Landing in Ushuaia on third attempt, in snowstorm

  El Calafate, Argentina
Friday, November 28, 2003

23rd Nov (cont)
Out about 10pm to upload the finished diary to Travelpod. Our first internet place can do it, so feeling very pleased with ourselves. Only thing is, when we go to copy it, it won't copy. Think it is because they only have one copy of the software, but are using it on all the computers. We eventually admit defeat, and tell them, and we change to another computer, and all works well. Just starting to open our email, when there is a sudden blackout. They close the shop, and we are out in the street in the pitch black at 11pm (think this is not their first blackout, and they don't think it will be over in a couple of minutes). Luckily we are good little boy scouts, and we have our torch in our daypack (as one does), so we can avoid killing ourselves walking along the dark streets. All the restaurants are in the dark, and don't look like they are interested in any new customers, so we head back to our room, and have dinner by torchlight - salami, bread and apples from tomorrow's lunch supplies. To bed after midnight. Electricity comes on soon after, which we know because we'd left a light on. Walking 5 kms
Monday 24th Nov Puerto Madryn- PuntaTombo -Trelew
Once again, woken by the alarm. Up before 7am as we have to do all our packing this morning, as wasn't possible in the dark last night (later find we must have left the very small ( but $100 value) camera battery that we were charging). Get a taxi (amazed to find it only costs 2.35 pesos) with our bags to the bus depot. We're taking the tour to Punta Tombo (which also includes Gaiman) for 75 pesos each, plus 15 pesos each park entrance), but getting off at Trelew rather than coming back to Puerto Madryn, so they've arranged to take our bags down by bus (for 4 pesos), and we'll pick them up at the bus station there.
Punta Tombo is about 170 kms south of Puerto Madryn. The road is flat and straight with low grey-green salt bush on either side for as far as you can, with the odd estancia. Definitely NOT interesting landscape. The last 100 kms is gravel, and with the way of tour companies all over the world, they travel in convoy - not half a kilometre back so that the dust has time to dissipate, but right behind each other, so you constantly travel in a cloud of dust.
On the way we pass the old, abandoned post office in a gully running down to the sea, which is the first time we see the sea.
Start to see penguins soon after the entrance gate to the national park. Feel sorry for these poor little fellows, who literally, live on the wrong side of the tracks. They have up to a kilometre to waddle to get to the sea. There were penguins nesting within inches of the road, and waddling through the bus park. In fact, there were penguins everywhere.



Our guidebook says there are a million, and our guide says there are 240,000 nests, and although you don't see any great tight concentrations of them, this number is believable when you see that there is no spot without a nest. Every bush has nests under it - some up to twenty per tree. The nests vary from complete burrows, to just hollows under the spreading branches. It's breeding season now, and the first chicks hatched 16 days ago. Almost every nest has either chicks or eggs. Most only have one parent, as they take it in turns to go for food. They are away for 2 to 6 days, and return to feed the chicks with the regurgitated food. Then the other parent goes to sea. There is a steady stream of penguins marching to and from the beach. Unsteady progress on slippery, steep or rough ground makes entertaining watching, Their feet are surprisingly long and strong, but they don't have any hands to balance with, but their tail stops them falling backwards, but they have a few forward spills. The biggest group, congregated on the beach below us, contained about 200. At any one time you could see half a dozen swimming, very quickly, underwater, or bobbing on the surface. Not far out there was a group of a dozen or so giant petrels waiting to pick off the unwary swimming penguins. The noise the adult penguins made sounded just like a loud braying donkey. Had one and a half hours here, then off onto a dusty road, avoiding the tar road for some reason, and in a big loop inland, to Gaiman, which was settled by Welsh immigrants in 1865. (Could have done without this part of the trip, and stayed longer at the penguins, but the tour company gets its licence from the government, and they have to take us to Gaiman). Stop outside a couple of historic buildings, but even tour leader doesn't think we need to get out. We avoid the elaborate afternoon tea, and walk around the town, which is a real green oasis in the middle of the saltbush plain. Lots of poplars and willow trees along the winding river. Also have a seafood factory. Talk to a well-travelled Australian couple (our age, which is unusual) from Normanhurst.
Dropped off at bus station in Trelew about 4pm, where we pick up our bags, then walk to Hotel "Touring Club" which was doubtless very flash in the 1920's, judging by the photos of big social functions, which adorn the bar. Still seems to be a meeting place for locals, as there is a function there later. Murray has a sleep, on a somewhat 1920's vintage bed, and Dianne goes out to make a phonecall to confirm airline tickets, but instead finds out where Aerolineas Argentinas are, and organises boarding passes and window seat.
Out later to try and find some dinner. Seems to be hardly any restaurants in the town - just bars, ice-cream shops and coffee and cake shops. Eventually find a "restaurant street" and settle for a large pizza and salad. We take half the pizza back to room for breakfast Walking 5 kms
Tues 25th Nov Trelew - Ushuaia
DAY OF REST. we determine this is our day of rest, and as we already have our breakfast (cold pizza and non-cold coca cola) stay in bed, and read, do diary and watch TV. By chance start watching a quite-good movie, which is not finished by 12 o'clock checkout, so Murray goes down and hands in key, and organises, in fractured Spanish, for us to stay for another quarter hour.
Then out to download some more film to CD, then back to a bar for a light lunch. Dianne orders a small "picante" for A$5, which turns out to be eleven different picks (salami, mortadella, crisps, cheezels all count as items). Murray's aghast as he's in a hurry to get to airport. Out fairly early to airport, but our 5.45pm flight is half an hour late taking off. The coast is quite indented from the air. Clouds close in before we get to Punto Tombo, but open up later. By size of waves, it's obviously blowing fiercely down below. Clouds close in again until we get to Tierre del Fiego, where we can see lakes, green hills and convoluted rivers, and a big cloudbank across to the West. We headed into the cloudbank, and then the pilot announced we were about to land at Ushuaia. The wheels were down, and we were descending, but all we could see was cloud. Suddenly the cloud parted for a few seconds, and we were VERY surprised to see a large mountain peak quite close on our left, at the same height as us. About this time, although no announcement was made, our wheels were pulled up and we started to climb. Did another circuit of the area. Murray was keeping tabs of our direction on the compass, and we did a fair bit of banking and direction changing. Eventually made an announcement we were heading for Rio Grande, about 20 minutes away. Soon after we were out of the clouds, and could see how rough the sea was. Landed in Rio Grande. Looked like a frontier town of prefabricated buildings. Announcement was made that it was 5 degrees C, and it looked very windy. Were expecting to have to get 3 hr bus back to Ushuaia, but we weren't taken off plane. Noticed that they were refuelling. After nearly an hour, announced that we were going to make another attempt to land at Ushuaia. Back over Ushuaia, announced we were going to land, and made an approach through the clouds, but didn't put the wheels down, and eventually aborted the attempt. About this time, they cut the throttle back, and suddenly we couldn't hear the motor. This is when Dianne started worrying, as sounded as if the motor had cut out. Then made an announcement, only in Spanish, that were going to fly around for ten minutes or so, hoping for a clearing. After about 20 minutes, started descending. Turned on the landing lights, and could see very thick snow that we were flying through (Murray reckoned it looked like bricks going past). Surprised that pilot persisted with the landing. The first time we saw the ground we were about 10 metres above it. Enthusiastic cheering from all bar one passenger when we landed. The one who didn't cheer was a young Asian bloke. He slept through the whole drama. Woke when we landed at Rio Grande, and someone had to explain to him that it wasn't Ushuaia. He promptly went back to sleep, and only awoke after we'd landed in Ushuaia.
It was now nearly 11pm, snowing heavily, and we had no accommodation. Accommodation bureau and tourist information are closed, but there was an an accommodation board with numbers you could ring, but none seemed to be answering. A French girl tried, and managed to get one place to answer. She asked for us as well, but they only had one room. It was quite expensive, but told her you could have four people in it. She asked if we wanted to share it. At this stage not in a position to be choosy, so say yes. All get a taxi to it. Have no idea whether it is central or not, but it's on a hill. Everything looks quite magical, with a thick covering of snow over everything, including the trees, which have lots of leaves on them. Looks like a genuine winter wonderland, which is a problem as it is almost summer.

Later read in the newspaper that it was the largest November snowfall for 20 years. Told it is more like July weather rather than November. Room turns out to only have one double bed and one single, but they manage to pinch a mattress from an occupied room, and put it on the only available floor space. Seeing the four of us are sharing the bedroom for the night, decide it's time to introduce ourselves! We're sharing with Helen and Robin, who live in Paris.
Have a medium night's sleep, though room is nice and warm, with floor heating. Walking 1.5 kms
Wednesday 26th Nov Ushuaia
Awake early, and out of room before 7am so don't disturb the others. Have breakfast.
Ushuaia is the most southerly town in Argentina, and is on the Northern shore of the Beagle Channel, which is named after the ship in which Darwin sailed here in 1832. It has now stopped snowing, and we can see the close side of the channel below us. On the other side of the channel is Isla Navarino (Chile), with lots of mountains, but they are not visible.
Snow-covered Cerro Martial is 7km behind the town, and is now visible. Take photos, which we're later grateful for, as it was the only time we saw them so clearly. Decide to walk down the hill, and into the town centre. Walk along the waterfront, and find the tourist information is opening (it's 8am). Very friendly and helpful, and give us the name of a hotel with a vacancy. Walk past the travel agent who handles bus bookings at 8.55, but he's still closed, so decide to head back to secure the accommodation, which we do. As it's fairly close to where we live, and by this time it's almost check-out time, we head up the hill to collect our bags. Tell Helen and Robin about the room, and they ring and book one too, and come with us down to the hotel and then to the travel agent, which by now is very busy. Find that first bus out that has vacancies, to either Punta Arenas or Rio Gallegos, is not till next Wednesday. There are vacancies from Rio Grande, which is three hours away, but there is no way to get there. Our plans quickly change. As it's obvious we're going to have to fly out, decide to fly to El Calafate. May as well be tomorrow, as the snow is forecast to continue for a few days, and the novelty will not last, and being wet and cold will get to us.
As it stays light till nearly 10pm, decide we can go to Tierre del Fuego National Park today. Head off looking for a supermarket for supplies, but then decide why not head to a nice warm restaurant for a hot meal first, rather than a picnic in the snow. Murray decides to have a nice warm sweet potato cazuela, as we already know this is a thick stew ( and it's just the right weather for it). He orders the large size, but the waitress tries to convince him he only needs the small one. We find out why when it arrives - it's a large bowl of sweet potato chips, and nothing else! Finally find out that it's only a stew in Chile - in Argentina it means something else - haven't found out exactly what yet. Waitress takes pity on him and brings him four small bowls of dip to help it go down. Dianne has a quite nice vegetable lasagne, and we have a small bottle of red wine to warm us up.
Out to get the 2pm bus to the park, but we're early. However one van is just leaving, so decide not to wait in the cold for the others, and get it. The park's 12 kms from the town, and as we're driving through the forest to get there, wonder what the hell we're doing, as it is now snowing very heavily. Were going to get dropped off at the crossroads, but weaken, and get taken to the start of the Peatbog walk. The track is well-signposted, which is just as well, as it's completely hidden by snow in parts, and muddy and wet in the rest of it. Have a few slips and slides, and shoes and clothes get soaking wet, but we're not too cold, as there is very little wind. Landscape is beautiful, all covered in snow. Even the dead trees look magical.

Come to an intersection, and decide against the Lookout Walk, and instead head towards the Beaver's Walk. At another intersection, decide to head towards Lapataia Bay, to see the lake. From the map, we thought this was the road, but obviously wasn't as it was more a rough track, covered in snow, and very slippery and boggy. Eventually find the main road, and what looks like an active beaver dam, but no beavers.
At the lake there is a sign saying we're at the end of the Pan-American highway, and its only 17,000 kms to Alaska. Quite a few birds there, including lots of Ashy-headed geese, who are seen everywhere in pairs - one white and one brown, with one foraging for food, and the other keeping a look-out. They seem to feature in almost all of our photos. Head back along the road to the Beaver Walk. See a giant beaver dam but no beavers (they've more sense than to be out on a day like this!).


Run into the French couple going the other way. During the whole day see only about a dozen people walking. Off the main road to the Laguna Negra, a large peat lake with a circular boardwalk in one corner. The woods were quite good around this area, and looked great with the heavy snow falling. Lots of European rabbits. Back on the main road, meet up with the French again and walk back almost to the kiosk for the 5pm shuttle, when a van comes along. We hop on, but they have to wait as they've paid for a return with another company. Talk to Dorothy, an older American lady. She's also going to El Calafate tomorrow, and has booked an expensive 5-bed apartment as it was the only thing she could get. Discuss possibility of sharing it.
Back to our lovely heated room for a hot shower. The heating vent is over the wardrobe, so Dianne ties her soaking wet shoes together, and hangs them over the top of the wardrobe, where they dry overnight. Both have a sleep, then out later to get money, internet, and try to find a light meal, which is almost impossible. Finally settle on soup and a share salad, with another A$2.50 half bottle of red wine. Still don't have money as our Homeside VisaPlus card is being recognised by the ATM's, but not giving us money. To bed after midnight. Walking 13.5 kms
Thurs 27th Nov Ushuaia-El Calafate
Out of room just before 10 am check-out. Up to third floor, which has great views when it is not snowing. Talk to another "our-age" American couple - Greg and ? , who seem to have travelled as much as we have. Before we know it, it's 11am, so out for walk to the East side of town, past the Navy and oil terminal. Can just see the Beagle Passage through the snow and mist. Back past the wharf at Worlds End


where there is a big cruise boat in - the Crystal something. This is where you get boats to Antarctica (maybe next time?). Try again for money. After two attempts, revert to our Visa credit card, with no problems. Go to internet to check what is happening with our bank account, and find that every time we try to get money, it actually debits our account, but then credits it when they realize their mistake a couple of days later. We'd been charged for the two attempts at money this morning. It's wonderful having internet banking, where we can check what is going on while we're still travelling, rather than trying to sort it out months later. Don't have time for lunch. Get a cab to take us back to hotel, and wait while we collect bags, and take us to airport. Snowing heavily, and can't see mountains, as covered in mist.
Meet up with Helen and Robin, and Dorothy. Unveventful flight (thank heavens). Once we're past the cloud surrounding Ushuaia, see some large lakes or inlets of the sea, then the landscape features a lot of natural circular mini-lakes. Classic Argentine landscape - flat, dry and grey/green.
Coming into El Calafate it was pretty windy, and we could see Lago Argentino - big, but not that pretty. Could only see the mountains in the distance. Bags first off for a change. Decide not to go on the bus with Dorothy, who gives us her address so we can look at her place, and share a taxi with Helen and Robin. Get dropped off at the bus station, where there is tourist information and accommodation bureau. Practically no accommodation in the whole town, apart from dormitories in hostels. Decide a bad bed is better than none, and take a 4-bed room in Hostel Lago Argentino with Helen and Robin. The room is the length of the four bunks in it, and the bunks are separated by floor space the width of half a bed - just enough to store four bags if they are standing up. There was a large gap between the door and the ceiling, so that the room was far from soundproof, and the bathrooms were two rooms away. The uni-sex bathrooms had plastic shower curtains for privacy(?), and had nowhere to hang your clothes when in them, so had to undress before hopping in. Interesting! The problem is the tourists are flocking here, and they have good infrastructure for tours, transport etc, and plenty of restaurants, but not enough accommodation to service those tourists. Out to check out town. Try to find Dorothy's place, without success, despite asking a local working right in front of what eventually turns out to be the apartment. Give up, and out to book a mini-trekking tour of Perito Moreno Glacier for tomorrow. Then to recommended Tenedor Libre (i.e all you can eat for fixed cost) at Rick's Place. Restaurant is fairly quiet, so decide we'll go back to travel agent Dorothy was picking the key up from, to get more information on where her place is. Get there to find it is 8.05, and it closed at 8pm. Back to restaurant, to find the last spare seats taken by people who walked through door in front of us. Had to wait half an hour, and stare down a few would-be queue jumpers as the restaurant became very packed. Sweating on a table of four who were almost finished their meal. Eventually shared this with a Mexican couple who spoke quite good English. The meal consisted of normal Argentinian salad (i.e lettuce, tomato, Russian salad, beetroot, and grated carrot, with oil and vinegar for dressing). This doesn't vary whether it's a cheap restaurant, or upmarket, or whether you're in the North or the South. The meat came a dish at a time - lumps of very fatty, but tasty mutton, then crisp ribs and skin of mutton, then steak, which was just a lump of meat, fairly tough. The final meat was chicken filet, which was also fairly fatty. You could have many plates of these meats as you liked. Glad we're not about to front up for a cholesterol check! Also included in the price was a dessert - all for a total cost of A$9 per head.
While we were eating, Dorothy walked past. Hailed her, and she told us she'd been looking everywhere for us, as she has a bedroom, and another bed in the lounge area, and is happy for us to share the apartment. Organise to go and have a look after the meal. Soon after Helen and Robin also turned up. By the time we get out of the restaurant it's about 10.30pm, so down to see Dorothy. Decide we'll share it with her for the next two nights. Tempted to bring our bags down now, but we've already organised to be picked up at the hostel tomorrow morning for the tour. Back to our "cell". Have a nasty surprise when people use the showers at midnight, and we realise how noisy our room is.
Fri 28th Nov El Calafate (Perito Moreno Glacier)
Despite everything, had a reasonable sleep. Woken at 6am by early risers, and then by Helen and Robin organising to get a 7am bus, so decide we may as well get up and take our stuff down to Dorothy's (she's left the key under the mat for us). As we've plenty of time, Dianne uses the opportunity to do a lot of washing, as we'll have a couple of days to get it dry. Back to hostel ready for our 9am pick-up, which is late. Spend the next hour driving around the town picking up people, then drive 78 kms, 40 of it on a gravel road, to the Perito Moreno Glacier. Our tour today consists of viewing the glacier from boardwalks, a boat trip up to the face of the glacier on the Southern arm, and then a walk on the glacier with crampons. At A$93 per head, plus National Park fee of A$10, definitely not cheap, but hopefully worth it. When we get to the viewing platforms, we're impressed with how close they are to the glacier, and what a good view you get.



The boardwalk extends for about a kilometre, and the lower section is below the top level of the glacier, but still a long way above the water. The glacier is 50 to 55 metres high, and 14 kms long. It advances almost two metres per day in the centre and 40 cm on the sides. It's 4-6 kms wide, and 180 metres at its deepest. It's hard to keep all this in perspective, as you look to be so close, but in fact are still a long way back (hopefully a safe distance). Before the boardwalk and railing was put up in 1988, 33 people had been killed by flying ice.
At present the glacier has advanced enough to cut Brazo Rico off from the Canal de los Tempanos. In the past when this happened, Brazo Rico rose so much higher that eventually the pressure of water would break through the ice and reopen the channel. The last time the rupture happened was in 1988 and before that in 1984, 1980, 1976, 1970, 1966, 1956. No-one know if it will happen again.
We don't see any major ice-falls, although one we miss when walking through the wooded section of the boardwalk sounds dramatic, but apparently wasn't a major fall - just the size of a car, not the size of a house. Further around to the North, around the corner of the ice-field, there are major ice-falls occurring. Can't see them, but can see the results of them - waves and broken ice. Can hear cracking constantly. Spend an hour and a half here, and have our lunch while watching the glacier for the fall that doesn't happen.



Then taken by bus to the boat dock, where 40 of us get the boat up to the face of the glacier, and then across to the South edge. As there is another boat there, the scale of the glacier is more obvious.
Short walk through the woods to the crampon fitting station, and then up onto the glacier itself. The crampons are remarkably easy to put on and use (particularly if you've skied).



The only real danger is if you hook the spikes of one foot on the other. Walk up and down peaks and troughs, up gullies and across gullies.This area is where the ice has melted and reformed. It carries a lot of surface melt water in gullies, holes and running streams. Some of the streams drop into sinkholes, which appear to be very deep, and disappear. The guides are fairly careful to place themselves between these sorts of hazards and the tourists. The colours of the ice, and particularly the water, are fantastic, ranging from aqua to sky blue to mauve.



Crawl into a wonderful aqua blue ice-cave, but this is where the camera battery runs out of power, and as we've lost the spare one, we'll have to rely on our memories. Murray warms the camera, and later manage to get another couple of shots out of it. Towards the end, when everyone is more confident, venture across to the edge of the crevasse field, and investigate some minor, but still scary, cravasses. Just before we finish, come across some tables set up with glasses, and local scotch whisky. With the addition of local ice, which is pretty plentiful here, and a bit of melt water, it is almost drinkable. Walk back on a nice path through some ancient woods, and then wait for our return boat. By the time we get to our bus we're exhausted, and sleep most of the two hours home, happy that we've had an excellent glacier experience, even better than we expected. Can thoroughly recommend mini-trekking on glaciers.
Nearly 8pm when we got back, so straight to the travel agent to book trip to El Chalten, and bus to Torres del Paine. Look around for accommodation for when we get back, without success. Back to room to check-in with Dorothy, and then up to Glacier Youth Hostel to try for a room. They have a 130 peso room, but decide to settle on 36 pesos for two beds in a 4-bed room, as we won't get in till nearly 11pm, and will be leaving at 6am. Decide to solve our next problem by having dinner in their restaurant. Try their internet, but it won't work, so back to room after midnight for a well-earned sleep.