Ushuaia & Tierra del Fuego

Ushuaia´s heavily promoted claim to fame is that it is the southernmost city in the world, but this isn`t true as that title belongs to Puerto Williams, across the Beagle Channel in Chile. Ushuaia instead should focus on what it does have to offer, which is easy access to great hiking in a beautiful national park, boat cruises to see penguins and sea lions, great restaurants and the major port of call for ships heading to Antarctica.

We arrived on Tuesday after yet another delayed flight. Fortunately this leg was first class so we were able to while away the time in the VIP lounge in El Calafate´s airport. On Wednesday we hiked more than 21 km in the beautiful Parque Nacional de Tierra del Fuego.

Peat bog in Parque Nacional de Tierra del Fuego

I am happy to report that mom did not die and was quite the trooper, up to and including our hitched ride back after we missed the last transport out of the park. Today was much more low key - ALL of the shops along Rua San Martin, both sides and in order, of course, and then a 6 hour boat trip in the Beagle Channel to see sea lions and penguins.

Penguins in the Beagle Channel

Tomorrow we`ll do a little more hiking, and on Saturday we head to Mendoza.

Ushuaia sports an impressive variety of restaurants. On Tuesday my entree was sea bass cooked in lemon and sage; on Wednesday I had about a pound of southern king crab in olive oil and garlic; this evening I had lamb cooked in honey and oranges. All have been accompanied with delicious Argentinian wines and dessert.

This is totally off topic but there is some 13 year old Argentinian staring at me as I type on the hotel`s computer. I wonder if he can read what I`m writing.