Blogs from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, South America

Our first full day in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, had Leigh leaving our accommodation at 8:15 am to chase a trophy trout while I contemplated a quiet Sunday. I decided to catch up on some washing. At 12:30 pm, braving the sweltering 5° temperature, I set off in search of the laundromat with my washing stuffed tightly into my backpack. Despite being wrapped in more layers than yesterday and wearing my warmest leather gloves, the cold began to creep in. It wasn't long before I began to regret my decision not to buy the warm carpincho and beaver gloves I tried in Buenos Aires earlier in the week. "Cute beaver?" I hear you ask in a dramatic tone ... In 1946 Argentina's military rulers decreed Ushuaia should become the base for a fur ... read more

Hi Everyone, So after the briefest of stops in Buenos Aires I met up with my crew for the start of Patagonia Experience, we headed out early on the 29th of march, we had a long day of travelling out of the city and heading south, stopping for lunch at a service station, and heading on to our first camp site, which was not the most idyllic, right off main highway beside big station stop for other truckers! It was noisy, fairly dodgy looking but it had toilet facilities, so we set up our tents and our guide Alahandro got our supper started, the master truck being equipped with a full kitchen as well as comfy seats! seating around chatting and eventually to bed, a fitful night's sleep followed, with an early start the next day. ... read more

Today was a bit of a surprise. I knew it was raining out when I woke up, but I didn't realize how ugly the weather was. My boat trip was cancelled due to the weather, which meant I had only a few minutes to make the decision to take a taxi to the Train to the End of the World. I made it on time, but was shocked that it was snowing. In the first couple pictures, you can see snow on my coat and outdoors. What a change from the humid 90 degree days of Rio and Iguazu. I am now glad that I packed all of the extra warm clothes. Who is the rookie traveler now with 2 suitcases? Not me, I was warm, dry and happy. The train was a nice ride up ... read more

In Ushuaia, Argentina, the slums are above the rest of the city. There is a visible line where it changes; the last paved street runs horizonatally and muddy dirt roads branch off up the hill. The higher you get, the worse off the roads and houses are. Eventually, it gets so muddy that wooden pallets are put down in the hopes of making trails, and corrugated sheets of metal piled for bridges, attempts that fail as mud and dirty water is everywhere. Mutts and unleashed, free dogs run around, growling and barking if you come near, and they aren't the kind type of dogs you can pet; if you get too close, you will be attacked. I was bit on the back of the leg by a bastardly dog, but luckily it wasn't serious. I had ... read more

Our final Chilean destination was Punto Arenas. The main tourist attraction here are the Magellanic penguin colonies. Marco was convinced that they are exactly the same as the Jackass penguins. Either way, we decided to give this sightseeing trip a skip and rather went to the Naval Museum. Among other things, we watched an entertaining video of a sailboat that sailed around Cape Horn in the 1950s. The cameraman gave a blow by blow account of the happenings en route. We had thought of doing a remote hike to the southernmost point of mainland South America, but a look at the weather report changed our minds. We visited an interesting cemetery though: large burial vaults/houses dedicated to families. As per our tradition, we went out for a final dinner to reminisce our Chilean experiences. We both ... read more