I flew into Ushuai, the furthest south you can go in the world, unless u fancy a few thousand dollars to pop over to antarctica. Definitely the southernmost city in the world. Though i`m throwing the word `city´ around a bit loosely there. It´s a town by the sea, and it`s a fifty hour bus journey from BA to Ushuaia, and since it`s the same price as a 3 hour flight...no brainer.
Ushuaia is in Tierra del Fuego, which is in Patagonia, which spans the south of both Argentina and Chile... I won`t be going to the Chilean side, though more wonders await there, i plan to stay on this side. In fact i don`t plan to visit chile at all. Every traveller has talked about how expensive it is, so i guess i shall have to include it in my next trip to antartica...accepting donations now.
Flying into Ushuaia was one of the more magical experiences of my life. I had spent the night before my flight drinking wine with matt and luca on the roof, not smart. Fell fast asleep on the plane, but woke up just in time to see huge drifts of snow covering the ground far below the plane. No wait, not snow, but unbelievably fluffy clouds, all level for miles and there in the distance, the snow capped peaks of the patagonian mountains making their presence felt. Breathtaking is too cliched, wonderous, too old fashioned. For me, it was simply like i had been holding my breath for the longest time, but i had no idea, and suddenly, i could breathe again. As the clouds bared it´s gaps, you could see the see beneath and the bay that surrounds ushuaia, like molten steel in the morning sunshine. It was unreal, and beautiful. The mountains were a crumbly brown, like the stollen you get at the german market at christmas time. Dusted in the same way with an icing sugar-fine layer of snow around the middle, building up to a big dollop of icing covering the top, like a christmas pudding. It`s autumnn here in patagonia, so all the trees are brilliant rusts and coppers, swathing the base of these mountains, giving way to the icing sugar some where round the middle... And tiny brightly coloured fishing boats and small houses dotting the bay, cheerfully painted, of wood and corrugated iron painted to match. Very swiss in the over-riding style. Even the poorest people, who mostly live on the edge of the town, even they have spent part of their tiny budget in building an acommodation that looks like a little swiss house. Wood panelling and flower boxes in their teeny tiny houses, Rather that than the indignity of a large shack. There´s pride in this that i admire, but seriously, they are the tiniest ´houses´ i have ever seen.}
BA was clearly more draining and claustrophobic than i realised. I had looked forward to Ushauai since i had begun to plan my trip, but i wasn`t expecting this feeling of waking up. The air is so crisp, it reminded my of england, but even fresher. The water here is purer than anything i`ve ever tasted, freezing ur fingers off after just a few seconds of runniong your fingers underneath it. It is of course, freezing, but i think i had secretky beeb longing for this change in weather,. There is something that only someome who has grown up somewjhere cold can appreciate, about coming in from the cold,, and the freshness of the air when it`s freezing. I tried articulating this to Livia, she may have thought i was completely insane...
My hostel is a cheery blue wood-panelled house, run by two lovely girls who are very patient when i attempt to say anything in spanish. It has heating, woo!!! And the view from my window is a little ridiculous. Snowcapped mountains in the morning are good for the soul, i`m sure of it! I imagine someone from parts of canada, or newfoundland, or even parts of scotland, would not as blown away as i was, but this is a first for me. And i`m like a child in my excitement. I have never been so eager to hike, or trek. And i hate being cold, but here, it`s different. You feel healthier just by breathing this air. And after the excesses of rio and BA, this is the perfect place for me.
my view
I have never hiked with such enthusiasm as i did in the Tierra Del Fuego national park, where i encountered my french friend who loves the word squelch ; ) The park is just as gorgeous as the surrounding scenery suggests. Sapphire lagoons, amber forests, wild horses and green fields. And the whole time was there, i was incredibly lucky with the waether. Freeeezing, but sunny, so everthing was just that much more sparkling and beautiful.
(Roomate from the hostel, delphine, increeedibly french and veeery excited about everything. Hairdresser, who haggled here way across india before coming to south america, trained at nicky clarke in london, has worked on cruise ships, lived in dubai, and had a boyfriend once who told her that her french accent wasn´t sexy...moron. what planet is he on?)
I also, to my great pride (pride never precedes anything bad...right?) walked from town to the top of a mountain to see the glaciar. The Glaciar Martial in Ushuaia is basically not really a glaciar at all, but another snow capped mountain, and I maaaay have lost my way as i followed the ridiculously precarious trail...maybe. I spent a good extra 2 hours clambering around the top of the mountain trying to find a safe way down...if i`d slipped, i`m pretty sure i`d have been a goner. The Mountain`s across town, up a winding round that is about 10 km long and then, you have to walk to the base of the mountain, and then up it. Holy crap. 2 months in rio and BA did NOT prepare me in anyway for it, but i was fine. Really. I got tired when i got lost after hour x, but getting there, not nearly as hard as i thought it would be. I ydid it. Booyah for me : ) It wasn´t exactly that i lost my way, but more that i climbed up the mountain path, only it wasn´t a path, and pretty soon i was clambering up crumbly gravel and snow, trying not to fall and realising that there was no way i could gf back down the way i had come up...so i had to trek across the top of the glaciar to make it back down. Kind of exhilirating really. All the snow covers hidden rivulets running down the mountain, so every step was a bit of a gamble really. Good stuff.
VIDEO COMING HERE SOON (internet is sooooo slow)
The town of Ushuaia itself is not much to talk about, quite touristy and full of patisseries and chocolate shops. (i had a chocolate mousse pie filled with dulce de leche...mmmmmmm.) But the scenery, my god. I could wax on forever, but i won´t- I will however say that i truly wish that all of you could see it. I feel so lucky to be here...
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=137873&id=222304166&l=2293f13b2c
No comments:
Post a Comment