South America - Crossing the Strait of Magellan

Leaving Ushuaia is no easy, mentally and physically.  Physically, I aimed for the bus. The reason is simple - the Strait of Magellan and the Comerson Dolphin.  The bus leaves at 6.30am.  I woke up at 3am, got in very early at 4.30am to the bus station. A bit too early because it was like deserted, nobody there and really really cold! There weren't many using the bus to leave Ushuaia as the bus ride is very long.  Mine, is 16 hours to El Calafate. 

It was good to leave Ushuaia in such a way, quietly in the darkness, so that I would not feel too difficult as I could not see anything around.  I was tired.  The bus came, there were only 2 passengers, me and another lady. I fall asleep right away.  When I woke up, the sun start raising when I peeped through the curtain. It seem to be a bonito morning.

Tierra del Fuego sunrise, Apr 2010.

This tip of our earth, is interestingly shared by Chile and Argentina.  Geographically, Ushuaia faces south on Tierra del Fuego, which makes up by multiple islands but mainly  by Isla Grande Tierra del Fuego.  Leaving Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego mean the bus goes around to the back of Martial Glacier and headed north,  crossing the Strait of Magellan into the mainland continent. We were still at Isla Tierra del Fuego. It is my 1st crossing to Chile and through the Magallanes.  It is also feel like the real journey start here, as I have been flying and flying never justify things that we want to see in this land.

As the morning passed, yet, this is still Patagonia.  We will not miss the cattle and sheep, while the steppa is a lot more low grown here.

Patagonia sheep herd in Tierra del Fuego, Apr 2010.

It was surprising to see the road condition is not bad, but Patagonia is flat y wide. It took the whole moring to overland the Isla Grande Tierra del Fuego and we reach the point of crossing around noon.

Crossing Point at Strait of Magellan, Apr 2010.

La Isla Tierra del Fuego, Apr 2010

al Estrecho de Magallanes, Apr 2010.

The 1st sign post is the northern end of Isla Tierra del Fuego within the Chilena border and the 2nd sign post is the transborder crossing of al Estrecho de Magallanes (Strait of Magellan) with the main continent.

Ferry Austral Broom for Magellan Strait crossing, Apr 2010.

The waiting was not long. The bus had timed the ride and the ferry came within a short while.  I was told the Strait of Magellan is where the Comerson Dolphin actively flipping.  However, I didn't catch any. The water was as calm as it wanted me to leave my 28 years old dream behind.

South America - Argentina End of The World, not The End yet!

I was lucky, from the thought of the earthquake at Chile on 26Feb2010, the 8 hours delay caused by turbulence dented the aircraft wing on 28Mar2010, the luggage didn't get on and off the flight to Trelew on 1stApr2010, to finally comes to the End of The World!

Knowing La Boca like knowing meaningless price tag for creative mind, watching Buenos Aires El Centro strike and demonstration as whether human right manipulated, seeing no animals in Peninsula Valdes and Punta Tombo afraid of human, understanding traditions in Gaiman, experiencing Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego with Peace simply being at the End of The World, where can you get that?

I took my time. I know I would not want to leave the place, but the most I can do is spending more time there. To fully understand the meaning of travel, not holiday, take your time, don't rush, even you don't get to see all the things, but you will see all the things with your heart, like a mirror!

Talk about mirror, the Beagle Canal around Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego is reflecting themselves in all different time at different places.

Ushuaia airport in Ushuaia, Apr 2010.

With the mountain at the backdrop and Bay of Beagle circulating the inlet, Ushuaia airport sits in the middle with the mountain reflecting in the water. The thought of the most southerly town with a spectacular image is what has lured visitors here for years.  Tourism industry is doing well.

Walking up the hilly Ushuaia, you could see the water with a simply magnificient view as Ushuaia is leaning on the hill.

Bay of Beagle in view from Ushuaia, Apr 2010.

Bridges Isles at Beagle Bay in Ushuaia, Apr 2010.

After heading back to the harbour, another forbidden face of Ushuaia is in view.

Ushuaia in Argentina, apr 2010.

It is this paradoxically figure that made it an attractive gateway for many.  Nowaday, other than the booming oil and gas industry, many retirees found refuge here in Ushuaia.

Take the boat tour, you will be sent to the Bridges Isles for a short hike.  From far at the Bridges Isles, it is the postcard look that every tourist took of Ushuaia.  If your lense is powerful, you can most likely took the photo from the boat when it is heading out from the harbour.  This is one I used many times.

Ushuaia in Argentina, Apr 2010.

Other than far being for its reputation of a pictureque town at the southernmost tip of our land, one thing undoubtedly you will find in Tierra del Fuege while Ushuaia is, it is the Calmest place on earth!

South America - Argentina Tierra del Fuego, the Ona calling

The Ona, southern Selk'nam Indians (also known as Yaghan or Yamana), came to Tierra del Fuego 10,000 years ago despite the icy Antarctica weather.  When Magellan first passing the island in 1520, he named this isolated land as Tierra del Fuego, Land of Fire. Today, as the southernmost province for both Argentina and Chile, there are hardly any indigenous Ona left where they survived for centuries. Sadly, it was not the brutal fault of nature.

Satio showed up at 8am with Pepe, the temperature was 7 degree celcius and we were heading to the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Along the way, we had 8 others with us so Satio became the peddling partner of mine.  The national park was a lumbering ground before till 1960. Thus, when we hiked the ground, we can see that the trees are young with the root quite surface to the ground.  The timber industry had wiped out any possibility for aging tree here. Harder more, the wind is so strong that the guide told us the forest renew itself because the wind storm would tow away trees almost every decade. We could see all the trees bent diagonally 45 degree due to the strong wind.

 

Nacional Parque Tierra del Fuego, Apr 2010.

The trees are well trimmed by the Patagonia wind, making it look like the gigantic "bonsai".

The park is more than beautiful.  I would rather use the word - Serene - due to its geographical location and nature.  Looking out to the shore, we saw the bay of another island across belongs to Chile.  It is so close, yet far!

Nacional Parque Tierra del Fuego, Apr 2010.

Nacional Parque Tierra del Fuego, Apr 2010.

I have never been a place in the world where Peace is a norm, especially in the great wilderness.  I couldn't describe more because it is all about feeling.  It feels, deserted but not, soliture but not, loneliness but not, just Peacefully there and give that Sense of Contentment.

Start from Bahia Ensenada, the path was wind around thorny bushes and tough shrubs.  The ground was full of spongy moss on the stepping stones. We hiked 7KM along the coastline of Beagle Canal, in between Argentina and Chile waterway, and reach Lake Boca for our lamb stew lunch afternoon. The activity after the hiking was canoeing across Bay of Beagle. With the best peddling partner Satio, my canoe has no issue safely advancing. While the spanish couple, Juan and Suzana, when Juan jokes that he needs to divorce his wife during his honey moon,  we saw 6 sea lions swimming toward us.

Nacional Parque Tierra del Fuego, Apr 2010.

The 6 sea lions end up swimming along with our canoes till the end, flipping and splashing the ozing cool water at us. It was a wonderful moment! They are so playful, Satio said they are very used to human and they like to play. Satio seems to know them since he is in this national park at least twice a week.

We arrived at Bahia Lapataia, after close to 2 hours in the water. Bahia Lapataia is the end of the Argentina RN3 and the end of the Pan-American highway from north to south of 17,848KM. That is why it is the End of the World. Here, it is 3000KM from Buenos Aires and 3000KM from South Pole.

Nacional Parque Tierra del Fuego, Apr 2010.

We leaved the park and headed back to Ushuaia. I really had an amazing time. After saying good bye to Pepe and Satio, it was tough to leave a day like that behind when the contentment is filled!

South America - the 6 un-Missable Missiones

For it is the dream of 28 years, I crafted my South America journey around Ushuaia. However, the more I research on the continent, I realized that there are a lot more to the continent than many others. I compiled a list, I had to forgo some of the wonders because of time and money limitation and here are my 6 un-Missable Missiones.

Ushuaia in Argentina, Apr 2010.

I know about the national parks of Los Glaciares where Perito Moreno Glacier is, of Torres del Paine where Los Torres are, and of El Chalten where Mt.Fitzroy is.  But, they are all either part of the Southern or Northern Patagonia Ice Field, the third largest ice sheet in the world. 

Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina, Apr 2010.

I always somehow feel that I am more the Robinson Crusoe type of traveller, so I wonder about that little MOST remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, furthest away from all civilizations, having it's own sacred statues of Moai.  I can not miss Easter Island.

Easter Island in Chile, May 2010.

Even I been to Niagara Fall for numerous times in my six years in Canada, I read about how  Eleanor Roosevelt described the poor Niagara when she saw the Iquazu Falls, which is 27 times the size of Niagara.

Iquazu Falls in Brazil, May 2010.

I have read about it.  However, I have not realized how famous and awesome it is. As it is on the way in the journey from Chile to Peru, after Atacama Desert and before La Paz, I dropped by the Largest Salt Flat in the world.  Little that I know, the Salar de Uyuni  is mesmerizing!

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, May 2010.

Of course, I have always been fascinated by Machu Picchu and no one could miss it in a trip to South America. Reading so much about the sacred trail of Inka, trekking it is a MUST.

Machu Picchu in Peru, Jun 2010.

There are other wonders I really would like to go but it just have to wait for another time.  The 1st on the forgo list is the Galapagos Islands in which I am intended to come back for Ecuador in another time.  The 2nd is Falkland.  It is just too far, only flight from Santiago, expensive and not many options for accommodations.  The 3rd is the Chileo in Chile. Just like any other trips, there were just not enough time for reasearch so I missed this one out.

The good news is, I know I would come back for a 2nd journey before the 1st one even started.