Tenedor Libre!

Matthias insisted I include an entry on his favorite Argentine pastime so far - the tenedor libre, or buffet (strictly translated: "free fork") In Ushuaia, a pretty expensive city by Argentine standards, we tried it twice, at 25 pesos (about US $8) each, including parilla, or all the grilled meat we could eat, and it was delicious as well. And, those of you who know how much Matthias can eat know that we got our money´s worth! We heard from fellow travelers that the food gets even cheaper as we travel up the coast, which we are doing now. (Photo: Matthias staring at a lamb roasting in the window.)

We have passed through a number of somewhat crappy Argentine towns on our way up the coast, but an occasional good meal and my tour of a penguin island (which was great) has broken up the monotony. We are now in Trelew, a city founded by Welsh settlers. We plan to stay here a few days and then catch the Patagonian train across to Bariloche, back in the Andes, but I´m having some trouble getting adequate info, so we might end up taking an overnight bus, which we don´t want to do. In the meantime, we´re going to take it easy after so many days spent on buses. And, if I find a quicker internet connection, I´ll upload some pictures soon.

Del Fin del Mundo

Too busy eating to keep up with this journal....but more on that later.

We made it to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. A very touristy place, but also very lovely. Also not so easy to get to during the high season (now), unless you want to spring for a flight (which of course, we didn´t.) We had to wait in Punta Arenas for four days before we found a bus with room, and then the trip took 8 hours, including border crossing and a ferry across the Strait of Magellan, after which we stopped in Rio Grande for the night, so we wouldn´t arrive in Ushuaia too late in the evening. Next day, we took a minibus to Ushuaia (another three hours), where we were lucky enough to find a hostel (a REAL backpacker place) that had a room with two beds, in addition to the dorms. Unfortunately, the beds were bunk style, and the room was right next to the common room, which was pretty loud until all hours, thanks to the 10 or so Israeli backpackers staying there. Still, armed with earplugs we persevered, and for only 50 pesos (or $17) per night. And we booked our bus ticket out of Ushuaia as soon as we arrived, so we were all set.

The city is situated on the Beagle Channel (named after Darwin´s ship) and in between glacier-capped mountains. We planned - and even started - to hike to one of the glaciers, but a downpour thwarted our plans (we have become real pansies!) Next day, high winds kept us form walking too far. But we did have a chance to enjoy the scenery, the great Argentinian food, and the company of our fellow travelers in the Hostel.

In Patagonia

The ferry dropped us (eventually) in Puerto Natales, a small village that floods with tourists in the summertime. The draw here is Parque National Torres Del Paine, a beautiful park with mountains, glacial lakes and interesting wildlife. Because of this, it's quite expensive to go (sort of like the grand canyon) and because it is so touristy, Matthias opted out. So, I took a day trip from Puerto Natales and got to see many of the highlights. Pictures are uploaded (see left - photos 4) but there are tons from the ferry ride and the park, totally unedited, so it may be a bit of a hassle to look through.

We are now in Punta Arenas waiting for our bus to Ushuaia, Argentina - the southernmost city on earth. We coudn't get a bus until Saturday the 11th, so we are hanging here until then. It's a bit chilly, but could be much worse!

Shipwrecked!

We are now deep in Chilean Patagonia, close to Tierra del Fuego. We had a great time on the island of Chiloe, spending a week in the friendly hostal in Chonchi where we met loads of backpackers of all ages, many of whom were also planning to travel on the Navimag ferry to Puerto Natales, and some of whom had just returned from there, so we got lots of good info. It was great waking up every morning with a view of the bay, watching fishing boats and dolphins go by. A nice time.

The ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales was fantastic (even Matthias didn't hate it, despite the high cost of $355 each for three nights in a dorm room!) The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was fine, and the facilities were pretty good (fairly private beds, for a dorm situation.) We made a few friends there, hanging out mostly with Edurne from Pais Vasco, Spain. And, Matthias helped himself to at least two servings of every meal - gotta get one's money's worth! We also sailed right up to a glacier (pictures to come.)

Then, on the last night, after the corny but hilarious costume party and bingo in the pub, Edurne and I went out for some air and got a great look at a beautiful starry sky. Edurne was sad the boat trip was ending, and said she wished it would last longer. Just then, there was a brief blackout and smoke came up toward us. I thought it was just the wind changing as we turned about, but then we noticed trees VERY CLOSE - I mean, you could throw a rock and hit one. We had stopped in a small cove and Edurne asked the crew what was going on, to which they responded...we are just stopping to get water. (??) A few minutes later they announced that there was a problem with one of the engines and that they were working on it. Soon after (around 1AM) we went to bed. When we woke up the next morning, just before we were scheduled to disembark, we were still in the same place in the middle of nowhere! As it turned out, we were going to be delayed a day. Those with reservations or those who needed to go were picked up by catamaran, but we opted for the extra day, night and meals on the ship! It was a blast! And Edurne got her wish that she made upon a star!