking guide provided much insight into the ecosystem of the Esteros (marshland).

We were happy to not see what lied beneath the water.  Piranhas and Anacondas are reputed to inhabit the area. Keep your hands away from the agua!

Capybara - the world's largest rodent

Near the conclusion of the tour we quietly moved in to about 6 feet on this caiman. You could actually hear him breathing!  While looking quite docile our guide answered Dee’s question about aggression with ‘he’s a good guy’.  Almost on cue he lurched at the boat closing the distance to inches in the blink of an eye.

  The guide followed this with ‘Did I mention an American journalist was bit by a caiman here last week’, quickly producing a picture of a bloodied leg on his Blackberry (!).  In fairness to the caiman he was trying to catch it with his hands…  Apparently YouTube – Caiman, Ibera + CNN for details of the action…

Main trail?

An afternoon walking ‘safari’ – memories of 5 days lost in the Great Rift Valley on our honeymoon – gave an opportunity to watch three juvenile howler monkeys have a great play in trees under the watchful eye of their very large and mean looking father.  His growl filled the forest and we were mindful of his presence.

Juvenile Howler Monkeys at play

A horse-riding excursion with a real-life gaucho - do we sound like tourists yet? – along the borders of the marsh under a beautiful setting sun closed our day and provided additional bird-watching opportunities, something both of us surprisingly enjoyed.

We came across these four boys engrossed in game of futbol as the sun set to the West.  No shoes, no jerseys, and no net yet the joy in which they played was amazing.  Laughter, effort, and probably a little bit of trash talking was heartening to see.

We embraced the local food culture, forgoing attempted at healthy eating and embracing empanadas (meat filled pastry) and Sandwich Milanesas completo (steak, tomato, cheese, and egg).  It was a great day and well worth the time, effort, and discomfort experienced.    Tutto Letto (1^st class) back to Buenos Aires after a day in the gaucho town of Mercedes and getting caught up on writing and Spanish.  Hasta Luego!