Ushuaia, Argentina - This is the Year to Visit
Ushuaia, Argentina - This is the Year to Visit
By prisca.campbell
Ushuaia is the gateway to Antarctica. Located on the Beagle Channel on the island of Tierra del Fuego, the community is cradled by the southernmost Andes Mountains. Most Antarctic cruises to the Peninsula embark in Ushuaia (pronounced OOSH-WHY-AH).
The president of the regional tourism Institute, Pablo Pfurr, is predicting a 20% decrease in the number of visitors this Antarctic expedition season. That's good news for you, if you are planning to extend your adventure by spending a few days in the rustic, frontier town between October 2010 and March 2011. The town's infrastructure has been pressed to the limit these past few years.
I spent a week there in November 2009, sampling the local food, 4x4ing and participating in day excursions. The food highlight for me was an asado barbecue over an open fire in a pine forest by an immense freshwater lake. We followed muddy trails in 4x4s to reach the campsite. It really was an off road experience. We were dropped off about an hour's walk from the campsite, so our drivers could go ahead and start lunch. There were two trails, a rocky beach along the lakeshore or a muddy trail up a steep incline that would parallel the lake trail but at a height of about 50 feet. I took the low trail.
It was relatively smooth going. Plenty of flora and fauna to photograph. I sat on a rock in the sun for awhile. Too long actually, because when I looked up I couldn't see any of my companions. So I struck out in the direction I had seen them last. That ledge above jutted out into the lake just ahead, seeming to create an impassable barrier. I had gone too far to retrace my steps. I mentally crossed my fingers and forged on. I can't swim...and it seemed from my vantage point the only way around the cliff was to enter the water. My assessment was correct. I had to enter the water, but those rocks I had been negotiating along the way followed the cliff base out into the lake. I got wet to my ankles, and rounded the obstacle.
I did avoid the incline. When I reached the camp site, it was above me in a clearing about 50 feet up. I, who had tried to avoid the embarrasment of scrambling up a hill while watched, became the pre-barbecue entertainment. Eventually, huffing and puffing I was in the clearing. Immediately my mouth began to water and my stomach rumbled. The aroma was tantalizing.
The al fresco banquet began with local cheese and Argentina cured sausage with fresh bread - and a glass of wine. The view was outstanding. The company interesting and the ambience - romantic beyond expectation. The main course was a mixed grill of chicken, beef and sausages. There was a fix-it-yourself salad station that didn't get much of my attention.
Pablo Pfurr attributes the drop in cruise ship visits to Ushuaia's disparity between increasing port charges and the port's limited abiliity to accommodate cruise vessels. That's a business problem that won't affect travelers who want to spend a few days exploring in the region. So take advantage of the situation, extend your stay in Argentina's gateway to Antarctica.
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