We got up early, packed and had a quick breakfast before jumping in a taxi to the bus terminal. The terminal was only about 10 minutes away from the b&b but with torrential rain we opted for the comfort of a taxi. The bus left relatively promptly at 0730 in the pitch black. Around 90 minutes later, near the outskirts of Puerto Arenas, we stopped by the roadside and switched buses, still in the rain and dark. It reminded us of previous European ski trips where you got 'left' by the roadside waiting for the resort shuttles to turn up. Not far from here we were treated to onboard refreshments with the sweetest cup of coffee that we've ever tasted (definitely more sugar than coffee). We continued south towards the island of Tierra del Fuego not really sure how we actually got across, whether there was a road bridge or some other means of crossing the Strait of Magellan which separates the island from the rest of South America. All became clear as we arrived at Punto Delgada and stopped at the ferry terminal. After a short wait we boarded the ferry on foot and had a short crossing. It was hard to believe we were now by the Atlantic Ocean. On the island the roads deteriorated to unsealed tracks and we slowed down accordingly before eventually reaching the border at San Sebastian. As is customary we left Chile, travelled through no man's land for a short distance of a couple of kms, and then entered Argentina. From here we continued on to Rio Grande on the Atlantic Coast, one of Argentina's naval bases, references to Malvinas (Falklands) and who should 'own' them, very apparent. Our bus stopped here and we transferred to a minibus, full to the rim with people and luggage all heading to Ushuaia. Not far from Rio Grande we came to a stop as the engine lost power. The driver lifted the bonnet, waited for a bit, tried the ignition a few times and thankfully we were off again. A few kms further down the road it happened again although it was now dark. With no mobile phone signal, and a two way radio that didn't appear to work, we wondered what it would be like to spend a night in a minivan by the side of the road! After about 15 mins and repeated attempts at starting the ignition we set off again. It was pitch black outside by now but with clear skies and we were very glad that we didn't have any reoccurring problems. The road to Ushuaia follows the coast before heading west through mountainous scenery to reach the city. We finally arrived just after 2100 and were dropped off along the main street. With no taxis in sight we walked uphill to Galeazzi-Basily b&b where we'd booked to stay for three nights. On arrival we were warmly greeted by the owners and despite the late hour we dropped off our bags and headed back to the main street to find somewhere to have a late night snack before wandering back uphill to a welcome night's sleep.
 |
| Boarding the ferry at Punto Delgada |
 |
Crossing the Strait of Magellan
|
No comments:
Post a Comment