Ushuaia, Argentina Part 2

 Tierra del Fuego National Park

January 31, 2020

Arriving at 11 AM, Ushuaia was a pretty town against a backdrop of snow capped mountains on this overcast fifty degree morning.  With The Jupiter at the dock, it was easy to disembark for our meeting with Nicholas Wolanouk owner of AlmaCalma, our private guide for the day.  (Website almacalma.net; contact nico@almacalma.net)

The dock was lined with expedition ships and bustling with activity.  The vehicles for the Viking expeditions were allowed to drive right up to our ship to pick up their passengers.  However, we enjoyed walking down the dock to the terminal building as we were able to admire the sturdy Antarctic vessels readying for departing tourist expeditions or to resupply the research base camps. 

Ushuaia is often referred to as the end of the world (el fin del mundo).  It is the southernmost city in the world and the closest population center to the South Pole.  Its splendid setting, tucked between the Beagle Channel and the southernmost slopes of the Andes, has an outpost atmosphere.  Arriving by boat was a simple matter for us - at least in the benign weather we had.  However to drive here from Punta Arenas, Chile, it would take about 8 hours, one ferry crossing, clearing out of Chile, checking into Argentina and sometimes driving for miles on gravel roads.

Ushuaia is the capital of and gateway to Tierra del Fuego, the "Land of Fire" named by Spaniards upon seeing the constant flames burned by the indigenous Yamana to keep warm. The main island of the archipelago was first occupied by man some 10,000 years ago. The Yamana lived in what is now Tierra del Fuego National Park on the shores of the Beagle Channel and Lake Roca (or Acigami in Yamana).  Their camps were above the beaches where they could harvest the resources of the sea.  There still exist many middens which demonstrate their long time relationship with nature.  They moved around in canoes made from laths and sheets of bark of the Lenga trees hunting sea lions and harvesting mollusks.  These delicacies constituted the main part of their diet and circular mounds of the shells can be found all along the shore.  The extinction of these peoples is connected with the arrival of the first European explorers in 1890.  

This is a largely unspoiled region comprised of the large island of Tierra del Fuego and countless Chilean and Argentinean islands.  Andes peaks, vast plains blanketed with green forests and pristine lakes, mammoth glaciers and a multitude of birds make this a breathtaking destination.  We were ready to explore a small portion of it.

Note Plaza Islas Malvinas below.  The Malvinas are The Falkland Islands and Argentina wants them back.

We met Nicholas outside the terminal building and set off in his comfortable mini van. First we took a quick drive through of the town where he pointed out the notable municipal and naval buildings.  As we were anxious to have the most time possible in nature, we soon headed toward Tierra del Fuego National Park about a half hour outside city making a few stops beforehand.

On the way we made a quick stop for a view and so that Nicholas could give us a little talk about the geographical features, the lay of the land so to speak.  Here's Nicholas below with the not so picturesque airport in the background followed by a more scenic photo.

The next two photographs are of an area where one can camp.  A very pretty setting indeed.

Many visitors like to board the historic southernmost railway for a scenic journey through the National Park.   The Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino takes visitors on a steam-powered locomotive trip across the Pipo River into the park and along the plain through the rugged mountains and verdant forests.  There are guides narrating the history of the park.  The train was originally constructed for use by the prison and built using prison laborers.   We stopped here to see the train and the End of the World station.

When we reached the Entrance Fee Area, there were several tour buses registering their passengers.  Nicholas left us to handle our fees as well as talk to some of the bus drivers.  He had several hikes planned for us and returned with a schedule so as not to cross the paths of the larger tour groups.

Our first hike was an easy .6 mile to Laguna Negra in an area of "turbal" or peatbog.  Peat Bogs are characteristic of the Fuegia landscape.  They are accumulations of dead plant material, mostly Sphagnum mosses, reeds and grasses which have built up over centuries in damp valley bottoms.  Low temperatures and acid waters prevent decomposition of the dead organic material.  Under compression by the weight of the upper layers and lacking oxygen, peat is formed. 

Decades ago several species of exotic mammals were released on the main island of Tierra del Fuego for supposedly economic reasons.  Beavers were released for a pelt business that failed.  However, the beavers did not.  Their tree cutting and lodge building caused very serious alterations to the landscape and woods.

Peat Bog

Upland Goose - Male & Female

Laguna Negra

Beaver Lodge

Nico always had a visual aid - map, field guide etc. - helping us to identify fauna

 or showing us where we were.

Misodendrum - or "mistletoe"

Mountain Berry

Indian Bread Fungus is a growth seen on trees.  This knobby sac fungus is in the same family as truffles and morels.  The native peoples would collect this golf balled sized fungus and eat it raw.  Darwin wrote that is has a mucilaginous, slightly sweet taste with a faint smell like that of a mushroom.  We did not try it.

After a very short motor, our driver let us off at the trailhead of our next walk.  This time we traveled through meadows and a high deciduous beech forest with vistas to Lapataia Bay as we hiked right down to the waters edge.  This was a more moderate trail stepping around some tree roots and down walkways and stairs over the more steep areas. 

The main vegetation type of this national park is Sub-antarctic Southern Beech.  Technically they are not beech trees but were so named by the explorers from the Northern Hemisphere who thought they resembled the northern beech.  There are southern beech woods of the tall deciduous Lenga and the evergreen Guindo or Coihue de Magallanes species.  The Lenga grows in pure stands cloaking the mountainsides to the tree line up to 600 meters above sea level.  The Guindo grows in damper places and valley bottoms usually mixed with the Lenga.  

The berries below are also edible but were not quite ripe for picking.

Our easy walk through the meadows.

Lenga Trees

Up and down as we trek into the more dense forest.

We get occasional glimpses of Lapataia Bay.

As we walked down to the Bay, we could see tour buses and people walking along the wooden platforms and our destination.  However, once we arrived they had completed their stop and were on their way to the next.

The lowlands were lush with flowers, grasses, streams and birds.  Clover and dandelions grow in the Southern Hemishere too!

The bird depicted below is appropriately named Fire-eyed Diucon

When we emerged from our forest hike into the car park area, we had reached the end of Route 3. This location is significant as it is the terminus of the Pan-American Highway - the road which extends from Alaska through the Americas.  The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads which link almost all of the Pacific coastal countries in North and South America in a connected highway system.   It starts in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and ends in Ushuaia, Argentina.  It's knows as the longest road in the world because it connects two continents north to south.  We were last on Route 3 in Puerto Montt where it continues along the Chilean inter-coastal waterway towards the Argentinian border.  

Argentina, like Chile, is proud that their country stretches to the South Pole in Antarctica.  Nicholas took this opportunity to do a show and tell with the map below.  Ushuaia is located in the upper left portion of the map near the tip of the South American continent. Nico also mentioned that Argentina believes The Malvinas (The Falkland Islands) are part of Argentina, a point of contention that would be discussed by our guides both in Argentina and The Falkland Islands.

Our visit to Lapataia Bay was not quite over.  After Nico retrieved a pack from the mini van, we proceeded to the water's edge by walking along a series of boardwalks which ended at a wide deck surrounded by benches.  It was a nice spot indeed where we could sit and admire the views both to the mountainous interior and out over the water.   To our surprise, Nicholas offered us a choice of coffee or Mate, the local herbal tea that many people in these southernmost countries of the Americas enjoy.  With it he served home-made Dulce de Leche cake baked by his wife.  We all chose the Mate which was served in teabag form rather than the traditional shared way.  Most people drink their mate with the loose herb at the bottom of a wooden or ceramic cup.  The liquid is strained through a specially designed straw and the cup is passed from person to person.  When he offered us Mate, I asked if we were going to partake in the traditional way.  He said - no not in this era of Coronavirus - Covid19 had not reached South America and was just beginning to spread in the US.  Many straws are made from stainless steel but apparently the best ones are out of silver as silver is believed to have antibacterial properties so safer to share.  

Our views to the sea and to the mountains.  Beyond the opening of the bay is the Beagle Channel.  On our way from Punta Arenas we sailed right by this bay and park.  

The walking trail.  Part of it was closed for sorely needed reconstruction.

Rested and ready for our next walk, we piled into the mini van and drove away from the Bay, passing the Alakush Visitors Center to a trail along the Lago Roca (Acigami Lake).  A bit of a wind began blowing so Nicholas had our driver drop us off at a point where we could walk along the shoreline trail with the wind at our back.  It was a kind gesture.  If one would take the entire trail, it would lead to the border between Argentina and Chile.  It was an easy and scenic stretch of the tiring legs.

Lago Roca (or Acigami in Yamana language)

Cabins in the Alakush visitor area

Striated Caracara

For our final walk of the day, we drove along the main road toward the park entrance area where a short offshoot brought us to Ensenada Zaratigui and the End of the World Post Office.  Yes, it is a real post office where one can mail a post card of get a passport stamped neither of which we did.  It would be cool having my passport stamped but the ship was holding all passports for easy clearance to all the different countries we were visiting.

Our location also provided access to our final trek on The Costera Trail (or Coastal Trail).  This hike follows the shoreline and travels through evergreen Beech and winter's bark forests.  I was already tired and, after crossing the small boulder strewn beach to gain access, observing the trail's difficulty with more stairs, tree roots and uneven ground, I decided to skip this walk.  It was a sad but safe decision for me.  Instead I wandered the beach, shoreline and woods near the post office bird watching.  It was a quiet, relaxing time for me but I missed something that I had longed to see.

Here is the beach access to the Coastal Trail.

Lorna left behind.

I had the opportunity to closely observe a Caracara perched in one of these trees but phone camera was not powerful enough to capture a shot.

Quietly observed many birds along this beach.

Ray describes the Coastal Trail as magical with wind blown twisted dwarf trees, spectacular views to the Beagle Channel and a lengthy sighting of the illusive Magellanic Woodpeckers -both male and female.  I was carrying our binoculars but Ray got some incredible shots of the birds and terrain. 

Here are some trail shots.  

Striated Caracara

Kelp Gull

Huffing and puffing on the trail

Different trail flora

Female Magellanic Woodpecker.  Note the pointy comb on the back of her head and minimal red on the face.  Both male and female woodpeckers stand approximately 18" tall.

Numerous photographs of the male Magellanic Woodpecker follow.

Male preening feathers.

My what big claws you have said the birder.  The better to climb said the woodpecker.

Gnarly is a word that comes to mind in describing this forest.

There was an endless stream of worthy photographic landscapes.

 

Meanwhile back at the parking lot it was time for a restroom.  I think this was the most imaginative sign seen for the Men's Room.

Walking weary we were happy to be dropped off right next to the ship on the pier.  Nicholas was an excellent guide.  He was well educated, a native of the area and had a head full of answers to all our questions.  We were a 70 +/- group of friends.  Nico was patient, paced the walking to our needs and gently urged us forward so we could cover all we planned.  I would heartily recommend him for our age group as well as to younger travelers as he leads some quite demanding excursions too.

Farewell Ushuaia as the last of the excursions return.

Here ends the photo journal of the on land portion of our January 31st visit to Ushuaia.  However, our day was far from over.

Next Up:  East Beagle Channel & Port Williams