Half Time Hobos...Stories from our Travels: Ushuaia

The flight into Ushuaia was incredible. As the plane cork screwed toward the landing strip the wing lowered to unveil the most beautiful scene of snow peaked mountains, crystal clear water and and an incredibly blue sky. We were immediately taken by the beauty of Ushuaia.

We set up camp just north of the city at La Pista del Andino. The friendly staff greeted us and motioned for us to pick a site and set up. (Thank goodness for nonverbal communication! My Spanish is horrible, although Jim´s is improving daily.) We unloaded our things and made a home for the next few days. I think we both felt that our adventure was finally beginning once the tent was up and our sleeping bags were unrolled. Jim started a fire and we cooked steaks and squash for dinner. (Argentina is known for wonderful beef.) By the time it was ready, the temperature had dropped and we could see our breath as we ate. This didn´t bother us; we were just happy to be outside and enjoying camping life.

On our second day, after a very rough sleep for me, we headed to Tierra del Fuego National

Park. We did a three hour hike along the Beagle Channel, which was fantastic. Jim set the pace and I followed. It was an excellent day as the weather was sunny and mild. We enjoyed lunch along one of the beaches and watched birds fishing from an island in the middle of the channel.

On our third day we went to see a penguin colony. There are many tours offered here, but only one allows you to actually walk with the penguins. We signed up for this one. After an hour and a half bus ride, we boarded a small boat and motored to the penguin island. The beach was a sea of wiggling black and white creatures. It was so enjoyable to watch the penguins waddle, swim, squak and shake. Be sure to check out the photos on our Picassa album, although they did not accurately capture how wonderful the experience was.

Today, day four, was glacier day! We left our camp and hiked up a mountain to see Glacier Martial. It was a long way up, but well worth the effort. Once we got to the top, the wind started to gust and snow began to pelt down. I told Jim that I wanted to touch the glacier before we went down. I felt that I had come all that way and did not just want to get a picture and then turn around. He studied the path, which was wet and uneven, and then guided me over slippery and unsteady rocks. We were both able to make the pass without a problem. After putting two hands on the edge of the glacier I said,¨Ok, I'm good!¨ We made our way back down just in time because the wind really picked up and the snow continued. (In this photo you can see what looks like a waterfall; this is where we touched the glacier. If you use the link below you can see this same peak in photos from the base of our journey up.)