GeorgeCharlie

Before leaving Ushuaia, I would like to remark on the local - very much “in your face” attitude - towards the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands. It seems wherever you go there are signs, like these two located by the "End of the Highway" sign, which are representative of the local feelings towards these islands. Although the official motto is "Ushuaia, end of the world, beginning of everything" - the local people have another moniker: “Argentina's capital of the Malvinas”. There are references to the islands everywhere; on billboards, street names, along with plaza and building names. (Internet Picture) This city saw the invasion of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands from a very close distance. Indeed, it was from Ushuaia that many soldiers left to fight 40 years ago, hoping to turn the page on history and claim the Falkland Islands - or the Malvinas - from the British. And it was from Ushuaia that the cruiser General Belgrano set sail, only to be torpedoed by the British, on 2 May 1982, killing more than 300 Argentinians. A couple of hours drive away is Rio Grande - the city from which Argentina's air fleet took off. The deep local feeling was portrayed in a monumental work on Islas Malvinas Square. (Internet Picture) The memorial site includes a lawn of artificial grass, a large sculpture mural, a mast, a shrine and a cenotaph which spans for almost 20 meters and whose flame burns 24/7. The Wall of remembrance contain the names of the 649 Argentine servicemen who were killed in the attempted liberation of the Islas Malvinas in 1982. From a young age, the Malvinas are part of the school curriculum - and talk of modern-day colonialism a part of peoples' lives. There's even a book given to primary school children which in English translates as Pipino the Penguin, the Monster and the Malvinas. It tells the story of a blue monster arriving on the islands in a pirate ship with British flags and driving off the animals there. Despite Pipino's best attempts, the monster remains in the cave by the end of the book. (Internet Picture) (Internet Picture) Whilst most kids in the world are taught nursery rhymes, kids in Argentina are taught “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, as a simple rhyme to repeat - which I understand is commonly used as a chant at the start of school days for some grades. “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” translates to “The Falklands are Argentine”. With our next stop being the Falkland Islands, I was interested to see what the local attitude would be like there. Especially, considering a total of 255 British servicemen and three female civilians were killed liberating the Falklands.

I didn’t check into it, but I wonder if the monument notes that Ushuaia was originally settled by British missionaries, following previous British surveys. The city was originally named by early British missionaries, using the native Yámana name for the area. The first Argentine citizens was a couple who were brought in to teach at the school.

A couple of miscellaneous pictures. Frederico showing off his Argentine FIFA Team shirt, which I understand was, at that time, very difficult to get. The Monumento Antiguos Pobladores de Ushuaia (The Monument to the Pioneers and Old Settlers) This white stone monument is a tribute to the Pioneer Settlers of Ushuaia. It appears different based on your position. From the front it depicts Ushuaia with mountain slopes transformed into an albatross with wings outstretched. From the sides it looks like a giant wave with scenes of farming and industry. Different sequences of history are displayed around the sculpture. What a beautiful tribute honoring the history of Ushuaia.

Frederico proudly pointed out this car to us, saying it was a Ushuaia car. From his comments, we thought the car was being made in Ushuaia. But on checking, the car is a Ushuaia ED Limited Edition electric Smart Fortwo, made in France. It is co-branded for the Spanish Palladium Hotel Group and named for their Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Resort, on the island of Ibiza, in the Mediterranean Sea.

On our drive we saw quite a few houses being built, which is indicative of the growing economy. Frederico said the building regulations are fairly loose, which is likely why there are so many different building methods. Concrete with metal studs. Concrete with concrete blocks. Metal siding and wood siding. The only dwelling I noticed which had security bars on its window.

After the golf/train stop, we then drove up to the lookout point on the road up to the Martial Glacier. View looking towards the airport.

On the way back, we did a quick visit to the Ushuaia Golf Club to get some souvenirs. The Pro Shop was supposed to be closed by the time we would get there, but thankfully for us, Frederico called them and they agreed to wait for us. 8th/17th tee box. The End of the World Train station was just across the road, so we stopped in to have a quick look. Inside most of the people were watching a FIFA World Cup playoff game, which Argentine was playing in. When we stopped at the station, we were approached by several couples from the cruise who were anxiously trying to find a ride back to the ship. Apparently, they had taken taxis out, in order to take a trip on the train and now found out, with most everything coming to a stop while the game was on - no one would come and get them. Unfortunately, we were not planning on heading back the ship right then, nor did we have room for all of them. Frederico said they shouldn't have a problem getting back, as the game was close to ending and taxis would quickly come, plus there were likely some already inside the station watching the game.😉

We travelled beside the "End of the World" train tracks for a short distance before getting back to Hwy 3. And we managed to see the train heading back to the station.

On our way back to Ushuaia, Frederico decided to take a quick side trip to see an area where he always goes when he's looking for some solitude. The trail leads up to a set of rapids (Cascada del río Pipo). (Internet picture) We only walked a short distance up the trail and did not see the rapids, but it's easy to see why people enjoy coming to the area. The dead trees in the background are the result of beaver dams.

By the way - welcome to Cruise Critic - the most valuable research source for DIY cruisers.😎

Hi Barb - see post #119 Frederico is very flexible regarding itinerary, including dropping you off at the "End of the World" train station, then picking you up at the other end, and taking you on to see the "End of the Highway".🤠

Are you also doing at 31-day cruise? I'm sure you'll have a great cruise - please let us know how it went.

We were lucky in regards to the weather coming back home. We came back through Montreal before the bad snow conditions made it that far and made it into Edmonton after the storm had passed by. Edmonton didn't get much snow, but it was bloody cold (-40). The people picking us up said they were watching the arrivals board and our flight was the only one on time. Sometimes you get lucky.😎 We've stayed in Signature suites before and agree they are a nice size. We've never considered a Pinnacle suite as they're well out of our price range. Have been offered upgrades to Neptune, but never felt the value was there.

When we arrived in the parking lot at the "End of the Highway", we noticed we were lucky in that none of the big tour busses were there, just a few vans like Frederico's. When we first got there a small rain shower was passing through and that's when we had another surprise from Frederico. He served us hot coffee/tea, along with several local pastries, which was greatly enjoyed by all of four of us. From the lighter side - I had to laugh at their washrooms. The sign on the door. To the unique method of flushing the urinal. Water is gravity fed from a holding tank on the roof.

Next stop was the end of the Pan-American highway. The sign marking the official southern end, or start - of the highway. Sign showing the location (bottom left corner) of where the highway ends in relation to Argentina's portion of the Great Island of Tierra del Fuego. From there you can take a walkway out to see Lapataia Bay, which is the end of South America - at least according to the Argentines.🙃 They were in the process of rebuilding the walkway and from the looks of it, the new deck is made out of composite material. View from the end of the walkway.

While we were at the lake, Frederico showed us numerous stumps of trees taken down by beavers. In 1946, the Argentine military flew 20 beavers from Canada to Tierra del Fuego in hopes of encouraging a fur trade. The industry never flourished, but the beavers did: There are as many as 110,000 today. The industrious creatures, without any natural predators, have spread to Chile and to the Argentine and Chilean mainlands, leaving dead forests and stagnant ponds in their wake. With the Canadian beavers being generally hated in this area, it's likely best to not mention you're Canadian.🤠

Then we headed over to Lake Acigami, another popular hiking area. Lake Acigami (also known as Lake Roca) in Argentina and Lake Errázuriz in Chile, is a body of water on the large island of Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia. It has the distinction of being divided North-South by the border between Argentina and Chile, with most of the lake being in Chile. Some brave people enjoying the spring weather. Also more campers. The Tierra del Fuego National Park is one of the best birding routes. It combines forest, and views of the Beagle Channel, offering the chance to see a wide range of species. The park alone has some 90 species of birds, including the Andean condor. Didn't notice any condors and these were about the largest birds we saw.

At the post office location there is parking for people who want to take some of the hiking trails. I believe these vehicles are likely from people who are driving the Pan-American Highway. The sign at the start of one of the trails. It shows the trail is about 8km (5 miles) long. Some information signs highlighting the original inhabitants of the area. Pictures of the bay, taken from the start of the hiking trail. The snow capped mountains are located on Chilean islands south of Ushuaia and the tree covered island in front of them is the Redonda island, which is in Argentina.

You can contact Frederico at: ananturismo (@) gmail (.) com

Now, on to our tour. We had arranged for a tour with a local guide (Frederico) who has a nice Mercedes’s van. Although, we did not require it, his van is also wheelchair equipped. Frederico and his van. All tour operators have access to the pier, so Frederico was waiting for us as we came down the gangway and we were able to quickly get underway. We headed first to the “End of the World Post Office", hoping to get there before all the big tour buses. It is located in the Tierra Del Fuego National Park – well somewhat! You must pay an entry fee. Although US dollars are normally accepted in Ushuaia, the Park fee must be paid in pesos. The story about how this “Post Office” came about - is a book in itself.😉 Briefly, from what I can gather, is the guy who started it was a retired teacher from Buenos Aires, who settled on the Island of Redonda – about 2km from the shore – and took up a job at the post office, which closed in 1997. Then he decided to create a novelty post office, as far south in Argentina as possible, mainly as a "End of the World" tourist attraction. He thought this location would be a good place, as many tourists would go by it on the way to see the end of the Pan-American Highway, plus several hiking trails also started from this location. So, he set up his metal shed fake post office. Along came the authorities who told him he could not build in the park without permission. Then he decided, by stretching logic a bit, that they could not stop him from building over the water, which is what he did - along with creating his own micro-nation, the “Independent Republic of Redonda”. Of course, there has been a bureaucratic catfight ever since. Mainly, it seems they have decided he’s harmless enough – plus he attracts tourists – which are a significant contributor to the local economy. At the "End of the world post office” you can send a post-card and have a stamp put in your passport (please note: this is officially not allowed and may well invalidate your passport). A picture from the Internet showing someone’s official passport stamped with his unofficial logo stamp. In addition, he will sell you valid Argentine stamps for your postcard and accept them as mail, but to actually mail them, he must take them to a post office in Ushuaia – which may take a fairly long time – if ever! A sign on his pier. The front of the building.

At about noon on December 13th, we arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina, which is a very interesting area to visit. Ushuaia is located on the shores of the Beagle Channel, surrounded by the mountain range of the Martial Glacier, in the Bay of Ushuaia. Besides being an administrative center, it is a light industrial port and tourist hub. The dock is located adjacent to the middle of the town and most of the downtown area is reasonably easy to walk to. Although we did not visit it, we were told the main souvenir shops are located a few blocks from the pier at the Paseo de los Artesanos Enriqueta Gastelumendi (Artisan's fair of Ushuaia). (Internet picture) This promenade of nearly 50 brightly colored artisan stalls and workshops is the place to pick up a memento of your visit to the “end of the world.” Ceramics, paintings, leather goods, textiles, and paintings crafted by local artists are offered. The handcrafted woolen clothing sold here is some of the finest available in the region. (Internet picture) As a sidenote - I have heard of people trying to find souvenirs of Cape Horn - seeing Ushuaia is the closest port. Cape Horn is located in Chile, so you’ll not likely have much luck finding any in Argentina. And, I’d definitely suggest not asking for Falkland Islands souvenirs while you’re there either!!😡 The information we were given is that Ushuaia, in general, is very safe with regard to crime. You needn’t worry about your personal safety while visiting here. The locals are welcoming and friendly to visitors and rarely are there are reports of any inappropriate or criminal behavior. Our guide pointed out local residents feel very secure in that they have open yards at their homes and will leave items sitting outside without any concerns. Especially, in contrast with other cities in Argentina, where people have to barricade their homes from thieves. Poverty and unemployment are basically nonexistent, with many businesses always looking for workers. Ushuaia's industrial sector, led by the Grundig Renacer electronics factory, is among the largest in Patagonia, and helps give Ushuaia the highest average salaries in Argentina. Of course, living costs are also high because so much has to be imported, but in compensation it has very low tax rates, including duty-free shopping. With Argentina having a very self promoting attitude, they are always claiming Ushuaia is located at the “End of the World”, on the southern most tip of South America. Along with being the southernmost city in the world. In reality, Ushuaia is located at the Southern most part of Argentina, on the island of Tierra del Fuego, which in turn, is divided between Chile and Argentina. There are many more islands located further south within the same archipelago, but Argentina seems to not consider those islands as part of the world, as they are owned by Chile. The “southernmost” slogan is promoted by three communities in this area. First, is Punta Arenas (130,000), Chile, as being the southernmost city on mainland South America, then Ushuaia (80,000), Argentina, as the southernmost city, and finally, Puerto Williams (3,000), Chile, as the southernmost town. So, take your pick.

By the time you see it March, I would expect the water discharge will be much higher, as it is well into their summertime.

A quick video clip of one of the glaciers.

About an hour after we were to depart Punta Arenas, and while we were still at anchor, the Captain announced they had received an error message on the ship's condition and we would not be departing until they solved the problem. He also announced that heavy seas were expected during our overnight sailing and to "batten-down the hatches" as such, by making sure anything which may fall off tables/desks were safely stored and to be very careful when we were walking about the ship. After about 3 1/2 hours they managed to fix the problem and we got underway. Overnight we did not notice anything other then an odd rolling when passing through some swells. The weather the next day while cruising the Beagle Channel was much better then when we went through the Chilean Fjords a few days earlier. It was mainly scattered clouds so we managed to get great views of "Glacier Alley", which is a series of five glaciers—which are named Holanda, Italia, Francia, Alemania and Romanche. Our sailing through Glacier Alley was adjusted due to having to make up time because of our delay leaving Punta Arenas. We just cruised by each glacier at full speed (20+ kts). Heard a number of people complaining that the ship did not slow down while passing the glaciers, nor turn the ship so cabins on both side of the ship got to see the glaciers. Fortunately, our cabin was on the side where the glaciers were, so we could just sit in the comfort of our cabin and then quickly jump out on our veranda to take pictures. Cruising along at 20+ kts and 10C temperature is rather chilly!! Again, Jim McParland did a great presentation on the Beagle Channel and the glaciers.

Now some comments for the people who may not be aware of tragic situation regarding the Viking Polaris and why it was in Punta Arenas, Chile, rather then Ushuaia, Argentina, where it normally sailed from. First, some details about the Polaris. She is the second of Viking's Polar Class expedition ships, with a passenger capacity of 378 people. She received her name in a September 30, 2022 ceremony in Amsterdam and then set out on a 35-night voyage to Ushuaia, Argentina where she was to spend her maiden season in Antarctica, a destination for which she was designed. She arrived in Ushuaia in early November 2022 and then on November 28, the Viking Polaris deployed a Zodiac boat with six guests and one crew member near Damoy Point, Antarctica. On this trip a guest sustained a serious but non-life-threatening leg injury while on board the Zodiac and was taken to the medical center on the Viking Polaris. Following a detailed diagnosis by the ship's medical team, the decision was taken for the ship to immediately sail to Ushuaia so that the guest could receive additional medical care from a shore-based hospital. The following day, November 29th, while crossing infamous Drake Passage, the ship was hit by a massive "rouge wave" which did significant damage to some of the cabins. As reported "This wave hit it and came over and literally broke through windows and just washed into these rooms, and not only did it wash into the rooms, but it broke walls down, and once some walls went into the next room" The following day, it was revealed that Sheri Zhu, 62, died after she was struck by the broken glass from a shattered window. Zhu and her husband David, were from Houston, Texas. Four other people were also injured. An Internet picture showing the damaged windows. Subsequently, the Polaris was moved over to Punta Arenas for repairs and apparently later in December went back to Ushuaia to continue her Antarctic sailings.