Wednesday: We left Puerto Natales early morning however the journey to Punta Arenas is only two hours so it was to be a walk in the park for us by now! Upon arrival we swiftly made it to our Hostel – Hostel Costañera where we happy to find we had been upgraded to a private ensuite. The room was definitely one of the nicest we have stayed in yet and we felt right at home there following the very friendly welcome from the owner & her family. With only 2 nights here and the first part of today gone, we set about exploring town and, more importantly, finding a bar where we could watch the Leeds vs Spurs FA Cup replay over a couple of chilled beers. Fortunately we managed to find Lomit's, an American style bar, where they were happy to put the game on for us so we settled ourselves at the bar – unfortunately it wasn't the game we hoped for as Leeds lost!
Thursday: We relaxed in the morning and treated ourselves to more of the local steak before catching a boat from the port to Isla Magdalena - the local Penguin colony. This is an island situated in the Straits of Magellan that for the months of Jan – Apr is inhabited by ~ 50,000 penguins. 
We also caught up with Tom & Sarah on the boat, a couple we had met in El Calafate and in Torres Del Paine. 
The trip was really cool, and it was great to get up so close with the wildlife – they are even more hilarious than on TV. The round trip was around 5 hours with 4 hours spent getting there and back and 1 hour on the island. On the way back the crew treated us to a showing of 'March of the Penguins'!
That evening we went to dinner with Tom & Sarah to an all you can eat Chinese buffet – convincing ourselves we all deserved it after the Torres hike! We put away an impressive amount with several of the party clearing 5 plates each! With Tom being Welsh we set about arranging a get together to watch the 6 Nations opening weekend of games as we both set off for Ushuaia the next morning!
Friday: We set off on the dreaded journey to the bottom of the world early morning. The whole journey took about 12 hours and included the a boat crossing and the usual Chilean customs debacle. We arrived in Ushuaia late afternoon and were happy to discover Tom & Sarah had also booked in our hostel. However, on arrival to Casa Alba, we found she had overbooked and Tom & Sarah were carted off to a local 2 star hotel in town – the good thing was that they had cable TV which meant we could watch the games there if we struggled to find a suitable venue in town!
Sunday: Having outlived our stay in Alba's and (Lynne) deciding we weren't going to camp in Tierra del Fuego National Park in this cold weather – we booked into the Los Lupinos Hostel and a dorm room trying to be kind to the budget. After the formalities we headed back round to meet up with Tom & Sarah to watch the Scotland game – unfortunately France were too strong. The afternoon was spent doing some local sight seeing, whilst in the evening all 4 of us ate back at our hostel as Tom & Sarah headed off the next day.
Monday: After an easy weekend of rugby and beers we headed off trekking out of the city into the Andes' foothills that surround the city. The easiest option was to walk the winding road up to the start of the ascent to the top. However in true fashion, David convinced Lynne it would be fine to follow some “dubious” forest paths. Soon enough we were lost walking through woodland before picking up a cross country ski path – in the winter when the area is covered in snow, this is a big sport in the region. We wound back & forth on these paths until we eventually heard the noise of a car and re-found the road – what Lynne called lost time, David called an experience! Continuing on the road, we made it to the bottom of a chairlift that took you to the top of a ski run from where you start the steep ascent to the glacier; we opted for walking and within 1.5 hours we had made it to the top. We were both excited to have the opportunity to play about in the snow line – the first time this trip! The walk afforded a great view over the city with thanks to some fantastic weather. By the time we had returned to the hostel we had been walking for 5.5 hours and so spent the remainder of the afternoon / evening relaxing with pots of tea and reading books.
Tuesday: We headed out on a boat tour on the Beagle Channel. The Beagle Channel is the water that Ushuaia sits on and which connects the Pacific & Atlantic Oceans. This was, of course, named after the boat which Fitzroy & Darwin sailed on in the 1830s when they explored the region. We went with a company called Tango Che, they proved a good choice splitting the 15 of us between two well sized boats.
The guides were good fun and very knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife. The trip took us out to the Eclaireurs Isles where stands a lighthouse built in the early 1900s that is a symbol of Ushuaia and the end of the world. Next the boat swings round to the neigbouring Alicia, Los Pajaros and Los Lobos 
Isles where we saw a large colony of Imperial & Magellan Cormorants – birds that look like penguins – Fullman & Giant Petrels, Skuas and many other species of marine birds and sea lions of course! The boats allow you to get really close to the wildlife...and the smell! In addition to these you see plenty of birds, and some of these birds are BIG!! Neither of us have ever been bird watchers – but after spending the last few weeks in Patagonia it is difficult not to develop an interest. We have seen numerous vultures, hawks, albatrosses and even eagles amongst the many different species. Seeing these birds, which sometimes span to over 2m in width, fly overhead is amazing to witness.
After visiting the sea lions the guides took us to Bridges Island where we took a brief walk during which the guide explained the way of life of the Yamanas – the indigenous people pf the area – and also the local plants. This was really interesting, especially learning of the Yamana people. They were nomadic and wore no clothes – crazy to think of that in these climates – but this was possible as they had evolved with a body temperature of 37.5 degC – a temperature which is classed as fever to us! They moved from shore to shore and camped with only a tent of sea lion skin to protect them. It is fascinating to think of the first encounter between Europeans and these people and the gulf of difference between them. It is sad to hear that today there is only one pure blood Yamana still alive, an 85 yr old lady. The guide showed us campsites they used, identifiable by large mounds of earth called “concheros” produced by shell deposits of the numerous oyster they ate whose shells they stacked up to give some protection against the wind.
After returning to the boat we headed back for port enjoying a few glasses of the local Beagle pale ale – David made up for fact that no-one on the boat had seconds and enjoyed several extra glasses with the crew!!
Thursday: After deciding to avoid the national park – Tierra del Fuego - earlier in the week, we spent today hiking around it. We took the local bus there and were disappointed when we discovered how expensive it was! Nevertheless we opted for one of the longer coastal walks that took us about 3 hours before we 
added on an extra bit by one of the lagoons. The area was quite beautiful and reminded us both of Parque Tyrona in Colombia but in a much colder climate – especially the deserted beaches. Tierra del Fuego translates as The Land of Fires and relates to the fact that when the first Europeans arrived they saw lots of plumes of smoke rising into the air from the campsites of the Yamana and other tribes. After a satisfying trek, we treated ourselves to more of the Argentinian steak & Malbec for a change.
Thursday: We relaxed in the morning and treated ourselves to more of the local steak before catching a boat from the port to Isla Magdalena - the local Penguin colony. This is an island situated in the Straits of Magellan that for the months of Jan – Apr is inhabited by ~ 50,000 penguins. 
We also caught up with Tom & Sarah on the boat, a couple we had met in El Calafate and in Torres Del Paine. 
The trip was really cool, and it was great to get up so close with the wildlife – they are even more hilarious than on TV. The round trip was around 5 hours with 4 hours spent getting there and back and 1 hour on the island. On the way back the crew treated us to a showing of 'March of the Penguins'!That evening we went to dinner with Tom & Sarah to an all you can eat Chinese buffet – convincing ourselves we all deserved it after the Torres hike! We put away an impressive amount with several of the party clearing 5 plates each! With Tom being Welsh we set about arranging a get together to watch the 6 Nations opening weekend of games as we both set off for Ushuaia the next morning!
Friday: We set off on the dreaded journey to the bottom of the world early morning. The whole journey took about 12 hours and included the a boat crossing and the usual Chilean customs debacle. We arrived in Ushuaia late afternoon and were happy to discover Tom & Sarah had also booked in our hostel. However, on arrival to Casa Alba, we found she had overbooked and Tom & Sarah were carted off to a local 2 star hotel in town – the good thing was that they had cable TV which meant we could watch the games there if we struggled to find a suitable venue in town!We all went out for dinner at a pizzeria which kind of turned into another all you can eat with empanadas, pizzas and pastas all being devoured. Lynne was delighted to find out that Sarah was a fellow white wine drinker and she was excited to have someone to share a bottle with.
Saturday: We spent the day searching for a suitable pub to watch the rugby and were disappointed to discover that the only option was the Galway Irish pub that was very overpriced and crippling to a traveller's budget!! Therefore, we went for the cheap option of a supermarket sweep for booze and empanadas and watched the games from the comfort of Tom & Sarah's hotel room. As you are all aware, it turned out to be a joyous occasion for the English!! Not so good for Tom and the Welsh nation. We continued the festivities into the evening but were unfortunate to have the worst meal of our lives in a TeleBingo cafe!! It was a truly awful steak sandwich.
Sunday: Having outlived our stay in Alba's and (Lynne) deciding we weren't going to camp in Tierra del Fuego National Park in this cold weather – we booked into the Los Lupinos Hostel and a dorm room trying to be kind to the budget. After the formalities we headed back round to meet up with Tom & Sarah to watch the Scotland game – unfortunately France were too strong. The afternoon was spent doing some local sight seeing, whilst in the evening all 4 of us ate back at our hostel as Tom & Sarah headed off the next day.
Monday: After an easy weekend of rugby and beers we headed off trekking out of the city into the Andes' foothills that surround the city. The easiest option was to walk the winding road up to the start of the ascent to the top. However in true fashion, David convinced Lynne it would be fine to follow some “dubious” forest paths. Soon enough we were lost walking through woodland before picking up a cross country ski path – in the winter when the area is covered in snow, this is a big sport in the region. We wound back & forth on these paths until we eventually heard the noise of a car and re-found the road – what Lynne called lost time, David called an experience! Continuing on the road, we made it to the bottom of a chairlift that took you to the top of a ski run from where you start the steep ascent to the glacier; we opted for walking and within 1.5 hours we had made it to the top. We were both excited to have the opportunity to play about in the snow line – the first time this trip! The walk afforded a great view over the city with thanks to some fantastic weather. By the time we had returned to the hostel we had been walking for 5.5 hours and so spent the remainder of the afternoon / evening relaxing with pots of tea and reading books.I will also add here that since Uruguay we have taken to salami & cheese sandwiches in a big way. We can't recall many days thus far that we haven't visited a Fiambre where we've purchased a few(!) slices of both, constantly experimenting with the different types on offer. At the top of this hill, we believe we had the best so far. The salami was spiced, the cheese, Camembert in a crusty baguette. From now on we have set the task of discovering how to make the best 'Queso y Salame' sandwich possible!
Tuesday: We headed out on a boat tour on the Beagle Channel. The Beagle Channel is the water that Ushuaia sits on and which connects the Pacific & Atlantic Oceans. This was, of course, named after the boat which Fitzroy & Darwin sailed on in the 1830s when they explored the region. We went with a company called Tango Che, they proved a good choice splitting the 15 of us between two well sized boats. 
The guides were good fun and very knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife. The trip took us out to the Eclaireurs Isles where stands a lighthouse built in the early 1900s that is a symbol of Ushuaia and the end of the world. Next the boat swings round to the neigbouring Alicia, Los Pajaros and Los Lobos 
Isles where we saw a large colony of Imperial & Magellan Cormorants – birds that look like penguins – Fullman & Giant Petrels, Skuas and many other species of marine birds and sea lions of course! The boats allow you to get really close to the wildlife...and the smell! In addition to these you see plenty of birds, and some of these birds are BIG!! Neither of us have ever been bird watchers – but after spending the last few weeks in Patagonia it is difficult not to develop an interest. We have seen numerous vultures, hawks, albatrosses and even eagles amongst the many different species. Seeing these birds, which sometimes span to over 2m in width, fly overhead is amazing to witness. 
After visiting the sea lions the guides took us to Bridges Island where we took a brief walk during which the guide explained the way of life of the Yamanas – the indigenous people pf the area – and also the local plants. This was really interesting, especially learning of the Yamana people. They were nomadic and wore no clothes – crazy to think of that in these climates – but this was possible as they had evolved with a body temperature of 37.5 degC – a temperature which is classed as fever to us! They moved from shore to shore and camped with only a tent of sea lion skin to protect them. It is fascinating to think of the first encounter between Europeans and these people and the gulf of difference between them. It is sad to hear that today there is only one pure blood Yamana still alive, an 85 yr old lady. The guide showed us campsites they used, identifiable by large mounds of earth called “concheros” produced by shell deposits of the numerous oyster they ate whose shells they stacked up to give some protection against the wind. 
After returning to the boat we headed back for port enjoying a few glasses of the local Beagle pale ale – David made up for fact that no-one on the boat had seconds and enjoyed several extra glasses with the crew!!After the trip we enjoyed a couple more drinks but unfortunately which sent us to sleep quite easily until........we were awoken by a fellow room mate (a 50yr old Japanese chap) who snored like a train! It was a sleepless night for both of us and we looked forward to checking out and moving onto our private room in our third & final hostel in Ushuaia!
Wednesday: We moved into La Posta and were delighted with the place! A really nice hostel with great rooms, facilities & staff, one we would definitely recommend – and who serve the most amazing sweet croissants we have ever tasted! They even got a fresh delivery for us even though we missed breakfast – we showed how appreciative we were by putting away 10 of them!! A trend that would continue the next few mornings! After letting the food go down we headed to the Museo 'Fin del Mundo' in town. Although it had some interesting items it was fairly small and the layout could be improved but we enjoyed the hit of culture anyhow. With a bit of time to kill we visited a local deli and spent some time trying and choosing the local salami, jamon crudo and cheeses to put together a tapas platter for dinner – so far we are torn between strong smoked or Camembert cheese for the sandwiches!
Thursday: After deciding to avoid the national park – Tierra del Fuego - earlier in the week, we spent today hiking around it. We took the local bus there and were disappointed when we discovered how expensive it was! Nevertheless we opted for one of the longer coastal walks that took us about 3 hours before we 
added on an extra bit by one of the lagoons. The area was quite beautiful and reminded us both of Parque Tyrona in Colombia but in a much colder climate – especially the deserted beaches. Tierra del Fuego translates as The Land of Fires and relates to the fact that when the first Europeans arrived they saw lots of plumes of smoke rising into the air from the campsites of the Yamana and other tribes. After a satisfying trek, we treated ourselves to more of the Argentinian steak & Malbec for a change.Friday: The day we have been dreading had arrived! Today we journey to Puerto Madryn which is way north on the east coast of Argentina. To get there we had to be leave on the 05:00 bus to Rio Gallegos that takes 13 hours – mainly due to the fact the bus has to pass through Chile and we've talked about what a pain their border controls are! This was followed by 4 hours waiting in the bus station in Rio Gallegos before catching the 18 hour over night bus to Puerto Madryn.
Frank aka Dad says:-
ReplyDeleteYet another upgrade - Lynne is certainly worth her weight in Gold.
Less said about the Leeds result the better - other than Spurs were lucky on 3 occassions whilst Leeds were unlucky on 48!!!
Not sure the penguins were fooled by your impression Lynne - it was probably your hat that gave the game away!
Let me guess which members of the party at the Chinese Restuarant managed 5 platefuls of food. Lets start with members whose name start with the letter "D" (correct or not?)?
Regarding the now regular "David getting lost trick" - perhaps a compromise would be to call it an "experience in lost time"!!!
Regarding the ingredients of your Queso y Salame - does it come with a regulation desert of "toothpaste pate" - or where you taking on the sealions at their own game?
I always though you had an interest in bird watching - certainly before you met Lynne!!!
For those who know him, do you think that Nick Teague could have Yamana blood or genes in his body!!!
Take care of each other. safe travelling.