Wild beasts

Before I had any plans to go to South America, I heard tales of giant-sized guinea pigs. Neither I nor most of the people I talked to knew they existed. I'm here to tell you that the stories are true.
Capybaras are totally cool. We saw big ones and little tiny babies, and they are much less freaky than they look in pictures. I want to ride one, but I don't think they'd like that.

We saw our first sea lion today. He was so still I thought he was dead, but then he yawned and sneezed on a nearby Uruguayan. Eventually the workers at the pier thought it was time for him to go, so they hosed him off until he plopped into the ocean.
Spending a day observing exotic creatures takes its toll, so we're spending an evening learning Spanish in front of a cozy fire.