While Pierre continues to makes us all jealous with his adventures through beautiful Patigonio, Southern Argentina I thought I’d quickly look up some lesser known facts (and myths) about the area.

1. Celebrities: Patagonia became so popular for reclusive celebrities (including George Soros, Sylvester Stallone and Ted Turner) in the 1990s that at one stage, a sixth of the region was said to be owned by 350 foreigners.

2. Monsters: Many tourists around the popular Argentinian resort of Bariloche have sighted a lake monster that has been dubbed “Nahuelito.” In the manner of Nessie, Nahuelito is named after the body of water that is her domain, Nahuel Huapi Lake, which covers 318 sq. miles at the foot of the Patagonian mountains.

3. Skunks: The guanaco, the puma, the zorro or Brazilian fox (Canis azarae), the zorrino or Mephitis patagonica (a kind of skunk), and the tuco-tuco or Ctenomys niagellanicus (a rodent) are the most characteristic mammals of the Patagonian plains.

This entry was posted by Max on Monday, January 16th, 2006 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Holiday Guides, Petitpiet, Max.