DAY 7 ANTARCTICA TRIP - ANTARTICA

7 March 2011

DAY 7 ANTARTICA TRIP

USHUAIA – ANTARCTIC CRUISE ON BOARD USHUAIA

Finally we are on our way to the vast white continent – Antarctica. Ours is the little boat in front!!!!

In 1978 hubby and I came very close to taking our young family for a flight over Antarctica. Hubby had always been fascinated by this big white wild continent. We saw and advertisement for flights over the continent. We ummed and ahhed but in the end we felt the price didn’t justify such an experience. Instead we took the family for a five month trip to Europe over the European autumn and winter. Everyone thought we were crazy to travel with three children, one of whom was only 18monts, but it was one of the best things we ever did. It was also the start of our passion to travel. Amongst those who know us we are often referred to as the nomads.

However our dream to see this vast continent never died. For the last 8 or so years we had begun to explore opportunities to do so again. Suddenly last October an opportunity presented itself that was just too good to be true. An email was forwarded to us several days before the closing date about this trip being organized to Antarctica by the World Lithuanian Amateur Alpine Skiing Association. We couldn’t believe that it also offered a possible opportunity to ski there. The price was also unbelievable compared to what is on offer from Australian based tour groups. So we bit the bullet and decided to go regardless that the timing was right off with our upcoming move as well. Next we had to organize flights to South America to meet the group. Again things fell into place. Several days after getting a quote for a travel agent Qantas had their big 90th birthday sale and we got our two tickets for slightly more than the price of one ticket quoted earlier on the same flight. It was just meant to be.

So here we are ready to go onboard the Ushuaia.

DAY 6 ANTARCTICA TRIP - USHUAIA

6 March 2011

Not quite as nice a day today. The wind was blowing and it was 10C. You needed to wear a wind jacket to be comfortable.

Another tour today. This time it was of the Terra del Fuego National Park.  As someone said ‚you can’t get away for the convicts here‘. The tour bus picked us up and took us along the Pipo Valley to the train station for a ride on the 'To the end of the world train'.

It was a 7 kilometre ride within the national park along on the railway built by the convicts and on which they travelled to fell beech trees for the community. It was a beautiful countryside.

They call the area of the felled trees 'the tree cemetry'. No new trees have regrown here.

We stopped at Macarena Station to see the waterfall.

There were also examples of Yamani civilisation here.

Then back on the train we went to enjoy a further 30 minute train drive with commentary.

At the end of the line we reconnected with our bus for a drive through a sub-antartic beech forest. There are some walking trails and camping areas in the park. Before we started off on one walk we did a group photoshoot. The number of cameras lined up was cause for a good laugh.

Our walk was along the beautiful shoreline.

The swans were very unusual – black necks and white bodies.

The landscape is just beautiful.

Our second walk took us to Lapataia Bay. Lapataia means ‚bay of nice trees.‘

We did a little detour to a beaver dam. Beavers are an introduced species here. They were introduced for the fur but in the environment here they did not grow the same fur as in Canada. So farming them was a waste of time and they let them loose. Now they are playing havoc with the environment and have no natural predators so are increasing in numbers in plague proportions.

Lapapaia Bay was just beautiful.

The Pan American Route finishes here and it is referred to as the end of the world.

Before long it was time for us to head back to Ushuaia.

We had two last stops before going to a restaurant for lunch. These were the two panoramic points in Ushuaia.

This view across the bay is similar to the view that greeted us on arrival at the airport.

After lunch we all went ot the ski hire place to hire the ski gear for the ski race on Antartica. Hubby was very disappointed with the quality of the equipment for hire. It was the basic Head ski that has not been tuned or edges sharpened. They were old and did not compare to the quality of ski gear we are used to in Australia.

Finally we had some free time. After a bit of a rest we ventured out and ended up meeting up with some others from the group. We decided to go somewhere where we could sit and talk. The Irish Pub fitted the bill. As time went by more and more members of the group joined in.  Paper money of various countries adorn the walls here.  As there was no lithuanian note on the wall the group decided to add to their collection.

Another great day and evening. We are all waiting anxiously for the cruise starting tomorrow.

DAY 5 ANTARCTICA TRIP - BUENOS AIRES – USHUAIA

5 March 2011

A very early start today – 3.00am in order to catch the flight to Ushuaia. We all gathered at the designated spot at 3:45 am and everyone was on time.  Soon we were on our way to the airport until one person realised they had left their camera and mobile at the hotel. So back we went to retrieve left items.

The flight was 3 hours and 20 minutes. We took off as dawn was about to break. I was surprised that they only gave a small snack not breakfast on the flight.

As we neared Ushuaia the terrain was very interesting as we flew over the Andes. Snow capped mountains glistened through the clouds.

It was spectacular! The landing approach was unique and took you unawares.  You could see the land doen there, the mountains on either side and suddenly you feel the plane land.  On what you think!  There was a raised area that one could not see from the plane until after you land.

A beautiful sunny day, about 15-16C, greeted us. Plans were changed for the group so as to take advantage of the fine weather. We later found out it was most unusual weather. There are on average only about 8 such days per year. We were very lucky. Apparently they can have the four seasons in one day and the weather can change very very quickly. The average temperature in summer is 10C and in winter 0C.

Ushuaia was founded in 1884 as a penal colony and is the only Argentinian city on the other side of the Andes. It is also the only place in Argentina where the forests, mountains and the sea meet whilst Beagle Chanel provides the link between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The word 'Ushuaia' in the Yamana tongue means the bay that pentrates to the west; where the sunsets.

So we made the most of it and extended our tour today to include a tour of the country. As we passed Beagle Chanel we could see Chile across the other side.

The Martial galcier dominates the view out of Ushuaia.

We drove past glacial valleys full of peat bogs and past beautiful mountain ranges.

We went past the x-country resorts and sled dog training areas and then stopped to have a look a their modern alpine resort. This was keenly inspected by everyone on the trip as they are all very keen skiers.

It was interesting to see how and where the tree line was with the shale rock above it.  It is at 600m above sea level.

We crossed the Andes and wound our way up to the Garibaldi pass.

At the top we took advantage of the view and took lots of photos of the stunning view of the Hidden Lake and Lake Fagnano.

From here we did a 3-4 kilometre walk down the mountain. Beautiful scenery!

On our return to Ushuaia we got allocated our rooms at a lovely Hotel Tierra De Fuego and had some free time.

We strolled along the main street for a quick lunch and a beer.

Ushuaia is an attractive little town- very different from Buenos Aires.

It was interesting to see meat cooking over a fire in a restaurant.  Several hours later it was still cooking.

The port is walking distance – a block away. It’s a natural deep port and is used to move containers between Ushuaia and Rio Grande

We visited the Ushuaia Jail and Military Prison, Thierra Del Fuego History and Ship exhibit and the Argentina in Antartic exhibit. A pity that the building was so hot – they had fires going inside – as it made it difficult to concentrate on the exhibits in such stifling heat on the exhibits. However, it was a very comprehensive presentation.

Tired we made our way back to our room for a rest. In the evening we all went to dinner at one of the restaurants. We had a beautiful local lamb dish as a main.

 It was a great night out finished off with a nightcap at the association president’s ‘penthouse’.  The last member of the group finally joined us for a night cap after a 30 hour trip from Madrid. At least now we are not the only non Lithuanian residents on the trip.