The End of the World

This rather apocalyptic title is the nickname given to Ushuaia, which is pretty much as far south as it goes before Antarctica.  We had a most enjoyable time here, despite some rather inclement weather. 

We spent one day on a coastal walk through Tierra del Fuego National Park, which wasn’t quite as I’d imagined it to be, much more green and lush, and slightly less bleak. 

 

Another day we went on a boat trip through the Beagle Channel, visiting various points of interest along the way, including a seal colony, the southerly most lighthouse and a cormorant colony.  Although we weren’t really that far from shore, at times the town completely disappeared as it was enveloped by cloud, and our boat felt rather too little for being bashed around the high seas in the way that it was.  But all in all a most enjoyable excursion.

Our final day in Ushuaia was slightly less enjoyable, and at one point it looked as if we could be stuck there for many more days to come.  The End of the World is not a great place to be stranded, with transport options rather limited.  We were due to leave on a flight, going back to Buenas Airies, with only a few days left of the Big Trip.  However, the ongoing problems caused by an ashcloud from a Chilean volcano finally caught up with us and our flight was cancelled.  Given how many times I’ve had flights and holidays cancelled over the last year or so, it’s perhaps a miracle that it had taken until now, but that didn’t stop it being rather annoying. 

 

So rather than spending the day hiking to Glacier Martial, we spent most of the time at the airport trying to rebook ourselves on to various different flights, which were then also cancelled.  We did manage to dash out at one point and take a taxi and a ski lift up to the glacier which was quite good fun, and go on a small circular walk to see the glacier from afar and the view over the Beagle Channel, but it wasn’t quite what I’d had in mind (glacier in previous post).

 

One slight compensation for spending so much time at the airport is the amazing view of the town and mountains.  Thankfully, after a number of false starts, we eventually managed to get ourselves on a flight.