Country #78: Ushuaia: the end of the world

The fourth port of call, our first in Argentina (country #78) was at the end of the world, or at least that is what the tourist office is eager to get across. Most maps simply refer to it as "Ushuaia". Either way, it is the southernmost city in the world. Or not. Chileans will tell you that Punta Arenas, which is further north but has a population of 130,000 is the southernmost city while Ushuaia, with its measly 60,000 inhabitants, is merely a very southern town. Seeing as we hit both places, I can confidently say that I have been in the southernmost city and leave it at that.

Prior to the cruise, I had made reservations for a boat ride across the Beagle Channel on a vessel named the M/N Barracuda. Therefore, it struck me as peculiar when we were disembarking from the cruise ship and I saw a docked boat that appeared to have been brought over by Magellan himself, looking as if it was about to sink any minute and bearing the name Barracuda. I rationalized that this must be a very popular name and one of the newer, shinier, more sea-worthy looking crafts must be ours. Then I went to their nearby office and started getting hit with terms like "classic" and "picturesque". There was boasting of its being the first tourist boat in Ushuaia and talk along the line of "they don't build them like that, anymore". There was no way around it, I had booked passage aboard this Titanic and instead of going to Sea Lion Island, I was more likely to end up on Gilligan's Island. The competitors were all full, so there was no possibility of jumping ship. I did the only sensible, responsible thing I could.


I went looking for a bar. It was a good idea, too, because after a couple of beers at Ramos Generales, an old warehouse turned micro-brewery, things did not seem so dire. I went back to the boat at the appointed time and boarded my lovely rust bucket. We set off across the Beagle Channel, named after the HMS Beagle, the ship Charles Darwin was on when he came through here in 1833. During this voyage, we passed islands full of South American sea lions, cormorants and arctic tern. The old lady Barracuda proved to be way more agile than she looked, allowing us to get surprisingly close to the islands. After an hour and a half of sight-seeing, we did a turn around Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, of course called the lighthouse at the end of the world, and began heading back to Ushuaia.

At that point, all of us who had remained outside wandered down into the warmth and shelter of the dining/ bar area. It was here that the Barracuda earned its accolades. The interior had a polished, wood-paneled beauty that called to mind a more glamorous time and place. We were invited by the Captain to visit the wheelhouse, which was equally stately. This charisma, combined with the fact that we were almost back in port, and miraculously, had not taken on water, made me see our boat in a much more positive light. Enough so, that even with the knowledge I have now, if I had it to do over again, I would still choose the Barracuda over its younger brethren. Having survived the boat ride, seen plenty of marine mammals and sea birds and enjoyed some fine local beers, I would have to update the score to NCL 1 Indie Traveller 3.

I believe they actually prefer "Fin del Mundo"





Cormorants or "Fake Penguins" as I called them every time they would dupe me while swimming alongside the cruise ship.


Mr. Blue Eyes (click on the photo for better detail as to what I mean)














South American Sea Lion couple. The males can have as many 18 females in their harems.














These birds, the Arctic Terns have the longest known migration of any bird, going from the Arctic to Antarctica and back every year.


The lighthouse at the end of the world.


They were very good listeners, these Ushuaians.