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Published: March 17th 2007
Sadly we had to say goodbye to Torres del Paine and continue our journey south. After a brief stop in a drizzly Puerto Natales we headed on down the coast and had a wonderful visit to the Otway Sound Penguin Colony. The Magellanic Penguins return annually to this spot between October and March to lay eggs and raise their young. Initially we watched from quite a distance, but at one point, an inquisitive penguin popped his head out of a burrow and walked right out in front of me. I was so busy looking at the others further away that I nearly tripped over him! I had a real magical moment as I crouched down to watch him and he almost came and kissed my camera. What a cutie. I could happily have taken him home. Wasn't sure how he'd enjoy the camping and the expected heat of Brazil though, so decided it probably wasn't wise to smuggle him under my jumper!
Our next stop brought us to Punta Arenas and we were rewarded with a night in a small hotel with hot running water (well lukewarm actually) and proper beds. By the layers of blankets on the bed I
was seriously worried about just how cold it was going to get, but thankfully we had a relatively warm night for the time of year and slept soundly.
Punta Arenas is situated on the edge of the Magellan Straits and is built on a modern grid system with low-rise buildings and coloured roofs. The main square hosted a variety of craft stalls selling everything from table-cloths and bags to penguins and toy dolphins. Taking pride of place in the centre was a huge bronze statue of Ferdinand Magellan and legend has it that kissing his toes will bring good luck. So to ensure a safe onward journey and no more mishaps, we dutifully kissed the toes of the rather polished right foot - and probably acquired many germs from the hundreds of people who had kissed him before us!
The next day we were up early (again!) and set off on another long drive. We crossed the notorious Magellan Straits on a small transport ferry and luckily had a particularly calm day for our sail. Yet another border crossing between Chile and Argentina had to be negotiated - I've now lost count of how many stamps I have
accumulated in my passport from these two countries! Thankfully we had the card game 'Backpacker' with us to help pass another few hours on the truck.
We arrived in the city (big town!) of Ushuaia with the claim to fame of being the most southerly city in the world. It lies on the shores of the Beagle Channel and is surrounded by the Martial Mountains. It is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and Southern Atlantic Islands Province. The whole island is a tax-free zone, but I can't say we found any bargains. It's a wonderful location to enjoy sea, mountains and forests at the same time. I just loved it. I think we were particularly lucky to enjoy wonderful blue-sky days and sunshine though and perhaps this coloured our image of the place. I imagine it wouldn't be quite so spectacular on the many days of drizzle that they experience throughout the year.
We had been told that the night time temperatures would be well below zero so we wimped out of camping and decided to pay the $10 upgrade to stay in the hostel rooms at the Ushuaia Rugby Club. (Sadly not a hunky
rugby player in sight!) Once again we had the luxury of hot running water. It's amazing the simple things that become so enjoyable when you're camping. Another luxury was a welcoming evening feast at the excellent campsite asado (a bit like a barbecue but with a whole beast on the spit).
A venture into the Lapataia National Park was just breathtaking. We walked for several miles along the coastal path and were rewarded with sights of free roaming horses, the most beautiful tiny wild orchids and spectacular views across the channel to the mountains. This really is such a wonderful way to spend 'time out' from real life!
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