Tierra Del Fuego National Park

Today we hired a taxi and went to Tierra Del Fuego National Park. One can take a tourist train which is cute, expensive and takes you only part way into the park. This way, although also expensive, we got to see much more, stop wherever we wanted, take walks, get a narration from Fabian, who spoke pretty good English and I got to practice my rusty Spanish. It is beautiful. Windblown, rivers and lakes including a green one, scrub bushes, lush, long green grass, flowers, twisty trees, beech trees which never lose their leaves, hiking trails and the post office at the end of the world. I am glad we took the time to do this as the scenery and landscape is much different from Antarctica of course but also different from the land right around Ushuaia proper. Parts were reminiscent of Northern Calofornia and Colorado with different vegetation.

Yesterday afternoon, Wednesday I think, we walked a lot and visited the Maritime Museum, The Prison at theEnd of the World Museum and an exhibit on Antarctican exploration, all 3 under one roof. All very interesting. Ushuaia at one time was a sort of penal colony and the prisoners had to build the prison, cut the trees to build railroad tracks as well as other work in the town. All on little food and under harsh winter conditions. The Antarctic exhibit focused on exploration, whaling and research. It is really amazing that as many ships as did made it over the Drake's Passage and around Cape Horn given the fierceness of the seas. 30,000 sailors lost their lives at Cape Horn, which we sailed by easily in our ship on a relatively windy but calm afternoon.If you are intereested in the exploration, Google Cook, Scott, Shakelton, Admunsen to name a few.

This morning we poked around Ushuaia again before going to the Park. Tonight we will go to a traditional Argentinian barbeque restaurant. You can watch the lambs on racks over a wood fire being slow cooked before your eyes. Reminiscent of a torture device if you let your mind wander. Don't. I have eaten more meat this trip than in the past 12 months! And enjoyed it for the most part.