We do everything we can to make things run smoothly. With the high (and non-refundable) cost of our scheduled cruise to Antarctica we decided to travel to Ushuaia a few days early. Argentina is long and narrow and flying is sometimes the best option and we wanted to arrive early for early for our flight. When our 6:30 airport pick-up that was changed to 7:10 finally arrived at quarter-to-eight, our stress-meters were about maxed.
Yes, we arrived in time for the one-a-day flight to Ushuaia and, yes, the flight was thirty minutes late. But who needs the aggravation? To add to it all, the flight was full, mostly with a tour group of French Canadians. What could be worse?
We have traveled to the ends of many roads and visited several “lands ends.” Ushuaia claims to be “Fin del Mundo,” end of the earth. The town sits on the Beagle Channel beneath snow-dappled peaks and reminds us of Homer, Alaska on the other end of the mountainous backbone of the Americas. As summertime approaches this, too, will become the “Land of the Midnight Sun.”
Raoul with his "mate"
Things, understandably, cost more in Ushuaia with some hotels running over $500 per night. We’re staying at the Tango B&B, which sounds like “tango baby” when the cab drivers say it in their rapid-fire Spanish. It’s a modest place, 15-minutes walk from – and 200 feet above – the harbor. Raoul, a local university professor and proprietor, tries to make a bit more by inflating the exchange rate by 15% but we weren’t having it. Otherwise, all is well.
Ushuaia is synonymous with “adventure.” It is the jumping off point for Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica and there seems to be an outfitter on every other corner. We have explored the town seeking out affordable restaurants and groceries and are now settling down to relax
