Blogs from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, South America

As we sail north away from Antartica I will make a mention of the many research stations located here. The first permanent bases were established by the British during WWII. The Germans dropped swastika markers from planes making a symbolic claim on the Antarctic and that, coupled with Argentina's apparent sympathy towards the Nazis, prompted the English to set up a number of military bases. Today these bases, along with many others have been converted into research stations. In 1959, fifty five countries signed a treaty protecting the region and allowing research stations to be constructed. These hundreds of stations fall into 3 categories - permanent, seasonal and discontinued. One of the largest is the Amundsen-Scott base located directly on the South Pole by the US. Most of the bases are located on the coast. In ... read more

Sprayed on, snorted on, sneezed on by three different animals on three different continents. Riding on the back of an elephant ambling knee-deep up a small mountain stream in Laos, the graceful lady dipped her trunk into the water, took a good suck and turned her long snout upwards, backwards over her head, and let loose. Straight at me. While elephants use this practice to cool their backs, I strongly suspect she knew exactly what else she was also doing. Get up close and personal, face to face with a camel on its haunches in Petra, Jordan. Its nostrils are already flared. Without warning the animal sneezes over my face, or more correctly, mostly over my camera and hand, with a woollen beanie protecting the top of my head. Now a Southern right whale approaches ... read more

Les jours qui suivent, la chance se range de notre coté et les expériences inoubliables s'enchaînent jour après jour. A Puerto Rio Tranquilo, on hésite à débourser 100 euros pour une journée à explorer les glaciers. Pour autant, lorsque l'on rentre fatigués le soir, c'est avec un sentiment d'euphorie partagé par tous: Après une heure de trajet, le bus nous dépose à l'entrée d'une forêt. Notre guide nous invite à enfiler nos casques et nous donne à chacun une paire de crampons. Après une heure de marche, on émerge de la forêt pour arriver dans un paysage sublime. Une mer de cailloux épars nous sépare du glacier qui se découpe en petites collines à plusieurs centaines de mètres. Le guide nous explique que l'expansion ou au contraire la réduction du glacier a modelé le paysage ce ... read more

After the excitement of yesterday’s successful tests, we knew we had a bit more World Cup efficiency to get through. Disappointingly, it didn’t take that long…so we had a whole day to fill until we could get on the boat. Wandered around for coffee and a bit of souvenir shopping (noting the location of every stuffed penguin in Ushuaia for future reference) as well as some last minute clothes purchases for those who left their jumpers on the floor of their bedrooms and those who left their waistlines in pre-covid times. Some tasty empanadas for lunch before another lap of the town and the realisation that we had totally exhausted everything there was to do in Ushuaia and there was still 2 hours to go…and it was pouring with rain and blowing a howling gale. Now ... read more

On Friday we had a free day in Buenos Aires. I had one mission in mind, to head to La Boca to buy some shoes. My all time favourite shoes were bought there 8 years ago and I have had them repaired and they are still going strong. Before that we went out about 9am and walked along the riverbank. We spotted the Casa Rosada in the distance. It was a pleasant sunny morning and the restaurants were being prepared for the lunchtime opening. We returned to the hotel where wet had to have an information session and a Covid test. The venue for the information was changed without anyone telling us but we found it with the help of one of the managers. On the 5th floor we gathered and Lola the guide told us ... read more