Ushuaia - The End of the World
Ushuaia is on longitude 55º South Which makes it the southern most city in the world. And here we are. The weather is a bit like autumn in Iceland and you can easyly get rain, sun, snow and enormous temperature swings in the space of one hour. The landscape here in the Tierra del Fuego So named because the first European arrivals came here they saw smoke everywhere, which turned out to be fires from the natives making their dinner or just keeping warm. Those were hardcore people who lived naked even in the bitter cold of the winter keeping warm by covering them selves in the fat of sealions and whales. However, The Europeans managed to wipe them out in a matter of years mostly due to diseases that were foreign to them.
Anyway, We stayed at a casa de Familia Velasquez (home stay). Our room for the first two nights was a "private room" but had a room where people from the next room had to walk through our room to get in and out. The first morning we had a whole family from France stroll shyly through on their way to the bathroom. And the next, luckily just one older Canadian. He, however, took time to have a ten minut
e chat with us (still in bed and half asleep) before continuing to the bathroom. We were happy when we heard that a double room (or a Matrimonial, as they call it) was available to us for the following night. The man of the family probably about 75 years old was in charge of basically everything and for what I know did everything. I never saw the women of the house do anything. I asked him once if he knew a place where I could take my pants to get the zipper fixed and he said. "no problem I will take care of it". When we came home that night, my pants had a new zipper that for all I know, he fixed himself. He charged me for this tremendous service the stunning amount of US$ 3 dollars or about 200 Icelandic krona. In the first two days in Ushuaia the weather was pretty bad so we used the time for practical things and just enjoying this nice city and friendly atmosphere. We used the opportunity to buy some things we needed as apparently the whole city if not the whole of Tierra Del Fuego is tax free. We also, almost accidentally, went to an art exibition opening in the Maritime Museum where the prison used to be (Ushuaia started out as a prison colony).
Anyway, We stayed at a casa de Familia Velasquez (home stay). Our room for the first two nights was a "private room" but had a room where people from the next room had to walk through our room to get in and out. The first morning we had a whole family from France stroll shyly through on their way to the bathroom. And the next, luckily just one older Canadian. He, however, took time to have a ten minut
e chat with us (still in bed and half asleep) before continuing to the bathroom. We were happy when we heard that a double room (or a Matrimonial, as they call it) was available to us for the following night. The man of the family probably about 75 years old was in charge of basically everything and for what I know did everything. I never saw the women of the house do anything. I asked him once if he knew a place where I could take my pants to get the zipper fixed and he said. "no problem I will take care of it". When we came home that night, my pants had a new zipper that for all I know, he fixed himself. He charged me for this tremendous service the stunning amount of US$ 3 dollars or about 200 Icelandic krona. In the first two days in Ushuaia the weather was pretty bad so we used the time for practical things and just enjoying this nice city and friendly atmosphere. We used the opportunity to buy some things we needed as apparently the whole city if not the whole of Tierra Del Fuego is tax free. We also, almost accidentally, went to an art exibition opening in the Maritime Museum where the prison used to be (Ushuaia started out as a prison colony). There we saw really nice paintings and talked to the artists. We were even contemplating buying one of the paintings as it was of glaciers on Antartica, but it would have cost too much to send it back home. The busiest day we had there started with a trip up to Glacier Marcial. We took a taxi up to the skilifts and then took the skilift and walked the rest of the way up to the glacier.
(see top photo). It was a bit tough walking up as it was our first real trek for months, hovever we were wearing waterproof pants so we could slide back in the snow some of the way down. After a quick break at the refugio, we took the skilift back and then walked the rest of the way to town, just in time to catch the boat for the 3 hour sailing on the Beagle strait. (see middle photo and bottom photo). It
was very pleasant, we were staying in Ushuaia for 4 days and this was the only day this was possible because of the weather. We saw sealions (yep more of those) and cumerants living in perfect harmony(see bottom photo). We sailed to the lighthouse that is very symbolic for Ushuaia. Had a brief break and a picnic on a small island where some natives used to live. The guide and the captain were fantastic. They gave us tea and cakes on the way out and on the way back we had champagne :) . I don`t know if that happens on all of their trips or because they found out that we we´re on our honeymoon, any which way - it was very fitting.
(see top photo). It was a bit tough walking up as it was our first real trek for months, hovever we were wearing waterproof pants so we could slide back in the snow some of the way down. After a quick break at the refugio, we took the skilift back and then walked the rest of the way to town, just in time to catch the boat for the 3 hour sailing on the Beagle strait. (see middle photo and bottom photo). It
was very pleasant, we were staying in Ushuaia for 4 days and this was the only day this was possible because of the weather. We saw sealions (yep more of those) and cumerants living in perfect harmony(see bottom photo). We sailed to the lighthouse that is very symbolic for Ushuaia. Had a brief break and a picnic on a small island where some natives used to live. The guide and the captain were fantastic. They gave us tea and cakes on the way out and on the way back we had champagne :) . I don`t know if that happens on all of their trips or because they found out that we we´re on our honeymoon, any which way - it was very fitting.Ironicly, the weather was gorgeous the day we left for our 14 hour bustrip to Puerto Natales.
Normally, long distance buses give you food on the way, but this one did not. We could not have any food with us as we were crossing the border to Chile and there are big fines for bringing most kind of food products into the country. At the border, I had time to run to a small foodplace, for a lack of a better word, and buy a sandwich for us, but that was about it for food on the trip. At least we were lucky to have good seat at the front with a bit more legroom... that is until Puento Arenas where they made us move to the back of the bus because some snotty locals neaded our seats. We still had 4 hours to go and we were not happy at all. We made it to Puerto Natales around 10pm, to our beloved Erratic Rock hostel where we also stayed last time we were there. The hostel is run by Bill and Rustyn, two Americans who also happen to be two of the friendliest and most helpful guys on the planet. Luckily we managed to find a place open for dinner (restaurants are usually open till very late in these parts of the world) and then we got a nice sleep in the squeekiest bed in the universe, ready to take on the adventures that were to come.
Normally, long distance buses give you food on the way, but this one did not. We could not have any food with us as we were crossing the border to Chile and there are big fines for bringing most kind of food products into the country. At the border, I had time to run to a small foodplace, for a lack of a better word, and buy a sandwich for us, but that was about it for food on the trip. At least we were lucky to have good seat at the front with a bit more legroom... that is until Puento Arenas where they made us move to the back of the bus because some snotty locals neaded our seats. We still had 4 hours to go and we were not happy at all. We made it to Puerto Natales around 10pm, to our beloved Erratic Rock hostel where we also stayed last time we were there. The hostel is run by Bill and Rustyn, two Americans who also happen to be two of the friendliest and most helpful guys on the planet. Luckily we managed to find a place open for dinner (restaurants are usually open till very late in these parts of the world) and then we got a nice sleep in the squeekiest bed in the universe, ready to take on the adventures that were to come.
Next: Love on the rock!
posted by Nonni @ 8:43 e.h.
1 Comments:
Mér sýnist nú bara vera jafn mikill snjór þarna á "enda veraldar" eins og á Íslandi (ef ekki bara meiri), veit ekki hvaða Íslands-fóbía þetta er hjá þér Jón...sækir í snjóinn :) Heyrumst vonandi um jólin, kær jólakveðja frá mér og mínum :)
Skrifa ummæli
<< Home