Hilary's Trip 2006-2007

This is one of the outdoor exhibits at the local museum in El Calafate. The museum traces the history of this part of the Patagonia region and shows how the native peoples lived before the arrival of European explorers and settlers. As you can see, afterwards, the pioneers used wagons and had huge sheep farms. The local people are just now reclaiming their heritage. Tourism has replaced sheep production as the biggest industry. Home construction is booming here. The current Argentinian president is originally from this area and has a huge country home right in the center of town.