Ushuaia

DAY 73 (1 OF 1) – USHUAIA AIRPORT (STRANDED), USHUAIA, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

It’s time for us to head back to Patagonia for some more trekking. Our Aerolineas Argentina flight from Ushuaia to El Calafate was scheduled to depart at 13:35. When we arrived at the airport, our flight was shown on the display screen as delayed, and the new departure time was 20:20. We were told that due to a strike of control personnel at the airports in Buenos Aires (where our plane would come from), our flight would come at 19:40. We had no choice but to wait at the airport. At 19:40, our flight didn’t come, and the new departure time had been changed to 00:40, and then 02:40… We entered the boarding area at around midnight. We were the only two people there. We took some rest and waited for further update. At 02:00, an airline staff came to us and told us that our flight was cancelled. After almost 13 hours of wait and our flight was cancelled! The staff then put our names on the waiting list for a 06:00 flight to El Calafate. Since all the long-distance buses and flights were full for the next few days, we had no choice but to wait for their arrangement.

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Next Destination – El Chalten
Continuing on our journey from post Day 74

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South America 2013 – Our Destinations
Buenos Aires (Argentina), Iguazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Pantanal (Brazil), Brasilia (Brazil), Belo Horizonte & Inhotim (Brazil), Ouro Preto (Brazil), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Paraty (Brazil), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Samaipata & Santa Cruz (Bolivia), Sucre (Bolivia), Potosi (Bolivia), Southwest Circuit (Bolivia), Tilcara, Purmamarca, Salta (Argentina), Cafayate (Argentina), San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), Antofagasta & Paranal Observatory (Chile), Chiloe (Chile), Puerto Varas (Chile), Torres del Paine (Chile), Ushuaia (Argentina), El Chalten (Argentina), El Calafate (Argentina), Isla Magdalena (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Valparaiso (Chile), Afterthought

December 28, 2013 | Categories: Argentina, Day 71 to 80, Ushuaia | Tags: airport, Argentina, destination, journal, photo, South America, things-to-do, Tierra del Fuego, Travel, Ushuaia | 1 Comment

DAY 72 (1 OF 2) – POST OFFICE, ISLA REDONDA, PARQUE NACIONAL TIERRA DEL FUEGO, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

Sending postcards and getting a souvenir stamp onto our passports were the main reasons to come to the Isla Redonda Post Office at Bahia Ensenada. As this “last” post office in the world, even the postman (has been stationed at this post office for many years) has become a famous subject printed on postal stamps and postcards. Proudly representing the “end of world”, the postman was a cheerful figure who greeted us with a big smile and a big souvenir stamp in hand. The stamp is so big that it took up a full page of our passport. And guess what’s on the stamp… the forever penguins!

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December 28, 2013 | Categories: Argentina, Day 71 to 80, Ushuaia | Tags: Argentina, destination, End of world, Isla Redonda, journal, photo, post, South America, things-to-do, Tierra del Fuego, Travel, Ushuaia | Leave a comment

DAY 72 (2 OF 2) – SENDA COSTERA & BAHIA LAPATAIA, PARQUE NACIONAL TIERRA DEL FUEGO, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

From the post office at Bahia Ensenada, we began the 8km trek Senda Costera west to Lapataia, where the trail meets RN no.3 four kilometres from its terminus. The 4-hour trek led us through some of the southernmost forests and stone beaches along Beagle Channel. With snow-capped mountains in the background, the beaches along Beagle Channel were filled with mussels, clams, seaweed, and moss-covered rocks. After finishing Senda Costera, we dropped by Alakush Visitor Centre to get another “end of world” souvenir stamp on our passport. From Alakush, we headed southwest along RN no.3 and turned to Mirador Lapataia, a 20-minute shortcut leading to the terminus of RN no.3. At the road terminus we reached a big cul-de-sac and a sign stating “Bahia Lapataia, Aqui finaliza la Rute Nac No. 3, 3079km from Buenos Aires, 17848km from Alaska”. We had finally reached the end of the Pan-American Highway! The timing was perfect for us to catch the 3pm bus back to Ushuaia. Otherwise we would need to wait till 5pm for the next bus back to the city.

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December 28, 2013 | Categories: Argentina, Day 71 to 80, Ushuaia | Tags: Argentina, Bahia Lapataia, Beagle Channel, destination, journal, park, photo, sea, Senda Costera, South America, things-to-do, Tierra del Fuego, Travel, Ushuaia | 1 Comment

DAY 71 (5 OF 5) – KAUPE RESTAURANT, USHUAIA, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

With a nice view overlooking the harbour, Kaupe Restaurant is perhaps the best place in town to taste the seafood of Ushuaia. We had scallops, king crab, Patagonian sea bass, and octopus from Beagle Channel.

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December 27, 2013 | Categories: Argentina, Day 71 to 80, Ushuaia | Tags: Argentina, destination, food, journal, Kaupe, king crab, octopus, Patagonian, photo, restaurant, sea bass, seafood, South America, things-to-do, Travel, Ushuaia | Leave a comment

DAY 71 (4 OF 5) – ESTANCIA HARBERTON, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

Thomas Bridges, a missionary, pioneer, and founder of Estancia Harberton, is an important historical figure in Ushuaia. He left England for Falkland Islands and later Ushuaia during his early teens. After he arrived in Tierra del Fuego, he mastered the language of the Yamana People (the native nomadic people living in the area of Ushuaia) and later compiled the Yahgan-English dictionary. His son Lucas Bridges also published an important book called Uttermost Part of the Earth, describing his own childhood experience in Ushuaia and studies of the bygone Yamana People. The books by Thomas and Lucas Bridges are two of the most crucial publications about Ushuaia and its native people. Today, Estancia Harberton is still run by the great grandson of Thomas Bridges, and has become a tourist establishment containing a museum, restaurant, guesthouse, farms and a boat dock.
The estancia (ranch) would be a peaceful place to soak up the history and atmosphere of Tierra del Fuego if we planned for a longer stay in Ushuaia. After our visit to Martillo Island, we had about an hour to explore Estancia Harberton and its Museo Acatushun. Although small, Museo Acatushun has a huge collection of specimens and skeletons of marine mammals and birds found in the region. Its skeleton collections of whales and dolphins mainly come from stranded individuals found near Rio Grande, where the dramatic tidal difference can easily become a trap for ocean wildlife. The tour by the museum staff was thorough, and we came out with a better understanding of marine mammals of the region.

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December 27, 2013 | Categories: Argentina, Day 71 to 80, Ushuaia | Tags: Argentina, destination, dolphins, Estancia, Harberton, journal, Museo Acatushun, museum, photo, ranch, South America, things-to-do, Thomas Bridges, Tierra del Fuego, Travel, Ushuaia, whales, Yamana | 1 Comment

DAY 71 (3 OF 5) – PENGUINS, MARTILLO ISLAND, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

Seeing Magellan Penguins marching on the stony beaches of Martillo Island is perhaps the biggest highlight of many people’s visit to Ushuaia. Until their contract expires, Pira Tours is the only company granted permission to land visitors on the island. It was a 15-minute boat ride to reach Martillo Island from Harberton. As the boat landed on the beach, the curious Magellanic Penguins were already in sight. The guide led us to sit down on the beach. We stayed low for about 5 minutes until the penguins got used to our presence. Then we were able to crawl closer to admire these wonderfully human-like creatures. They walked like humans, argued like humans, and showed curiosity to us (and our cameras) when we got close to them. On the beach, we could find mostly “single” penguins that were either too young or too old to raise a family. On the hilltop where the soil is suitable for digging underground nests, we were able to find penguin couples, and at this time of the year, their babies as well. Not only did we see Magellanic Penguins, but also a small colony of Gentoo penguin and surprisingly a single King penguin. No one knows exactly why there is a pair of King penguins on Martillo Island. Some scientists suggest that these King penguins are visitors or perhaps even pioneers looking for new places to build a colony after plate tectonic movement have affected the region in recent years. We spent roughly an hour on the island, walking on a designated path from the beach up the nesting hill and then back to the beach.

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December 27, 2013 | Categories: Argentina, Day 71 to 80, Ushuaia | Tags: Argentina, destination, Gentoo, Harberton, journal, King, Magellanic, Martillo Island, penguins, photo, Pira Tours, South America, things-to-do, Tierra del Fuego, Travel, Ushuaia | 2 Comments

DAY 71 (2 OF 5) – FUEGIAN TREES, NEAR ESTANCIA HARBERTON, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

On our way to Harberton, we stopped by an area where extremely strong winds have distorted the growth of trees. These distorted trees, together with king crabs, penguins, and Lighthouse Les Eclaireurs, are the most iconic images of Tierra del Fuego. The profile of these trees has been used on all kinds of souvenir products, from batches to posters.

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December 27, 2013 | Categories: Argentina, Day 71 to 80, Ushuaia | Tags: Argentina, destination, Fuegian, Harberton, journal, photo, South America, things-to-do, Tierra del Fuego, Travel, trees, Ushuaia | Leave a comment

Blue Lapis Road ultramarinus – beyond the sea

DAY 73 (1 OF 1) – USHUAIA AIRPORT (STRANDED), USHUAIA, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

DAY 72 (1 OF 2) – POST OFFICE, ISLA REDONDA, PARQUE NACIONAL TIERRA DEL FUEGO, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

DAY 72 (2 OF 2) – SENDA COSTERA & BAHIA LAPATAIA, PARQUE NACIONAL TIERRA DEL FUEGO, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

DAY 71 (5 OF 5) – KAUPE RESTAURANT, USHUAIA, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

DAY 71 (4 OF 5) – ESTANCIA HARBERTON, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

DAY 71 (3 OF 5) – PENGUINS, MARTILLO ISLAND, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

DAY 71 (2 OF 5) – FUEGIAN TREES, NEAR ESTANCIA HARBERTON, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA