Hola from Bolivia,
Surely, the best place to see an artifact is in situ. Museums and zoos are good for allowing us to see a natural or cultural wonder without having to travel to the site. But, seeing a dinosaur footprint in the creek bed right in front of you on a walk in the wild is something else entirely.
In Toro Toro National Park, in Bolivia, unmistakable dinosaur footprints – still in the same place where the dinosaur walked millions of years ago – are visible in many places.
After walking down, down, down 1500 steps to this magnificent waterfall . . .
. . . imagine walking back up, taking a detour to the lookout, and then coming across this in the creek bed.
It’s unmistakably a dinosaur footprint. There’s no ambiguity about this at all. It can’t be anything else. And, there it is in its natural state. There is no signage, no interpretation explanation and no entrance fee.
Toro Toro National Park has many wonderful surprises for the intrepid explorer. The limestone caves are not for the casual walker – a bit more preparation required. The mountain lakes are spectacular, after a good long walk uphill. In contrast, the dinosaur footprints are easily accessible, right across the creek from the township.
The fact that the footprints are so obvious yet so unadorned by signage is a feature of the park. It’s the best way to see such a marvel.
Adios from Bolivia
Gregorio
