Ushuaia

I was really excited to get to Ushuaia, the southern tip of Argentina, for 2 reasons - firstly, I would be meeting Rebecca and Oreste again and secondly, I would be 1 step closer to Antarctica.

Airport

Ushuaia's Aeropuerto Internacional de Ushuaia Malvinas Argentinas is easily the prettiest airport of all of the South American countries I have been.

Ushuaia Malvinas Argentinas International Airport

The predominantly wooden structure gives a warm ski resort feel while the glass windows provide natural light and views of the mountains that surround the airport. 

City

Ushuaia calls itself "fin del mundo" (end of the world) for being the southern most city in the world. It is the capital of the province Tierra del Fuego and the departure point for all boats to Antarctica.

Tierra del Fuego

Rebecca, Oreste and I met for a hike in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. It was the day before the supposed "day of end of the world" and if Rebecca and Oreste were not returning home the next day, I would have proposed coming to the end of the world on the day the world ends.

The national park was created in 1960 to protect 63,000 hectares of subantarctic forest from Lake Kami in the north to the coast of Beagle Channel in the south. It has a variety of mountains, forests, valleys, rivers, lakes and beaches that shelter sea birds. (Source: www.turismoushaia.com)

Our first stop was the post office in the park. It is the southern most post office in the world (which, I would like to dispute since there are post offices in Antarctica) and has had the same post master since 1948. He now looks older but still has the same moustache.

Post office

Post master

Rio Lapataia

It was raining all day but was far from gloomy - Rebecca and Oreste provided great company as we reminisced our "breezy, patagonian flat" days in Torres del Paine. Due to the rain, the tracks were slippery and muddy. We sometimes became overzealous in finding the "alternative route" from the muddy path and it was a hoot as we overtook each other while overcoming silly obstacles:

Climbing over fallen trunks

Despite the wet weather, the national park was still very beautiful and had an abundance of avifauna. It would be a prettier sight on a sunny day. 

Steamer ducks swimming in treacherous conditions

Cormorants

Great grebe

Upland geese with chicks

We saw beaver dams but unfortunately, not the beavers.

Beaver dams

Our final stop was the end of Route 3, a road which would eventually end in Alaska, 18,000km away.

We were getting wetter and colder by the moment and we were dancing and doing jumping jacks as we waited for our transport back to Ushuaia.

Video: Keeping warm

Oreste and Rebecca

How to get there:

From the central bus station at Ushuaia, board any one of the vans that leave for the national park. There are several transport companies and they charge the same price and leave hourly from 9am. At the entrance, alight to pay the park entrance fee. The vans stop at all bus stops in the national park. To return, go to any of the bus stops at the stipulated time (at 1, 3, 5, 7pm) and board a van from the same company that you have arrived with. A trekking map of the national park can be obtained from the tourist information centre at Ushuaia or from the national park entrance.