End Of The World

Introducing Ushuaia, Argentina arguably referred to as the southernmost city in the world, or  the end of the world. I say arguably since Argentina (Ushuaia) and Chile (Port Williams) disagree on this title. Ushuaia is the southernmost city based on some technical terms of the word "city". However, Port Williams, by demographics, is further south than Ushuaia but not considered a "city" due to its number of inhabitants (as per some definitions of the word "city").

In the morning around 3:30 a.m., the Crown Princess stopped just outside the harbor of Port Williams, Chile. According to a Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1984 between Chile and Argentina, Port Williams became the start point for all vessels of all nations who visited Argentine ports in the Beagle Channel. There we remained in the middle of the fjord while local officials boarded the ship by boat. Once the ship was cleared by Chilean authorities at around 5:30 a.m., we then took on an Argentinian pilot who guided us into the port of Ushuaia.

Before I go on, it is interesting to understand the waters of this geographic area because they form the important decisions of its captains. There are three ways for a ship to pass from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean at the extreme southern part of South America: the Drake Passage, the Magellan Strait or the Beagle Channel. The Drake Passage is wide open ocean for hundreds of miles, known for very rough conditions and goes around Cape Horn located between South America and Antarctica. The Magellan Strait is narrow, has unpredictable winds and currents and is further north with it's mouth on the Atlantic side located west of the Falkland Islands. Finally, the Beagle Channel, which is south of the Straits of Magellan and north of the Drake Passage, is narrow but sheltered and calm. Since our trip around Cape Horn through Drake Passage was not an option any longer, the Beagle Channel was the obvious choice. By the way, for my trivia buffs, the Beagle Channel was named after Charles Darwin's ship, the H.M.S. Beagle. Darwin sailed through that channel in 1831 heading towards the Pacific Ocean on his world adventure.

Now back to our own adventure. Rick and I were up before dawn, had breakfast and geared up for the day's events. We made a quick stop by the International Cafe, I grabbed a hot tea then we walked outside to the Promenade Deck (Deck 7) to get a quick view of the port.

We laid eyes on the gorgeous snow caps of the Martial Range mountains in the early morning light. Far below these gorgeous peaks sat the city of Ushuaia. The air was brisk so we took some photos then ducked back inside.

  

We checked in for our tour that day then sat with other passengers in the ship's Princess Theater waiting to go ashore in our designated groups. It was here that I heard how lucky we were on this voyage from some more traveled passengers. Apparently this had been their first time of two South American voyages they were able to go ashore in Ushuaia. These passengers were denied entry on their previous voyage due to protesters upset with the fact that the cruise ship had first stopped in the Falkland Islands. Note to self: it was at this point that I began noticing a frequency in disputes I had heard about on this trip dealing with Argentina...strange. 

By 7:30 a.m. Rick and I were walking off the ship and headed down the long pier into Ushuaia, Fin Del Mundo (Ushuaia, End of the World). The sky was grey but the rocky crags on the snowy Martial Range stood out in more detail.
  

  

At pier's end, we met our tour bus and departed for the Tierra del Fuego National Park for a ride on the southernmost railway. Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) is a province belonging to Argentina and which Ushuaia is the capital. Once at the train station, we walked around admiring the rustic decor in the terminal depicting the history of the area.

  

  

  

Our steam train chugged in and we were "ALL ABOARD" and began our journey through the frosty green world outside our picture window. 

  

During the ride, we learned that the train was originally built to haul freight and prisoners for the prison of Ushuaia, once a penal colony.  We saw the Pipo, a river named after an escaped prisoner, which ran "rapid, limpid and babbling", all supposed characteristics of the prisoner. 

Wild horses were grazing amongst the ferns and trees. 

We passed through the Tree Cemetery where timber had been cut to build the prison which left behind a dotted landscape of dead tree stumps. Bits of color burst came from the green, moist fauna in this area combined with the slight shade of orange from the peat from this land.

  

In the distance sat the spectacular snow covered Cerro Guanaco, part of the Fuegian Andes.

  

At the end of our train ride, I found snow and formed what looked like a cross between a duck chick and Thumper...if you REALLY stretched your creative eye.

  

  

  

After the train experience, our bus drove us further into the park to Ensenada Bay, which was a tranquil part of the Beagle Channel. 

Here we walked down to the salt water edge of the very cold bay and visited the southernmost post office perched atop a rickety wood pier. The exchange rate in Ushuaia had been roughly 1 US dollar to 8 Argentinian pesos. So, we left that post office having bought four great post cards, stamped and mailed for a whopping $18.75 (US)!!!!

  

  

Before I left the waterside, I had to photograph some gorgeous purple and pink sea kelp lying on the pebbly shore. The colors and textures were brilliant and it reminded me of the simple beauty in the details of nature. 

  

Once our tour ended and we were back at the port area, we had time to stroll on our own through Ushuaia, grab some lunch and see the sights. We passed a restaurant called Andino Gourmet Cafe, which looked really nice and we were hungry. The wind had begun to pick up and the temps were dipping so we got out of the cold and warmed up to some smoked Fuegian lamb, ham and Pattegras cheese on toast with beverages.

  

  

Bellies full, we explored some more of the city along the waterfront. Most shops were located along San Martin Street which was up the hill from the port area. There was an eclectic gift shop with a variety of donated currency and hats from patrons who have visited from all over the world. I "marched with the penguins" along the street sidewalk. We passed La Cantina de Fueguina de Freddy, a place known for their fresh king crab, not to mention its big red crab beckoning to passerbys on the street.

  

Finally, and a must in any port for any serious traveler and crew, is the search for free WIFI. So on our way back to the ship, we found a great little place for some local brew and free internet time. 

We were back on board our hotel on the water by 4:00 p.m., dropped our gear off at the cabin, changed and headed out to the Promenade Deck (Deck 7). The sun had come out, the air was crisp and the skies were blue. It made a great backdrop as the Crown Princess let go of her mooring lines just before 5:00 p.m. and sailed away from Ushuaia, Argentina. We were on our way to our next port of call, the windswept city of Punta Arenas, Chile which lies deep in the Magellan Strait.

Goodbye Ushuaia...

  

  

Next, we cruise the Beagle Channel: South American Cruise 2014