Dogged

28 Jan, 2019

On our last day in El Calafate the flight on to Buenos Aires isn't until late afternoon and there are no trips planned for the day. For the morning I suggest a short walk to look at the small arboretum we have passed several times on the way to check out the shops or for pisco sours at the Yeti Ice Bar).

It turns out the gardens are dedicated to Perito Moreno, a noted 19th century Argentinian explorer and scientist. We haven't wandered in far when a rather large brown dog appears out of nowhere. It's friendly enough, mostly towards C, and clearly wants to be fussed. We opt for a 'ignore it and it will go away' approach.

But it soon becomes clear the mutt won't take no for an answer. Not only does it not recognise the concept of personal space, but it seems to think its OK to nip C on the bum!

At the point I'm getting angry! No base mongrel can get away with nipping my wife's bum! (A noble timber wolf pos...) On the other hand this is quite a large dog, and it could easily shred a hand or ankle if so minded.

My attempts at firmly sending it away sadly fail upon the rocks of the language barrier. I don't know the Spanish for 'bugger off' and it doesn't even understand LOUD English.

Surely its owner can't be far away and will soon call it back?

No such luck. The creature continues to track our progress around the garden ...until we reach a stone tableau which is clearly a memorial to the visit to these parts by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. In it there are statues of Darwin himself along with many of the animals he studied.

The creature suddenly assumes an aggressive crouching posture and barks. In fact it goes utterly apeshit at the figure of a modestly sized fox. What?! I am now confused as to whether it's totally deranged or else is inventing a threat in order to appear indispensable - thereby forcing us to adopt it and take it back home. Alternatively I'm beginning to wonder if it's a well-trained operative whose owner has actually forced it to swallow several condoms stuffed with high-grade coke destined for the UK.

We decide enough is enough and that it's time to cut short our visit and return to our hotel. Against all the evidence, we assume that the dog will stay behind in the arboretum.

No chance. As her self-appointed guardian, wherever C goes so goes the dog. It follows her out of the park and along the road. And turns second right when we do. I'm still hoping against hope that it lives on the same street as the hotel.

"How are we going to get through the hotel door without the dog?!" I actually have visions of it sticking so close that it will get in the lift with us.

We decide to walk a little way past the hotel and then swiftly cross the road and through the door as fast as possible. Fortunately some residents are just exiting as we arrive and we manage to lose it.

After lunch we are reluctant to venture out until we've checked the street for strays several times and decide the coast is clear.