Day 31 - 05 Jan.2012 - Las Grutas

After that hot night in the tent, the first thing we did this morning was to have a cool down in the sea and refreshing it was indeed!
Later on we had breakfast in the shade and by the time we packed our things together, we could have another shower.
In the town of Las Grutas, everything does seem to exist only once. There is only one petrol station (which was running out of Diesel) and only one cash machine with a massive queue in front of it. Once it was our turn, it was temporarily out of order. We waited another 10-15 min and decide to give it amiss and to try it again in Puerto Madryn.
We were back on the road again at 11.30 and our TomTom told us to turn left in 228km. A day of Ruta 3 was ahead of us. We arrived in Puerto Madryn in the early afternoon and went on our quest in search for a cash machine. That done, the ACA campsite was our next destination. It was a boiling hot afternoon and we were not quite sure if camping was the best thing to do on a day like that. The campsite had some bushes and trees but the best shady spots were already taken. We found a nice place literally under a bushy tree and decided to camp today instead of a B&B or hotel.
After the tent was put up I was ready for a shower in this afternoon heat. Wishful thinking – the showers only open at 18:00 so I had to wait a bit longer. Later on we had a walk along the beach back to the town centre. Puerto Madryn is the starting point for trips to the Peninsula Valdes, a nature reserve, and is booming with tourism and furthermore hosts one of the biggest fishing port in Patagonia. Once the weather cooled down in the evening, the beach front is heaving in the evening with people going rollerblading, cycling or running.