January 29, 2016
You know that joke – “It’s not the end of the world, but you
can see it from here.” Well, we are actually at the end of the world – the
southernmost city in South America, Ushuaia, Argentina. Actually, there is a
small town in Chile (just across the Beagle Channel), Port Williams, that is
actually further south. But the population is too small to qualify as a city
and it is not equipped to handle large ships. So, Ushuaia wins the bragging
rights as “the end of the world.”
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| Lovely Ushuaia |
Ushuaia is the capital city of the Argentine Province of
Tierra del Fuego, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, with a population of
60,000. It is surrounded by the Martial mountain range, one of the last
bastions of the Andes. Everywhere you look, the snow-capped peaks seem within
touching distance. It reminds me of my time at the University of Colorado at
Boulder when the Rocky Mountains seemed within touching distance.
We were able to walk into town from the ship. This is a
year-round tourist city. In summer (January, February and March) it is where
the ships traveling to the Antarctic stop for provisions, passengers, etc. In
winter the skiers dominate. Ushuaia claims to host one of the most “exclusive
and best equipped” ski centers in South America, Cerro Castor. So the city is
filled with hotels, hostels, tourist shops, restaurants and outdoor equipment
stores.
Oh, and jewelry shops. I got an early birthday present – a
lovely pendant of Incan Rose stone – the national gem of Argentina. And,
especially, chocolate where I picked some artisanal Patagonian dark chocolate
(negra).
Dark chocolate from Patagonia
John, of course, bought more wine. The young man who waited
on us when we bought the wine, spoke perfect English and, with his dark skin
and curly hair, looked out of place in this city populated by mostly whites.
Turns out he is Haitian, now from Miami, and is here to “try something new.”
He’s working on a degree in industrial engineering.
We bought “End of the World” tees for the grandkids, ball
caps for Ushuaia and Cape Horn, and sent birthday postcards to the three
Valentine’s Day grandkids. The young woman in the souvenir shop said that the
previous weekend over 13,000 visitors had been in town including 8,000 from two
gigantic cruise ships of 4,000 passengers each.
When we were about an hour out from Ushuaia, the captain
announced that we were turning around and going back for an emergency medical
evacuation. When we returned the ship was backed into the docking area, a small
boat buzzed by and we were on our way again almost immediately. We have not
heard who was evacuated or why, but It’s very sad. However, it might have been
worse as we do not have easy access to land again until February 5th
when we reach the Falklands.
As you may assume, it is chilly with temps in the low 50s
and upper 40s. And most of our fellow passengers dress accordingly. However,
there are some who continue to dress in sandals, shorts and tee shirts. Hey,
it’s a cruise!
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