Snowcapped peaks came in and out of view because of turbulence. It’s a good sign when people are glued to their windows, but a bad sign when they all clap in relief after landing. My bag was chilled from being in the overhead compartment. The windows were frosted. Everyone bundled up before leaving the plane. And there I was: shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops.

I went from smack dab in the center of Argentina to the very bottom. Ushuaia is at the tip of the country, the continent, and – debatably – the world. It’s where boats depart for Antarctica. It’s where Magellan named some straits, where Darwin saw people in loincloths, and where I bought a better jacket.

While I was waiting at baggage claim, I noticed a Harvard sweatshirt. Though the guy looked like he might actually go there, I remembered how many times I’d seen Michigan hats on beggars in India. Clueless individuals all over the globe endorse American colleges, so it was a relief to meet a legitimate fan. Sure enough, this guy took a break after freshman year. He even knew my brother. It was a bonus to talk about Harvard, but I was happy enough just to speak English. To not have to concentrate on every sentence. To laugh about stupid things, like when the hostel owner asked if we needed “shits and towels.”

I had a day in Ushuaia before Julie, my next (and last) Rustic companion, arrived from Buenos Aires. There are basically two things to do: the Martial Glacier and the National Park. I didn’t want to do both without her, so I took the chairlift up to the glacier and then just wandered around the town, up and down the San Francisco-like hills. Quaint, single-story buildings form a dramatic contrast with mountains that tower on all sides. Then there’s the harbor, luring visitors to explore uncharted land.

I wasn’t sure exactly what time Julie was flying in, or even what she looked like, but things somehow worked out and it instantly felt like I knew her for ages. We stuffed ourselves with king crab that night and lamented that we didn’t have more time in Ushuaia.

Our predicament the following morning: We were at the bottom of Argentina; we needed to be somewhere in Chile the next day. The tourist agencies thought we were crazy, and I hadn’t looked at a map so I couldn’t argue with them, but it didn’t matter. There was no way I wasn’t meeting my brother at the airport. By plane, by boat, by bus – we were getting to Punta Arenas. We split up to investigate our options.

When we met up again, Julie had it all under control. She had stopped a random taxi to inquire how much it would cost, and, to her surprise, that driver immediately called another driver who was willing to take us within the hour. I was a bit sketched out when I heard he had to remove his “TAXI” sign, but the guy supposedly does it all the time. Carlos was his name, and he couldn’t have been nicer. We were certainly on a time crunch, but he said he wouldn’t let us leave Ushuaia without visiting the National Park. After a quick loop around, with Carlos as our private guide, we made our way out of the country. At 10 PM, I got my first taste of the Argentina-Chile rivalry. At the border crossing, I asked how they classified the bit of road until the official entrance to Chile. “Is it half Argentina, half Chile?” I asked, thinking that would be an obvious way to do it. The Argentine customs official quickly looked up from stamping papers to snap, “No. Argentina 11 kilometros. Chile 4.” Although the entire stretch of road was dirt and rocks, after roughly 11 kilometers, Carlos remarked, “Dirt road. Welcome to Chile.” As for Ushuaia being the southernmost city in the world – don’t get a Chilean started.

The total drive lasted fourteen hours. At 5 AM, we found a guesthouse. At noon, we headed for the airport.

I haven’t done one of these for a while, so it’s a bit overwhelming:

2/21 Delayed flight from Auckland, unexpected night in Buenos Aires
2/22 Continued on to Rio, met up with Jessemin
2/23 Beach volleyball and rest in Ipanema
2/24 Flew to Salvador for the first day of Carnaval
2/25 – 28 Carnaval! – street parades, samba, costumes, getting punched in the face – good times
3/1 Flew back to Rio, exhausted
3/2 Recovered from the world’s biggest party
3/3 Favela tour, Jessemin returned to the states
3/4 Andrew and Danielle arrived, hang-gliding and Champion’s Parade
3/5 Checked out the big Jesus, flew to Florianopolis, picking up Ricardo on the way
3/6 Surf, sun, and sand-boarding
3/7 Goodbye beautiful beaches, late flight to Iguazu
3/8 Toured Argentina’s share of the waterfalls, by boat and by foot
3/9 Checked out Brazil’s side (pouring rain), airline strike meant 18-hour bus
3/10 Woke up in Buenos Aires, got settled in Brandon’s apartment before a big night out
3/11 Sightseeing during the day, tango show at night
3/12 Explored San Telmo and La Boca, cried after Andrew and Danielle’s departure, but then cheered up at a Boca Juniors soccer game
3/13 Parted with Brandon and Ricardo, overnight bus to Rio Tercero
3/14 Made myself at home with Marta and Cholo, first mate experience!
3/15 Left civilization with Jose Maria
3/16 Life in the Sierras with Jose, Valeria, and Gino
3/17 Pitched in on the construction of Jose’s forest ranch
3/18 Returned to my family in Rio Tercero
3/19 Saw Cordoba with Yanina
3/20 Flew to Ushuaia
3/21 Hiked around Martial Glacier, picked Julie up at the airport
3/22 Long car ride from Argentina (Ushuaia) to Chile (Punta Arenas)
3/23 Nick arrived! Took a bus to Puerto Natales to get on board
3/24 – 3/27 Boat ride through the Patagonian fyords

This entry was posted on Monday, March 27th, 2006 at 4:58 pm in XVIII. Argentina. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.