Thursday, January 2, 2020

Ushuaia is in the Deep South

Monday, December 30th, 2019 was our port day in Ushuaia.  Ushuaia is the southern most city in the world and it is located in the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego.  It is the jumping point for southern Patagonia.  Tierra del Fuego National Park is just outside of town.  Unfortunately we had a relatively short day for excursion 7 AM- 4 PM.  So we were going to try to cram a lot into today.

Ushuaia is about 80,000 people depending on who you talk to.  Argentina made an  effort to grow the population of Argentinians living in Ushuaia to stabilize its influence on the city and the region.  


The views of Ushuaia as we docked in port


Ushuaia from our veranda or deck.  When is a deck a veranda or a veranda a deck?



The mountains and the boats.

I was anxious and up early.  I really wanted this tour to be great.  So I had a little time wandering Ushuaia on my own.


Ushuaia port sign


Are we focused on having a good time in Ushuaia? !!  Can I get a Hell Ya!!!


This is a monument in Ushuaia it represents the flames from Tierra del Fuego on top the merge to form an albatross.  It is actually quite pretty.


Evita Perón is everywhere 


Evita bust in the morning sun.


Along the ocean walk there are busts of various Antarctic explorers.  This is the first on in the series.

We met our guide and headed East.  West was to the park and I thought the queue was going to be overwhelming.  I wanted us to spend our time seeing and doing versus driving and waiting in line.  

We headed out of town and were met with the impressive Patagonian landscape.


This mountain is called Olivia which has been modified from the original native name and means spear and is pointed back towards the Beagle Channel.


Patagonia is awesome.  Let’s drop in and get lost.


Patagonian mountains have peat bog made from layers of moss.  Look at the mountains the top is dark because sedimentary rock still resides on top.  The glaciers did not go that high then you see a gray layer of granite where the glacier dragged and eroded the rock away and then you see the vegetation layer advancing up from the peat bog.  The photos do not do justice to the beauty of this area.


Looking across the Beagle Channel towards 🇨🇱 and Puerto Williams


Skipping rocks into the Beagle Channel.


On the quest for a perfect skipping rock.


Dad is there a hole  in the ozone layer down here? Asking for a friend.


The Anseth Family at the Beagle Channel


This crooked tree has been forced to grow sideways secondary to the strong and persistent winds in the area.

The girls recreating a 1970s Earth, Wind and Fire album cover.


Patagonia is big and G-Money is little

From the Beagle Channel we traveled to the first settlement in the area. Estancia Haberton a ranch of the Beagle Channel established in 1886 by Thomas Bridges.  He was a missionary, who married a young woman from England then promptly jumped on a boat with her and sailed to Tierra del Fuego to continue his missionary work.  We don’t think the wife was happy with this turn  of events.  The ranch is still run by the family to this day.  It has a natural history museum on site for the marine life in the area.  It was started by a biologist named Natalie Goodall.  She ended up marrying on of the grandsons who was running the farm at that time.


Katie and Kari at the entrance to the main house

Native flowers in the garden.


The remains of some old boats


Whale spinal skeletons - this was a juvenile with incomplete fusion of the spinal endplates
#science #lookatthebones


Sadie shooting photos of the Blue Whale skull.

From the ranch, we traveled along the Beagle Channel until we reached a small fishing village for lunch.


View of Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego from the restaurant 


Gable island in the Beagle Channel.  It’s name came from the shape of the rocks cut by glaciers - they look like the gables on a series of houses.  They catch King crab at the base of the island


The crew at lunch


Ashley and Sophie are eyeing the wine selection 


A table of adults?


Octopus so good.


Trout with potato wedges.
The head was taken of for all the girls so they wouldn’t freak out- can you imagine 10 teens getting fish with the head on it?  Grandma 🎩 ate with one hand so she could cover it up with the other.


Dessert.  Enough sugar to blow your mind.


Butner boys at Beagle Channel.


Lance is either taking a picture or trying to get a sign so he can get his bets in on the games.  You be the judge.

From here it was back to town and the boat.  We made a couple of scenic stops.  We were pressed for time and an incoming storm pushed us to get back.


Anseth in Tierra del Fuego


Butners in Tierra del Fuego


Butners in Tierra del Fuego


Lance planking in the family photo.


What does your teenage daughter think about  planking in the family photo?



Ushuaia you were fun.  Wish we had 2 more days.


Ushuaia, thanks for the fun.


The storm hit as we were boarding.  It literally blew the sunglasses out of Ashley’s jacket pocket and into the ocean.  Grace nearly caught air!  I bet a couple of the wind gust were around 50mph.  Get me on this boat.

Tomorrow we are traveling to Puenta Arenas in 🇨🇱.  It is also New Years Eve.  Can’t wait to see what happens.









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