After another uneventful flight (my favorite kind), we landed in Ushuaia at 9:30 a.m. Upon stepping outside, we were blasted with mid-Summer temps in the low 40s and a sprightly breeze. Refreshing, or so I told myself while shivering under my windbreaker.
Nestled against the Andes, Ushuaia is a “city” with a 15-block long Main Street. We didn’t have a chance to walk around town – those pesky COVID protocols – so I couldn’t form an impression of the place other than its tidy appearance and evident commitment to all manner of outdoor sports.
Prior to boarding the ship, a bus tour brought us to a scenic overlook in the Andes and then to a surprisingly good lunch. The restaurant borders a sled dog-training facility; apparently Iditarod-style races are an increasingly popular Winter activity. The Andes in Tierra del Fuego are not nearly so high as the chain gets farther north, but they’re still impressive: jagged, steep peaks whose lower altitudes are carpeted with beech trees. Above the tree line, the mountains are bald except for a fringe of snow (much like many of the men on this ship).
Speaking of the ship, it’s a small (140-passenger) but well-appointed expedition vessel with an onboard ornithologist, marine biologist, historian, geophysicist, and many other “ists,” all of whom give lectures during the cruise. There are also several experienced expedition guides, some of whom have been to Antarctica more than 100 times. The passengers are mostly in their 50s-70s, but there are also teenagers and young couples. Apparently, once we get to Antarctica, roughly half of the passengers will have been to all seven continents. Antarctica only makes six continents for me; I intend to complete the set by visiting Australia before too much longer.
PuffinlessTravel 