Sugar Brazillian Ottawa

January 16, 2011

after a long journey in the end we got to Ushuaii, but now we have a problem, lest it go. But after the turn.

Our subsequent episodes were conducted also with the travel adventures. First, at the exit from Caleta Olivia some kid threw a stone at the bus and knocked one of the side windows, So we had to go back to the station, where we substituted for another bus.

but the most points we had in the transit from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaii. First was waiting us cross the border with Chile, for, to get to Ushuaii, you need to go from Argentina to Chile, przeprawic the ferry to Tierra del Fuego, which is actually an island, and then enter back into Argentina. Checks at the border took us about 1.5 h. First collected our passports after the Argentine side, but we were able to celebrate in groups, but we had to unload our luggage and each individually approached with his bag, which then X-rayed as at the airport. In the end, we packed the bus and we went a few kilometers to visit Chile. Here again Step off the bus, luckily with only hand luggage, then queue to stop the stamp in your passport, then the next x-ray machine, where this time X-rayed hand luggage.

In the end, full of optimism, we set off on his journey and soon found ourselves on the shore of the strait of Magellan, through which we had to cross by ferry. Ferry Steel on the shore, so our driver positioned himself to enter counting on quick loading, but none of that.

turned out that the Chilean part of Tierra del Fuego started to previous day's massive protests against the increase by about 20% of gas prices, which in this part of Chile is used to heat homes m.in what is needed most of the year. The protest blocked crossings ferry to the island and, later, as it would later prove, the main exit of the larger cities, as well as the way to the airport. Of course I need not add, that none of this information does not uzyskalysmy from operating a bus, who did not speak English, but from fellow travelers. For a few hours so we stood at the edge of not knowing when or if at all we passed. The long wait is approaching people, passengers and the driver entertained children are traveling with us and generally felt that we had been one big family, with the rest of August dogadywalysmy the family mostly in sign language and occasionally in English (except for other English-speaking tourists troika).

After about six hours of waiting we were loaded on the ferry, crossed to the other side, and here waiting for the manifestation of our banners to advanced, locking the exit of the ferry. Our captain tried to negotiate with them, but not much is it passed. So we stood on the ferry, and they're on the road, and so waited the 40 minutes, and finally, to our great joy, passed us and we went on, changing the way the bus (due to our siedmogodzinnego delays). For Ushuaii we arrived about 2 o'clock. Luckily we had booked accommodation, so there was no problem and immediately went to sleep. It turns out that we were lucky, because when we arrived here a single bus. Since about 3 days he already takes you to Ushuaii not, nor leaving, when it comes to railroad and road. From what we know, the situation has not improved, just the opposite. We leave today, we had to Punta Arenas, which is in Chile, and from there to go to Puerto Natales, from Tuesday to find yourself in the National Park Torres del Paine, where we have already paid for accommodation. It turns out, however, completely cut off from the protesters both Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales and the world, and the National Park is located about 1.5 thousand people, who do not have to get out, because the road is completely blocked. The situation had become so serious that even the Red Cross was in a switched on and trying to evacuate people from the National Park Torres del Paine and Puerto Natales. In this situation, we are forced to change our plans, firstly the lack of opportunities for travel by bus from Ushuaii, but above all do not want to push, where the problems are. Unfortunately, it probably means the strategy of money for accommodation, but it's better than pushing into the midst of riots.

Because at the moment no one knows when and how to get out of stocks, rozwazalysmy different options, including buying a 10-day trip to Antarctica last minute as we had done known Ruth from Switzerland, which starts tomorrow at the latter's conquest of the continent. We envy her, but for now zrezygnowalysmy this option despite the incentives on the part of us today who is encountered by the Polish crew member of one of the utensils. You have to admit, this is not a cheap event, but it's last minute deals are sometimes cheaper by several thousand dollars, so it is still a tempting proposition.

But Ushuaia is really nice place to be stuck here for a while. There are really beautiful. The city lies on the Beagle Channel and on all sides surrounded by mountains, on which lies the snow. A bit like Zakopiec, just more water. Building itself can not beautiful, but she brings nice walks, and finally you can eat something normal and it's a bit more decent time. Unfortunately, we found a nice cafe here, where he was mainly serves chocolate in different forms, and we zasmakowalysmy in pancakes with chocolate, which we did not go for good.

But like most about our neighborhood in August. We spent one day on the journey to Tierra del Fuego National Park, or Tierra del Fuego, who wowed us views of the mountains and water, especially, the weather was exceptionally Solar like this around. I find it very associated with Alaska, but Anne forbids me so to speak, she says, that every one has to remember the place apart. Sure is right, but I was up and so will associate with Alaska. Although the trail was not difficult, after a few hours lazenia up and down we went tired enough. Especially with our shelter in Ushuaii, to whom I later had to go, lies perched on a steep hot and you have to climb to it, but what we can burn calories portion of pancakes with chocolate. We hope to do one more trip to the National Park tomorrow or the day after, because he probably did not leave our hotel this time, at most fly by plane on Wednesday, if that time does not move buses.

Yesterday Again the weather was adding what we are very uprzyjemnilo catamaran trip Beagle Channel. Wykupilysmy a day excursion, which you ran a trail next to the various islands are inhabited by cormorants, sea lions and penguins are our favorite. This time, besides the Magellanic penguins, penguins podgladalysmy papua, which have long red beaks funny. It was not as exciting as previous our contacts with these creatures, especially not this time we went down to the shore, well, and the whole gave the impression of "mass production", where two large catamarans and a smaller boat swam very close to shore at the same time, but liczylysmy with that from the beginning.

then sailed on to Estancii Harberton, which is the first and oldest farm in Tierra del Fuego. Currently, she serves as a museum, but until recently was a functioning farm with sheep. Founder of the farm was Thomas Bridges, who was a missionary and as a first language he met peoples originally inhabiting the area, even wrote the first and probably only one so rich dictionary of that language. He is of course facilitated contacts with tybulcami and thanks not been killed by them, as the former missionaries.

Ushuaii we visited the tiny museum dedicated to the tribes originally living in Tierra del Fuego. Inhabited around four ethnic groups, of which we are most interested in the people of Yamana. Despite difficult weather conditions, they went almost naked, as it considers that naked skin coated with oil is easier to dry and warm in this climate, than dressed in animal skins wet. They do not build permanent settlements, but is constantly moved around with their belongings by boat, which constituted the most important asset. As these boats have always had a burning fire, which protect against moisture and wind, just kept the outbreak in the camps. Hence the name of Tierra del Fuego, because when I first saw the Magellan for the first time in these lands, they saw small flames from the boat and the natives camps. Unfortunately there is no longer a single person unless purebred Yamana, and also lost their language, although we are not completely certain of this. It was, moreover, an interesting society where women had the same rights as men, there were counselors, and the whole food was divided equally, regardless on who won the food.

last point of the trip was a visit to a farm in a small museum, with collections of skeletons of the surrounding fauna, and in the way of birds and marine creatures. These skeletons come from dead animals found on local beaches by the employees of the museum. Even though we enjoyed it, but we had very little time, because I was waiting for our bus that would take us back to Ushuaia. The return route was full of beautiful views, though some of us zmoglo excess impressions, so the 1.5 hours allowed us to drive even a short nap.

Today we were able to extend our stay in Los Cormoranes nice hostel, and besides, it is raining and cold, so I concentrate on the verification of messages from Chile, rip pictures, and of course blogging.
see how long some fun here and in what way we manage to pull stocks further, but more on that in the next episode.

16 January 2011

Finally in Ushuaia. We have come to the End of the World, but now It Seems we are stuck here for longer.

Firstly the buss from Caleta Olivia was delayed of course, no surprise to us anymore. As soon as the set off some kid threw a stone at our buss and broke the window just above us. We had to go back Those few kilometers and change the busses. I was kind of happy with the previous That Because they already stank after driving from Buenos Aires. Finally drove Towards the Rio Gallegos.

From Rio Gallegos, where we spent a night, in took a buss to Tierra del Fuego (Fire Land). In order to get there one has to leave Argentina, enter Chile, cross Magellan Strait by ferry (Tierra del Fuego is really an island with only two ferry crossings available), leave Chile and enter Argentina again. Very time consuming in itself with all the luggage scanning, stamps and paperwork. When we reached Maggellan Strait the ferry was already there so we thought it is going to be a quick trip. Nothing of the sort. We waited and waited and waited... After some hours, thanks to some English speaking co-passanger we learned that there was a strike in Chile and the road off the ferry was blocked. When I almost lost hope they packed us all into the buss and on the ferry. The crossing took 20 minutes but on the other side, sure eanough, there were strikers blocking the road, chanting, singing etc. It took another hour of heated discussions of the ferry captain with their leader to convince them to let us in. On the other side there was a long line of cars and busses waiting for their lucky chance to leave.

We arrived in Ushuaia with 7 hours delay, around 2 am, but fortunately we had booked accommodation in a friendly place called Los Cormoranes.

We might have been one of the last busses allowed in the Tierra del Fuego. The strike in Chile continues and it is not a small thing. People opose reduction of subsidiaries for natural gas (in other words price increases) and the protests have especially escalated here in the South where gas is used for house heating almost all year round. I thought the strike would end after a couple of days but no such thing. It has been a week now and it is getting worse with not just the crossings blocked (so the only way to get in or out of Ushuaia is by air now) but multiple roads blocked in Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales in Chile as well as access roads to Torress del Paine National Park which had been our next destination.

Anyway the first day we still had no worries, walked Ushuaia and planned our next tours. Ushuaia lies by the Beagle Channel surrounded by snowy peaks of Andes meeting the sea here. It is a beautiful sight, provided the clouds allow to see it. It is a bit cold (but it is just 2.5 day by ship to Antarctica) and the weather can obviously change several times during a day. We booked one trip and visited a small museum of the history of the Yamana people. Yamana were one the 4 tribes inhabiting these land and the peculiar thing was that they did not wear any clothes (except a loin cloth). Think about the temperatures here! Their reasoning was that animal fur and skin soaked with rain would remain cold a long time and it is easier to be dry and warm if they kept naked and rubbed their skin with fat. They obviously always kept a fire on, even on a boat (they were nomads, did not settle for long in one place) and when Magellan saw all those fires in the dark of a night he called this place Tierra del Fuego, Fire Land.

On Friday we went to Tierra del Fuego National Park and hiked the whole day. The weather was wonderful, the views of mountains and lake stunning and the day was just perfect. The next day we boarded a catamaran on a tour which cruised the Beagle Channel. We had even more lovely views, mountains and sea gittering in the sun. We stopped at yet another Penguin Island but watching the birds with tens of people from the boat (and there were two other boats close by at the same time) was hardly as good as our previous meetings with penguins. Finally we cruised to another attraction: Estancia Harberton. This had been the first farm set in the Fire Land by Thomas Bridges, a missionary who learned the natives language and wrote the one and only English-Yamana dictionary. The generations of Bridges still live on and own the farm. There is even a small aquatic museum there.
We were driven by buss back to Ushuaia.

When we returned late afternoon, we went to enquire about our buss that was supposed to take us on Sunday (next day) to Punta Arenas. Not surprisingly, the buss was cancelled as no car could get past the road blocks. All the information we were reading on tourist forums (almost nothing in the news) stated that the situation in Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales is no good. People could not get out, shops were closed, tourists stayed in schools run by Red Cross which tried to evacuate as many as possible. Torres del Paine National Park where we had been heading was blocked, ca. 1.500 tourists trapped inside with no possibility to leave. We took these people advice and decided to skip Torres and cancel our already paid accommodation there. For The moment in the extended stay in Los Cromoranes and keep watching how the situation develops.