Adam's diary of the holiday: Ushuaia (second visit)

Arrived at our hotel at a little after 8.00 am, and weren’t too surprised that our room wasn’t ready yet. However, we were told that it would be ready by about 9.30, which didn’t seem too bad. Left the luggage at the hotel and then wandered down to the port to have another look at our ship.

The Grigoriy Mikheev dwarfed by the Amsterdam

Our ship had docked just on the other side of the quay from an enormous cruise ship, the ‘Amsterdam’, next to which the Grigoriy Mikheev looked very small indeed. After taking a few photos we went to the Banana Cafe, where we’d stopped for a drink at our previous stay in Ushuaia, to have a coffee and wait for our hotel room to be ready. We then went by the tourist information office to see what there was to do in Ushuaia. Apparently we could take a boat trip to see a penguin colony, which seemed like a good idea.

Got back to the hotel about 10.00, to be told that our room would be ready in 10 minutes, which indeed it was. Had a very brief stop to install ourselves in the room, and then went out for a bus tour. The bus was an ex-London Transport Routemaster, which took us for a little drive round the city, showing us what little in the way of sights there were. There really wasn’t much to see, although we did get some interesting information about the history of Ushuaia, which seemed to get started when the Argentines started a penal colony there. The tour finished at about 11.30, by which time it was raining quite heavily, so we went back to the hotel to escape from the rain and rest for a bit. Went out again shortly before 1.00 pm to find somewhere for lunch. The place just across from the hotel, Tante Sara, which had had a good write up on the internet, was very busy and smoky, so we went on to Volver on the sea front, which had been recommended by our guide book. Monika (who lives in Ushuaia when she’s not at sea) also said it was good.

Carolyn taking a break from the Ushuaia sightseeing bus

I had clams au gratin to start, which was lovely. King crab was obviously a speciality here: they had about 3 crab starters, crab soup, and numerous crab main courses. I had ‘Hungarian style’ crab, and Carolyn had crab pasta. The Hungarian crab was, as expected, a sort of crab goulash, and was really good. What the olives detracted in terms of Hungarian authenticity, they more than made up for in taste.

After lunch we went to the ‘Museo del fin del mundo’ (end of the world museum) which was very close by, and saw some exhibits about the history of Ushuaia. There was also a collection of stuffed birds, including a very impressive condor. The museum didn’t take very long to look round, and we were back at the hotel by 4.00 with a stop at tourist information on the way to find out about going walking in the mountains.

The Grigoriy Mikheev leaving for her next trip

At about 5.30, we went down to the harbour to watch the Grigoriy Mikheev leave. It was quite emotional watching it disappear into the distance. After it had all but disappeared over the horizon we went to find out about trips to the penguin colony, and booked ourselves on one that left in the morning. Then went back to the hotel for a coffee, only to find that the hotel didn’t serve coffees. Found a cafe across the road instead. We felt that this meant the lack of coffee in our hotel wasn’t the end of the world, although of course in a sense it was at the end of the world. I then went on a hunt for a cash machine, as we had established that we probably didn’t have enough pesos left given that we would have to pay cash for our trip to the penguin colony. The hunt was brief and successful.

After a brief rest back at the hotel, we went out for dinner just after 8.00 pm to La Rueda, which Monika had recommended as a good place for meat. They had an ‘all you can eat’ buffet for 20 pesos per person, which included a good range of starter (salads, cold meats, cheese and the like) followed by meat from the parilla. I had some lamb, followed by some beef. The meats were indeed good, although not up to quite the same high standard we had had in Buenos Aires. Back to the hotel by about 9.30 pm for an early night.

Got up at about 7.00 and went down for breakfast in the hotel. It was the same dismal selection as before, and most disappointing after the surprisingly varied breakfasts on the boat. Packed up our luggage after breakfast in readiness for moving to the double room we had been promised, and left it all in a neat pile in the room before going out just before 9.00 am.

We were a bit early for our excursion, so we looked at some of the boats in the harbour to pass the time. A few new boats had arrived overnight, mostly looking like ones that had done the Antarctica trip. We went along to the little hut that served as an office for the company taking us to the penguin colony and paid our fare, and were told to wait for the minibus. While waiting for the minibus we were joined by Caroline, a Dutch woman who had just got back from Antarctica that morning. It later transpired that she was a navigator in the Dutch Navy, and it made me wonder how much of a holiday it must have been for her to spend the whole time on a boat. Still, she certainly seemed to have had just as good a time as we did. We swapped tales of our trips, and it sounded as though they had been very similar. She had also been on a small Russian ship, the ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’, had also seen many penguins, and had also failed to reach Peterman Island as a result of the heavy ice. She had seen a king penguin, which we’d missed, but it certainly sounded like we’d had a better whale show.

The minibus turned up shortly after 9.30 am, and we got in, together with a few other assorted tourists. There were 8 of us, plus the driver, and our guide, Natalia. On the way out of town we drove past the same oil plant we had walked past on our first stay in Ushuaia, and I was interested to note that the number of days without accidents was the same as before. Whether this was because they hadn’t done any work since, whether they don’t bother to change the sign as often as its hourly count suggests, or whether it in fact shows simply the total number of days ever without accidents rather than the latest unbroken run and they had had a bad week, will probably have to remain a mystery.

We were told we were leaving Ushuaia on one of the main highways, and it did make me wonder what the minor roads would look like. I soon found out, as we had to leave the main highway for a 45 km journey along a minor road en route to our destination. The difference is that the main highways have a tarmac surface.

Statistically, the drive was probably the most dangerous thing we had done in the entire holiday. Not only did our minibus have a cracked windscreen and no seatbelts, but the frequent shrines by the side of the road did not inspire confidence in the road’s safety record. Nonetheless, the drive was very beautiful, with lovely views of the forests and mountains. Natalia gave appropriate commentary as we went along. She also explained about the lupins in Ushuaia once I’d asked her. Apparently there is no special significance to them, but they are just one of the few plants that grow well in Ushuaia’s rather cold climate.

We had a brief photo stop on the way by some ‘flag trees’ (so called because of the way they are shaped by the prevailing winds) overlooking the Beagle Channel. We arrived at Harberton Ranch at about 11.30, and were offered coffee and cake while waiting for the boat trip. The boat was supposed to leave at 12.00, but was delayed by half an hour, so we had time for a quick look round the museum, which consisted entirely of bones of marine creatures: penguins, dolphins, whales, and seals. We were shown round by a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. She also offered to show us the laboratory at the back of the museum, but unfortunately we had to decline as it was time to get our boat.

We were slightly worried on the way back to the place where the boats were moored that the Zodiac that had been moored there previously was now no longer visible, but it turned out that it was simply moored around the other side of the pier from before and was still waiting for us. We all climbed into a slightly bigger boat, along with a few others who had made their way to Harberton by other means, and the Zodiac was towed behind it as we made our way over to the island with the penguin colony.

When we got to the island, we climbed into the Zodiac, while the cheapskates who had not paid for the Zodiac landing stayed on the bigger boat and looked at the penguins from the boat. The Zodiac was a very much bigger one than the ones we had been used to in Antarctica. It had a cover, proper seats, and a steering wheel. Very posh.

Magellanic penguins

The Zodiac had only a few feet to take us into shore. We spent an hour or so wandering round looking at penguins. They were mostly Magellanic penguins, but there were also a few gentoos. The penguins didn’t seem nearly as busy as the ones in Antarctica: whereas the Antarctic penguins always seemed to be going somewhere, the Magellanic penguins were mostly standing still. It seemed strange to see penguins in grassland with no snow around. It also seemed strange to see penguins in holes in the ground, which is apparently how Magellanic penguins like to nest. They were still very cute though.

Natalia explained that tourist trips that land on the island were a new feature, and in previous seasons only the trips that look at the island from boats had been allowed. Biologists were closely monitoring the penguins to see if the tourists on the island were causing any distress, and if so, the trips to the island would stop.

We got back into the Zodiac to go back, by which time the main boat had left. This was of some concern to Caroline, who had left her rucksack in the main boat. Natalia assured her that the main boat would be waiting back at Harberton, although this proved to be untrue, as the main boat soon passed us on its way back to the island. We managed to turn the Zodiac round and chase after the boat and recover Caroline’s rucksack. I thanked Caroline for giving us the opportunity for a high-speed boat chase, as a little taste of Navy life.

It was nearly 3.00 pm by the time we got into the minibus ready to go back to Ushuaia. Caroline continued the theme of dangerous separation from her luggage, as she had left her main luggage at the port office in Ushuaia, which closed at 5.00 pm. Although we were scheduled to return to Ushuaia at 3.30, we were running behind schedule, and as it had been a 2 hour journey from Ushuaia to Harberton, it looked like it was not guaranteed we would get there in time. In the event, however, the journey back was much quicker than the journey there, and we were back in Ushuaia shortly after 4.00 pm.

The trip had been very successful and enjoyable, but had suffered from one major disadvantage of not having any opportunity for lunch, so we were pretty hungry by the time we got back. We went into Tante Sara to try to get something to eat, and for a change they had a table free. We ordered a mixed plate of nibbles for two, which sounded rather good and included various meats, cheeses, vegetables, and bread. On the way back into Ushuaia I had noticed a sign proclaiming the world’s most southerly brewery, so I was very pleased to see that Tante Sara served the local beer.

Our waiter returned with two beers, but no plate of nibbles. Apparently they didn’t have any. We decided not to order a replacement, which turned out to be a good move as the waiter was so apologetic about not having our order that he returned with some bread, cheese, and a rather good salami on the house. The local beer, ‘Beagle’ was also excellent.

As a little demonstration of what a small town Ushuaia is, while we were sitting in Tante Sara, we saw Caroline walk past the window, followed a couple of minutes later by a German couple who had been on the Grigoriy Mikheev with us.

Went back to the hotel for a rest, and were pleased to discover that we had been moved to a different room as requested. We were rather less pleased to discover that the room had quite a bit less storage space, the bathroom ceiling was covered in what looked like mould, the bathroom wall had a big hole in it, and the shaver socket didn’t work. Still, I guess you can’t have everything.

Went out again for dinner just before 8.00 pm. We didn’t have a particular plan in mind, but found a restaurant called ‘Moustacchio’, which looked pleasant enough from the outside, and I had a feeling I had read something good about it on the internet. The restaurant was indeed a good choice. The service was prompt and friendly, and the crab soup I had for a starter was very tasty. We ordered a paella for 2 for our main course, although I suspect what came could had done pretty good service as a paella for 6. It was very good, and full of exotic types of seafood (including, of course, the ubiquitous king crab), but we could only eat less than half of it. We had some more Beagle to drink with it.

After dinner, we thought we should have a quick look along the street to see whether the shops were likely to be open on Saturday morning (new year’s day), when we were planning to buy a few last minute souvenirs. We weren’t sure if we would have time tomorrow, as we were planning to hike up to the glacier. One shop had a notice saying it would be shut on Saturday, but most had no notice at all. Whether that meant that they would be open as usual or it was so obvious they would be closed it wasn’t worth saying was not clear. But as it turned out, although it was just after 9.00 pm, many of the shops were still open, so we solved the problem by doing our shopping there and then. I bought a new wallet—something I had been meaning to do for at least a year—and some fluffy penguins, and Carolyn bought a llama’s wool shawl.

After that we stopped at a cafe for a hot chocolate for Carolyn and another Beagle for me. This was our second attempt to do so: the first place wouldn’t serve us if we weren’t ordering a main meal, despite claiming to be a cafe-bar and having more empty tables than full ones. Back to the hotel to bed at about 11.00 pm.

Woke up, for the first time since before we went to Antarctica, without the aid of an alarm clock, at about 7.30. Had a boring breakfast in the hotel, and then managed to scrounge an electrical adaptor from reception so that I could shave despite the lack of a functioning shaver socket in the bathroom. I had thought that my electrical adaptor was a universal one, and it certainly has enough strange holes and bits of metal, but it seems that Argentine sockets are something else entirely.

The Aerosilla

Went out about 9.00 am to have a brief look at the port, and then got a taxi up to the Aerosilla (the chair lift near the glacier). We were there at about 9.40, and the chairlift didn’t open until 10.00, so we had a little while to admire the view. The chairlift looked pretty scary, as you were transported up the mountain in open seats, but it was actually quite easy.

Once at the top, the route to the glacier was well marked, and we were not seriously inconvenienced by the lack of a map. It was a beautiful walk, along the side of a mountain stream, and with fantastic views back over Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel beyond. It was, however, scarily steep in places, and I was finally glad we had brought our walking poles, which hadn’t turned out to be of any use in Antarctica. According to the tourist information office, it was a 90 minute walk from the Aerosilla to the foot of the glacier, but we did it in 40 minutes. It was just under a mile, and a little over 800 feet of ascent.

The glacier above Ushuaia

The glacier was beautiful, although not large. It was a little disappointing not to be able to reach the summit, but the terrain from the foot of the glacier to the summit was serious mountaineering terrain for those with ropes, ice axes, and crampons, and not something that could be conquered just by walking up it.

Shortly after reaching the glacier, it started raining. Only lightly at first, but by the time we had reached the Aerosilla, it was a very heavy downpour. Luckily, we had all our waterproof kit with us, and were presented with an excellent opportunity to find out just how waterproof it was. Argentine hikers are clearly all wimps, as while we were descending on the Aerosilla, every single chair coming up past us was empty.

There was a little cafe at the foot of the Aerosilla, so we stopped there for lunch. On removing our waterproofs, we were delighted to find that they had actually done their job excellently. The cafe also had Ushuaian beer, but a different brand from yesterday’s, and proclaiming to be the world’s most southerly beer. I had assumed I was drinking that yesterday, but I guess I was wrong. It was also very nice. We had burgers for lunch, which were perfectly pleasant.

As luck would have it, a little minibus was ready to take passengers down to Ushuaia just as we had finished lunch, so we were spared trying to find a taxi. Went briefly back to the hotel to lay out our wet things, and then went out for Carolyn to buy another couple of shawls. I bought myself a new belt while we were at it.

Afterwards, we went for a drink at the Hotel Albatros. Partly because we needed a drink, but also because we were curious to know what the hotel was like. We probably would have stayed there if we had booked sooner, and it was certainly a better location than our hotel, directly opposite the harbour. It seemed very pleasant inside, and as a bonus they also had Ushuaian beer, so I think we will definitely stay there if we are ever lucky enough to come back. Back to the hotel at around 4.30 for a rest.

Went out at about 8.40 pm for the dinner we had been organised enough to book during our previous stay in Ushuaia. Arrived at Kaupé shortly before the advertised time of 9.00 pm, and were almost the first to arrive, turning up just behind a small group of locals who had to ring the doorbell to be allowed in.

We had a table in the window with wonderful views over the harbour. Shortly after sitting down, we were offered a pisco sour as a welcome drink, something I had never heard of before, although Carolyn seemed to know what it was. Whatever it was, it was very tasty.

Shortly thereafter the food service began. Our first course was ‘centolla natural’, or king crab presented very simply with some lemon and a sauce, and was delicious. This was followed by ‘ceviche de vieyras’, which was scallops served with a really delicious olive oil, herbs, and raw onion. It was also wonderful, but perhaps slightly heavy on the onions. Both the first two courses were accompanied by Rutini Gewürztraminer 2003, which was lovely. The next course was ‘sopa de langostinas’ which was quite a rich and tasty langoustine soup, and this was followed by ‘confit de conejo fuegino’, or local rabbit. This was served as a whole leg, and was excellent, although tasted surprisingly like chicken. The soup and the rabbit were accompanied by Rutini Pinot Noir 1999, which was pleasant, but not outstanding. For dessert, we had ‘trilogía de frutillas frescas de Ushuaia’ which was three kinds of local strawberry: served plain, dipped in a rather good chocolate, and made into a sorbet. There was a delicious accompaniment of a minty sauce, and the whole thing was washed down with Rutini Vin Doux Naturel 2002, which was lovely.

We toasted the new year in with Rutini Brut Nature 2000, which was really very good, and certainly up to the standard of a real champagne. This was shortly followed by a rather large plate of petit fours, which defeated us, and some coffee. All in all, it was a really splendid meal with which to end the year. Back to the hotel shortly before 1.00 am, at which time it was mostly, but still not completely, dark.