Trekking Tierra Del Fuego

This will be our last entry before we head to Antarctica on Wednesday for 11 days. We have spent another couple of very active days trekking almost every available hike in the Tierra Del Fuego National Park.

On Friday, after being mobbed by several eager operators, we took a minibus from Ushuaia into the National Park and walked Sendo Costera, an 8km hike along the coast of the Bahia Ensanada, and then trekked all over Lapataia Island on the Argentine/Chilean border. It was a beautiful day, warm and very clear, and we were able to take some great photos of the beautiful scenery. Yesterday, we indulged our taste for mountain climbing and ascended Cerro Guanaco, a mountain similar in height to Snowdon. We were really lucky with the weather again and had a really sunny day for the climb. We were also fortunate to see some indigenous wildlife... llamas, birds of prey, and a very inquisitive fox that was particularly interested in our lunch!


Today we are having a deservedly lazy day, and have gotten sorted for Antarctica, hiring the big red parkas and getting a load of laundry done.... Bianca has never been so happy to see clean clothes! We've also been enjoying the local food. We cook for ourselves most nights in the hostel which is good for the budget (and the waistline!). We are managing to make a really good lunch and dinner for both of us for about 2 pounds 50 a day! We went out for a meal on Saturday; Ash ate pounds of pork, beef, lamb and chicken in one sitting (so most of the farmyard)... it really is a meat lovers paradise here! Bi unfortunately has to stick to the salads, but she is pleased on the effect it is having on her waistline!

We are really enjoying hostel life. It is very laid back and sociable, and there are so many different people here, all with one shared passion, and this is travelling. Ushuaia is also a beautifully situated town to just chill out, and is quite homely and safe, and so we have really enjoyed our time here. Our travels so far have been a really good experience and we have seen so much in such a short space of time, whilst also managing to sit and relax on the odd few days. We are really relishing the whole experience and are so excited about Antarctica. Ash will be walking like kingpin down to the boat posing in his red parka for sure!