Ushuaia

The most southerly city in the world

The view from the hotel in Ushuaia was spectacular. 

We had 2 days in Ushuaia exploring Tierra del Fuego, the southern portion of Patagonia with its magnificent views and fascinating history.  We visited the ranch of the first British missionaries and learned a lot about the history. From there we went to Gable Island by boat for a hike. We had wonderful guides who told us all about the native population and how they lived here prior to the white man coming. The white man made them put on clothes (they didn't wear any) which caused them a lot of health problems.  They were also not resistant to the white man's diseases so they started to die off.  Of the 3,000 Yamanas who were living at the time of the arrival of the Europeans, there were only 1,000 ten years later (1890) and by 1910 there were only 100.  Today, there is only one 100% Yamana alive.  She is a woman in her eighties. How tragic. 

We finished the day with a trip by boat to see some penguins.  

Here is a video of the Gable Island hike:

Gable Island Video

The second day was a visit to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We hiked 3 or 4 hours through the woods, spotting woodpeckers and other birds. The views were spectacular at the end. 

We finished the day with paddling down the Ovando river.  Here are some pictures.