JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE WORLD

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JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE WORLD



Ushuaia, Argentina















As is usual when planning a new trip, daily life gets in the way. I had planned for Patagonia to be my last stop on this journey. But making it happen seemed impossible. I must be getting tired. I thought about not even going…after all, what was such a big thing about Patagonia…what’s in a name? Still, I had said I would end my trip at the tip of the land mass of South America, and that is Tierra del Fuego, the island, and Ushuaia, the town.



I finally decided to travel on the fifteenth of August and stay for seven days. This leaves me ten days in Buenos Aires for more tango and time to do the sightseeing I have been putting off. As the date drew closer I still had not booked a ticket. Michael, as usual, came to the rescue. Even though he was in the countdown of his own trip to South Korea, Mongolia and the Philippines, he made time to research flights for me. He found one leaving at 2 pm on August 15^th and returning at 9 am on the 22^nd. Perfect. I booked.



I checked hotel prices and decided to try Airbnb for the first time; hotels were very expensive in Ushuaia. Booking was a nightmare. I hope it was only because it was the first time. It took hours, and Vicky from my hotel here in Buenos Aires had to handle language barriers and technical problems… like sending a copy of my driver’s license. Finally I had a room in Hernan and Mirtha’s home in Ushuaia. I didn’t get the confirmation until I arrived at the airport in Buenos Aires, but I got on the plane knowing I was “good to go.”



My hosts at la Boheme, in Buenos Aires, told me it was snowing in Ushuaia several weeks before I actually left. In preparation for my trip I bought a fleece jacket, a wonderful knit hat with a large orange pom-pom on top, and a pair of boots with non-slip rubber soles. I had a fleece shirt, a cashmere sweater, an alpaca sweater made in Ecuador and my hiking long johns so I thought I could stay warm. All I needed was gloves.



I had a head cold right before my trip, but I decided to take my mask, fins, and regulator, and my underwater camera, in case I got the opportunity to dive in Ushuaia.



Saturday dawned, the first bright, sunny day since my arrival in Buenos Aires. The taxi ride to the airport made me wish I had time to sightsee in the city, and I hoped I would get one more day of sunshine before I leave for home on the first of September.



The three and a half hour flight passed quickly. Just after the pilot informed us of the approach to Ushuaia we hit heavy turbulence that found me praying for a safe landing and reading my novel to keep my fear at bay. Snow pelted the windows. When we rolled to a stop everyone started putting on layers of snow clothes.



After getting my luggage I stepped through the doors leading to the terminal and the sight of the snow as darkness approached literally stopped me in my tracks. It was the most interesting and intimidating arrival of my trip. Looking at the isolation, the miniscule airport terminal and the weather made me question, “What have I gotten myself into?” It really felt like the End of the World.



I Skyped Hernan to let him know I had arrived. Then I decided to eat at the airport cafeteria which was almost deserted. It was getting late and I didn't know if I would find any place else to eat. I ordered toast, tea and soup. I was so glad to finally find soup in Argentina. As I gazed out the window enjoying the falling snow I struck up a disjointed conversation, English/Spanish, with an older man sitting at a table by the window. Then I Skyped Michael and ate the wonderful toast and drank tea. After a lengthy wait I went back to the counter and re-ordered my soup…potato soup, the instant kind. But it tasted great.







At last I got a taxi. It was a short ride to Hernan’s. Their house is behind their store. They sell hats, gloves, scarves, and other small items good for gifts. The house itself is small, two bedrooms…mine had a twin bed, bright pink walls, an armoire with a mirror on the side, tucked behind a large white hammock. There was a small table with a variety of brochures for tourism scattered over the top. My suitcase took up much of the remaining floor space, but there is a propane stove which kept it pretty cozy. The window has a heavy metal grillwork outside so there isn’t much natural light, and only one light so the room is a little dark. There is a small shared bathroom right next to my hosts’ bedroom, a dining room/sitting room with a table and four chairs, one other chair and a chest with a radio. Also a folding drying rack next to the propane heater. This is very sensible in the winter, especially. Finally there is a small, narrow kitchen with a microwave, a gas stove and a refrigerator.



For the last month and a half I have had rented a room with a private bath and at first I was dismayed by the idea of sharing such a small space with my hosts and their little poodle, Jhemil. But the poodle had great manners and was no bother at all, and my hosts could not have been more accommodating.



The house is located right in town so I walked to the supermarket and bought a large bottle of water, enough to last several days. I also bought a few snacks, since I would probably be hungry later. I was so tired, I unpacked the essentials, Skyped Michael and went to bed.



Who knows what tomorrow may bring.

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Photos

First View of Ushuaia
It was actually quite pretty with the street lights just coming on.

Inside the Terminal
Functional and stark at dusk.

My Room
Colorful, small and warm.

Mirtha and Jhemil
Jhemil is almost bigger than she is in this photo. He has a shorter clip now. He grabs his jacket and shakes it vigorously when he acts the alpha male.

Snow
Heavy snow for the first three days.

The Shop
Owners, Mirtha and Hernan, with Jhemil. The door leads to the apartment behind the shop.

Comments

[Same Day Agra Tour]

http://www.samedaytours.in/
Thanks for your best travel news with South America and Argentina trip.

[littlewing]

WOW im impressed!
Diving Ushuaia - now that is impressive...what was it like and how cold?? Well done!

[Never too old]

WOW im impressed!
Hi Cindy, I loved Ushuaia...I remember it being 3 degrees C...Not that much colder than my own Seattle, WA winter diving, if the dry suit had been dry. Returning with my own drysuit is on my bucket list. Six inches of snow in the inflatable. I'll never forget. Underwater there were crabs, nudibranchs, but not big fish, and the sea lions never showed. I'll have that to look forward to next time.

[Rashid Al Ruhi]

Nice Tour...
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