Patagonia and friends

When I think of Patagonia I usually imagine the snow-capped mountains and teal blue lakes, and about breathing in the crisp air. Things that don’t spring up immediately are those that really help make the country tick: Pampas and petrol.

These two exist in almost equal shares in Argentine Patagonia, occupying huge amounts of land. I’ll bet you’ve heard about one more than the other. The Pampas area plays host to Argentina’s famous beef reserve. And while the coastal cattle graze, armies of drone oil derricks pump the black gold, looking more like over-sized scarecrows than machinery. It’s not the typical Patagonian imagery.

I decided to take a look at a few of the richly infamous places near me.

For the first time, and for many after that, I was asked if I was working for the oil industry. In the seaside city of Comodoro Rivadavia, you’re obviously in the oil biz if your’re a working United States citizen. Hmmmm? Approaching touristy Comodoro in the off-season there was nothing but vast pampas and a few hills. And the oil derricks. Downtown there were so many high-end stores and flashy cars that I thought, “This sure isn’t being fueled by whale watchers and penguin photographers!” (Yes I missed the penguins, but I’m not really bitter because they’ll be back next year and the year after that and I really wasn’t traveling to see them. So there.) I could have bought a penguin-shaped mug anyhow, and I had my choice of imprints for the penguins belly: A whale tail, a walrus with tusks, or an oil derrick. The type on the penguin mug read, “Welcome to Comodoro Rivadavia, Patagonia”.

Good luck with that, Patagonia.