Beagle Channel and a boat ride

The Beagle Channel is one of three straits the provide access from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. The others are the Straits of Magellan and Drake Passage. It is about 240 kilometers (150 mi) long and is only about 5 kilometers (3 mi) wide at its narrowest point and extends from Nuevo Island in the east to Darwin Sound and Cook Bay in the west. The channel was named after the ship HMS Beagle during its expeditions of the coasts of the southern part of South America which lasted from 1826 to 1833. The second was the famous Darwin expedition under Captain Robert Fitzroy, when Charles Darwin, the naturalist was given the opportunity to explore the area. Darwin had his first sight of glaciers when they reached the channel on 29 January 1833, and wrote in his field notebook "many glaciers, beryl blue, most beautiful contrasted with snow”. There are quite a few options for sailing the sights and we chose one that lasted about 3 hours. Sailing the islands in the Beagle Channel is a definite “must-do”. We were lucky, today is partly cloudy and fairly warm and hopefully there won’t be any rain. The trip starts by travelling out past the bay and enjoying the views of Ushuaia. Our first stop was at Bridges Island where you can get off the boat. There are still remnants of the indigenous inhabitants of the Tierra del Fuego Island, the Yamana with massive concheros (shell deposits). We then hiked to a viewpoint near the western end of the island along a path of flora with hundreds of seabirds wheeling in the air, to get a different view of the channel. Facing west, you can see Chile on the left and Argentina on the right. Straight ahead Antarctica is only 600 miles away. One plant in particular which grows in profusion is the cushion plant. Cushion plants look like large solid clumps of moss, but are actually a plant. They grow at a rate of approximately 1 millimeter per year which made some of the plants we hiked past a few hundred years old based on their size. Next stop: Isla de los Pájaros (Bird Island). Here we were able to observe hundreds of birds including Fullman and Giant petrels and the Magellan and Imperial Cormorants which look remarkably like penguins until they flap their wings and fly. We then continued on to Isla de los Lobos, where there are sea lions on just about every surface of rock and in the water. The boat circled the island for about 20 minutes which gave plenty of time to watch the sea lions push each other around trying to find a more comfortable piece of rock! Our final stop was the iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse (French for “The Enlighteners”). Standing on a small island in an archipelago of the same name, it has signaled to ships in the Beagle Channel since 1920. The lighthouse guarding the sea entrance to Ushuaia is still in operation but now it is remote-controlled, automated, uninhabited and not open to the public. Powered by solar panels, the light emitted can be seen up to 8.5 miles away. The red and white windowless lighthouse is topped by black housing the lantern and is 33 feet (10 meters) high. Probably the most photographed lighthouse in South America, it is a spectacular sight. It was then time to head back, through the beautiful glacial waters and past the massive mountains of the southern end of the Andes and the reigning silence emphasizes the impression that you might be truly at the end of the world. An amazing experience.

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego.

Just a few miles from Ushuaia, is the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. The national park was established in 1960 to protect the area of the southern tip of the Andes from Lake Fagnano to the coast on the Beagle Channel. For us, a visit is a must because in the park is the actual true end of the Pan American highway. Two young Americans, Dan and Brian want to go into the park to hike and camp for a couple of nights and ask us for a ride. They are from Connecticut and are travelling by hitch-hiking and buses. “No problem” we tell them but also warn them that we are not early starters and probably won’t leave until noon or so. Since they plan on spending two or three days in the park that is ok with them plus they want to save money and the buses are expensive. The drive to the park is along an unpaved gravel road and the landscape is abrupt and sharp as a result of glaciations during the earth’s earlier eras. Here, the Andes are a series of mountain chains divided by deep valleys with lakes, rivers, peat bogs and forest. After entering, we followed the signs to Lake Roca, one of the glacial lakes and the beginning of several hiking trails. The hiking is magnificent following the spectacular coastline to lakes, mountains and glaciers with trails that wind past shrubs, bushes and trees that the almost constant wind has bent into odd angles. There is also a camping area but you have to pay extra to stay at this particular site. There are others which are free with the park admission and Dan and Brian plan at staying at one of those. They are also planning on doing the most strenuous of the hikes, the Cerro Guanaco Trail leading up to the summit of the mountain. We say our goodbyes and Tom and I settle on an easier trail leading to the lake. The park preserves the sense of being at the end of the world with paths that wind around the spongy masses of ancient peat bogs. A characteristic feature of a Fuegian (fiord-like) landscape, peat bogs are accumulated masses of dead plants, mosses, reeds and grasses that have built up over the centuries in damp valley bottoms and ooze ice-cold water. They add to the feeling of being in an area marked by the process of earth through time, very Jurassic-park like. After a visit to the Visitors Center to warm up and read about the indigenous Yamana and Ona tribes who inhabited the area before the Europeans arrived, we drove the short distance to the head of the trail leading to Lapataia Bay. you can stand at the end of route 3, the Pan American Highway, now little more than a dirt trail and imagine the long line that connects you to Alaska. Wilderness and nature surrounds you. Facing one direction are the sharp, jagged, snow capped, granite peaks of the Andes. Turn the other way is the Beagle Channel (named after Darwin’s ship “The Beagle”), the waterway that leads to Drake’s Passage and Antarctica. As we walk to the very furthest point we gaze out over the channel. We are truly at the very end. Only water and Antarctica lie ahead. As we slowly turn, we see the Andes. We will eventually have to cross them but for now we are content to gaze around us and dwell on the fact that we got here. It is remote and beautiful and we realize how fortunate we are to be able to have had the time to get here and spirit to accomplish it. May the road to Alaska be as thrilling.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Yes, it still has the title even though technically Puerto Williams (a small settlement in Chile) is further south. It is located in a wide bay on the southernmost coast of the island of Tierra del Fuego. Bordered in the north by the Martial mountain range (an extension of the Andes) and in the south by the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia vibrates with anticipation and exhilaration. The combination of travelers who have journeyed the Pan American Highway and have come through the wilds of Patagonia make for a city where nearly everyone you meet is on an epic, once in a lifetime adventure. But it is not some small outpost with fur trappers and the oil speculators have more modern equipment. Now, the city at the end of the world is linked to Buenos Aires by daily flights and by cruise ships with regular stops in the port. It is a combination of modern tourism with duty-free shopping and superb restaurants, Klondike-style boomtown and the gateway to one of the world’s last great wilderness, Antarctica. Our campground “La Pista del Andino” is nestled in the Andes beneath the Martial Glacier to the west of the city. It was the first ski resort in town as is evident by the now defunct and inoperable chairlift and the grass covered ski slope. Now, it is a beautiful, well maintained campground and meeting place, welcoming adventurers on bicycle, motorcycle, car or motorhome. During the day, it is quiet with most people either out sightseeing in the national park, taking boat trips on the Beagle Channel or hiking the many trails leading into the Andes and to the glacier. In the evening, the communal room, which is cozily heated by a wood burning stove and looks out over the town and the Beagle Channel is filled with the excited chatter of campers from numerous countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Australia, Canada, the United States, a couple with their three children from Israel, with everyone relaxed and contented. Like us they have made it. Like us they will stay a while and gather memories of their visit to the southernmost city in the world.

Isla Tierra del Fuego

There is odd border delineation between Argentina and Chile to get to Ushuaia which means crossing the borders twice. We had been told that Chile was strict regarding anything brought into the country in the way of meats, fruits and vegetables and could be sticklers with regard to Winston but things went well. With Winston we decided to hold off offering the now out of date Argentina health certificate that we had gotten in Buenos Aires unless asked for it. We just gave them our 2 year old USDA form, transportation of animals certificate and proof of rabies vaccination. That was approved and stamped and the officials marveled that we had been on the road for almost 2 years and with a dog. The motorhome inspection was thorough and more extensive than we had anticipated. I put Winston on a leash and walked him, whilst they brought in a dog to sniff for food, drugs, who knows what. They left our vacuum sealed deli meats alone but took some open salami and some old carrots. We had frozen fish and prawns that were ok but they took all of the vegetables including potatoes, onions and garlic which we thought were ok to bring into Chile but apparently not. Since we had not tried to use it up they got quite a lot of garlic from us. Oh well, live and learn. From there it is only about 30 mile (50 kilometers) to catch the ferry across the Straits of Magellan onto the island of Tierra del Fuego. On the way we passed a lake that had the largest flock of Austral (Chilean) flamingoes we have seen to date. At the ferry dock we were lucky. The boat runs every 90 minutes or so and when we pulled up there were some cars, a few motorcycles and a bus already in line. Ten minutes later the ferry arrived. It did not take long before our line was moving and we were aboard. As the bus and a few trucks were situated, we grabbed the camera to get some photos of the crossing. Suddenly a huge wave washed over the deck that sent people running for cover. I scrambled back into the motorhome. “Can you please get some photos?” I asked Tom. “Sure, let me be the one to get wet, but I have to get the tickets so ok”. The crossing was wet and the water rough. The huge ferry lurched and ploughed its way through the water, as waves kept coming over the deck. Thank God none of us gets motion sickness! When we drove off the ferry there was the sign. Bienviedos a Isla Tierra del Fuego. To get to San Sebastian and the Chilean/Argentina border crossing involved driving, once again on a dirt and gravel road. After 150 kilometers (100 miles) of bumping and jarring we were glad to see the Customs and Immigration building for exiting Chile. Paperwork completed, it was another 15 kilometers to the Argentinean side. They simply re-used the paperwork from before and stamped our passports. We need gas and yet again the YFP station is out of gas. It is 4 o’clock in the afternoon. “Not until tomorrow” the gas attendant told us. Shoot, not only tomorrow but late in the evening. So, it was 2 nights at the gas station waiting. Finally, on the morning of the third day we were on our way. Fearful that we might have additional gas problems, we filled up in Rio Grande and again in Tolhuin but our goal is Ushuaia before dark. The Andes are in sight and to get to Ushuaia involves climbing over a mountain pass. The rain has brought snow to the higher elevations and the sight is beautiful. We stop at a mirador (lookout) to take in the views. With Lake Fagnano shimmering a deep, dark blue in the distance and the snow capped peaks in front of us; the views were picture postcard magnificent. Then, Ushuaia. The stone pillars at the edge of town greet us. Welcome to the southernmost town in the world, the sign proclaimed. We got out and asked a family taking photos if they would mind taking ours with Winston of course. We had made it. It has been 23 months since leaving the United States and we have driven almost 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) but we have reached our destination. We will find the campgrounds and stay a week, maybe more.

The final leg to Isla Tierra del Fuego.

We stayed in Puerto San Julian for three days. The campground was extremely well maintained and in addition to everything else, they had Wi-Fi. My birthday was very quiet. Tom had bought me a pendant and earrings made from Rodocrosita (Inca Rose) which is a pretty pink colored volcanic stone and is the national stone of Argentina and a penguin statue made from the same stone. For dinner, he cooked me a delicious scallop and pasta dish and we had caviar and champagne as an appetizer. We spoke to our family and kids via Skype so the day was very special. I did our taxes. They are now completed and e-filed. A huge task out of the way. A Brazilian couple, Luis and his wife, whom we first met in Foz do Iguaçu, is here so we spent some time exchanging information with them. They have already been to El Calafate and from here will go to Bariloche before going to the beach at Mar del Plata, then to Buenos Aires. The weather has turned very cold. This morning it was 47 degs F. in the RV and we are now sleeping with a blanket and a comforter. We had hoped to make it to Rio Gallegos or Lago Azul to spend the night and cross the border on Wednesday. It was not to be. The town after San Julian is Piedrabuena and there was a protest going on which closed route 3 until about 6pm. The police, gendarmerie and military were out but really did nothing to get the protestors from moving out of the road. What they were protesting we have no idea. Unlike in the States, there were no banners or placards showing evidence of their cause and no chanting. Maybe it is the gas situation. I don’t know what the problem is in Argentina but in all our travels we have not ran into a gas dilemma like they have here. Stations are constantly running out of fuel, which causes long lines with people waiting for hours. We had gone to stations prior that either were out or would only sell it as little but now in Patagonia with stations getting further apart, it is a problem. We get fuel at every opportunity but leaving San Julian none of the gas stations (2 YPF and a BR station) had fuel. The next town about 80 miles (150 Km) is Piedrabuena. The only station is a YPF and they were also out of fuel. So, the protest did not matter since gas was not delivered until 10:30 that night. Yes, we were stuck and waiting almost 10 hours for gas. And then they would only let us get 300 pesos (about 15 gallon) but we think that will get us to Rio Gallegos. Frustrated over the hold up and at a loss to explain why it happens, we spent the night at the station and will continue on tomorrow. Anyone reading this with any insight make a comment. The last night on the mainland before getting on to the island of Tierra del Fuego, we camped at Laguna Azul. This is a crater lake about 6 kilometers from the border. It was really windy when we arrived but Tom grabbed the camera and with Winston hiked up the hill to the lake. Only 5 minutes later the rain started and combined with the wind, was ferocious. Winston got back to the motorhome first panting and soaked; Tom arrived a few minutes later, out of breath and soaked. The wind and rain gusted over the RV all night but we stayed cozy. The next morning was still windy but the rain had stopped, so I hiked up to the lake. The lake is a deep blue and looks deep and dark and cold. The volcanic lava rock crunches under my feet. Standing at the top looking around at the mountains, is beautiful and lonely. I took more photos but did not get too close to the edge in case the wind swept me over. It was so blustery. After breakfast it was time to cross the border into Chile.

Monumento Parque Bosque Petrificado (Petrified Forest) - Almost

Route 3 is interesting only in as much that it travels inland through the high steppe dry, arid desert type climate with low shrubs and sparse vegetation and then drops into coastal regions where the vegetation is more lush and green. Through the steppe areas we see estancias that have herds of sheep, herds of wild guanaco, a variety of hawks and prey birds and flocks of Choique (the Lesser Rhea) which mass along the side of the busy road sometimes unfortunately, to their demise. These are a flightless bird rather like an emu and there are plenty of them. We had seen their larger cousins – the Greater Rhea – when we were in Brazil. We are also seeing lots of oil wells, some operational and some not. Argentina is almost self sufficient in oil and now we know where it comes from. The coastal regions have, of course, a vast variety of sea life and mammals. Nevertheless, route 3 involves driving hundreds of miles with unchanging scenery. We are also getting gas at every station we come to. In the town of Fitz Roy, the first station we went to have no gas but the second did. As Tom was getting the petrol, I noticed they had Wi-Fi advertised and got out the computers. Yes! Although we knew it would set us back an hour or so, we decide to Skype family, post blogs and check banking and emails. I am behind on sending emails to friends but will catch up in Ushuaia. We do speak to Tom’s sister who brings us up to date on family matters and we tentatively set up a Skype at the weekend so Tom’s mom can be there and we are able to speak with Danny and leave a message for Nicole (our children). At least the family knows we are alive and well. As we turn off the main highway onto the gravel road to the reserve, it is already 5pm and the reserve closes at 7. The road is rough and arduous but about half way at about 25km marker, there is an estancia advertising camping so we decide to pull in and spend the night and go onto the park in the morning. The ranch is deserted except for one man who is the caretaker of the property. Carlos shows us an area to park. There is a kitchen with cooking facilities and tables for eating and bathrooms with hot water showers. As we chat with him and he shows us the rest of the ranch, Winston is in seventh heaven. There is a sheep dog here which is very friendly and also pleased with canine companionship. The two dogs become buddies immediately and are soon tearing around the ranch, playing and tussling with one another. It was just what Winston needed. As we go back to the RV to prepare dinner, we see that the newly plugged tire had gone flat. Whether from the plug coming loose or from a rock on the road, we don’t know. Eating a dinner of cheese fondue with French bread and sausages, Tom tries to decide whether to change the tire tonight or wait until morning. Why wait? As I clean and wash dishes he gets the spare from the back and sets to work. He also goes on the roof as we have scraped a few trees getting in and out of cramped camping places and puts some silicone seal around some of the areas. Good thing as we wake up the next morning to heavy rain. “Sure glad I changed that tire last night” was the first thing Tom said when he woke up. “Thought the same thing” I added sipping coffee. Tom went back to sleep. When he woke again it was still raining. We talk about our latest problem and decide to cut our losses. It makes no sense to keep driving on the gravel road for another 50 km round trip without a spare tire and no way to communicate if anything goes wrong. We are going to get back to the main road and go to Puerto San Julian, the next major town and try to get the tire repaired again and find a campground for the night. It turns out that Puerto San Julian is quite a nice beach town and the municipal campgrounds are clean and very well maintained with tall shrubs to act as buffers against the wind, electricity, water and internet. Tomorrow is my birthday, yes we all have one and tomorrow is mine. Since there is internet to talk with friends and family, we will stay here for two nights before making out final push to Ushuaia.

Comodoro Rivadavia and Rada Tilly

C. Rivadavia is the largest town in Patagonia. It is a port town located on the Atlantic and Rada Tilly is a small beach community only about 10 km (6 miles) to the south. In Trelew, we had been told of a propane plant that would be able to fill the motorhome so that was first on our itinerary. Approaching any large town you always pass through a police checkpoint but very rarely stopped, however we have found them very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. This one was no different. Tom went inside to ask about the facility and was told it was about 6 kilometer from town and they verified that yes, the plant should be able to help us. Naturally, we got lost and stopped by the local fire station for further help. They set us on track again and said that SurGas was actually on route 3 just passed the main part of town on the left. Since it is in the direction of Rada Tilly where we will spend the night, we drove and looked but still could not see the place. As we got to the turnoff for the beach, we decide to find the campground and look for propane in the morning. As we also need to get a lubrication on the under carriage and have the tires rotated, balanced and aligned, we will stay in town for two nights. Rada Tilly is a pretty beach town and new. There was a beautiful sandy beach with a new sea wall and promenade built from stone and brick. Even the sand looked imported. There were plenty of brand new homes and many others under construction. Looking around we decide that at one time the small town was a run-down area and now is slowly becoming an upscale beach suburb for the more affluent of Rivadavia. The municipal campground is nestled against the cliffs on the north side of the beach and had plenty of signs including one which said “no animals”. Tom parked and went to the office. We have found that no pets just mean they don’t want dogs running free and bothering others and the same was the case here. Just keep him close to your RV and it will be ok. The campground is busy but has hot showers, electricity and water but although Wi-Fi was advertised we could not get it, not even at the office. No real explanation was given. Oh well. After we parked, 4 children ran up to us. We had first met them in Puerto Madryn and they recognized the motorhome. There were hugs and kisses all round with special hugs for Winston. Tom set up the grill for dinner. We had stopped at a market and had purchased Patagonian lamb for dinner. We were hungry and the lamb chops were very good. Winston got some to and then we took him down to the beach for a long run. The next morning after stopping for gas, we got additional directions. It was confirmed that the propane place was about 4 km going towards Rivadavia, on the right. We set off wondering how we could have missed the place. We drove slowly, got most of the way to town and still could not find it. We turned back and finally as we passed the one cross street to look for, we noticed it on the next block, tucked into a group of commercial buildings. We were in luck, there was a truck available and they could fill us. This was one of those places that you look and look for and once you find it you wonder how you could have missed it. From there we went to a lubrication shop we had seen and then onto the tire place, both we had noticed as we trolled up and down route 3 looking for propane. As they removed the tires for rotation, we got another surprise. We have dual tires on the rear and one of the inside tires had a puncture. It had to have been recent but there was a nail in it. They plugged the puncture and Tom had them put it on the outside rear so we could keep an eye on it. They also told us we were too wide for them to balance and align us, so we will wait and have those done in Ushuaia. After that it was back to the campground for dinner and to decide where we want to go next. There are two alternatives. After Fitz Roy (the town not the mountain) we could go to Puerto Desearto to another penguin colony. This is about a 250 km (160 mile) detour to the beach and back. The other is stay on route 3 and then take a gravel road to the Monumento Bosque Petrificado (a petrified forest reserve), which is a detour of about 100 km (60 mile) round trip. Or we could always stay on route 3 and keep going south. Tom has had his fill of penguins as he put it so we decide to go to the petrified forest and then south. When we woke up, it was raining but soon cleared up. We said good-bye with more hugs to the family from Chile and got a fairly early start for us, which means around 11 am!