Back to Facebook unfortunately

I'm having technical difficulties with this app. I can't add pictures from my photo gallery on the phone which is just ridiculous so FB it is.

Not sure if anyone is still reading this and doesn't have access to FB but if so I'm sorry! 

Ushuaia (2/2)

Having technical difficulties with this stupid blogger app. Unable to attach pictures for some reason. Will try again after the trip. 

Ushuaia day 3

Today we do an all day 4wd tour that goes into Tierra del Fuego and checks out a couple of lakes (Lake Escondido and Lake Fagnano).

First stop was some hotel with a field of peat moss out the back. Interesting experience to walk upon. Very spongy but supportive at the same time... almost like a good pair of underwear.

I remember them digging out peat for fire in Scotland... wonder if they do the same here? 

Then a few stops to look at pretty things and a bunch of driving (in mud, in lakes, on rocky beaches etc...) before lunch. Beautiful scenery... forests and lakes. 

Really nice bbq lunch with a choripan, plenty of steak and red wine. 

We were joined by a couple from the UK (Laura and Andy) who were really nice people. Interesting, intelligent and well travelled. Andy actually works with Bupa UK as a vendor and has applied for a role there. Small world! 

Overall a pretty good tour but just not active enough for me. Beautiful scenery but ultimately just a day driving around in a car.  It was really meeting the other people that made the day for me.

Gail needed to do some shopping so I went along to provide expert fashion advice and to kill time until we met up with Deb and Kerry for dinner. We met them on our sea kayaking training course a couple of months ago and figured out we'd be in ushuaia at the same time. Dinner was at La Estancia Parrilla which is basically a coal fired bbq place. Pretty average and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Ushuaia day 4

Mum and I headed off on a hike to Laguna Esmeralda today. Gail unwell so rested in the room again. Feel bad for her and hope she doesn't feel abandoned but I'm still going!

Got a shuttle bus to the trailhead with what felt like 100 other people for a really nice walk.

There was a lot of mud and a bog to walk through (just enough to make it fun) but it wasn't a difficult walk.  Very scenic with a nice variety of terrain. Forest, meadow, more forest, bog then paydirt. Took us about 1.5 hours to reach the lake and it was beautiful. 

In the evening Gail and I did a quad biking tour. Idea was to go quad biking, get a bit of history about something then have dinner. 

The quad biking was great! Gail and I shared a UTV and took turns driving. The track was muddy and sloppy and full of water and it was great. There just was not enough time behind the wheel. It felt like we really only got like 30 minutes of driving. It might have been more but it just felt short. 

Dinner was ok. Pretty basic but tasty enough. 

The guy who runs the bike place tells a pretty good story so overall I quite enjoyed it. More than the 4wd thing the previous day.

Here we go again! Ushuaia (part 1/2)

Here we go again! Holiday time!

After about a 40 hour transit (Mel to Auckland to Buenos Aires to Ushuaia) we have made it! Flights are flights and airports are airports but it's over for now. 

Welcome to Ushuaia!

At the bottom of Argentina, this is where most antarctic cruises leave from.

We landed about 8.30am on Sat 14 Dec looking and feeling like zombies. I envy people who can get restful sleep on a plane... I just can't do it. 

Arrived far too early to check in to the hotel so dumped bags and went wandering around town. About what I expected. Run down but charming in its own way. The outdoor gear stores and steakhouses seem to be doing the best.

Big antarctic boats! 

Got some breakfast at a cafe, did some browsing and got some sim cards sorted for data. I feel lost without an Internet connection. 

This first day has shown me how poor my Spanish really is. I mean I knew it was bad but the people here might as well have been speaking Klingon most of the time.

Back to the hotel for a nap then mum and I headed out to the shops and another wander. 

We find a nice looking place for dinner and had a couple of drinks at a bar nearby while we waited for Gail to join us.

Christopher steakhouse. OMG. The meat was amazing. Best steak I can remember having. Far now enjoyable than that wagyu I spent a shit load on a few years ago. 

Back home for a bottle of wine and a few laughs after dinner and we called it a night. 

Day 2 Mum and I went for a hike at the nearby Martial Glacier. Gail is nursing an injury so it was just the two of us. 

A cab up to the start of the Glacier hike, about 90 minutes up and an hour back. Not the most scenic walk but the views were very nice and it was great to stretch the legs after all the sitting time the previous day. 

Stopped for a beer at a cafe at the bottom of the trail then walked about 90 min down a lovely forest trail back to town. 

Another nap, a quick trek into town to pay for a tour and a bottle of wine filled the afternoon before dinner. 

Dinner was pizza at Doña Lupita, about 10 min walk from the hotel. Cool place, nice pizza. Good choice by Gail. 

And that's it for the first post of my new trip. I'm trying not to go into as much detail as last time because it just took too long.  I'll do a couple of days at a time. And keep it fairly high level with pictures. 

Chau for now!