Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, Argentina.... what an address!
A quaint village in arguably one of the most beautiful harbors in the world. It is from here that we took off for the Antarctica. This is not just a port, however, this town deserves a blog of it´s own.
We arrived by bus from Punta Arenas on Boxing Day. The twelve hour bus ride took us across to Tierra del Fuego (island of fires). On the crossing we were thrilled to find a pod (or is it a school??) of dolphins playing in the wake of the ferry. They followed us all the way across the channel just a few meters below us. Great fun to watch.
The road through Argentina went through pretty flat ranch land before climbing up to the mountains in the south. It was here that we began to see what we were in for. The narrow pass gave us a stunning view of the mountains along the Beagle Channel and the town of Ushuaia.
We had two nights before our cruise left which gave us time to explore the town as well as a hike to Tierra del Fuego National Park with Martine and Jean Pierre. The trek took us up to a viewpoint then down to a path that followed the water´s edge for about 5km. We had a picnic on the beach with fresh fruit, pate and baguettes. How very French of us!
The town of Ushuaia is set along the rim of the harbour and climbs up the steep hills leading towards the glaciars. Homes of many bright colours and many styles of architecture. We were surprised to see real log homes as well.
Ushuaia was a penal colony for many years. After the cruise we took a tour through the prison museum. For anyone going there it is really a must. Prisoners worked in many areas of the town including forestry and road building. Many were skilled at making furniture and carving wooden boxes etc. The most notorious criminals in Argentina most probably spent time here as well as a few political prisoners. It would be a terrible place to do time for about 10 months of the year. But for the two months of summer, if the wind is calm, it is a magical place.
The day we got off the cruise ship it was windy and snowing.... the next day we were walking around town in our shirtsleeves and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.
One day we hiked up the Montana Glaciar with Jo and Paul... friends from Australia. This was an amazingly beautiful day as well. We took the chair lift (yes it´s a ski hill) up part way and then hiked the rest of the way up. The view across the Beagle Channel was breathtaking. Anyone planning a trip to Antarctica should consider spending at least two nights in Ushuaia. The people are friendly, there are lots of restaurants and shops (because of the cruise ships) and it is truly a spectacular place for hiking and scenery. Just remember to take a sweater and jacket with you along with your sunscreen and sunglasses. The weather changes from moment to moment.