Ushuaia's claim to fame, it's signature found on every storefront, billboard, t-shirt, fishing rod, bed roll, cracker box, condom wrapper and pair of womens underwear, is that it is "el fin del mundo", or the end of the world. Well, I'm here to tell you that Ushuaia has a dirty little secret and Beth and I know it. There is no end of the world. Yes, it's true, we live on a giant, spherical, rotund earth, which has no end and we can prove it because we've now been there, and survived (which can also can be found on t-shirts ranging from XS to XXXL).
We arrived by bus a little after midnight with the little warm gear we had in tow and with no place to stay; clearly a recipe for success, success being measured by how we stack up to the Donor party. We knew of a little campground 7km outside of the town center, we just didn't know where the towncenter was. After asking YPF gas attendent and understanding at least a third of what he said, we eventually got in about 1:30am and setup camp for the next five nights. Here is a summary of the next five days:
Day 1: Walked around town. Realized we weren't going to die of any of the following maladies: freezing, hypothermia, frostbite, penguin attack, igloo malfunction, avalanche, getting snowed in, or starvation.
Day 2: Met some French people that speak English and love Belgium beer...and could rent a car, but not skip rocks so well. Headed out to Parque Nacional Tierra Del Fuego in a sweet Toyota Corolla with said French couple. Loved it. Thought it was one of the most diverse parks I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. The feeling of each section of park, the (I guess you would call it ecosystems, but really just the scenery), seemed to constantly change and dramatically so. From thick woods to wind torn coastal trees and beaver massacred river regions to wide-spanning waterways the park views were epic. The wildlife was limited, but the landscapes more than made up for any deficiencies. Put simply it was stunning and probably deserved at least two or three days, but since it's highway robbery to get there (literally. They charge a kings ransom to transport you the 12km to the park) we were forced to get through the whole park in one day.
Day 3: The Cordero Libre. The Dessert. And The Hike. In no particular order. Day 3 marked the hike to our first glacier. Ushuaia is surrounded by the ocean on one side and the Andes on the other three. This creates not only a beautiful landscape for the city, but some awe inspiring hiking opportunities. We hiked up some insanely steep ski slopes (one in the rain) to come reach Glacier Marital, which sort of looked like a big patch of snow since the glacier is hidden under a blanket of the frosty stuff. It was a trying hike at times, but was well worth it. The view of the city and ocean below were almost as amazing as the view of the Andes and the glacier itself. Jason replenished himself that night by indulging in all-you-can-eat lamb and beef, cooked (to my disgust) with the whole body cut in half and hung over an open fire in the restaurant.
Day 4: Relaxation in the Welsh-influenced, quaint, and adorable town as well as our amazing campsite, complete with a spectacular views of the city as well as a warm lodge to take shelter in. (The weather is cold and extremely unpredictable. We carried a flat screen tv box 3 km uphill to our campsite to use as a bed roll after the first night to shield us from the frosty floor. Yes, we are doing South America in style.)
Day 5: Since our bus left at 5am and our camping site was about an hour from the bus station, we opted to pull an all nighter in safe little Ushuaia instead of paying to sleep for only a few hours. Our plan to hang out at the gas station (which usually have cafe type accomodations here) was foiled when we realized the gas station does indeed close. This meant we posted up at the one benched area in town, outside of the tourist office. We alternated playing charades and walking about with our packs on to stay warm. At 5am, we promptly passed out on our bus headed to El Calafate for some more nature- lovin'.
Meat Meter: A serious lull was bucked by The Cordero Libre. Three full plates of lamb, beef and chorizo, a couple of lamb intestines and a kidney, which I witnessed ripped straight off the crucified lamb, has got me back on track. I even indulged in a canned pate lunch today, just to make sure the arteries know who's boss. Life is good, unless you're a baby sheep.
Flatscreen TV box for a bedroll??? I appreciate you taking over the role of 'most homeless Vickers'.
ReplyDeleteI must say, I'm a little late here, but did you pick up that Flat Screen Box move from so many years walking through the tenderloin? Perhaps it was a quote on that gas station at the corner of Polk and Golden Gate "If thou art cold grab the nearest panasonic 42" flat screen box for a bedroll, and thou shalt not be cold anymore."
ReplyDeletePS, Glad the Meat is back on track.