IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT AFTER A THREE HOUR DELAY, DUE TO AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER STRIKE, WE CAME IN TO LAND OVER THE ICY SNOWY PEAKS OF CERRO MARTIAL, THE MASSIVE GLACIER, AND MONTE OLIVIA; ONLY THEN DID WE REALIZE, CONTRARY TO 5TH GRADE GEOGRAPHY, THAT HERE IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO THE ANDES DON´T RUN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH BUT FROM EAST TO WEST...AND WE IMAGINED WE WERE ABOUT TO FALL OFF THE GLOBE!!!
THE FRIGID WATERS OF CANAL BEAGLE HEIGHTENS ONES SENSE OF THE ARRIVAL OF FIN DEL MUNDO - THE END OF THE WORLD.
THE ARCHIPELAGO IS KNOWN AS TIERRA DEL FUEGO OR LAND OF FIRE BECAUSE THE FIRST SHIPS PASSING BY SAW MANY FIRES ON THE SHORES WHICH WERE LIT BY THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS WARNING OTHERS THAT SOMETHING STRANGE WAS ON THE WAY!
USHUAIA, THE CAPITAL OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO, STARTED OUT AS A PENAL COLONY IN 1884, PART OF AN ARGENTIAN GOVERNMENT PLAN, TO POPULATE THEIR HALF OF THE ARCHIPELAGO (THE OTHER HALF BELONGING TO CHILE) AS A MEANS OF REAFFIRMING SOVEREIGNTY. JUST TWO DECADES AGO USHUAIA HAD THE HIGHEST POPULATION GROWTH RATE IN THE WORLD. AS TOURISM GROWS ACROSS THE GLOBE USHUAIA HAS BECOME A FAVORITE STARTING POINT FOR VISITING ANTARTICA.
WE ARRIVED AT 11:00 PM AT THE TANGO B AND B TO BE GREETED BY RAUL AND CHRISINA, OUR SECOND GENERATION ITALIAN HOSTS. THE PLACE IS EXTREMELY CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE WITH MASSIVE VIEWS OUT OVER THE CHANNEL AND THE ANDES MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST.
LAS CORREO/POST OFFICE USHUAIA
GIGANTIC JAGGED PEAK THAT PROTECTS THE CITY....MONTE OLIVIA
ANDES MOUNTAINS TOWERING OVER USHUAIA
USHUAIA FROM THE EZEQUIL
ON THE 29TH THE WEATHER VACILLATED BETWEEN SUN, CLOUDS, RAIN, AND FINALLY SNOW ALL BROUGHT FORTH BY THE COLD AUSTRAL WIND. WE KNOW THE MAIN STREET, SAN MARTIN, WELL SINCE WE KEPT VENTURING INTO SHOPS TO KEEP WARM! WE TRAVELED UP THE CANAL BEAGLE, BY THE CATAMARAN, EZEQUIL, TO SEE COLONIES OF COMORANTS, PERCHED PRECARIOULY ON SLIPPERY LEDGES.
SOUTH AMERICAN SEA LIONS AND FUR SEALS, SLUMBERING ON DESOLATE ROCKS OR LIKE GRACEFUL TORPEDOES, SPEEDING THOUGH THE FREEZING WATER, FAST AND AGILE.
OUR RETURN FROM THE BEAGLE CANAL TO THE PORT OF USHUAIA.
DO YOU THINK WE WERE A LITTLE EARLY FOR DINNER?
PLUS IS THAT WE HAD FOUR WAITERS, PEDRO, ALFREDO, MATHAIS AND FERNANDOS TO OURSELVES! WHAT GREAT SERVICE WE HAD...RIGHT DOWN TO THE COMPLIMENTARY BAILEYS AT THE END OF OUR DELICIOUS MEAL!
ARGENTINES KNOW HOW TO BBQ!
A SQUID I AM SAVORING, THAT AND A BOTTLE OF ARGENTINA'S MALBEC...WE WERE TOTALLY SATIATED!!
BACK AT THE LAS TANGO WITH A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW
ON SUNDAY, THE 20TH DAY OF OUR TRIP, DAWNED WITH CALAFATE BLUE SKIES REACHING FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS TO THE SEA. WALKED OUT TO THE OLD AIRPORT ACROSS THE BAY OF USHUAIA FOR THIS PICTURE.
AGAIN WE ATE ALONE, BUT AGAIN WE ATE EARLY BY ARGENTINE STANDARDS, AS WE HAD A TANGO MUSIC SHOW GIVEN BY OUR HOST RAUL DE LUCA WHO IS A MUSICIAN BY TRADE. HE GAVE US A HISTORY OF TANGO MUSIC WHILE PLAYING MANY TUNES ON HIS ACCORDIAN TO TRANSPORT US THROUGH THE YEARS. RAUL AND HIS WIFE CHRISTINA, WHO ARE BOTH UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, COMPOSED AND WROTE THE MUSIC FOR THE OFFICIAL MARCH OF USHUAIA IN 1983.
WE SHARED A BOTTLE OF MALBEC WHILE DISCUSSING POLITICS!
