Going through the Beagle Channel, named for the ship Darwin was on, we saw the rugged glaciers that dominate the scene. We visited this “end of the world” when we went to Antarctica several years ago.
After landing at Ushuaia, our catamaran tour took us near several islands. The first was a locale where sea lions basked in the sun and played in the surf.
Our next stop was an island where the "end of the world" lighthouse warned travelers of the rocks.
We finally arrived at the island where penguins “posed” for the annoying tourists. The Magellanic’s live in burrows and make a gurgle sound.
The Gentoo, with their bright orange feet, create nests on the land which may explain why they have a higher infant mortality rate.
Cormorants share the island and when they and penguins are in the same place they look alike from a distance. It is only when one flies or dips into the ocean that we could tell the difference.
There are also16 species of seagulls in this area.
The jagged peaks rise above the town and the adjacent area. While most people live in town, there are a few, mostly raising sheep, who live along the distant shore.
These signs were on the catamaran
Back on shore, we found a restaurant in a rather odd place. Previously, when we were here, we toured the prison museum located in the former prison. Cells included drawings and personal items of the political prisoners under the brutal dictatorship of the Pinochet regime in the ‘70s. This has changed. The museum has moved and is now a tourist spot with “cute” life-size mannequins of prisoners. Though we enjoyed the restaurant, this is one museum we passed on.
Our fellow travel, Steve, went on a train ride that also used the “prisoners” as entertainment. Personally, we found this an offensive way to show a disturbing part of Argentina’s history.
But the restaurant had a sign with a good Trip Advisor rating. We have used their ratings to select places to eat on shore that make us feel more food secure. Both the seafood plate and the seafood pasta were yummy.
Boy, has the town changed from our last visit. It is growing and prospering. To burn off the calories of lunch we enjoyed a walk (maybe not enjoyed as the hills are steep) along the busy streets. We were on a mission. The last time we were here we found a charming mural of a parade of penguins. We wondered if it had survived the changes and YES it had.
As a reward for our discovery, we went into one of the many chocolate shops for a few souvenirs. Samples were provided to help us make our selection.
Joan, another guest from the Sacramento area, invited us to join her for dinner with the Claudio Melli, General Manager of the ship. He is a charming Italian who also told of us the main issue aboard ship, safety. Sailing safety is in the able hands of the captain, but the general manager is responsible for guest safety, primarily health. He is a fanatic about keeping everybody aboard safe from dangerous travel germs. He told a story of guests arriving aboard ill and spreading their germs to the point where the ship had to evacuate most guests. That is why there are sanitary soap dispensers everywhere and continuous reminds for us to use them.
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