Ushuaia I

The urban face of Ushuaia

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and exactly as we had imagined it. It sits facing the Beagle Channel and the Navarino and Hoste islands (already within Chilean territory), with a staircase leading down to the sea, featuring roads that are sometimes very steep and parallel roads running alongside the port. The whole area is very pleasant, except in the outskirts where we didn't expect to find low-income housing, perhaps due to the fact that it hosts a large naval base and serves as a transit point between the two oceans for containers. It’s actually surprising to see so many containers in such a remote location, considering that they can only arrive and depart by sea and the surrounding area consists only of beautiful, isolated mountains. It is also the starting point for Antarctic cruises, which cost over USD 3,000 for a 9-day tour. Diego tells us that it doesn't snow much in the city (10/15 cm at a time) and that winter temperatures don’t drop below -10/12°. It remains to be seen how possible it is to drive through a city built like a staircase, with roads that directly lead to the sea. The Beagle Channel doesn't freeze in winter, so navigation is safe. Out on the open ocean, the situation becomes much colder and further south, the same ocean forms a dense layer of ice.

Politics and society

Breakfast in the room, as we also have a kitchenette with everything needed to start the day right. At 8:00 AM, the weather doesn't look promising, but we still set off optimistically, following the rule that one can experience all four seasons in a single day. In reality, today we will only experience two seasons: winter with snow at Cerro Martial and autumn with rain during our visit to the park. We still have credit for the remaining two seasons, which we will certainly redeem in the coming days.

Excursion to Bahia Lapataia

Cerro Martial, 7 km from the city and a hike to the Martial glacier. We drive up to the starting point of the cable car, where, given the weather and date, there is no one around. We continue on the ski slope while... The rain turns into snow. It should be noted that, at least nominally, we are in summer and the piste is not covered in snow. It must still be a wonderful experience to ski down a slope that seems to descend into the sea. A beautiful path It leads us into a forest that ends at the beginning of the moraine. We climb it, crossing some snowfields, to reach the point where the glacier begins, well covered in snow. The city view and the harbor would be wonderful, if only they could be seen. In the meantime, the snow is falling heavily and offers us a cozy atmosphere, as Christmas is not Christmas without snow. There is still plenty of snow on the slopes, considering that the summer solstice has just passed. Descending towards the town center, where the museums are closed for the holidays. So, after a hot chocolate at the central Via San Martin, under the rain, we go to visit the Tierra del Fuego National Park. It is located about 20 km from the city in a pristine and unspoiled environment, covered by the typical "fueghina" vegetation of fir trees and peat bogs. At some point, the sky clears up and stops raining, leaving glimpses of the sky visible. Bahia Lapataia, the place beyond which all roads end, is the starting point (or end) of Route 3, which starts from Buenos Aires and covers over three thousand km along the Atlantic to reach this location, which, continuing for a few kilometers, reaches Chile to the west or some islands that separate it from the Antarctic Ocean to the south. We can see some remains of crabs, the famous cuttlefish that enhanced several dinners.

During our walk towards Senda de la Baliza, we saw the beaver project, which have altered the landscape, building countless dams and diverting the course of streams. This has led to the creation of small artificial lakes, with the consequent death of a large part of the forest that was inside them. Beavers were not imported for some unknown reason and caused considerable environmental damage.

For Christmas Day, it's customary to have a picnic outdoors, just as we do on Easter Monday. Therefore, the park is full of people enjoying barbecues with delicious beef. The aroma emanating from the trees has an exhilarating effect, almost mesmerizing. A grey fox, who also loves grilling, wanders nearby looking for leftovers and perhaps some entertainment.

Adventurous souls, we continue with a mostly flat walk on the Hito XXIV trail leading to the Chilean border. It follows the shores of Lake Roca in a beautiful lenga forest. We are particularly interested in the species of parasitic fungi that attach themselves to the tree bark and fall to the ground, maintaining a spongy surface. We will later discover that they are called "Indian Bread". There is also a lot of vischio, or at least a close relative, which here is called "Chinese lantern". It has a more yellowish color and its leaves are very fine, releasing a sort of fluff. At the beginning of the trail, we can also find several bushes of calafate with hanging fruits.

We return to Ushuaia for a well-deserved dinner featuring trout stuffed with delicious ingredients. tenderloin steak (a cube of meat with a carefully placed cheese inside).

Finish it off with a sweet vanilla and caramel sauce. To accompany the meal, I had a local beer called "Beagle".

Evening in Ushuaia

A walk towards the port allows you to see the sunset time Although not perfectly clear, the clouds reflecting on the oily sea create images worthy of great painters. The harbor and the mountains in the background complete the scene. Even though it is already 9:30 PM, the sun occasionally peeks through, allowing its rays to filter onto the water and create some special effects. I will wait at least another hour before venturing behind the hills of the park.