This final leg of this travel is the most bizarre. Bizarre in that we've gone from the heat of Asia to the heat of Buenos Aires, on the way to the Antartic. Bizarre in that people look at me like I'm a money-bag when I tell them where I'm going. And bizarre to be going solo without my best travelmate, Trish (XO). God bless whoever invented Skype.
Surrounded by a semi-circle of snow-capped mountains and the Beagle Channel leading to the Drake Passage and Antarctica, Ushuaia (oo-shway-ee-a) on the Grande Island of Tierra del Fuego, bills itself as the southernmost city in the world, the start (or end) of the Pan-American highway, the end of the Andes mountains, and 'the end of the world' (del fin del mundo).
Ushuaia was a nothing place for most of its life. A former prison town.....
...and having killed off all the local indigenous a century ago. Now it's one of the most expensive places in South America. Hordes of tourists flood the main drag, many are Spanish speaking, some clearly carrying heavier wallets than me.
(Trivia question: The Beagle Channel was named after a famous ship. It took 4 natives from this area back to mother England, then took on a famous botanist before heading south again. Who was that botanist?)
For core trekkers, hikers, climbers and campers, Patagonia--the southern most region of Chile and Argentina, evokes wonderment and envy. Jagged snow capped peaks,glaciars, jaw dropping treks, an end of the world mystique, vast empty tundra, a remote end of world feel and emptiness draw adventurists from everywhere.I only got a morsel of it, highlighted by treks in Tierra del Fuego National Park.
I'd imagine the area has similarities to BC's west coast, and the Inside Passage of Alaska. One of the fundamental differences is the wildlife. Wildlife is scarce here, though there are loads of birds (I would have killed to have seen a condor like the one in the top pix).
One can easily trip over the many introduced mainland foxes and Canadian rabbits,
(can you spot the five rabbits here?)
...who along with another Canadian import, the 'exotic beaver,' (whose tour I skipped) have wrecked havoc on the island. The locals obviously didn't ask us about those furry little bastards beforehand.
...(a few birds I'd never seen before)
North America scores bigger in terms of wildlife and density of forests (where we haven't clear-cut). Even insects are scarce. No surprise, it's an island here, it's summer and temperatures in the teens would be considered quite warm. Rain, the relentless wind and unpredictable weather can shape one's experience. This is considered a sub-Antarctic region, and is of course the gateway to the Antarctic.
Next: The Antarctic, an internet free travel over 11 days. God help us all.
