6th January / Ushuaia

Despite problems with computers being like an abacus for speed we have today got online. Went to the Tierra Del Fuego National Park today and spent an enjoyable 5 hours with a guide showing us the local wild life and beaver dams.

He described how the new migrants sorted out the local indigenous people in the 1860's, they shot them all and cut off their ears and made necklaces out of them......

The park is only about 10km from town. It's along a dry dusty road. Mountains about the height of those inland from Hokitika, with lakes full of trout I'm sure Denis Pfahlert would love to chase. The southern most post office in the world was paid a visit, and Liz bought some stamps there. We also visited the end of the Pan American highway, which starts in Alaska and is 17886km long. Its about 3000km from here to Buenos Aires.

John went shopping for dinner tomorrow night with his cook group. Because we are crossing the border into Chile tomorrow we have to cook a meal without meat and veges / as you can't take fresh food over the border.

Tomorrow we drive back to the ferry crossing to the mainland about 500km away, into Chile. May be offline for a few days. We are visiting the Torres del Paine National Park for 5 days and doing some treking.

Beagle Channel / 5th January

This morning we went on a trip on the Beagle Channel. This is the stretch of water which joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and is the border between Chile and Argentina. It was a lovely morning, 8 degrees. We went out round the lighthouse and past islands where sea lions and cormorants live. We also went onto a Sub-Antartic island and looked at all the vegetation there... There are no trees - too windy - but many little shrubs and hardy flowers and grasses.

The city is ringed by mountains. Lovely views from the channel back toward the city. When we arrived back we wandered over to the old prison which operated here from 1896 to 1947 / clearly a joke by some official in the capital back then who had the task of deciding what bleak part of the landscape to keep prisioners.

Have just had lunch in a little cafe on the one main street here. It has started to rain but is clearing again. We've just sent a few family and friends some post cards. Now back at the hostel and about to deal with our laundry / an essential matter when travelling on the road.

Rio Grande to Usuhaia

A short drive today to the southern most city in the world. I should mention the tides before we leave though. They can rise 15 meters at the equinox. It absolutley roared into the river when it finally came in, very impressive.

The drive to Usuhaia was finally through forested country with wonderful alpine scenery. We are staying at a hostel here for 3 nights. Nothing too pre/possessing about this place either. Everything about it seems run down . It is geared up for tourists wanting to go south to Antarctica or cruise boats visiting for a day or two.

There is an airport and quite a busy port through which presumably all freight gets to Terra Del Fuego. Tomorrow we are to have a trip out onto the Beagle Channel.

Rio Grande

3rd January / El Calafate to Rio Grande.
Today we set off at 7.30am on the first leg of our trip south to Usuhaia. We have had to retrace our steps to the Atlantic coast and then head south from there. Again the trip has been acoss very arid country with little sign of habitation. What towns there are are very industrial looking with lots of power and telephone poles, broken footpaths and concrete roads.

There can't be a building code in Argentina, since the huge variety of run down looking houses suggests you just get on and build what you like.

We crossed the boarder twice today between Argentina and Chile. Finally we reached the straits of Magellan and crossed into Tierra del Fuego on a ferry. About a 20 minute journey with dolphins putting on a display near the bow of the ferry.

The next 160km were on a rough gravel road through Chile, then back across the border and sealed roads in Argentina. Finally decided to stop in the "camp ground" at Rio Grande, a coastal city of 58,000. A truly ghastly town if I ever saw one. The camp ground was beside the river mouth and was sufficiently bad that some went back into town to find a hotel. Liz and I quite enjoyed it though. We are well kitted out with warm gear and had a good warm sleep in our tent.

The camp also had a communal room where we all cooked dinner and sat around chatting. The sun set was lovely and went down about 10.30.

2nd January Moreno Glacier

2nd January
Today we went to the world's 5th largest glacier / the Mereno. It's 257 square kilometers, 30km long and about 5 or so wide. The glacier was about 70km from El Calafate along a good sealed road with spectacular vies of the surrounding mountains and lakes.

The place was overrun with tourists, but all very effecient at the site, as the officials had built metal boardwalks all through the area. We could stsnd about 100m from the ice face and watch as hugh hunks fell off into the lake with cracks like gunshots going off as pieces detached.

We had a boat trip up to about 75m from the ice face in the lake. The face is 50/60m high and about 4 km across.

In the evening Liz and I went into Calafate and dined at a very good local restaurant with a younger English couple. The truck has turned up all fixed again, so fingers crossed it stays that way.We leave again in the morning for Usuhaia, a two day trip of 1000km.

Off to a glacier

Update for tomorrow. We are going to head off at 8am to the Moreno glacier. It is the largest advancing glacier in the world. We have therefore been out to get food and water for the day. It has been raining a little but should be fine again tomorrow.

New Years Day / El Calafate

After 22 hours on a luxury coach we arrived at El Calafate at about 10pm New Years Eve. Left El Bolson at 11pm after much waiting / 17 hours after we had actually got up that morning. We drove down the route 40 and then on to route 20 via Sarmiento to Comodoro Rivadavia on the South Atlantic. Stopped there for 20 minutes to refuel and then south down Route 3 to Rio Gallegos and then noth west to El Calafate.

Total distance was 1630km in 22 or so hours. Some of this was on gravel but mostly good sealed road. The countryside was fairly bleak, just desert / pampas most of the way. Little evidence of any livestock, the odd sheep here and there. There were the odd estancias, or sheep farms. Quite a few lamas and ostrich type birds. While it was rolling countryside in places, most of it for hundreds of kilometers at a stretch was just flat pampas.

The oil industry is quite well developed with dozens of "nodding neddys" pumping oil, with all the associated infrastructure. There were virtually no towns or any obvious habitation most of the way. There was very little traffic, but we did spot two hardy cyclists about 150km south of Comodoro Rivadavia.

The coach was very comfortable with recliner chairs, on board TV and because there were only 21 on a 42 seat bus we all had a spare seat each. There was an onboard toilet and two drivers.

We all had a shower and change of clothes when we arrived and then went down and had a shared new year celebration at the hostel we are staying in. Liz and I are sharing a room in the dorm with John and Lisa, a younger English couple on their honeymoon......

The hostel is nice and quite. Slept in this morning and then wandered in to town for a brunch. The weather here is warm, about 20 degrees and partly overcast. El Calafate is another tourist town. I suspect most tourists arive by plane!! Being New Year's Day nothing was open until around mid day. The town has only been developed in the last few years because of demand by tourists to see the Perito Moreno Glacier. It is a bit like Tekapo landscape wise.

Tomorrow we are going to the Glacier, which is one of the largest advancing glaciers in the world.