Where We Be
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| Ushuaia, Argentina |
Robin and I started the day off with a two-hour
catamaran cruise around the Beagle Channel.
Since we got off the ship so early, there were very
few people aboard the catamaran, maybe fifteen or
so. The weather was fine, probably 50 degrees.
We both liked Ushuaia at once, surrounded as it is
by mountains and smack-dab at the “end of the
world” at just about the lowest possible point in
Tierra del Fuego. The mountains were snow-
covered and moody, with clouds—some light and
some forbidding—hanging over or behind them.
We came to “Isla de los Lobos,” or sea-wolves
island, home to hundreds of sea lions as well as
king cormorants. The catamaran pushed right up
to the island until we were almost touching it, so
we got an extremely close view of the sea lions.
We could hear them grunting, barking, and jostling
for position. Territory disputes made for great
viewing. Behind the sea lions was a large colony
of king cormorants, who, in their black and white
colors, looked quite a bit like small penguins.
A nearby couple said, “It’s great when something
exceeds your expectations, isn’t it?” and that
summed up how we felt. It was a terrific excursion.
catamaran cruise around the Beagle Channel.
Since we got off the ship so early, there were very
few people aboard the catamaran, maybe fifteen or
so. The weather was fine, probably 50 degrees.
We both liked Ushuaia at once, surrounded as it is
by mountains and smack-dab at the “end of the
world” at just about the lowest possible point in
Tierra del Fuego. The mountains were snow-
covered and moody, with clouds—some light and
some forbidding—hanging over or behind them.
We came to “Isla de los Lobos,” or sea-wolves
island, home to hundreds of sea lions as well as
king cormorants. The catamaran pushed right up
to the island until we were almost touching it, so
we got an extremely close view of the sea lions.
We could hear them grunting, barking, and jostling
for position. Territory disputes made for great
viewing. Behind the sea lions was a large colony
of king cormorants, who, in their black and white
colors, looked quite a bit like small penguins.
A nearby couple said, “It’s great when something
exceeds your expectations, isn’t it?” and that
summed up how we felt. It was a terrific excursion.
| A look back at Ushuaia and the mountains behind it as our catamaran pulls out of port |
| Looking to the right of the catamaran -- more Argentinian mountains swathed in clouds and morning mist |
| Never happier than when we're on an adventure together |
| Looking to the left of the catamaran -- a range of Chilean mountains (the Beagle Channel divides Argentina from Chile) |
| The weather looks a bit dicey...good thing we're doing the morning tour! |
| Darwin's ship "the Beagle" once explored these waters, and I imagine he felt right at home here |
| We couldn't have pulled any closer to Sea Wolves Island without ramming into it -- we got great up-close views of the sea lions |
| This sea lion looks so content and happy -- I've dubbed him "Jonathan Livingston Sea Lion" |
| A lovely view of Sea Wolves Island as we pull away from it -- those are king cormorants in the foreground, not penguins |
| We made another stop at Isla de los Pajaros (Island of the Birds) -- absolutely covered with king cormorants |
| Our final stop was the "Lighthouse at the End of the World" -- and it felt lonely enough to do justice to the name |
| We returned to the Celebrity Infinity for lunch with my parents |
| All four of us visited the prison at Ushuaia -- the town got its start as a penal colony and this is one of the major tourist attractions |
| Mom tries to make friends with a "lifer" |
| Dad tries hard to look as mean as this prison guard but there's not a mean bone in his body |
| Artist's rendering of a prison breakout, with Dad lending a hand |
| Mom and Dad pose in front of rows of cells in just one wing of the prison |
| A last picture before we board the ship and sail off from Ushuaia |
| Ushuaia was our favorite port of call -- we loved the mountains surrounding the town on all sides |