With the final passage into the Beagle Channel, that was pretty much the end of my Antarctica portion of the trip. It was just a slow sail up the Channel to Ushuaia where we would disembark and be on our way. Wherever that "way" happened to be. We slept as L'Austral was navigated into Port. Captain said it would be about 4 am, but it could have been 5 or 3. What I do know is that I kinda woke up around 5:45, and we were in port. (Cause, as I have done for every.
single.
morning.
of this trip....
I had to look out the window.) ((I'm gonna miss my early morning window peek.)) And then....
that was pretty much it.
We were in port.
I woke up around 7:20ish/7:30ish, and at 7:37 we get a knock on our cabin door.
Now, those photos I bought?
One of them was going to be printed already, and I didn't get it with the delivery of the photos I get on our last night in the Drake Passage. (That detail didn't make the blog but....they delivered the photos and film I bought. Minus the poster.)
So I hop out of bed because I'm like, "Thank goodness, it's my poster, and now I don't need to track it down-"
Nope.
It was our cleaning lady! Elena! She's startled I'm in my PJs, I'm like, "whatever" but it was the kinda kick it into gear notice I guess we needed?
We had to vacate the room by 8:15, even though we weren't getting off until about 9:10. At least me and Cricket. But whatever, last chance for breakfast and to see the people we've come to call our friends.
I leave the room last, all the checks, and bam.
That's it.
Goodbye Cabin. (406 for posterity.)
Then, Bam.
Goodbye Dining Room.
Goodbye Deck 3.
Goodbye L'Austral.
We still had 2 hours to wander Ushuaia, and after a 5 minute bus ride from the port to a parking lot a block away from the port (that's including a bus parking btw) we're told, 'You have 2 hours, go!'
I mean, we were told we have two hours, but it was more eloquent and about seeing the area, blah blah. So I start with Cricket to check out some of the parks by the waterfront. Great green spaces, statues, art, flowers, just. Wow! History blurbs
We saw their time capsule - Ushuaia. They buried a time capsule in 1992? And will open it
in
.
.
.
.
.
.
2492. Can you imagine??? If I have any secret immortal friends, can you go check it out for me when it happens? I'll be dead by 400 years so I'm counting on you. Do it. In my memory. ("Why are you here?" "A friend wanted me to check it out since she's passed." "Oh, dear. When?" "2092." "Did I hear 2092?" "UHH no, I said...........OH LOOK THE TIME CAPSULE IS OPENING.") Thanks friend. So we checked it out, but soon we split. I had a mission. Send a post card. Someone said they were quitting facebook, but hey, you could still reach them by post card. so, I said, "BET. What's your address? I'll send you one from Argentina." But I'm an extra bitch, so I sent one from Ushuaia, the town at the end of the world. It was a surprisingly difficult task. Because I have no cash. Because I speak no spanish. Because I have limited time. And
When was the last time I sent a post card? A goose chase ensued which involved 2 post office visits, two banks, 3 security guards, 4 lines and a partridge in a pear tree. I'm kidding about the pear tree. The guards were nice, even if we couldn't talk to each other, and the banks were able to point me to a money exchange place, the money exchange place gave me better rates than are standard, and the post office was able to watch this American figure out their postal system, get the cash needed to pay for stamps, proudly return like, 25 minutes later? Slam the 500 pesos on the counter, grinning like an idiot, and provide me with stamps. That I then had to lick. Felt like an odd choice in Covid, but what are ya gonna do? Not finish your epic journey to send a single piece of mail? No. You see that through. And after that I wandered Ushuaia, shopped a little bit (mostly window) but I got a sticker for my camera case. Then I wandered the water front of Ushuaia, and by the way, it was 65 degrees. A far cry from the 30 I had become used to. It was nice.
The water is a cerulean blue and is clear to the bottom.
People were all over, lounging on chairs, sitting in the sun.
But that was the two hours.
Two hours, gone too fast.
And in the interest of sleep, here's what the rest of the day was.
Airport.
Flight.
Airport.
Hotel.
I'm sitting in the hotel in Buenos Aires. I've got some tours signed up for tomorrow, but I leave to return to the states in the evening tomorrow, so it's an early day to see some of Buenos Aires before the flight calls.
I'll add more later I promise!
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