 Mónica Pons  Eduardo Epifanio
Close to the village, a ravine with high clay and sand walls shows samples of the presence of dinosaurs millions of years ago at first glance. |
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How could we miss the opportunity to visit the sites where the history we learned from books took place? We understood a little more about the presence of dinosaurs in the village area by going on a motorboat tour towards Cañadón Escondido (which stands for “Hidden Ravine” in Spanish).
There was a mild breeze that afternoon when we moved alongside the high walls on board Sergio Mangin’s watercraft. He headed south and some secluded nooks where local birds would take shelter began to be seen.
We went close to the bay that had acted as a natural rain drainage system for thousands of years. Near the shore, a mattress of tree branches went under the motorboat.
Some meters ahead, we heard the noise of the motorboat getting stranded on the beach. We landed, one at a time, and got ready to walk two and a half kilometers towards that gorge in the ancient land. |
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We moved along an alley bordered by walls featuring various streaks with hues of red and yellow on a ground of sand. Each word by the guide unveiled something else about how the different rock layers had been formed during the geological eras.
As if they were shop windows in a great shopping mall, each side presented a detail that made the narration more and more interesting. In front, we went up some rocks as if they were steps, very carefully, as we were treading on the very history of this ground.
“The specialists have named these rock formations ‘chandelier’ and ‘huincul’; they are approximately 100 million years old”, Sergio told us as the sun was setting behind the 80-meter-tall reddish overhangs.
We were speechless to make out a track of a dinosaur bone. We could see it at first sight on a rock overhang. These details are certainly missed when touring around the area without a guide. |
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How could the age of these huge beings which dwelled in the area be calculated? By studying the rocks, specialists have asserted how old the dinosaurs were. It is hard to imagine what this valley was like millions of years ago, but no one doubts their existence. The paleontological museum gives proof of each one of the findings.
Some tiny toads were sunbathing on the rocks. They were so small that we had to hold ten of them in our hand if we wished to cover our entire palm. Some small snakes ran away from us. Fortunately, they were harmless.
Yesterday Was Left behind
The hike back to the watercraft was easy and downhill to the beach. We were tired but wiser. We had become aware of what we had seen in only one summer afternoon that was almost over and fading away into a golden hue. |
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Welcome Argentina - Outings in Villa El Chocón
© 2003-2012 Total or partial reproduction forbidden. Derechos de Autor 675246 Ley 11723
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It is convenient to go on this tour in the company of a local guide, as it is essential to have accurate data of the site in order to make it more interesting.
It may be accessed both by water and land.
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Back to Villa El Chocón
