Monday 13th Tuesday 14th February - Iguazu to Ushuaia (End of the World)
Monday 13th
After 2 days being fried poached and stir fried in the Amazonian Rain Forest, the lure of the cold of the south was calling. Unfortunately, we both had been affected by an alien force field that passed over the hotel in the night.
We woke up only to discover that both of our watches had stopped at exactly the same time, 6.20am. Janette's equally implausible theory that humidity had entered our travel watches at the same time was derided but soon it became clear that in error, Steve had set his alarm to UK time and as result, we lost 3 hours sleep. There were retributions.
So after a very very leisurely breakfast , we set off to the airport for our 2 leg flight to the end of the world, Ushuaia and eventually on the the Antarctic.
After the customary delays getting Steve's new metal hip and camera gear through the scanners, we were off.
When we flew up, the lunch was cancelled do to severe turbulence on the flight but we later learnt that in fact that Aerolineas Argentina (the airline) had stopped doing food altogether and with that news, we had re-written the famous song Don't Cry for me Argentina to.....
"Don't fly with me Aerolinas,
The truth is, we'll never feed you
Not on the short flights, not on the long flights etc etc".
We met an American on our flight whose grandfather discovered a mountain on Antarctica and bought back a stuffed penguin that he had hit on the head with an ice axe but was now a family heirloom....funny, the people we get to talk to on our travels!
So, after a further 6 hours of flying, we were on the decent to the end of the world and there can be few descents as spectacular in the world - straight up the Beagle channel and below line of the Andes mountains.
Collected by the guide and deposited at our hotel, we were treated to something that never happens here - 17 degrees and bright blue sky.
As we were unable to dry our clothes and shoes from yesterday, they came with us on our two leg flight but obviously they needed to be re-washed. Now, here is the winning tip given to us by our last guide and everybody does in in the rain forest. Dry your clothes behind the fridge!!. The net result of this peach of wisdom was that we had Janette's soggy trainers and all of Steve underwear down the back of the hotel fridge.
.
Now, as we had had an odd start, we didn't realise that is was almost 8.00pm so we shot out to explore the town. Here as were are not quite south enough, there is 18 hours of daylight and when we say daylight, we mean so bright that dense sunglasses are required.]
When it finally gets dark, the moon is so
bright that is is as bright as the town lights.
Temperature at night is still holding up well at a balmy 10 degrees so once again we had got completely wrong our dress requirement
.
So, in the face of adversity and research and especially as most of the shops were now closed, we went to the southernmost pub in the world for a few Beagle Beers. Steve was demonstrating his disappearing beer act in jig time as did Janette who took a liking to this local brew.
Steve below in his spiritual home...
Now, a little lesson on this place !!
Originally, this place was occupied by a tribe who could survive in sub zero temperatures with no clothes just relying on the natural oils that the body produced.
An British Missionary took a few home (as you do) to study them but one died and the government ensured their return by which time, the missionaries and Natives were getting married etc etc.
Later, after all of the tribes were wiped out by disease that the missionaries had brought with then, the town became a prison which only closed in 1920. Now only really tourism survives but you can still buy a prison uniform for the kids which is probably more meaningful to Argentinians who visit here....here endeth the lesson.
Tuesday 14th
Steve did remember it was Valentines day so he is in the good books !!
Odd things for sale in the luxury shopping mall
We had decided to visit the "newish" indoor shopping mall for an hour for our last minute waterproof and wind proof acquisitions but this all proved futile and the whole place just sold off stuff which for us was of no real use.
We did find a supermarket that we could stock up for our long boat trip to Antarctica.
In case we were stranded with little hope of survival, we bought two bottles of Argentinian bubbles that we had discovered and had developed a taste for and chocolate and crisps. We wont be too miserable.
Obviously, all Argentinian children go to school to train to be Pharmacists - the school uniform section.
When packing your gift for shipping, the Post Office provided armed security.... obviously to enhance your customer shopping experience !!
The Post Office - pretty interesting outside and in - Janette was 45 minutes queuing for a stamp. Hope her Mum appreciates the postcard !
Janette can spot shellfish to eat at 50 paces and she was positively drooling at the sight of the King Crab.
This is a close relative of the one she had for dinner last night !!
View from the Hotel Window in case anyone thinks we were lying about the weather !!
Monday 13th
After 2 days being fried poached and stir fried in the Amazonian Rain Forest, the lure of the cold of the south was calling. Unfortunately, we both had been affected by an alien force field that passed over the hotel in the night.
We woke up only to discover that both of our watches had stopped at exactly the same time, 6.20am. Janette's equally implausible theory that humidity had entered our travel watches at the same time was derided but soon it became clear that in error, Steve had set his alarm to UK time and as result, we lost 3 hours sleep. There were retributions.
So after a very very leisurely breakfast , we set off to the airport for our 2 leg flight to the end of the world, Ushuaia and eventually on the the Antarctic.
After the customary delays getting Steve's new metal hip and camera gear through the scanners, we were off.
"Don't fly with me Aerolinas,
The truth is, we'll never feed you
Not on the short flights, not on the long flights etc etc".
We met an American on our flight whose grandfather discovered a mountain on Antarctica and bought back a stuffed penguin that he had hit on the head with an ice axe but was now a family heirloom....funny, the people we get to talk to on our travels!
So, after a further 6 hours of flying, we were on the decent to the end of the world and there can be few descents as spectacular in the world - straight up the Beagle channel and below line of the Andes mountains.
Collected by the guide and deposited at our hotel, we were treated to something that never happens here - 17 degrees and bright blue sky.
As we were unable to dry our clothes and shoes from yesterday, they came with us on our two leg flight but obviously they needed to be re-washed. Now, here is the winning tip given to us by our last guide and everybody does in in the rain forest. Dry your clothes behind the fridge!!. The net result of this peach of wisdom was that we had Janette's soggy trainers and all of Steve underwear down the back of the hotel fridge.
 |
| Ushuaia the last town at the end of the world...it says so in all of the shops |
Now, as we had had an odd start, we didn't realise that is was almost 8.00pm so we shot out to explore the town. Here as were are not quite south enough, there is 18 hours of daylight and when we say daylight, we mean so bright that dense sunglasses are required.]
bright that is is as bright as the town lights.
Temperature at night is still holding up well at a balmy 10 degrees so once again we had got completely wrong our dress requirement
.
Steve below in his spiritual home...
Originally, this place was occupied by a tribe who could survive in sub zero temperatures with no clothes just relying on the natural oils that the body produced.
An British Missionary took a few home (as you do) to study them but one died and the government ensured their return by which time, the missionaries and Natives were getting married etc etc.
Later, after all of the tribes were wiped out by disease that the missionaries had brought with then, the town became a prison which only closed in 1920. Now only really tourism survives but you can still buy a prison uniform for the kids which is probably more meaningful to Argentinians who visit here....here endeth the lesson.
Tuesday 14th
Steve did remember it was Valentines day so he is in the good books !!
Odd things for sale in the luxury shopping mall
We had decided to visit the "newish" indoor shopping mall for an hour for our last minute waterproof and wind proof acquisitions but this all proved futile and the whole place just sold off stuff which for us was of no real use.
We did find a supermarket that we could stock up for our long boat trip to Antarctica.
In case we were stranded with little hope of survival, we bought two bottles of Argentinian bubbles that we had discovered and had developed a taste for and chocolate and crisps. We wont be too miserable.
Obviously, all Argentinian children go to school to train to be Pharmacists - the school uniform section.
 |
| Downtown Ushuaia - more North Face, Columbia, Wolfskin shops than anywhere...plus model penguins everywhere |
 |
| Steve - obviously pondering on sunken Argentinian ships fought hard not to say anything |
This is a close relative of the one she had for dinner last night !!
Enjoyed the report as you got off ‘the beaten track’. Seems probably less glamorous to write up but getting down with the locals away from the tourist hotspots is more interesting to me. How are you coping with speaking no Spanish or does the American Dollar overcome all language problems?
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