February 15, 2014

We arrived Ushuaia yesterday morning to a beautiful, bright sunny – warm day.  Known as the southernmost city in the world, it’s less than 2500 miles from the South Pole.  It’s also called “World’s End” or “the End of the World”.  The last of the snow peaked mountains of the Andeans (the newest range of mountains in the world, covering over 4200 miles of South America) surround our ship as we sail the Straits of Magellan.  Named for Ferdinand Magellan when he sailed in 1520 through the strait.  He was the first European who sighted the land and called it “Tierra de los Fuegos” (The land of fire) because of the smoke seen from local Indians’ fires all around the region.  These Indians lived here as fishermen – and didn’t wear clothes!  Everywhere they went, they had fire – in their small huts, outside their huts, even in their canoes.  The father stood in the front to spear the fish, the children sat in the middle keeping a fire going (set on large fireproof stones in the middle of the canoe) and the mother paddled. 

We arrive into this safe heaven harbor of what was once a small fishing village but has grown to almost 200,000 in population.  Ushuaia was founded as a penal colony when in 1896 the first group of 14 convicts arrived.  In 1902 a new prison was built by the prisoners where it housed political prisoners, orphans and many undesirables whose crimes justified their sentence here.  Today you can see the 2-person cells but the building is more popular for the Maritime Museum and Art Gallery. 

We didn’t have enough time to do both a city tour and a tour into the National Park of Tierra Del Fuego, so we decided to take a helicopter ride into the park.  Our afternoon 45 minute ride was absolutely beautiful.  The sky was clear with a few fluffy clouds.  We circled around the city and headed to Mount Olivia.  We turned inland and flew through the mountain passages.  Finally in view was Lake Esmeralda, created by the glaciers.  Bright green color lake nestled between two mountains – WOW.  All too soon we turned around and flew back to town but first our pilot circled around our ship for some great photos.  This was a GREAT Valentine’s Day.

And just when you don’t think it can get any better, today we are sailing through the Beagle Channel.  Everywhere you look – high, snow covered peaks, waterfalls.  We cruise along what’s known as Glacier Avenue.  Bright blue ice and snow coming right down into the channel and small bits of ice float by. The sun is out.  It’s so warm we only need a sweater!  It’s hard to imagine how unforgiving this region can be when you experience such beauty – a contrast of extremes.