Ushuaia - "Fin Del Mundo' - launchpad for Antarctica via Tierra de Fuego!

My first breathtaking glimpse of the Andes from the plane.
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I was GOBSMACKED as we arrived in Ushuaia watching the Andes reveal themselves from under the layer of cloud that had shrouded them all the way from Buenos Aries. The sight was breathtaking to say the least and I got a real surge of excitement about how amazing all the sights I had ahead of me were probably going to be..........

It still seemed early in the morning and I was really tired, so it took a while to sink in when I retrieved my rucksack from the carrousel that the outside pocket had been ripped off and my Prada (Prada darling!) sunglasses had disappeared!

My first view of the town as the Andes revealed themselves from under the clouds as we came into land.
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I made my way out in a kind of trance and was greeted by Lukas, the son of the family who own the hostel. He was REALLY helpful, had good English and took me to the right place to fill in complaint form etc. So tomorrow I have to go to the Argentinean airline office in town to sort this one out! Oh well! Lukas drove me to the hostel, La Posta, which was modern, clean, family run and my room opened out into the main gathering area, but had a double and very comfy bed! Made myself a cuppa and got talking to one of the ‘permanent’ residents of the hostel, and to Lukas some more, all very friendly people.

I walked straight onto a London Routemaster double decker bus!!
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Then I walked into town, which was not too far compared with the distances I’d covered on foot in B.A. And I walked straight onto a double decker bus tour of the city that ran twice a day and was leaving in 5 minutes! I enquired about the history of the bus and was told it was an old London Routemaster which had been shipped here for the purpose – I had been imagining it arriving here in some far more romantic way, on the Pillock lines!  I told them all about the Pillock Story and they were thrilled – (I have promised to get the film to them sometime Richard!) Sitting on the top deck was a great way to see the town and get an idea of where everything was. And to hear some of the history of the place – I felt I had landed neatly in a very short time and made a kind of mental plan as to what I would do over the next 3 days, until I joined the Quark expedition to Antarctica.

Sitting on the top deck was a great way to see the town.
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So the next day I started to put it all into action – after going to sort out the bag, which they took it in for mending AND lent me one to take to Antarctica! As for the glasses they said they’d cover the cost of another pair, so I went and bought some – but not Pradas! – gave them the receipt to process and then went off on an exploration of Ushuaia’s outskirts.

I just walked up and up and up to the tree line and was delighted to find a whole variety of very individual wooden cabin-like houses and spectacular views down to the sea – but it rather took it out of me! So my planned outing to the prison – Ushuaia was really built as a penal colony and the prison is now a museum with much of the history there – didn’t happen.

At the tree line there was a whole variety of individual wooden houses
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Went back via the supermarket local to the hostel to stock up for a slap up meal – and was greeted with a kiss on the cheek from the guy who stays at the hostel who, it turned out, worked there! On my return to the hostel I also got a kiss on the cheek from the lady who was on the reception yesterday! Argentineans are very friendly people once you get to know them! And – quite a change from the hostel in Buenos Aries – I discovered my bed had been made up and the sheets changed!!!!

The prison - Ushuaia was built as a penal colony.
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But I didn’t really get around to doing any of the outings I’d planned on the bus – the museum, the ‘End of the World’ train ride into Tierra Del Fuego National Park (Tren de fin del Mundo - another of the ‘residents’ in the hostel worked there and said it was worth doing to see round the park) â€“ as it occurred to me I ought to have something to come back to after the Antarctic cruise to – so I walked into a couple of hostels to choose one to stay at – the La Posta would be fully booked by on my return dates – and started planning my onwards journey………I wanted something interesting, ending up in Punta Arenas by the 3^rd December for the flight to the Falklands.

last night in La Posta, I got a bottle of red wine and ended up sharing it with Anne from Manchester
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Although Ushuaia is known as the southern most town in the world, Puerto Williams (across the Beagle Channel in Chile) actually has a degree or two on it, but as its in Chile I guess they don’t advertise this in Argentina! So while I was this far south, I thought I should go all the way. I had investigated going to Punta Arenas overland to on the bus, which was cheap, but a LONG ride and I didn’t really fancy all those hours sitting on a bus, so I thought I would go across to Puerto Williams and get a ferry up the Beagle Channel from there – a red dotted line on the map of Patagonia I’d bought indicated that there should be. But it was not going to be that simple!

waist-high rubbish bins! Presumably to keep them above the snow in the winter
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Relations between the two countries mean that regular ferry crossings as shown on my map have ceased, so I walk around the town to see if I could find some agent who knew of a crossing. In the process I saw all sorts of interesting sights – like the waist-high rubbish bins!  Presumably to keep them above the snow in the winter? – but it also kept the stray dogs (and there were lots of those!) out of the rubbish – if not the cats! Eventually I did find one small company – ‘Boating Ushuaia’ – that took people on trips in a small inflatable. Ushuaia is very much a ‘boating’ town, with yachts and freight and a lovely harbour.

Ushuaia is very much a ‘boating’ town, with yachts and freight and a lovely harbour.
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So I went to Boating Ushuaia and asked if there was a ferry from Puerto Williams to Punta Arenas. There was! Transbordadora Austral Broom, a cargo ferry! And much cheaper than the regular tourist boat straight from Ushuaia! But it seemed all a bit vague – I was put on a list somewhere when he phoned them and he said to come in the day before it was due to go to check that it was on time, was very laid back about the whole thing.  Still, it was my first adventure and I just had to go with the flow. So I went back to the hostel of my choice – which turned out to be a very good choice indeed! And booked 2 nights there for my return.

This all took the best part of the next day, so I decided to save Ushuaia ‘touristy’ things for my return. Even if the cargo ferry went a day early I was going to have at least one full day back here.

Then it was my last night in La Posta, I got a bottle of red wine and ended up sharing it with Anne from Manchester, about my age and also travelling on a round the world ticket, sometimes meeting up with her 18 year old daughter who is doing the same, and had come down from Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales. I think it was she who said I should go to Torres Del Paine National Park north of Puerto Natales and it was she who introduced me to this 'Travel Blog' site and got this started - although I know its taken AGES to get it sent to everyone!  But I mad a a mental note of all she said and we had a very pleasant evening. Then I packed – and ordered a taxi for the next morning to take me to the Hotel where I would meet the Quark tour – next stop Antarctica via Tierra del Fuego!!!