Glacier Alley

February 6th

We were again early at 6.30 as we were due to sail through Glacier Alley or Kodak Alley as more commonly known. What can we say, sun shone against a blue sky as we passed glacier after glacier, some huge, some small, with water falls between them.  And we saw whales, seals and bouncing penguins.

As we sailed out of the alley, in the distance you could see the city of Ushuaia, we are now in Argentina, and at one o’clock we docked. Unfortunately we only had the after noon and early evening in the city.  I was hoping to get some wifi connection, but no luck and as we had booked a trip out, we didn't have enough time to seek out connection in the town.

We were picked up by four wheel drive and taken out of town up to a lumberjack trail.  After stopping to pull another 4 x 4 out of the mud, not a jeep I might say, we had no problem.

In the 80’s they introduced beavers into the country, they are now having to deal with the devastation these not native animals are doing to the area.  They have no natural predators here so have flourished, but they are creating havoc in the forests and with the small rivers, which of course they dam everywhere.  They are considered pests and the government are trying to correct the situation.

We drove out and up to an outdoor centre, that in winter is at the centre of the ski area.  Our guide Nacho told us that they are down to hosting the winter olympics next year, but doesn’t know how, as there are no infrastructure, facilities and certainly not enough hotel bedrooms here.

We then drove up through woodland with houses scattered everywhere in the trees. Nacho told us that people have built there own homes here, as they don’t pay for the land.  But there are no facilities, water, electricity, dirt roads etc.  It must be a nightmare in winter as it was difficult enough in a 4x4 now. People have to be self sustaining. And, no doubt as the government start to maintain the roads, put in water and electricity, the area will be de eloped more and people will have to pay.  I wonder if the people there already will be evicted?

From there we drove up to a house on the top of the hill.  A great view, tasty snacks and two house cats, who treated us with disdain.

A  nice day but also felt sorry that we didn’t have much time to look around the city-  Ushuaia is the gateway to Antarctica, and along side us at the dock was a Russian tour vessel and a very posh and smaller cruise ship.  Also in the harbour were numerous yachts which will take you down to Antarctica for  a tidy price.

At 8pm we set sail for the unknown and Antarctica, out of the sheltered harbour and into the ocean with nothing in sight.