(More pics with explanations are on my FB, by the way).
Day 1: Ushuaia/Canal Beagle
Suck it up and fly on the 4:45am flight to Ushuaia. Try not to forget your camera, but if you do (me), the fine folks at Eduardo's on the main drag will dry your tears of self-anger with a pretty decent camera that you then can try to sell online.
Yay! You land, it's 8:30am and you've got the whole day ahead of you! Time for...a nap! After indulging your 'I'm on vacation; I can do what I want" self, time to explore! Ushuaia is a pretty cool town with a colorful history, and it's kind of neat to be able to say you were at the southernmost city in the world.
Some main points of interest:
- Yamani Museum - a 30 peso, 30 minute tour through this museum will give you a good foundation for what these native peoples were like, until the Spanish wiped them out with disease, natch. Nice work, Europeans, yet again!
- Prison- I didn't actually go into the prison, but there are a few good photos opps outside. I learned a lot about the origins of the European version of Ushuaia (as opposed to the Yamani version) through various other tours, so if you're doing any others, no need to go into the prison unless they're your thang. (Saw a lot of people with Alcatraz t-shirts there, so apparently there's a cult following(?))
-Boats! Sitting! Wind! Looking at sea lions! Even though it's super touristy, take a boat tour of the Beagle Channel. There is Some great wildlife, and the tour helps you get a sense for the geography and to see how vast the area is.
-King crab (centolla): Of course, it's becoming overfished, but you NEED to try this once when in Ushuaia. I'm not usually all about plundering scarce wildlife, but as they say, "When in Ushuaia..."
-Ushuaia is considered the capital of the Falklands/Islas Malvinas. This year is the 30th anny of the end of the war (actually the day you're here, Suz, Erin an Molly! It's one of the 18 national holidays) and many Argentines consider it to have been a senseless killing in that the government sent troops, accustomed to the north, to their death in the frigid south. Below is a monument to this in town.
Day 2: Ushuaia/Lagos Escondidos Tour
I decided to see another part of the area with a really personal experience. I took a 4X4 tour with 4 other people for about 7 hours. The guide was REALLY knowledgable and fun and we got to get really up close to these amazing lakes in the mountains. It was in Spanish, which was awesome for me, so if you go, check the language of your tour before you go! We got to walk along the water, while our guide Walter went ahead in the car and got the asado going. There was a tiny hut with no electricity and running water/bathrooms up ahead, and we shared an amazing meal with beautiful views of the lake.
There's also a funny video of us on the rugged terrain embedded below.
Hang out at the local Irish bar on the main drag! The servers are really friendly, and it's a great way to meet locals. I was invited to a costume party that night that was to take place at the bar after closing, but when I asked what time, Maxi told me that people would start to show up after 2:30. I wish I hadn't gone home to 'close my eyes' for a minute, because I woke up at 4:30am completely dressed. Sigh. Argentine time. I still must conquer you! (Except that I was at a tranny club until 5am last night, so I made a bit of a comeback. You're welcome, Swayz.)
Day 3: Hiking in Tierra Del Fuego National Park/Ushuaia/Andes Mountain Range
I think I had an out of body experience that day. Honestly. Even though the activities and excursions I went on were SO fun, and I met a lot of cool people, this might have been my favorite day. It reminded me of being a little kid with Julie and playing in the woods, not seeing anyone for hours and telling Jer an Swayz, "We'll be back!" before departing for the day. I essentially climbed a mountain and sat on top for a couple of hours, eating the Argentine version of Wheat Thins and reading my book. Oh and staring. A lot. The water- how was it so blue?! (sediment from glaciers and mountains make it that way)The mountains- how just in general was on top of one?! (I took my life in my hands; that's how). The clouds- I felt like I could reach out and touch them and those shapes?!
You could honestly spend a week hiking that jam. I would have, had I had the time. (That's a lot of hadding). Anyway, these two mini videos will take you through my experience and my trek to the top.
For anything I mention on these posts, I have all the logistics, prices, contact details typed out in my email, so if you would like any information, just let me know!
Stay tuned tomorrow/whenever I get around to it (ah, spoken like a true Argentine) for the second leg of my trip to El Calafate. You will be richly rewarded with crampons, glaciers, tales of me falling, and how I learned to horseback ride.
Trivia Question: What do you think I had an encounter with during this trip that wasn't to my liking? The first one to guess correctly will receive the grand prize of being blessed with my presence in April!*
*Note: Must be in NYC April 25-29 to redeem.
looks great! did you encounter a banana?? :)
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