December 22: Scenic Detour- Pretty Parrots and Rascally Rheas
With gusts forecasted as high but manageable, I decided to throw caution to the wind and take a two-hour detour to check out some wildlife on the gulf of San Matias before heading south to Puerto Madryn for the evening. I got even more than I bargained for when some wild rheas decided to join the party.
Taking route 1 from Viedma to Balneario El Condor and then west towards La Loberia along the coastline, a magical world opened before my eyes. Thousands of wild green parrots preened on their telephone pole and wire perches on both sides of the road, circled overhead in the bright blue sky, and even paraded down the hot pavement in front of me.
Pulling over at Playa Bonita to gaze further at the remarkable pandemoniums of parrots, I couldn’t help but notice that the area lived up to its name. This stretch of undeveloped beach along the Patagonian coastline provided fantastic views of the silvery blue ocean waters, light tan and grey soft sandy beaches, and yellow and green grass covered bluffs.
Returning to Ruta 3 I traveled several hours through a relatively arid landscape in winds strong enough to require my complete concentration. With a firm grip on my handlebars I leaned to the right, ducked my head down low, and prepared myself to quickly correct my trajectory when the gusts blew me towards the oncoming lane.
During a short lull in the wind, a rambling rhea and her 5 chicks casually crossed the roadway right in front of me, taking long graceful strides and swaying their slender necks back and forth, their round bodies covered in fluffy grey feathers as they proceeded through the scrub brush lining the road. What a treat to see these emu-like creatures wandering in the wild.
Descending into Puerto Madryn later in the day, I felt like I was arriving at an oasis as I glimpsed the vast blue ocean waters stretching out before me and bustling streets in the foreground. Disembarking from the bike to check into the hotel, I realized that my legs felt like I had run a marathon, perhaps from gripping the sides of the bike for so long. What a great day on the bike!
