We couldn’t just pass through Buenos Aries. So even though we are running on empty and Michelle is getting sick we managed a couple of things. Enough so that when I likely eventually return I’ll have my bearings.

We spent most of a day just catching up on sleep, food and reconnecting to our lives. Followed by some yummy drinks and tapas at our hotels sky bar which had a good view of the Obelisco. It’s been a strange juxtaposition with the wilds of Antarctica.

For our last fun day of this 23 day trip we took a leisurely walk along the famous Avenida de Mayo. Named after the May revolution that led to Argentina’s independence. It connects the Plaza de Mayo, where the Casa Rosada (pink house) that Eva Peron gave her famous speech from is with the Congressional Plaza. That plus a brief visit to the Catedral metropolitana de Buenos Aries because Michelle was about to spontaneously combust for some reason. It reminded me of some old world churches of Europe.

We concluded with a nice late lunch/dinner and will be heading to bed early as it’s going to be a real long travel day tomorrow. It’s been a fantastic trip full of a lot of wonders of nature and memories made.

I had a conversation with someone a few weeks ago about US food, on average, not being all that good. While there are plenty of exceptions, I tend to agree and eating in Patagonia has only solidified that view.

Every meal and every drink I’ve had this past week has been great. The airline food was good. All the meals at our hotel have been very good, even the free breakfast is great. The food on tours has been fantastic, especially the lamb stew on Tuesdays hike. I’ve had a lot of seafood as well, all quite nice. I’ve had a couple of well crafted cocktails and a number of local beers all pretty good.

Tuesday:

Tuesday was our first really active day. We went on a guided tour through the Tierra del Fuego national park. The first part of the day was a 4-5km canoe (actually a 7 person raft). For some reason I got put in charge to pilot our craft. I guess because I said yes to having experience? After I drove us in circles a couple of times we went down the river until meeting the Beagle channel and along the shore a little ways. It was chilly and a little rainy, but nothing very harsh. We saw numerous birds and the “steamer ducks” were my favorite because they look like little ships scooting along the water. The geography was stunning. Huge snow capped mountains in every direction. Mostly hidden by clouds but they would peek through occasionally.

A stop for lunch with some very yummy lamb stew (which yes, I ate) and Patagonian wine in a dome by the water.

After lunch our small group walked 8km along the sore of the Beagle channel. Within a surprisingly lush forest. Plenty of geese, a kind I’ve never seen and a few other birds. A bunch of semi-wild horses as well. Again, surrounded by amazing mountains. At times it was quite cold, but still above freezing. Yet we got kind of warm at times as it wasn’t always easy walking. Over all a great day and a good test of our physical fitness.

For dinner we again went to the resort restaurant. Largely because the night before we had gotten a bottle of wine each because we could split it over 2 nights. Which worked out well. I don’t drink much these days but the Patagonian wine, a Malbec in this case is wonderful. Near sunset, which is around 10:30, the clouds started to clear up, revealing even more of the snow capped mountains around us and across the channel.

Wednesday:

We started the day off with some planned relaxation and sleeping in a little. Followed by exploring Ushuaia. There was some harsh wind at times, but mostly sunny with amazing views. Lots of small shops, restaurants and a few tourist nick-nack places. Even a small protest/parade crossed our path. Lunch and a few drinks in town then a late dinner back at our hotel wine bar. I had 3 different types of local beers, overall and they were pretty good.

Thursday:

Today was a free day in our huge itinerary. So Michelle, via her new friend the concierge, set us up with an afternoon of horse back riding. Here on the island of Tierra del Fuego there are 3 main areas. The national park, the channel and the lakes. We did the park Tuesday and we’ll be heading to Antarctica via the channel, so horse riding in the lakes gave us the best over all view of the area.

We got picked up for an hour drive and had some great exchange of cultural information along the way. Our driver learned a lot about the US and we learned much about the area. Beavers for example. They were introduced in the 50’s as an attempt to bring an economic boost to the area. But with no natural predators and because there aren’t a lot of animals to start with, they have become a menace.

Once we arrived at the small stable we met our horses. Michelle’s Wilson who was kind of a character avoiding puddles at all costs and my Chillile(probably spelled wrong) who was easy to get along with and responded to my direction very well without effort. Emotionally, if not physically, I could have rode for days.

Riding along Lago Escondido through forest and scrub bushes with the imposing snow capped mountains all around us will be one of the highlights of this trip for sure. It was supposed to be a rainy day, but it turned out to be quite the opposite and I was a little warm by the end in my parka. There are a bunch of photos that will probably be added here later.

Friday

A more leisurely morning. A long breakfast and sipping coffee while looking at the channel. Followed by some practical things like getting some laundry done. Michelle wanted to do some shopping so we went to town to explore and shop. There is a concert tonight or tomorrow so it was quite busy in town. Not a very eventful day, but one soaking in the environment and culture.

Saturday

(I’m pre-writing this bit, so the morning is less rushed) Our last day in Ushuaia. We have practical things to do in the morning. Dropping off our luggage at the port, returning our car and stuff like that before boarding our ship. We will probably just explore town a bit more and rest for what may be a possible rough few days crossing the Drake Passage. A notoriously turbulent sea.

Over all the island that is Tierra del Fuego is an amazing place and I’m glad we added these couple of days on to the trip. Next stop, Antarctica!

NOTE: Some photos stolen from Michelle Others may be added later as I’m taking photos with my phone as well as my higher end camera.

Starting with a car to Orlando and the Brightline train(and shuttle) to Miami International Airport Hotel where I met Michelle. The train was again quite nice and a lot nicer than dealing with Miami. The following morning a flight to Buenos Aries and a car ride across the city to stay at a hotel near a regional airport. We were both impressed by Aerolineas Argentina and I ate about 4 days worth of food on the flight. We will be spending a few days in Buenos Aries on the return so we didn’t do anything but sleep.

Then the 3rd day a flight to Ushuaia on a regional flight, the southern most city in the world.

We will stay in Ushuaia for the next 5 days before heading to Antarctica. Exploring the Tierra del Fuego portion of Patagonia. So far it’s just stunning and while chilly, it’s not more than a brisk fall day. We’ve actually got the windows open because the air is nice.

Michelle is off getting a massage now and then we have dinner reservations here as this rather nice resort. Then catching up on sleep before tomorrow’s adventure of hiking and canoeing in the nearby national park.