Due South...

Ushuaia, the capital of the Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina is commonly known as the southernmost city in the world. This is strongly contested by the Chileans as they believe their Puerto Williams should claim this title, although given that neither Ushuaia with its circa 64,000 residents nor Puerto Williams with its circa 2000 residents are actually classed as cities then I don't think either should stake this claim! If anything Punto Arenas in Chile should win based on it having more permanent residents (circa 120,000 residents) but lets not get bogged down in semantics...

Ushuaia was my next stop after Buenos Aires and it could not have been any different to the city I had finally grown to love, what with the weather going from over 30 degrees in BA to circa 10 degrees in Ushuaia I finally stopped cursing the fact that Id been lugging around cold weather clothes in my back pack the last month and a half! I arrived late and despite it being 11pm there was still bits of daylight in the sky. The scenery was also a huge change to what Id been used to in BA. Here I was surrounded by forests, snow capped mountains and the Beagle Channel. Not to mention buildings that wouldn't have looked out of place on the Isle of Skye or any other remote part of the UK. Needless to say it took me a few hours to adjust but my body soon acclimatised to the cold climes it was used to : )

To start with I couldn't understand why there were so many Bolivian and Peruvians in Ushuaia until I discovered that most of the population derive from Indigenous tribes (four altogether). The name Ushuaia therefore comes from the language of the yámanas or yaghanes indians, its original inhabitants, and means “bay that penetrates westward.”  

The town was fairly deserted during my visit which was slightly concerning at times, but I was assured by my hostel that it was safe and that there were loads of police around which I did end up seeing. I wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or not, Ushuaia did used to be a penal colony for re-offenders so perhaps they're just keeping the tradition alive?

During my stay in Ushuaia I took a boat trip along the Beagle Channel (named after the ship HMS Beagle which undertook a hydrographic survey with a young Mr Charles Darwin).

My initial impression upon arriving at the port was that I had chosen the wrong company to go with as their sales hut along with their boats were tiny in comparison with the other companies there. My fear was nearly confirmed when we boarded and I couldn't see any life jackets anywhere and the crew looked a little too relaxed with ash trays and party hats strewn in their cabin. But, as I keep on learning, appearances can be deceptive. Leo the captain and Ariel (yes, like the Little Mermaid) his skipper, soon smoothed away my fears and showed me the life jackets stowed in a box under the seats and proceeded to be really entertaining and made everyone feel relaxed...I think the beer and mate tea helped us all along!

El Capitan

Little Mermaid a.k.a Arial

The ride was smooth to start with and then got quite choppy which freaked me out and made everyone else laugh at my city girl hysteria. Once it calmed down we were able to take in the scenery which was breath taking. There were thousands of sea birds (which I thought were penguins to start with but I was soon told were just black and white birds) and sea lions to take pictures of, although sailing past their islands was quite wiffy as they were literally covered in excrement - I did wonder why all the islands were white...

Randomly after our trip whilst having lunch in a restaurant along the high street in Ushuaia, Kylie and Jason´s "Especially for you" song came on the radio...if you've been following my blog you will remember that I met a Argentinian guy in BA who spoke like an Aussie but had never been there. Im starting to feel like I have an Australian spirit following me around South America : D

I didn't stay too long in Ushuaia as I was worried about leaving (getting flights and buses get booked up really quickly and you can get stranded for days) so after a long wait at the Aerolineas Argentina office in Ushuaia I bought a flight to El Calafate which is north of Ushuaia. Im thinking of buying shares in the airline given how much I have spent with them recently...

Arriving at El Calafete I immediately found it to be, in my opinion, much prettier and more villagey than Ushuaia. There were lavender plants along each street and the high street reminded me of the towns I had visited this year in Sonoma and Napa, California.

The Calafate plant which the town is named after!

Due to not having much time to spend in El Calafate Id emailed my hostel in advance to book a tour to see the Pedrito Moreno Glacier which is situated about an hours drive away and was Id been told, a must see. In hindsight I wish Id waited until arriving as it wasn't until I was on the tour that I realised I could have done some mini trekking which would have included walking on the glacier wearing crampons! I had to make do with taking pictures of people doing it instead :(

We started by taking a coach to the Argentine Lake where we boarded a catamaran to take us up close to the glacier. 

Our Catamaran

Whilst the views were amazing, this was slightly ruined by the fact that the catamaran became a floating circus when everyone realised that bits of the glacier were breaking off and falling into the lake. Everyone suddenly started vying with each other for the best view, the elderly ones being the worst offenders - god help you if you obstruct their photograph shot...


However, as much of a nuisance this was, the awe of hearing the glacier crack and then seeing it crash mightily into the lake soon diminished all of this.

People mini trekking on the glaciar...

Another boat up close to the glacier

vying for the best view...

Small iceberg in the lake

Iceberg cracking and a bit falling off!

From the lake, the bus took us up to the visitor centre which had a walking circuit so you could see both faces and the surface of the glacier. Words cannot do justice to the view of seeing the surface of the glacier for the first time. It is jaw dropping. Literally. It was like seeing a giant Eton Mess with blueberries instead of strawberries to give it colour. Magical.

Walking around the circuit had built up quite an appetite so later that evening we ate at a local Asado Parrilla restaurant. An Asado Parrilla is the open fire grill that they cook the meat on. Our restaurant had sheep carcasses on theirs (Apologies veggies!). One traveller I spoke with said they´d been to another restaurant in Argentina which had an asado parilla big enough for the carcass of a cow!

Since being in Argentina, I have eaten so much red meat, I think I've easily eaten an entire cow and possibly the rest of its herd. Regardless, each steak I eat is always as good as the first. My favourite is Lomo which is delicious. I tend to have this accompanied with a salad of lettuce, onion and tomatoes (juicy ripe ones, not like the green ones we have in the UK) all washed down with Malbec, the wine of Argentina. *dribble*


My final sight in El Calafate was a walk around the Laguna Nimez which is a Nature Reserve (I had to walk off the wine headache). The laguna, clear turquoise in colour, is stunning. The nature reserve is home to lots of birds (the feathered type) and also Flamingos, which I failed to pap as they were too far away and the zoom on my camera was useless - Canon, you and I need to have words...

The nature reserve

The lake 

If you squint you can see the flamingos...

And so the time came to leave El Calafate. I had hoped to go to Torres del Paine national park in Chile but due to the recent forest fires there, most of the hiking routes were closed. So instead I decided to head up to the Alpine resort of San Carlos de Bariloche. Unfortunately Chile doesn't seem to be doing too well nature wise right now. What with the recent volcanic activity at the Puyehue volcano, all flights going into San Carlos de Bariloche (my next destination) were grounded. So, much to Aerolineas Argentina´s dismay, I had to get a bus there. 


Much to my dismay, there was not a direct bus journey there. Instead it would involve going via Caleta Oliva and then catching another bus to Bariloche. Twenty six hours in total. 


In addition, given that everybody and their dog had no other choice but to bus it to Bariloche, most of the bus tickets had been bought. I therefore had the glee of finding out that the first twelve hours of my journey would be in what is known as a semi cama (normal chair that reclines). This would be followed by a one hour wait at 4am in the morning at Caleta Oliva bus station. Thankfully the final thirteen hour leg of the journey would be in cama. Gracias a dios. 


Given this was my first long distance bus journey, and after my bad experience in Uruguay, understandably I was not looking forward to it. I´ll let you know how I got on in my next update!


To be continued...

¡Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo!

Ah Christmas, I normally get so excited around this time of year, however travelling in a country where the weather is hot and the lack of Christmas decorations can make you forget it all together...I therefore wasn't really feeling it. On finding out I had no plans for Christmas, one of my friends who Id met in Rio had insisted that I, along with another American girl who was living in Buenos Aires, spend it with her and her family . With the alternative for me being the all you could consume pizza and beer in the hostel I was staying at, I wasn't going to refuse her offer. So off we went to her grandparents house in Maschwitz which is roughly thirty minutes drive outside of Buenos Aires. Their house was in a private golfing estate and was a welcomed alternative to the hostels to which I had become accustomed to.

My friends family were the perfect hosts, her abuela (grandmother) being the most glamorous granny ever and her abuelo (grandfather) was the sweetest man insisting on treating us to the most delicious artisan ice creams ever at Conti which is a serious competitor to any ice cream parlour I've ever visited in Italy. Unfortunately my lactose intolerance did not agree with me but I didn't let this stop me consuming my weight in ice cream.

On returning to the house it soon became clear that Christmas Eve in Argentina is similar to that in Spain whereby it is celebrated even more so than Christmas day itself. The rest of the family and close friends had arrived and the party was quickly in full swing. Presents were opened at midnight and then the youngsters amongst us all went over to a house party in the neighbourhood where we drunk pineapple daiquiris and danced until dawn : )


A few hours later, after a little shut eye, it was time to get up and celebrate Christmas Day.  And what a gloriously sunny day it was! We lounged by the pool for a while and then ate a typical Argentine Christmas lunch which took place in the garden and consisted of various meat dishes with salad and vegetables all washed down with beer and wine. 

One dish that still stands out in my mind is Pollo al Escabeche which is chicken swimming in oil, white wine vinegar, onion, garlic, carrots, white wine and bay leaves. It is truly delicious and a dish I shall most definitely be attempting to cook once I get home.


With Christmas over I took in some culture and visited the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires (MALBA). It isn't as big as Tate Modern in London but it does have some interesting pieces of art including Frida Kahlos self portrait with a monkey which I attempted to pap but was instantly told off by a security guard. 

Photo of Andy Warhol and random Latin American Artist

Latin Americas answer to Vivienne Westwood?

After being quite impressed with the museum shop I indulged in an ice tea and cake at the museum restaurant. I always thought service abroad was better than in the UK (specifically London) where it appears to be non existent. Im afraid to say I have been well and truly mistaken. London it would seem has better service in its restaurants and bars than in Buenos Aires, and dare I say it the rest of South America.


A typical scenario, you walk into a restaurant and wait to be seated. And so you wait. After an eternity a waiter will notice you and then you are allocated a table. You then wait for a menu.  And wait. Again after an eternity you are given a menu. And so it goes on. The only thing that makes up for this lack of attention is the food itself which generally tends to be delicious. I have been told by my Argentinian friend that the solution to this irritating problem is to be quite assertive, verging on demanding when you go to any restaurant or bar. It is something I am (surprisingly) still working on but hope to master by the time I leave. Ill just have to ensure I tone it down once I get home. 


New Years Eve was approaching fast and I hadn't made any plans so once again my new BFF came to the rescue and invited me with her and some friends to Punto Del Diable in Uruguay. I was also excited about adding country number three to my travels!


Had I have known it would take us almost fifteen hours to get there then perhaps I may have reconsidered...however Im glad I didn't as Punto del Diablo ended up being a good place to spend NYE. My body has however refused to take another ferry and standard coach journey anywhere from now on, unless it has a bed like in business class. Otherwise I will just fly like I have done up until this point.

Homer randomly sporting a t shirt from the ferry company we took to Uruguay...

The town (I use this word loosely as there really isn't very much there except a few shops and some bars) is a surfers wild west and is full of funny looking eco houses, many of which have thatched roofs. Im not sure of the planning laws there as buildings appear to be situated wherever people choose to build them - mostly near the beach. The result is that most of the roads aren't tarmacked...just sand. Driving along them is therefore a feat in itself so most of the locals just use quad bikes. With most of the males sporting side mullets it sometimes felt like we were on the set of Mad Max.

Thatched roofs

The hairstyle of choice in Punta del Diablo...

I was meant to stay at a hostel as we initially didn't think there would be room in the ten bed house they had rented, however on seeing how far each of the hostels were and upon discovering the spare bed in the garage I was welcomed into the house....phew!

Our house 

View from the balcony of our house

The terrace at the back of the house

We ended up calling the house ´United Colours of Benetton´ given the range of nationalities we had staying there. Our backgrounds were a mixture of English, American, Russian, Philippino, Mexican / Japanese and Brazilian. The best cooks however were the Brazilians. Without them I think we would have ended up eating out all the time. 

Brazilian cooking in action!

NYE began with a day spent at Santa Teresa beach (the nicest, longest and most deserted beach in the area) followed by dinner cooked by the Brazilians (Barbecued fresh local fish along with prawn and vegetable skewers) vodka shots administered by the Russians, firework display by the neighbours and then dancing in one of the towns two nightclubs which looked like a barn with its wooden floor, walls and bar. Id like to point out at this point that Punto del Diablo is awash with stray dogs. They're everywhere. Including it would seem our nightclub. I spotted at least two whilst in there. One of whom we nicknamed Jagger, who even followed us home after sun rise. 

Santa Teresa beach

NYE dinner before it was blasted on the BBQ

Dog in club. The canine version.

I managed to crawl to bed at just after 7am although not for long as we had to get up at 9am to catch our coach. Despite the air conditioning blasting me from a 90 degree angle on the coach I managed to get a few hours shut eye before arriving in Montevideo where our ferry was scheduled to depart from. Given it was a bank holiday we were expecting not to see many people however Montevideo was literally like a ghost town. There appeared to be no one anywhere including the ferry station. When we finally tracked down a member of staff we were told that there was only one ferry running that day so we were faced with a nine hour wait...just what you need when you massively hungover and stuck in a place with nothing to entertain you.


Our stomachs were rumbling by this point so we went in search of food. Upon finding the one and only restaurant open in Montevideo we began the quest to get a table. As outlined earlier on this was not an easy task especially given how tired and hungry we were. Every table was occupied by equally hungry people vying for the waiters attention. Suddenly in the chaos I spotted a vacant table. Like a lion going in for the kill I advanced towards the table, except I needn't have bothered rushing as it soon became clear why no one was sat there - the table was covered with left over food swarming with flies. Given we were starving and this was the only table in the only restaurant in Montevideo, we decided to stay put and wait for our table to be cleared. And wait we did. Twenty minutes. I asked one waiter to clear our table and he simply responded that it wasn't one of his and that I should clear it myself! By this stage I was hangry (hungry and angry) and ready to leave this horrible establishment but given the lack of eateries we were forced to stay put. Eventually we were seen to and unsurprisingly the food was disgusting - my friends salmon was raw - and to top it off they had added an insulting service charge on top of the bill! Needless to say this wasn't paid by us. Moral of this story is don't eat at El Peregrino restaurant. Ever.


The upside to my day was that my return ticket on the ferry was in first class as that's all that was left when I had booked. So armed with my free glass of champagne I reclined in my leather chair and slept the rest of the journey back to Buenos Aires. 


I have a few days left here in BA before I fly on the 6 January to Ushuaia which is the furthest point south in Argentina also known as Tierra del Fuego.


Im making the most of the humid temperatures here in BA (hitting 30 degrees) as the temperature in Ushuaia is currently 12 degrees *sigh* .


P.S. Look who I spotted hiding out in Buenos Aires...!