The long road north starts here

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As we left Ushuaia to get the bus back across Tierra del Fuego to Punta Arenas in Chile I had the time to think about how much time it had taken us to get to the end of the world. Turns out to be about 120 hours of time on buses, not counting side trips. Five overnight trips so far. No idea how many thousands of kilometres.

Anyway we had a fairly long day from Ushuaia to Chile, very rainy and misty for the first few hours and then glorious sunshine for the bits with no interesting scenery. Only one odd stop in the middle of nowhere for the bus driver to put on his overalls and whack something under the bus with a large spanner.

Punta Arenas was a nice city for a short stopover, some amazing mansions built by sheep farming millionaires and other entrepreneurs from the late 19th century - and great tombs for them in the cemetery. The cemetery has a great mix of nations. Even has quite a large English section - even though most of the names are very Scottish. Lots of walking was done in, and between, the showers.

On our first evening we were sitting in a restaurant when Jurgen the German (with the camper van) who we had previously met in Tandil walked in for a night cap. Fun to catch up with him as he continues his battles with bureaucracy and searches for parts for his ancient camera collection.

There is a great little diner, not in LP, on Roca near the main square, where you can admire 1950s decorations whilst eating your chorizo or cheese or mixed chorizo and cheese roll. That is the menu.

After two nights we had the luxury of a short three hour bus ride to Puerto Natales, our base for a few days around Torres del Paine.

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Photos

On Tierra del Fuego
whilst waiting for the bus to be fixed

Menendez family mausoleum
This man had serious money..

Sara Braun Mausoleum
in Punta Arenas cemetery