From Uzbekistan to Argentina

Christmas Market in Madrid

Well I am at the end of the world as they say. I am in Ushuaia the southernmost city in the world. I was 60 hours in transit from Uzbekistan to Argentina, with 31 hours of flying time. I had a day in Madrid and it was nice to be back in a county celebrating Christmas. I ended up in a square where the Christmas market was set up. To be honest it didn’t feel like December to me or Christmas time until I saw the market and heard Christmas music playing. Madrid had a national holiday and it was full of tourists a shock to my system, being back in a first world country and amongst the masses.

Patagonia

Ushuaia Argentina has a great National Park, Tierra del Fuego part of the Patagonia region and I had a great hike/walk there for eight hours with a few hostel mates. What good fun. I have been alone for a month and to have the comic relief of an Irish girl and English guy bantering back and forth was great. My cheeks were sore from laughing. The town is small and it has a great vibe. You see people in the street and they stop you to tell you their news and the verdict on last minute deals on Antarctica trips. Whether they are in or not, what date they are going, who’s boat they are going on?  Dave my roommate is going on Dec 13 and I am going on Dec 14 so that is what we are comparing with.  I now know five people who are going and only one of them came here with the intention of going and getting a last minute trip. All the others are getting over the huge spontaneous purchase they just made because, well you are here and so close, it’s an incredible opportunity. Some are vibrating from excitement and others the cash they just dropped for such a trip. Dave the English guy should work on commission he has been encouraging people to go for it and all of the people he has talked to are now going.  

One foot in Chile one in Argentina

Patagonia is beautiful. It was such a lovely day of walking and great company amongst the mountains. We walked on one trail and could go no further as it was an unguarded Argentina / Chile boarder. So I had one foot in Chile and one in Argentina. 

Oh yes I almost forgot I ran into this group of guys riding BMW motorcycles they rented in Chile for 24 days and are now riding through Chile and Argentina. Oh the possibilities. I love those bikes.

It also takes a bit to get use to the fact that the sun doesn’t set until 11 pm in Ushuaia. A big night out the other day resulted in a potential incredible book, but because of my young audience on this you will have to wait for a beer and me to tell you in person or read the book if I write it when I retire. I can say it is proposed that my boat to Antarctica is a former Russian spy boat this I got from a Lithuanian ex KGB.  

Click on this link for photos from Patagonia and Ushuaia Argentina

Here is the link for the Madrid photos