Liron had asked me earlier if I wanted to go to the Museo del Fin del Mundo. I declined as I hate museums but I had a sudden change of heart this morning and we met up at 1:30 and head to the museum. Not that is was easy to find. The entrance seemed to be well hidden. Probably because we came in through the back way. The part about the prisoners was the most interesting part. Especially the part where they had a photo of a matchstick with the national anthem of Argentina written on it. Clearly someone had too much time on their hands. Most probably a prisoner or bored prison guard.

We went to the second museum as well which has some cool photos of a sinking boat. Then it was to the supermarket to pick up some steaks and back to the hostel to cook them and eat them!

The boat that wasn’t

Two days ago we’d tried to go on a sunset boat tour through the Beagle Channel but the bad weather got the better of us. Today we tried again only to be disappointed again. Seeing as it was my last day in Ushuaia I just got a refund and we went and took silly photos on the walk back to the hostel.

Dinner

My last dinner here was back at La Casa De Los Mariscos. We picked up two Americans to join us and I tried the casserole with king crab and octopus. Of course I had to get food envy when I tried the parmesan king crab!

What was better than dinner? Going for ice cream afterwards… not that I got any… but on tv there was the funniest dancing program. Where else can you see girls dancing in thongs on tv? One of them was even a little person and to make it even more exciting, this was the grand final!

Oh, so you wanted to sleep?

Sleeping had to be put off for a while because I had to pack up all my stuff, inlcuding carefully wrapping my nine Beagle beers (three for Pablo and Flor, three for Amit and three for Kat) to carry on the bus. Then I had to write my postcards from the end of the world. Actually writing physical postcards has become very difficult for me because I’m so used to my Postagram and Touchnote postcards. Who actually writes these days anyway?! That’s what we have computers for!

I finally got out of the hostel today and did something touristy. Christiane and I went to do a walk in the national park. We booked the 10am bus which we waited and waited for only to be told that they’d forgotten about us so the 11am bus it was. Wish I’d known that earlier, I could’ve done with the sleep in. Sleeping at 1:30am probably isn’t sustainable if you actually want to make it to breakfast!

The moderate track

After paying our $85 national park entrance fee we got back into our bus and the guy dropped us off at the start of the track. He pointed left and that’s where we started walking. It was a bit odd at first because it was just down a road but the scenery was nice nevertheless.

Eventually the road opened up and we got a great view of the lake. The track we took was the Costera track and was rated moderate and took us past the lake and through some woods. The first thing I noticed on the track was that it was covered in all these weird spongy looking things. I’m not usually one for nature but these things were so weird that it got me interested. Turns out they grow on the tree branches and drop down. Weird.

The track was up and down and a mix of grass, dirt, rocks… you name it.

We came across a clearing with three horses. Christiane was keen to get a closer look whereas I seem to only like cats. But as Murphy’s law would have it the foal took a liking to me and got closer and closer to me. I didn’t freak out but I didn’t like it either. Argh.

Part way through we found a nice spot by the lake to have lunch. My lunch consisted of crackers, Mantecol, gomitas… basically everything I had left over from my bus trip to El Calafate. I’d loaded up on my makeshift carbonara for breakfast so I was pretty good as far as food went.

We carried on through the woods and managed to get lost once. We weren’t the only ones though. Either that or they blindly followed us…

One cool thing we did see was one of the foxes you get down here in Tierra del Fuego. Everyone was keen to get a photo of it. It just wanted to get a drink from the lake then ended up freaking out, as you would when a crowd of people start to close in on you.

The last part of the walk was really close to the road so it felt like we were already done. At the actual end of the walk it suddenly got very cold so I was glad I had my trusty down jacket that rolls into a nice compact package Especially because we appeared to have booked the bus that never showed up. Four different bus companies came to pick different people up and they all told us that Don Alejo was coming… we stopped believing them after a while.

Chatting to Mario

Late at night I ended up sitting and chatting to Mario for ages about all sorts of things. One topic that particularly amused us was languages. He said that Asian languages sounded like lasers going off all over the place. I tried to prove him wrong by counting to 10 in Mandarin… I only made it as far as four when he started making laser noises and I just cracked up laughing.

Even better was my story of, “So, the other day… I was watching tv…” I didn’t even make it to the part where I said that it turned out to be a Brazilian cooking show when he said, “Really?! You watched tv?! That’s amazing!” And it didn’t stop there… when I told him about the Spanish couple I met in Bariloche who were from Spain and spoke Spanish as a first language… we were laughing so hard by this point we were crying. The point of that story was that people in Argentina assumed that because their Spanish was so bad it must be their second language so they spoke to them in English.

Oh Mario, you crack me up.

This morning I booked my bus to Bariloche for the 26th and hoped to stay there for new year’s but first I had to talk to Kat. Then on the way back I was thinking about the boys’ offer to spend new year’s eve in Buenos Aires. But I booked extra days in the hostel anyway and was set to spend Christmas there. Then I thought, fuck it, when someone asks you to join them somewhere amazing you just do it. That’s what I want out of travelling, the randomness. So I went back to the bus office with Christiane this time and changed my ticket to the 23rd. Then I had to talk to Kat about the possibility of spending new year’s eve in BA. And I had to get a refund on the extra nights I’d booked at the hostel. And I called Flor and booked 6 nights at Achalay.

The guys had already thought I was flighty enough as I was but today they saw me flitting everywhere making and unmaking plans and they were rethinking their invitation

We head out for lunch, back to Tante Sara and I ordered a crazy steak sandwich which I found really difficult to eat. Then Wilkie videoed me singing Time Of Your Life by Green Day and I hassled them about the death boat to Antarctica they were about to embark on.

When it was finally time to go I waited with them for their taxi then slowly ran beside it waving as they disappeared. Good times.

More planning

I had new year’s planning to do and trying to catch Kat online was near impossible with both of our internet connections being on the fritz. So I went for another visit to the bus office with Christiane followed by a hot chocolate.

Back at the hostel I spent the rest of the night sorting stuff out with Kat. Thankfully the wifi was back up and she managed to email her hostel’s phone number through so I Skyped her. Long story short, I booked her a flight to BA for new year’s. Woohoo! This is actually happening!!

Then I went upstairs to find Christiane chatting to a German guy and our new roomie, Mario from Brazil. We talked about how I don’t look Chinese and other such beasts. They tried to guess where my family came from and asked me to say something in the language from the country so I defaulted to my sentence of, “This is my friend Christiane, she is very drunk.” The German guy said, “Well that’s definitely Japanese.” Either he had never heard a Japanese person speak before or I have a weird-ass Cantonese accent.

I hadn’t had dinner and it was getting too late to cook so I went downstairs to make a cup of instant soup – how nutritious – and started chatting to an Israeli guy who I’d seen around the hostel. I actually thought he hated me because I saw him overhear me when I said to Amir that Israelis are everywhere in South America… it’s true!

As it turns out Liron didn’t hate me and we chat for ages. He invited me along for a walk that he and another guy were doing the next day then insulted me by telling me that the hike was “not for girls”. He was yet another person who was shocked by my ripe old age. 23 year olds, what can ya do?!

Today I found the supermarket (of course) and stocked up on some food for the next few days.

Last night I also saw a couple that I recognised at reception but couldn’t place them. Then I finally realised that they were the Israeli couple I met on my first night in Bariloche. The second time I’ve run into people on “the circuit”.

I also went and sussed out my bus options so I could reconvene with Kat on Christmas/New Year’s plans.

Making friends

At breakfast I met Amir, an American guy, at the toaster then we ended up sitting at the same table for breakfast. His friend joined us for a bit then they both disappeared. When I came back from checking the bus schedules – a task that I had rehearsed in my head in Spanish but found an English speaking bus office person – Amir was on the internet and we had another chat. Then he got up to leave and asked if I wanted to go and grab a drink. I’m never one to turn down an invitation so I said I’d go and grab a shower then meet back downstairs in half an hour.

Up in the room I met a German girl who had just checked in who was lovely and chatty. Maybe I was going to be a social butterfly after all…

All cleaned up, Amir and I went for a drink at a place he’d found earlier called Tante Sara. I started with a chocolate Tante Sara which was a hot chocolate with Bailey’s and cream in it. I asked for a bit of cinnamon as well, just for good measure.

We sat chatting about anything and everything and ordered another drink. This time we decided to try fernet. Amir had heard about it but never had it, I had tried it but didn’t like it. But these things must be done so we ordered two and they came out on the rocks with a can of Coke each. We had a sip of the fernet straight. I don’t recommend it. It smells like Jäger but tastes like evil medicine. The Coke takes theedge off it… a bit.

Our third drink was a chocoñac each and a plate of papas fritas. Chocoñac is a hot chocolate with cognac in it. And it was actually tastier than the first hot chocolate I tried!

After our third drink we head back to the hostel and I tried to catch up with Kat online but it just wasn’t working thanks to her bung internet. So me, Amir, his friend Wilkie and an Aussie guy called Grant went out for a drink followed by dinner.

Sometimes you meet people that you just click with. And when I say “click” I mean “can take the piss out of”. And this was what these guys were like.

Amir and Wilkie are travelling together and they met Grant at the hostel and got to know him as they’re all going to Antarctica together tomorrow. Boy was I close to booking a place on that tour! I’m not sure if I could’ve dropped the $4000USD or not though :S

We had a yummy seafood dinner at La Casa De Los Mariscos where we talked tv programmes, and not just current ones. Full House and Perfect Strangers even came up! And we had a love of the 40 Year Old Virgin which I conveniently have on my iPhone.

After dinner we went back to the Dublin for a few drinks. When we were there earlier it was dead but at midnight it was packed, standing room only. Crazy tourist town.

Me and Kat spent our last day together eating calafate ice cream and trying to find the lake. Eating calafate berries ensures that you will return to Patagonia, so the legend goes.

The elusive lake never got closer like it appeared to on the map. And we weren’t the only ones who couldn’t find it either.

Ain’t nothing like a delayed flight

I checked my bag in as I seem to be carrying a buttload of food – so much so that my carry-on weighs the same amount as my food – plus I have my Swiss Army knife on me which, I believe, is a no-no onboard these days.

There was a surprise $38 departure tax which isn’t the end of the world but I didn’t know I had to pay it until I got there.

The flight on Aerolineas was uneventful and you even got an onboard snack in a ziplok baggie. What I would’ve appreciated was ground staff who told you how to get into the airport after you disembarked so I didn’t lead everyone into the wrong building… oops.

The end of the world

I grabbed a taxi to Free Style hostel ($30 including tip) and was happy to find the wifi working. I sat downstairs until 1:30am catching up on the world. I couldn’t be bothered finding dinner so ate half a pack of biscuits.

The odd thing was it didn’t get dark until 11:30pm… how far down am I?!?!

Now that I’m travelling on my own I am wondering whether I’ll meet anyone or just be a recluse on my iPhone the whole time. I really must get better at this whole socialising thing…

I interrupted a conversation when it came to talking about Pucón and whether to go or not. I recommended the tour company we went through and found out quickly that it’s a lot easier to recommend a company when you know their name…

I still maintain, if you have wake up at 6:30am it’s not a holiday!

I skipped my morning shower in favour of sleeping then went downstairs for the hostel breakfast (which was gross) and waited for my 7am pick-up (which came at 7:45am. Darn South American time!)

There was a whole busload of people doing the Big Ice today and I ended up sitting next to Mark from Manchester who is here on a two week holiday. And I thought I was rushing South America!

The viewing platform

After we filled in a medical form (NOT a liability release) and paid our $100 national park fee we got off the bus at the viewing platform. I must say the Perito Moreno was way more impressive looking than Franz Josef, but it IS the world’s only advancing glacier so you’d hope it was impressive!

I like being on my own and doing my own thing but when it comes to taking photos of myself that’s when it becomes a pain. I got a guy to take a photo of me but it wasn’t quite what I was after so I went and found a quieter spot to do some self-portraits. There were still people around but one of them was doing the same thing so it didn’t matter Then I found a completely secluded area and took a bunch of pics in front of the glacier.

One cool/scary thing was the gigantic chunks of ice that were breaking of the glacier and crashing into the water. You can hear the constant cracking and what sounds like a building being demolished. Awesome.

The boat

I thought we might get quite close to the glacier so I stood up the top to get some cool pics but we didn’t get nearly as close as I would’ve liked.

The hike

Yay for refugios with toilets. Remember rule #83: never pass up a bathroom break!

We had a walk to do before we got to the glacier. It was all up and down through trees and past a waterfall. We finally got to a clearing where we were fitted with crampons and harnesses. We walked to the edge of the glacier then had our crampons put on for us.

More important was the safety briefing. We were split into two English-speaking and one Spanish-speaking group with two guides each. I thought our guide was hilarious because he ended everything with, “… and then you fall and die.” I’m not sure if others found him as amusing as I did

The glacier

The glacier was very different from Franz Josef. Although there was a little up and down it was mostly flat with a bit of stepping over gaps in the ice. There was no set route so if we got to a hairy part the guides would hack a few makeshift steps using their icepicks.

The river

Walking along I heard a really loud rushing noise and the river just cuts right through the ice. It actually looks like a really cool, really cold theme park ride.

When it came time to cross the river one of the guides (Luli) stood with one leg on either side of the river and helped us across. I’m not usually worried about this sort of thing but I did wonder whether my legs would stretch the full width of the river without landing me in the icy cold water!

The ice cave

The coolest part of the walk was when we spilt into two groups and went into an ice cave. It started out nice and light then it got progressively darker and noisier. You could actually see the river rushing past below you. The guide stood in the way of the river in case one of us decided to slip and fall to our doom.

The klutz

There’s always one in every group. The one who is so not made out for whatever activity you’re supposed to be doing. Thankfully this time it wasn’t me. It was a woman who, after watching everyone carefully step across a massive gap in the ice, decides she’s going to jump it. The guides sorted her out quick smart.

Later on she nearly fell on top of me because her balance wasn’t so hot. And then right at the end we went down an easy decline and she came stomping down beside me from behind seemingly out of control of her own feet. Thank goodness they didn’t give us icepicks!

Speaking of which, we were all given harnesses which never ended up getting used. Me and the two British guys were kind of upset because we thought we’d be doing something kind of dangerous. Oh well.

The verdict

It was cool to hike on the world’s only advancing glacier but Franz Josef was way better for photo ops and difficulty levels.

We survived the 27 hour death bus! It turned out that depriving myself of sleep worked a treat and I slept most of the way!

Although we’d booked different seats no one was next to Kat ages so I just sat downstairs with her. Eventually a girl came and wanted her seat so I moved to another one. I was good right up until 9am when I had to go back upstairs to my seat. By that point there were only 4 hours left anyways thanks to the guy whose seat I was in moving upstairs in the middle of the night. Thanks dude.

And boy was I sad when I went back upstairs. The guys around me stank something horrible. I lasted for two hours then I went back downstairs and sat with Kat on the floor/step next to her seat for the rest of the trip and we chat an watch Pirate Radio.

El Calafate

We pulled into the bus station and got off the bus… why isn’t it cold?!

We then found our hostel and settled in.

Patagonian lamb

I was set on having Patagonian lamb for dinner so on the hostel’s recommendation we went to Don Pichón which was on top of the hill but they offered a free transfer service. Sweet.

We were there quite early but the place filled up quickly. We ordered the lamb… and then the lamb came out… Sweet Moses! Was this all for us?! We scarfed the lot like pros then even shared a flan for dessert… that’s how professional we were getting. Now if only someone would pay us to eat…

Tonight should be an early night as I have the Big Ice tomorrow but with wifi around it is rarely an early night for me.

Going back to Bariloche was like going home again. We didn’t need to research a thing we just rocked up (after a long ass border crossing), grabbed a taxi to Achalay and were greeted by a smiling Amit and Pablo taking a siesta with Emma.

It was way busier than when we left, high season has finally started.

Sadly we were out of luck for a Pablo asado so we went back to Don Alberto where the waiter actually recognised us. It was nice to be back.

It turned out that we didn’t actually have a room but Pablo and Amit moved the kitchen door (yes, the door) and closed off the side dining area/reggaeton practise room and popped two mattresses on the floor for us.

That’s one long ass bus ride

Our bus to El Calafate was due to be a 27 hour haul straight down the country and I wasn’t about to spend my only night in Bariloche sleeping when I had 27 hours ahead of me to do that. So while Kat went to bed I rallied Amit and we went out for drinks. First to Malabar which was loud and where I got my first proper fernet cola – bitter but not alcoholic tasting. Then we moved to Ruta 40 which was nice and quiet with a comfy couch. Nice and quiet so I could confuse Amit with my rising intonation: “Are you asking me a question?” “No, it’s just my accent!” and we could reenact You Don’t Mess With The Zohan and tell tales of the first CD we ever bought (Metallica and New Kids On The Block… don’t judge me!)

5am rolled around and it was finally time to get some sleep before my 7am wake up.

When it came time to pay Pablo wouldn’t charge us anything… but but… Could he have been more awesome? Nope. I’m going to miss that place.