One Step Closer to Antarctica

Since I didn't have internet access on the cruise ship, I am posting my Antarctica blog entries over the next few days. I hope that you enjoy them.

On a separate note, I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Spencer

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Not much to report for today... My time in Buenos Aires had come to an end, and with a reserved anticipation, I packed up my bags, and headed to the domestic airport to fly south to Ushuaia. For all my flights so far, I have carried on a roll-on bag and large backpack onto the plane (and checking one large duffel). The reason for this was that in my backpack I carried my camera equipment, and in the roll on bag, I had a full set of winter clothes. The purpose for the latter was I didn't want to face the situation where the airlines would lose the cold weather gear I had for Antartica. In theory, solution of the carry-ons made sense. In reality, it was often a point of nervousness and stress for me. In the back of my mind, I was always concerned the luggage wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment or under the chair in front of me. But thankfully, I was able to either compact and manipulate each item into their proper storage location without too much hassle. in some ways it was almost like luggage Tetris.

Anyway, the flight from BA to Ushuaia was uneventful. I had a direct flight, arriving in my destination mid afternoon. After grabbing a bite to eat with Naomi and Carol, I walked the main drag and get a feel for the place. and then settled into my hotel.

Whenever I travel, I try to have an open mind, and keep my assumptions to a minimum. I find this allows me to see the town/people/food/experience with an unbiased eye, and draw my conclusions accordingly. Having said that, I don't have a perfect record -- Ushuaia was one of these exceptions. In reading about this place, I assumed that it was going to a be a small tourist town, existing only to serve the tourists and travelers who were visiting the Tuerra de Fuego and/or Antarctica. Once arriving in the city, I found that it was much larger than anticipated. There is a core "downtown" where most of the travelers stay, but the city itself has grown immensly in the past 20 years. The current estimate of the number of residents is 65K. Because of this massive growth, building and neighborhoods are being tucked into any available open space, squeezing the populace between the water of the Beagle Channel and the head (or tail) of the Andes mountains. In compacting all these residents and visitors together, there is an energetic bustle about town.

Even with the liveliness around me, since I haven't gotten much sleep over the past few days, I decided
to take tonight off, and just ease into my hotel room, download my pictures, and try to catch up on rest. I know I will have plenty of time to explore tomorrow.