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Published: March 23rd 2009
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All aboard the magic bus
We want one and you will see more ... a lot more Ushuaia
The southern most city in the world (although actually there's a naval town just across the
border in Chile which is a bit further south, but we aren't really supposed to mention that as we're in Argentina. There's lot of things we don't need to mention. Like the Falklands, Sorry: Isla de Malvinas that apparrently belongs to Argentina on all maps, signage, and at all borders where they like to remind everyone. (not that we care, it's just interesting.)
So Ushuaia.....
Until 1989 this was a sleepy logging town and fishing port. Now it is still half asleep, but has woken up to tourists. It's the destination if you are bound for Antarctica or if you need to buy a box of beautiful chocolates or a gortex jacket, Ushuaia's the place to go.
In the summer you never really take off your sweater, but the sky is blue and the air clean,
the sea black and the nature raw, beautiful and harsh.
We ended up staying in Ushuaia longer than we intended as we had gone from Guatemala to
Miami to Buenos Aires and finally Ushuaia within 5 days, a distance easily over
Karen and Swiss Barbara
Where is the bar of Lindt's? 10000km's and frankly we were knackered.
So we hired a car and went off visiting the Tierra del Fuego National Park, looking at what beavers can do...whoo they have teeth.
Karen went on a special trip to an island that was inhabited only by penguins where she was
told not to try and talk with them, but they were so curious it was hard not to and they are not the least bit scared. Karen had been imagining penguins as snow, ice, pingu, etc, but it turned out to be a grassy island with a pebble beach and a rocky interior. Fantastic experience though with penguins jumping in and out the water, cawing to each other and all equally spaced out from one another (talk about personal space, like londoners at a tube station) .... just walking around with penguins....time disappears.
Meanwhile Marcel was visiting Harberton, a remote ranch originally owned by the English missionary and anthropologist Briggs, Marcel was hanging out with a couple of girls (barbara and Ninya) going on a trip to a whale bone museum - very stinky, especially the rendering shack where they strip the flesh off bones and getting a personal
Spot the marcel
Can you see me? tour of the Europa sail boat (Ninya was a crewmate).
We thought while we were here, we would look into an Antarctic cruise... five days through
Drakes passage, a couple days seeing the Antartic and then back again..mmm?
Well we looked into it...asked around at the docks for a last minute cancellation...but our budgets wouldn't stretch, a last minute (going the same day) was $3950 (US), for a 12 day 'cruise'. To be honest we didn't fancy a cruise anyway. Huh.
We did however meet some really good people in Ushuaia; all those who work at the at the Cruz del Sur hostel (a hostel that makes up in hospitality what it lacks in amenities - mostly space) especially Barbara (Babu - a lovely girl who maybe might make it to London one day for some tea!). The other Barbara, Martin, Ninya and the crew from the Europa (a sail boat that goes to the Antarctic) That's the journey we will be saving for, a 21 day trip.
Its quite amazing when you meet people from the sailing world, they have a completely different existence to the rest of us, the Europa was off on a 52
day journey to South Africa via the Antartic and the crew live in such a small environment all that time, have a small amount of time onshore and then they are off again. They really love it. Marcel however is not so sure after visiting the ship (which is beautiful) that has space slightly bigger than a double decker bus or two luxury coaches accessible to the passengers, talk about cabin fever.
Marcel's meat consumption is growing to epic proportions, mainly lamb down here in the south but steak is still everywhere - so cheap it's hard to resist and there isn't really an alternative. Karen is finding the options slightly limited, mainly pasta and salad that accompanies the parrilla's. Patagonian restaurants are not for vegetarians but you can get your veggies at the supermarket and cook in the hostel if you have a kitchen.
Boy, a week can go fast when your just hanging out and playing with the new computer getting the the overdue blog ready. Feel quite slovenly when the young guy from Washington State goes off Bear Grll's style for 10 days to live off the land and fish in the lakes with only
Beaver dam
Damn! Apparently they are terrible for the environment a tarpaulin for shelter.
Feel slightly better when he returns after a 2 days wet and bedraggled (to be fair he went straight back out again after fixing his fishing rod that had broken - he was a tough kid).
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Marc Martin
non-member comment
hey Karen and Marcel
Hey Karen and Marcel, It´s Marc Martin here, the Spanish guy who lives in London and who you met in hostel Cruz del Sur in Ushuaia. I can see that your trip is going well. Please, keep in touch when you get back to London. All the best! Enjoy!! 07984640158. Marc and la ninya