My travels: February 2013

Ushuaia, Argentina

2013-02-06

Ushuaia is the southernmost city on earth. The city is located in a wide bay on the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, bounded on the north by the Martial mountain range and on the south by the Beagle Channel. I believe the wind from south is much gentle than Falkland Islands or Cape Horn.
From Princess Port Guide about Ushuaia:
The pronunciation of Ushuaia is "oo shoo-AYE-ah". It is from Yahgan Indian word meaning " a bay penetrating westward". This city was born a mission town, then became an Argentine naval town, then a convict settlement, and today is a bustling city of about 80,000 people. It is the main jump-off point for tourists and international scientists heading for Antarctica. It is also the southern terminus of the Panamerican Highway. It is one of the most expensive cities in Argentina.
I did walk through part of the city. The area is only in the port vicinity. It is a clean city with steep streets. Before Star Princess arrive there, it had heavy rain. The pier and streets were wet. Later, the weather changed to be sunny, but in the afternoon it started to turn very windy and cloudy. I believe weather in that region is unpredictable. There are many cruise ships and antarctic research ships are docking here.

This pier has Star Princess(over 100,000 tons), Regent Cruise ship

one small Australia ship and one Russian ship

Look at the wet road, you can image the rain was heavy

Steep road uphill

Delicious crab

People standing there - WiFi is free

Southern Rose

Beagle Channel

The channel was named after Darwin's ship the HMS Beagle.
Beagle Channel is a strait in the archipelago island chain of Tierra del Fuego on the extreme southern tip of South Americapartly in Chile and partly in Argentina. The channel separates the larger main island of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego from various smaller islands including the islands of Picton, Lennox and Nueva; Navarino; Hoste; Londonderry; and Stewart. The channel's eastern area forms part of the border between Chile and Argentina and the western area is entirely within Chile.
The Beagle Channel, the Straits of Magellan to the north, and the open ocean Drake Passage to the south are the three navigable passages around South America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The Beagle Channel and the Straits of Magellan are both very narrow passages which severely limit the size and types of ships that can safely use them, hence, most commercial shipping is done through the Drake Passage.

Holanda Glacier

Italia Glacier

Francia Glacier

Alemania Glacier

Romanche Glacier

Espana Glacier

Punta Arenas, Chile

2013-02-07
Punta Arenas (Sandy Point) is considered the largest southernmost city on the South America mainland. The city has enjoyed tow heydays. The first lasted from about 1850 to 1914, when it was the principal coaling and supply station for ships rounding the Horn, as well as a major world supplier of wool. It was also, by virtue of its strategic location, one of the busiest ports in the world. Its first golden age ended abruptly in 1914 when the Panama Canal opened and ships no longer needed to round Cape Horn. The situation grew worse as wool from New Zealand and Australia began to compete with its major product.
Punta Arenas more of less languished until oil was discovered nearby in the 1940s, and with the subsequent improvement in roads, it has recovered its previous status as an important commercial center as well as a popular destination for tourists interested in exploring the "Uttermost Realm."
The city is the capital of Magallances Province, named for Ferdinand Magellan, whose ship was literally blown through the strait that also bears his name by a series of gales in 1520. The first European to see theses windswept shores, he was so relieved to reach the calmer water to the west of the strait that he gave it a name we still use - Pacific Ocean.
Population: 154,000 (2008)
Climate:Temp - Feb ave high 14C, ave low 6.6C (This is summer)
Jul ave high 3.7C, ave low -1.7C
Not too hot in summer, the highest is 26.2C, not that cold in winter, the lowest is -15C
The streets are clean, no begger but there are many abandoned dogs. In front of a supermarket, there are vegetables and fruits vendors. They are competing the price at the door step, it is quite uncommon for me. Also, I have seen the same scene in Santiago.