It's not quite the end of the world, but it feels pretty close.Ushuaia is the the first placed where I have stepped out of the bus station/airport and gone: Wow! The landscape is in complete contrast to the vastness of southern Patagonia. The size and proximity of the Fuegian Andes looming directly above the city is breathtaking. The steep-streeted city is perched uncomfortably between the mountains and the Beagle Channel. For those who know New Zealand, imagine Lyttelton with mountains rather than hills.
Yesterday I splashed out on boat trip up the Beagle Channel to see the local wildlife. The trip took us past colonies of cormorants, sea-lions and seals living tenuusly on small slands in the channel. As we headed further along the channel, the Andes of Argentina and Chile on either side, albatrosses began to glide alongside the boat, swooping and diving for food. The first time I have ever seen an albatross up close.
A couple of hours later we reached a penguin colony, home to some 4000 Magellen penguins. Most were malting, covering the beach in fluff. Bizarrely the boa beached itself on the isand to allow us gawping tourists a closer look.
Beagle Channel. Argentina is on the left, Chile on the right.
Pingunera, Islas Martillo, Beagle Channel
PS - My feet are finally on the mend and I can wear shoes again. No need for the German look any more!
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