Back in the big city

Leaving Ushuaia was difficult.  It wasn't like the usual sadness after a nice holiday and the dread of going back to work and the "real" life.  This sadness was much deeper.  For the first time in my life, I really started to feel a deep connection to a destination. I no longer needed a map. I could find the bread, cheese and wine aisle in the grocery store...blindfolded.  I knew which streets were infamous for slippery ice and which ones every dog used as a toilet. And what I least suspected was to become a bit of a barfly at Dublin.  And where do I begin with the people I met?  I was very lucky to know such incredible people.

Gazing at the landscape one last time before I departed was rough. Even after three weeks, the Andes still managed to take my breath away.  My eyes are spoiled for LIFE.

View of city from Ushuaia Airport

So I suppose all of these things are very natural when you spend a decent amount of time in one place...which I have not ever had the chance to do until now.  I'm sure similar connections will occur over and over in my future destinations but I am happy that Ushuaia was the first...it will be the most memorable.  Thank you to Thais, Marco, Caio, Diogenes, Lizzie, Gustavo and Facundo for such an amazing time.  I really hope we keep in touch!

I am now back in Buenos Aires in a small Palermo apartment for the next 3 weeks.  I am trying to adjust to the noise, the crazy drivers and massive streets and avenues.  I will hopefully start my volunteer work with LIFE Argentina later this week.  I have orientation on Wednesday so I will update you all on the project I decide to take.  Argentina has given me so much, I am happy I can give back.

My apartment with an outside patio!

Last few days around Ushuaia

The St Christopher

Road to Martial Glacier

Martial Glacier 

Wall of icicles

I've never seen ice quite like this!

Tierra del Fuego National Park

Unfortunately, the winter can be a tough time to visit the park. Most of the trails and roads are iced over making it difficult to get anywhere to do anything. No trekking for me this go around but instead I opted for a comfy heated bus to take me around the park. The park was created in 1960 and has a surface of 63,000 hectares. It occupies the southwestern Tierra del Fuego province near the border with Chile.

The first humans occupied Tierra del Fuego 10,000 years ago. The area covered by the national park was inhabited by the Yamana, who camped on its beaches and often travelled in canoes made of "lenga" to hunt sea mammals and collect shellfish. When settlers (initially missionaries) appeared in 1880, disease spread and the Yamana began to die out. In 2005, there is allegedly only one full-blooded native-speaking Yamana left, living on Isla Navarina. Nowadays, the only evidence you will see of the former Yamana inhabitants are piles of mussel shells overgrown with grass near the shore, which indicate areas of Yamana settlement.

A concheros circle - domestic refuse of the Yamana

Crushed mollusk shells from the Yamana

The forests are a mixture of Patagonic and Altos Andes forest, and "lenga" covers mountain slopes from an altitude of 600 meters. Guindo trees also occupy the wetter areas and some parts of the mountain slopes. On the guindos, you will often see large nodules with an orange fungus growing out of them: the parasitic "farolito chino”.

There are 20 species of mammal, including the red fox, the guanaco, the otter and the Canadian beaver (introduced and causing flooding in some areas of the park due to their dam-building). Rabbits have also been introduced and the damage they have is clearly visible in places. Birds include the black eyed albatross, the condor, the oystercatcher, the white cuaquene, the steam duck and the diving petrel.

Lago Roca

Lapataia Bay

And one big recommendation...be sure to save your $90 pesos and forgo the Train at the End of the World. It's a miniature train that maybe goes 5 mph...it's a silly novelty and sadly there is really nothing to see while on the train except for a "tree cemetery". How sad is that??

Sadly the windows fogged up and you couldn't see a thing!

The depressing tree cemetery.

Some additional photos inside Tierra del Fuego National Park -

Condor Mountain

Snowy peaks

Mindless observations

~I absolutely love the traditional Argentine greeting.  While there are numerous variations, the most standard is the right cheek to right cheek tap with the sound of a kiss.  The sound of the kiss is critical.  You don’t actually kiss the cheek…you just make the sound.  Not too soft, not too loud.  This greeting is used in every social situation and I’m loving it.  A handshake can be so formal and cold.

~The Argentine breakfast is an unfulfilling small spread of coffee, tang-like orange juice, toast or a croissant with butter or dulce de leche (milk caramel spread).  Not an egg or pancake to be found.  Sad, very sad.

~An American is called a “Yanqui” from “Yanquilandia” (pronounced Jan-kee).  When I first heard this, I thought they were calling me a Junkie from Junkie-landia.  There is some truth to that I suppose.  The land of excess right?  LOL.  Apparently, there is no offense behind the word but still not sure I like being called a Yanqui.  I’m dealing with it.

~The folks here like to decorate their tiny indoor trashcans with a fabric skirt & hat for the lid.  It’s kinda like going to Grandma’s house where the kleenex box, toilet paper roll holder, everything is covered in fabric. Who makes these things and what a racket that is.  Grandma’s everywhere are smiling on Ushuaia from above.  While I can get past the decorating thing, the size of the receptacle is incomprehensible.   That leads me to the trash situation.

~Every house has a peculiar trash basket on a stick on the footpath or connected to their front gate.  I find it interesting to take note of all the different types.  Some are big, some are small, some have lids, some don’t.  They are all elevated which makes me think it’s because of the stray dog situation here.  These baskets wouldn’t fit more than one 13 gallon kitchen trash bag.  Apparently Ushuaia is small enough that the trash collectors can get to most every house and business every single day…hence the diminutive size of indoor trash cans.  Mystery solved!

~The drivers in Ushuaia are much more hospitable than drivers Buenos Aires and Mendoza however without many signals or stop signs, it is impossible to understand how to drive in this city. As a pedestrian, j walking is 100% tolerated and expected.  I’ll let the taxi drivers deal with the protocol on yielding to up/down hill traffic versus crosstown traffic.

~I haven't counted but there must be at least 20 adventure outdoor clothing stores on San Martin and none of them sell "Patagonia" brand clothing...???

~It's easier to find wine than a diet soda.  Trust me, I am not complaining.

~There isn’t a Subway, McDonald’s, KFC or Burger King anywhere on this island…paradise found.

Change of scenery

Yes, I have changed the look of the blog.  I think the last template was causing too many issues with posting photos.  I'll give this one a test run and see what happens.

Not only has the blog changed but I've also moved out of the house.  My spanish lessons are over and it's time to get out and see more of Ushuaia.  While I will miss my housemates, I won't miss the hilly walk to/from town.  And can you believe I left my beloved tek towel at the house!  I hope I will get it back soon.

For the next week, I will be hanging my hat at the Hostal Malvinas.  The hostel is only one large hill (versus eight) from the main drag (San Martin) and it's centrally located.  And while it's called a "hostel", I do have my own room and bathroom.  In fact, I have a room on the top floor with a view of the Beagle Channel!  Scored a pretty good deal at $160 pesos/night ($40 USD).

The hotel is clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. I even have a small fridge in my room that they stock with sodas, water, beer and champagne. The only bad thing is the wireless in the room completely sucks.  

Navigating the Beagle Channel: Part 2

Having blog issues at the moment and I cannot open or edit existing posts.  Argh!   Excuse the typo's, etc in the first post.  Hopefully I'll be able to fix them later.

Isla de Los Lobos 

Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse (the French name "Les Éclaireurs" means "the Enlighteners" or "the Scouts")  stands on the northeastern-most islet of the five or more Les Eclaireurs islets, which it takes its name from, east of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel. The brick-built tower is 33 feet high and 10 feet wide at the base, with its windowless wall painted red-white-red and topped by a black lantern housing and gallery. Only a door pointing to the west provides access to the building. The lighthouse, still in operation, is remote-controlled, automated and uninhabited. On December 23, 1920 the lighthouse was put into service - it is the most photographed lighthouse in South America.

Navigating the Beagle Channel

Unfortunately the weather has been pretty lousy over the past few days.  Warmer temps but rain and clouds don't make for good photos or getting around town.  Fortunately there was a small break in the weather yesterday (Wednesday) so immediately after class, my roomies and I took a boat out on the Beagle Channel.


The Beagle Channel, like Ushuaia, has been a dream of mine to see.  The history, the conflicts, the carnage and remoteness were only things I read about.  I never imagined I would actually be here and now actually navigating through its waters.  I say this over and over but PINCH ME!


There are many companies that will take you out on the channel.  The pier is loaded with companies soliciting tourists and offering deals, hot chocolate coupons, etc.  We chose Patagonia Adventure Explorer for $150 pesos ($37 USD).  Their boat is small and Lizzie had a great experience with them so off we went.  In the winter, boats go out at 11am and 3pm and the cruise is approximately 3-3.5 hours.  We took the 3pm so we could see the sunset.


A bit of background.


The Beagle Channel is a strait at the southern tip of South America in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, it is named after the H.M.S. Beagle, a ship commanded by Captain Robert Fitzroy (1805–65), a British naval officer who, together with Charles Darwin, explored the area in 1833–4.

The strait separates islands of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago. It separates Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego from the islands Nueva, Picton, Navarino, Hoste, Londonderry, Stewart Islands and other smaller to the south. Its eastern portion is part of the border between Chile and Argentina, but the western part is completely within Chile.

The channel is about 150 miles long and is about 3 miles wide at its narrowest point. To the west the Darwin Sound connects it to the Pacific Ocean. The biggest settlement on the channel is Ushuaia followed by Puerto Williams in Chile, two of the southernmost settlements of the world.

Perfect day for a cruise through the channel

Plenty of options

My housemates Thais & Marco

Me and my housemate Diógenes from Brazil

Chilean mountains

A very very cold day!

Plane landing at Ushuaia airport

The first stop was one of the Bridges Islands.  Our guide took us on a small trek to see a "concheros" circle and site of the Yamana (or Yaghan) people.   area where they would have a hut with a small fire and shell deposits from creatures caught and eaten from the sea.