We got up at dawn in Esperanza to make miles before we got the 20+mph headwinds. Esperanza is basically a gas station and a couple of streets at an intersection in the highway. Pretty colors on the deserted road out here.
It's been a while since we were on the road this early, so Jason wanted to take a picture of the pretty sunrise. We just stopped on the highway to take photos
Proof that Jason was up and about at dawn!
These flying saucer clouds followed us down the road.
Doesn't that one cloud in the center look square??? How does this happen?
Two giant cloud nipples dipped down out of the sky. Patagonian clouds are very different than what we see normally.
We reached the town called 28th of November. Its name commemorates the day the town was officially founded. This is a coal mining area and this town is known as the condor capital of the region. At the last census, they saw 112 condors here. This is the view from the overlook above town.
The gazebo at the top of the walkway to reach the overlook above the town of 28 de Noviembre. It was a steep walk up the ramps to reach the top. Thankfully, they put in wind blocks in the gazebo so we didn't get blown back down the hill.
A condor on the side of the visitor center here. The folks here gave us bracelets, a tiny woven hanging and a plastic Andy the Condor statue for our dashboard. They took our photo and were excited that we'd come all the way from the United States. The local bakery ladies took our photo, too when we bought some sweet pastry treats from her. She didn't have any cinnamon treats, but gave us a couple of raisin rolls for free. Jason liked his so well, he went back and bought another one!
A condor soaring above the town. The visitor center had some of their feathers on display. They were almost 2 feet in length each! Jason found a small on on his hike to the top of the mirador. T
Looking down from the condor mirador we climbed across from town. YOLO is parked down there next to the river
Some unusual blooms on the trail up to the condor mirador.
The plank bridge we crossed to get to the mirador trail to climb to see the condors.
A large sign on a hilltop as we drive into town.
The 'big letters' of the town, on a bluff above the homes.
Pretty clouds at sunset in the town plaza.
Everything in this town is related to condors or coal mining. The town of Rio Turbio, a few miles away on the river of the same name, offers tours of the coal mining museum but they were closed for 'Miner's Day' when we were here. Tours are by appointment only, so we missed out. Friendly folks here. We went back to the library just before leaving and they gave us pastries, cake and sweet yerba mate while we used their internet.
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