The Motorcycle Diaries: Ushuaia, Argentina

View all photos from the first part of the Motorcycle Diaries (Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina): http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AcNmzVq5YsWLFLA

Ushuaia and its surrounding are beautiful. The city is picturesquely located on the ocean and wrapped into glacier covered mountains and green forests. Although indigenous people had lived here for thousands of years, modern settlements in Fireland and Ushuaia in particular are very recent. The island was first used as a secluded and safe location for a prison colony during the last 1800s (copying the British idea of their prison island Australia). Gradually a town started to grow during the 20th century and growth has only boomed during recent centuries fueled by tourism. It is interesting to take note that the environmental conditions here are so harsh that modern human settlements on Fireland have little more than 100 years of history. Walking through the streets of Ushuaia and speaking with its inhabitants it is hard to find a person that was actually bon here (the majority of the population has moved here from other regions or comes for seasonal work).

The weather in Fireland is extremely unpredictable and variable. Each day featured sun, cloudy skies, rain and hail (often within the same hour). Since most hours were dry I was assured by the locals that I was lucky and the weather was very good for the region. The temperature rarely made it over 10C degrees (50 F), not particularly warm considering it is the hottest month of summer. Trying to return to the mainland resulted in a weather induced delay of several hours. Due to strong winds and rough seas the ferry could not cross the narrow 3.5 km Magellan straight and left us stuck on its shore for 5 hours.

For me the most notable and interesting aspect of visiting Ushuaia is its breathtaking nature and the wide array of outdoor activities offered: hiking, trekking, bicycling, camping, kayaking, sailing, diving, whale watching, skiing, and husky sledding to name a few. I spent several days exploring (hiking and bicycling) the wild and untouched beauty of Fireland, hiking through mountains, forests and glaciers, crossing rivers of melting snow and passing thundering waterfalls. The Fireland National Park just outside of Ushuaia is particularly spectacular with is mix of saltwater bays and fresh water lakes, dense forests and sponge-like covered ground. A highlight of the visit was the ascend form the ocean to Cerro Guanaco (970m elevation) rewarding me with an unbelievable 360 degree panoramic view of ocean (where Atlantic and Pacific meet), islands, lakes, mountains and the city of Ushuaia.