We'd read about, we thought it would be cool to see but we didn't think we'd get that far south. "La Tronchita," also known as the Patagonia Express, the old steam train that was once the only way besides horses to get down to these parts. The train ended at Esquel, and still does 3 hour long round trip run north to a small native Mapuche settlement and back. It was great living history riding the narrow gage through the arid steppe, surrounded by impossibly steep ochre mountain ridges and green valley floors where the lambs graze. A small cultural center gave us a glimpse into the history and present of this still very much alive culture, a people who defended their land so fiercely from the Spaniards that this southern region was not conquered for many years after the northern areas were well settled by Europeans and the wars for independence from Spain were being fought. We enjoyed the ride with Argentine's of all ages who pulled out their gourds end enjoyed cups of Yerba Mate for the ride. We took turns hangling our heads out the windows and standing between train cars. A cultural ambassador from the Mapuche people joined our train car for awhile and sang us many beautiful songs while we swayed along the narrow gage transported in time and space.
