Hola from Ushuaia, Argentina!

Well, I've been in Argentina in 16 days today. Tomorrow, I fly to Lima, Peru via Buenos Aires.

I've done LOTS of walking, as I expected, as I am on a hiking holiday. Camping in small tents isn't that fun in cold and wet conditions (or windy, for that matter)! But it's all part of the experience! I have enjoyed it a lot.

We went to Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile, after El Chalten. It was a long bus trip. Strangely, the border crossing is in some rural outpost with a large gap between the respective border posts of Chile and Argentina. Maybe this reflects the historical conflicts between the two nations over the years. Specifically the disputes of the borders between the two nations.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't good for time in Torres Del Paine (Chile). But it was still fun! A little cold, a little wet and very windy at times.

We hiked up to see Grey Glacier, at first it was very windy and cold - or so we thought! It wasn't a good start, but two hours later over the usual rocky and muddy (but well defined) trail - we found the first of several viewpoints of Lake Grey and Grey Glacier. It is a huge glacier....I have some photos to upload, which I will do later. (When I find a decent computer to do so, a rare find in Argentina, so far!).

Not long after we reached one of the better Grey Glacier viewpoints, we took some photos and I took some video footage - the sky got darker and the very cold north-westerly winds blew over the massive chunk of ice that is the Grey Glacier and on to us poor weary and hungry hikers!

We all huddled in what little shelter we could find - a small hallow in the rock and got out our infamous packed lunches...a bottle of water, a couple of small chocolates, a snack bar and the usual ham and cheese in a rather thick breadroll. Many of us had come to loath the bread (and some it's contents). But when you've been walking for ours (and you're usually sweating on the uphill legs, under the layers of clothing meant to keep you warm).

After Torres del Paine National Park, we travelled via mini-bus to a overnight farmstay on Argentinan-side of the the island of Tierra Del Fuego (which is at the tip of South America). The Chilean side was largely unpaved. It´s somewhat odd to have an island divided between two countries...but I guess it kinda works...it´s a big place.

After some 12+ hours in the mini bus (with a few stops along the way), we arrived at our overnight farmstay, just outside Rio Grande.

It was a smallish farm, still in operational. They had a modest dining room and toilet block...and yes...tents for us to sleep in!

The BBQ lamb and fresh vegetables were great! Especially, as everyone was tried and hungry from our very long trip today.

After a nice breakfast, we were given a demonstration of a sheep herding, with dogs and sheep shearing. Kinda interesting, but I´d seen it all before. We were back on the bus for another couple of hours and stayed in a lodge (bunk beds) overnight. That same day we had a night lunch and headed out for the afternoon to explore the local peat bogs, laguna and small glacier. The interesting part was the damaged that the imported Beavers had done to the fragile ecology.

Originally imported to farm their fur, the warm climate of the Tierra del Fuego soon meant that wasn´t going to be feasible. Hence, the Canadian imports can deciminated tracks of forrests near rivers. As the soils is so thin, the impact is far worse that in their native land.

Anyway, must go and will write a bit about Ushuaia in detail soon.