La fi del mon / The end of the world

Som a Ushuaia, la ciutat mes meridional de l'Argentina o la fi del mon com en diuen aqui. Ahir varem esquiar, era el darrer dia de la temporada i no en en poguerem resistir... quin plaer, neu a partir de 400 metres, encara que partir de les 2 una mica mullada, pero a 1400 metres encara era neu pols, i amb la nevadeta que va fer a prtir de la una, varem poder disfrutar dels darrers centimetres de neu pols acabada de caure! Encara que deien que es podia veure el mar, la veritat es que les muntanyes i els nuvols ens ho van impedir.. pero no va restar excitacio a l'experiencia (per cert, els accents no funcionen en aquest ordinador/teclat).

Avui hem anat fins a la Estancia Haberton i despres en zodiac pel canal Beagle (amb aigua segurament a 2° de temperatura) en Zodiac fins a l'Illa Martillo a veure pinguins Magallins i Papues... una experiencia unica i totalment privilegiada. Eren deu persones caminant -amb compte- per l'illa, entre els primers pinguins de la temporada!
No ens acabem de creure el que estem vivint! Som nomes a tres mil quilometres del pol sud!
L'arribada a Ushuaia va ser espectacular... l'avio va sobrevolar la ciutat per seguir pel Beagle per girar entre cops de vent i muntanyes nevades (el final dels Andes) i tornar cap a la ciutat per aterrar... un altre aeroport unic! Tenim tanta sort de poder ser aqui!

Avui, finalmet, hem cuinat: corder patagonic a la cassola amb cebes caramelitzades en cervesa negra fueguina, acompanyat d'uns gnochi casolans - fets pels de la "Panaderia Eureka", que son molt bons- amb salsa de tomaquet i parmesa (argenti), acompanyat d'un Pinot Noir (Saurus) dels cellers Patagonics Schroeder... l'enveja dels altres estadants de l'hostal -modestia apart.

Dema tindrem un dia extra a Ushuaia, ja que ens ha fallat el bus que haviem d'agafar fins a Punta Arenas i no podrem marxar fins dijous. Un avantatge es que marxarem a les 8 del mati enlloc de les 5:30, l'inconvenient es que arribarem a Puerto Natles passades les nou del vespre i hi haviem de ser abans per embarcar al vaixell que ens portara fins a Puerto Montt, navegant pels canals patagonics... esperem que ens hi deixin embarcar malgrat arribar tard!

We are in Ushuaia, the most southerly city in Argentina or the end of the world as they call it here. Yesterday we did some skiing, it was the last day of the season and hard to resist the temptation... what a pleasure, snow starting at 400 metres and although a little slushy, it was pure powder at 1400 meters...topped up with some snow falling from midday... meant we enjoyed recent powder! Although we were told one could ski with views of the sea, the mountains and clouds didn't allow us to enjoy the view... however this didn't spoil the experience, which we all fully enjoyed!

Today, we went to the Haberton Estancia and navigated the Beagle Channel in a zodiac (in waters that must have been no warmer than 2° centigrades) to Isla Martillo (Hammer Island) to see Magellan and Papua (Gentoo) Penguins... a totally unique and priviledged experience. There we were only ten people walking amongst the first penguins to reach the island!

We can't believe what we are experiencing! We are only 3000km from the South Pole!

Arriving in Ushuaia was something else, landing amongst snow-capped mountains (the end of the Andes) whilst turning into the Beagle Channel in quite a windy morning, was another amazing arrival! We are so lucky to be able to be here!

Finally tonight we actually cooked our dinner: Patagonian lamb with caramelized onions and local dark beer, accompanied with home made gnochi - courtesy of the local deli "Panaderia Eureka"- with tomato sauce and Argentinian parmesan, washed down with the local Pinot Noir... the envy of all the other hostel guests - even if I say so myself!

Tomorrow we are enjoying an extra day in Ushuaia as the bus we should have taken was full. The upside is our bus will leave on Thursday at 8 instead of Wednesday at 5:30 a.m. The downside is we'll have a tight connection and arrive to Puerto Natales after 9 pm, when we should have already boarded our ship ... lets hope they still let us on, as we cannot miss the sail through the Channels of Patagonia we have planned!