The Schwabs Go South: November 2011

About this blog . . . .

In the introduction to his book, PATAGONIA - At the Bottom of the World, Dick Lutz wrote: "Patagonia is a region, not a country. It spans the southern third of Chile and Argentina, stretching between the Pacific and the Atlantic roughly from Puerto Montt, Chile and Peninsula Valdes, Argentina south [until] it meets the famous waterways of the Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, and Drake Passage (or Drake Strait). The northern limit of Patagonia is ill-defined, while the border between Chile and Argentina divides the region." Patagonia is sparsely populated, so much so that in 1991 the Hudson volcano erupted and no human was injured, even though this eruption was larger than that of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.

Ivan and I have been eyeing this area for a visit for quite some time. The possibility is great that we will see penguins, guanacos, Steamer Ducks (Flightless as well as Flying!), as well as many dozens of other remarkable animals and birds, to say nothing of the insects, reptiles, mountains. I'd better stop here. Writing these blogs has been a source of much pleasure for me, so if you follow us on our trip, my hope is that you will learn something about this unusual place, and will have a bit of fun reading of our adventures and, in some cases, misadventures!

REMEMBER TO READ FROM THE BOTTOM UP! The latest post will be at the top of the page, with earlier posts below it.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Getting ready

Ivan and I have our binoculars, we have the bird book, Birds of Chile, we have our passports and our tickets and we're soon to start actually packing. We fly from Sacramento to Houston to Panama City to Santiago, Chile. Yes, we will be confused and turned around, but we're hopeful that that won't last too long! I will try my darndest to post something, including photos, each day, but I have no idea how accessible the internet is in the far southern reaches of South America. I appreciate your interest in reading this blog. Feel free to leave comments on the posts and, if you have a question, I'll try to answer it.