Argentina 2011

March 22, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Travel day today.  Heard the airport in Buenos Aires was closed yesterday as the traffic control was down, but we made it ok!  Nice as a direct flight of only 3 1/2 hours.  Staying in hostel for 2 nights.  A very busy place and at times loud.  But the location is super as it is on the main pedestrian mall.  

Went out for dinner at a London Pub with a couple from the Ushuaia tour.  London Pub was not very Londonish!  But the food was great!

March 21, Ushuaia, Argentina

Caught a van out to the Tierra del Fuego National park.  Here we caught the local tourist train to take us right into the park.  Then started a walk of about 12 km.  Very nice walking in a forest and along the coast.  Very different than Torres, as this is more forested and close to the beach.  Stopped for lunch on rocky point.  Sitting there and a carcara joined us.  Looking for handouts, but did not get any!  Beautiful day until waiting for the ride back and it poured rain.  A different company picked us up and delivered us to the right company van as it approached.  Nice, but still got a bit wet.  By the time we got back into town the sun was shining and the streets were dry!

Out for a farewell dinner.  All you can eat at a 'meat' place!  This is the type of restaurant that cooks the meat on a charcoal fire and also has the whole lambs on a spit!  So good!  Lots of fun!

March 20, Ushuaia, Argentina

Up and off on Beagle Channel cruise.  Used a catarmaran with 2 engines.  The boat was almost full.  Headed out into the channel and stopped at a small island for a short walk.  A reserve area but they ran the boat up on the beach and dropped the gangway.  Nice views of city from island.  Then to an island that is full of sea elephants.  Very smelly and loud!  Then to a colony of cormorants, and again very smelly.  Was surprised at how close they got to the islands with the boats.

In the afternoon headed off to the Naval/ Prison museum.  Built in about 1902, for prisoners shipped here, manly to inhabit the area as a claim to the area.  Huge prison with about 5 different hallways coming out of a central area, like a wheel.  2 of the halls had many displays about some of the prisoners, one was 16.  Then one of the halls had not been developed.  I could not survive as it was just too cold!

Short walk along harbour and back to hotel.

Off for dinner and then to Irish pub for drinks.  Always fun!