National Park Ushuaia

Way over-due, but now I have finally been. It was not the most promising day, but the harsh wind, the gloomy clouds, and the somewhat late departure are now very insignificant to the adventure we had. We stacked the backpack with, water, snacks, camera, and of course, a thermos to prepare a round of "mate". The National Park is only some 15 min from the city, along the last bit of Ruta 3, which covers the full length of Argentina. 

The first stop we made were right along the shore of the canal.

We navigated to a spot along the canal and found plenty of qualified spots to enjoy a quiet, peaceful and warm round of mate. We were lucky to have the sun shining upon us, with just a cool breeze from the vast open channel, and the impressive mountains on the other side of the water.

I said to my Argentinian friend, "Argentina is such a beautiful country" pointing towards the mountain. As she agreed, I made the point that "they" were actually Chilean, and she turned quiet and somewhat scornful.

Enjoying nature as a metalhead! _\,,/

The beautiful canal and the Chilean mountain chain!

We set off again eager to explore other parts of the park. As the next trail was closed off for any motorized vehicles, we left the bike behind and started to tread onward. I must say it would have been pretty stupid thing to have ridden the bike through here. Although it had been loads of fun, the scenery, all the bright and beautiful colors were meant to be enjoyed on foot!

We found a track, now time for a "siesta"!

At some point, we were hit by a forceful gust, followed by a sudden rain fall, the two persisted for a good hour before finally passing by our heads.

 I think this rain-dance had something to do with what were to come !!

The waterfall, even though it might not have been that impressive, I reminded myself that it is not always the destination, but the journey there that is more important. And, we had had a very good day thus far!

We remained for some time, recharged the batteries, snacked before heading back the way we came. We were getting hungry and there was no more hot water for drinking "mate". - We had taken our time see part of the park, and I´m excited to go back to see the rest! 

A(n intense) motorbike trip

We awoke after a good night´s sleep, to open our eyes to ... a snow storm! Whaat!!??

And although the winter had technically past, we were in for a cold adventure. Most of the people where I live recommended us to stay at home, or we would suffer badly from the cold temperatures. My friend kindly answered; "We were born in the cold, we are used to it". Moreover, we only had four days to explore Ushuaia. 

We packed the bike in the afternoon when the snow had temporarily paused. With some 80 kg extra, I was a little bit concerned about exceeding the weight recommendation by ... a considerable amount this time. But we were equipped and prepared for the worst scenarios! ...and very eager to take off!!

I must say I was probably equally excited about the trip as my friend, who had barely been on a bike before. When we stopped for a break an hour or so later we were both filled with childlike excitement having finally started the trip! It is incredible to share a bit of what has been my life for some time now, the experience that can neither be described by words nor pictures. 

I thought he must have been as cold as I was a the time, but he just smiled and I remembered what he had so proudly told before. Instead of my basic layering technique, he had put on an impressive layer of thermal clothing with double pair of gloves. ...I did my routine push-ups, mini-sprints to warm myself before we continued.

It was cold, and got even colder as we were driving on a mud road between the mountain ranges. But at one point when we started to exit the valley, the temperature changed as drastically as the landscape opened up into a country side field with view of the canal and the surrounding mountain.

We continued in a comfortable cruise to just enjoying the landscape.

At one point we had wild bulls running alongside the bike, but decided to stay behind as we began to worry about their intentions! (I cannot forget to mention the estimated weight of at least 500kg, with long, pointy horns). I blame Andreas for the lack of photo evidence, but we were both eager to leave them behind!

The Canal Beagle in the background, with the mountain range on the Chilean side of the boarder.

With the last bit of the sun, we found a camping spot just off the road near a river. We organized duties to get a fire going and the tent set up before the night settled. As we opened a bottle of wine, we talked about the ridiculous day and the how it had far exceeded our desperate hopes of not freezing too much. On the contrary, the night temperature was comfortable, and the night sky revealed itself, brightly shinning over the quiet river. We could never have imagined this ending to the snowy morning we woke up to. We spent the better part of the night recalling memories from our university years! 

We woke up after a goods nights sleep and were in no hurry to return to the city. The day was clear but with a strong wind. After an improvised breakfast we got back on the bike and started head back toward Ushuaia. The traces of the harsh wind that normally rules this part of the world are notable in the growth shape of the trees and the bare landscape.

Attaching the tent to the handle bar!

The ride on the mud road between the mountains left traces on the bike and ourselves.

With just a few km left to Ushuaia, we were hit by a wall of really strong winds, ... and snow! The conditions were pretty extreme (even by my standards). I had to clear the face shield as often as I could spare the hand, and counter the wind with effort. I immediately admitted to Andreas that I had never driven in a snow storm before.

We got back home safely despite the challenges we encountered on the road! To be honest, we were stoked about all the adventure we had, and acknowledge the luck we had with the weather.

The last night out, we headed for some infamous pizza down town, followed up by the Irish Pub, the most popular (among few bars in Ushuaia) to drink beer, and later a shot at our luck at the casino. - Needless to say, the following day we slept in. Because of the snow that had fallen, we had to call a cab for Andreas to get to the airport. It was the end of this epic adventure, ...one of many to come!

Overall, I don´t think we could have spent the four days better!!

Exploration of the nearby lakes in a 4X4

I cannot express the joy of sharing a little bit of my (current) life with a good friend. Andreas, was able to spare only four days here in Ushuaia, and I must say we made the most of it!

The day after he arrived, we had signed up for a 4x4 Adventure Tour of the nearby lakes up in the mountains, with an Argentinian Asado (BBQ) at the end! We were picked up by the 4x4, and headed out of town with our guide!

The first stop to stretch our legs, or just chill in the wooden chairs, which is exactly what we did. This spot mainly showcased the innumerable sled dogs which I guess they only really use in the winter.

A little farther on we approached the Garibaldi Pass with a stunning view of the two lakes we were about to visit, Lake Escondido (Hidden) and Lake Fagnano. We stayed a few min to take pictures and marvel at the impressive view, but we hurried eagerly back into the warm jeep afterwards. 

Even though the winter had already past, we were hit by a 4 day winter-flashback just when Andreas had arrived, with cold temperatures and snowfall. 

A bit later, we arrived at Lake Fagnano and we were given an hour to wander around while the Asado was being prepared. So we took a stroll in the woods, and this happened...

... a little Finn walking in the forest, than...

 this happened...

and...

... nooo!

Finally, try to find the Finn & the Swede

After close to an hour, we were called to the Asado by a bell ringing through the forest. We gathered with the rest of the group, sat down inside a fire heated hut. The tables were set with cheese, ham, and wine as a starter, and not much later were we graced with the Argentinian Asado!

As we were settling back in the 4x4, the guide told us that no one normally makes it back to Ushuaia awake. So we glimpsed the last time at the epic mountain chain on the other side of the lake, and settled in for a siesta on the way back to Ushuaia. 

The next day we have decided to make a road trip on the motorbike! But we were up for a big surprise!

First day in Ushuaia - A visit of an old friend

I had looked up plenty of activities and sightseeing to fill up the four days my friend was going to stay in Ushuaia. I picked my friend up at the airport on the bike, we drove back home. I remembered when I consulted him about what he wanted to do with my list in my hand, that travelling does take its toll. So, we decided to take a relaxed tour of the city and the close proximity.

A motorbiker in South America is bound to reach this sign, either at the start of the journey, or at the end. Ushuaia, as many say here, can either be ´the end of the world´, or ´the beginning´. 

To recover some strength, we had brought the traditional Uruguayan /Argentinian drink with us, a type of green tea which you drink in a very peculiar way (for anyone not used to it). We reached a beach just out of town, found a semi-sheltered spot to dodge the strong winds. Drinking "mate" is a good excuse to get together with friends and catch up.

Ushuaia is just at the roots of the mountains. The beach is called Playa Larga, the Long Beach. A perfect spot to enjoy a sunny day with a stellar view of the canal, the city and the mountains. Despite the harsh and cold winds, we did enjoy a relaxed day catching up on old times. 


The beautiful Beagle Canal

The next day we were set to head out on a tour in a 4x4 to explore the nearby mountains and lakes! 

Happy belated birthday Tornado

Today, as the sun showed itself for the first time in a week, the plan was to attend to my Chilean "polola" (Chilean word for girlfriend), which definitely was overdue. We headed for the outsides of town, close to the beach where I found a wind sheltered location between some trailers to clean the (+16k km) chain. I was recommended to use gasoline, which led me to find a spot out of town (so no one would complain). The work required some effort, but after I had finally oiled the chain after finishing the cleaning, I immediately felt the difference, the unquestionable "joy" from the bike as we cruised back to the house.

So on the way back, I had no choice but to buy (what she has been needing for some time), a little tent to shelter from rain, sun etc. If the sun stays with us for a bit longer, we will see to the overall cleaning of the bike, ...as that too is overdue! After that there are only a few spots with rust that need to be brushed clean and re-painted!