Wildlife in Patagonia

My friend Mary and I took the 15-day “Patagonian Frontiers” cruise-tour from Odysseys Unlimited (Newton, MA; 888/370-6765, www.odysseys-unlimited.com) in February-March ’08. After four days in Buenos Aires, we flew to Ushuaia, Argentina, and toured Tierra de Fuego National Park, then boarded the M/V Australis for 3½ days of calm sailing and fun Zodiac trips to islands, including Magdalena Island, where 200,000 penguins live. We then went to Torres del Paine National Park, where our hotel, Rìo Serrano, had a fantastic view of the rugged mountains. The weather was perfect for our three days in the park; only on one night did we experience winds. The guanacos posed for us, and we photographed a number of birds and other wildlife as well. Four members of our group even saw one of the 65 pumas that live in the park. — HELEN WEISMEYER, Port Ludlow, WA