Blogs from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, South America - page 4

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South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego » Ushuaia February 8th 2019

Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ya...H is silent in Spanish) is the most southern city in the world. Met fellow shipmate "Blue," 27 year old Brit at the BA Jorge Newberry Airport and we went thru security together as we were on the same plane. We flew to Ushuaia from BA 2 days ago. Breathtaking vistas of the Andes Mountains. Had the local delicacy fresh King Crab and toured the old prison turned into boat/art museum. Yesterday, 5 of us fellow shipmates went on a thrilling hiking tour of the Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) National Park with Emilio as our driver and guide. Just awesome beyond words. Got up and personal with the Andes. I am at the Hotel Tierra Leyendas (Land of Legends) writing this blog in a rush to get some photos published. Will write ... read more
At BA Airport
Leaving Argentina Coast of Atlantic Ocean
Over Beagle Channel Coming In for Landing

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego » Ushuaia January 27th 2019

Three weeks of travel have taken their toll so today I am taking it easy. While the old man goes to climb a glacier, I set off for the museum. A few minutes later, he is behind me. The bus has been cancelled due to lack of interest. He follows for a while, complaining that ‘museums are boring’. Tantrum over, he decides to catch a taxi to the glacier and disappears again. The Museo Maritimo & Museo del Presidio is housed in an old prison (the town was originally a penal colony). The entrance fee has doubled since I googled the website last month (treble the price in my guide book). However, it is larger than I’d expected and I emerge 3 hours and 100 photographs later. The prison consisted of several wings. One has been ... read more
Scott’s notebook
Missionaries in Tierra del Fuego
Ushuaia prison

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego » Ushuaia January 26th 2019

We are staying in an apartment in Ushuaia which has pros and cons compared to a hotel. Pro: we can cook our own food. Con: now everything we own smells of sausages. Pro: there is room to dry laundry. Con: laundry is forbidden. So we spend the night with the radiators on full and the windows open and by morning our undercover underwear wash is complete and we smell less like a takeaway. This morning we are going on a cruise. The route conjures up school history lessons about explorers; The Beagle Channel, Cape Horn... We arrive at the port 20 minutes before the published departure time, which is good because passports are required to embark. The old man rushes back to get the passports. The boat eventually departs 40 minutes behind schedule so the mad ... read more
Beagle Channel cruise
Beagle Channel Cruise
Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse


Ushuaia is a strange place; a town tumbling the hillside between the Andes and the sea. It doesn’t get dark until 10 pm, prior to that is a dusk of eerie yellowish grey, and it’s light again by 5 am. Today we are going to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We walk to the shuttle buses departure point. It’s shockingly expensive (more than double what we’d expected) but we cough up and head for the park. After a brief stop to hand over more money for entry fees, we reach the visitor centre. Fortified with empanadas, we set forth on a 5 hour hike. It’s very beautiful; on one side the Beagle Channel with its abundant bird life, on the other snow capped mountains. Most of the area is peat bog so the rivers and lakes ... read more
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego » Ushuaia January 24th 2019

Our time in Buenos Aires is over. Today we fly 1500 miles south to Tierra del Fuego. The flight is very basic - none of this in-flight entertainment nonsense. Two hours in, some warm coke and a bag of rice cakes materialise. The old man is so bored he determines to count his rice cakes. After two more hours, we begin our descent. Suddenly I am no longer bored for three good reasons. Firstly, we have to descend through a huge bank of cloud which causes enormous turbulence. Bouncing through it like a plaything of the gods it terrifying. Next come stunning views of the Andes sweeping down to the ocean. Thirdly, it’s time to try to land, in heavy winds, on the tiny strip of land sticking out from the end of the world. First ... read more
Approaching Ushuaia Airport take 3
Ushuaia
Ushuaia

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego » Ushuaia February 22nd 2018

We set off on the characteristically swish bus from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas to see penguins. Punta Arenas was an important stopover from Europe to the American west coast pre Panama Canal (1914), as it lies at the end of the Magellan Straight, a narrow channel which by- passes Cape Horn. It therefore has lots of old colonial architecture and evidence of wealth from a by- gone era. There was a regular steamship service from Liverpool to California years ago. It was also where Ernest Shackleton planned his venture to Antartica. I love a bit of history; feel free to skip this paragraph! Shackletons endeavour was privately funded by many donors, it’s mission to bolster the British exploratory credibility by being the first country to cross Antarctica. He advertised for crew for an arduous and ... read more
....and a few of her mates....
Another day another glacier.....
Another mountain climbed....will someone please rescue me?

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego » Ushuaia February 22nd 2018

We wanted a break from winter in Pennsylvania, and to do something different, so we planned a February trip to Patagonia. We decided to go with a group, Odyssey Tours. The benefit was that someone else was making the arrangements, carrying the luggage. The downside is that we might want to do or see more of something and less of other things, but with a group generally that is not possible. It worked well though. We had a wonderful, guide, Daniel Paredes, who had a good sense of what most people wanted to do. While we had an itinerary, it changed as was required or appropriate. First we flew to Buenos Aires. It looked a lot like a European city such as Paris, with beautiful old elaborate buildings from around 1900. We visited the city cemetery ... read more
Drenched Lee at Cape Horn, Patagonia Feb 18
Stella Australis in background , Zodiacs shuttling to Cape Horn, Feb 18
Falklands(Malvinas) will always be Argentine. Sign in Ushaia, Feb 18

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego » Ushuaia December 23rd 2017

Hola. Après presque 2 ans de mise entre parenthèse, voici le temps de reprendre mon voyage là où je l'avais laissé, à savoir au Nord du Chili. L'expérience à l'agence de voyage a été très enrichissante et je ne regrette absolument rien mais l'envie de reprendre la route a pris le dessus et j'ai donc quitté l'agence il y a quelques jours. Mais avant de poursuivre vers le Nord et la Colombie, je vais profiter pour approfondir ma connaissance de l'Argentine et m'offrir une nouvelle parenthèse. Il y a plusieurs destinations que j'ai vendues à mes clients pendant 2 ans sans jamais y avoir mis les pieds (on ne peut pas non plus tout connaître et l'Argentine est tellement vaste qu'il est difficile de pouvoir dire "oui, j'y suis allé") mais le manque sera ainsi comblé ... read more
Terre de Feu
Terre de Feu vue du ciel (1)
Ushuaia vue du ciel

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego March 18th 2017

This time, I am going to let the pictures tell the story ....... read more
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