Although I’ll be spending most of my year in Chilean Patagonia, I’m kicking things off with ten days in the Ibera wetlands in Corrientes, Argentina. Doug and Kris have several conservation and farming projects up here, and are in the midst of wrapping things up here before heading southwest for the summer. I’m tagging along, and seeing a whole lot along the way.
Longer update to come, but for now, the highlight of my time here: flying around over this immense—and surprisingly beautiful—swamp in Doug’s Husky. The plane is almost laughably tiny: one person fits right behind the pilot, and you have to crawl in and out. But because of its size, it can fly super slow and slow, so you can get a great view. As we were hopping around between various projects (flying is the best way to get around in this half-water, half-land place), I spotted all sorts of birds and animals. Although I’ve always been a bit skeptical of birders—and get particularly impatient when the binocs come out—I can’t help but be delighted at the abundance and diversity of the wildlife here. Most of all, though, flying all over, looping back to take another photo of something interesting, with the windows open: my first few days in Argentina have been incredible.
(And you’ll be glad to know that despite my sisters’ listing of the various euphemisms for puking, I have not “blown chunks” or “hurled” yet…)
No comments:
Post a Comment