Finally…Itinerary for the next 852 days!…A daunting task yet to be fine tuned…

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We stopped at a gluten-free bakery, but there wasn’t an item I could have when they all contain starch and sugar.

After many days of research and discussions, we’ve finally pinned down our travel goals for the next 852 days.  This extended period is a lofty goal. We realize we’ve left out some parts of the world we’ve yet to visit, primarily China, India, and Japan which we’ll save for the future.

We’ll return to Europe to live in many other countries we’ve also yet to explore and would love to visit down the road in due time. The world is a huge place, and we pray for good health to make it all possible in years to come.

As you review this itinerary, you’ll note that we’ll be in and out of South Africa, staying for 89 days on each occasion. Our intent during these multiple stays is two-fold; one to “lick our wounds” from the upcoming pricey Antarctic cruise and two to savor our last foray in living in my favorite place in the world, the Conservancy of Marloth Park, where animals roam free around the bush houses.

So here it is, folks (cruises are noted in turquoise shading):

 Location 
Days
  Dates 
 Buenos Aires, AR – Prodeo Hotel 
20
 1/2/2018 -1/23/2018 
 Ushuaiai, AR – Ushuaiai,AR – Antarctica Cruise 
16
 1/23/2018 – 2/8/2018 
 Buenos Aires, AR – Prodeo Hotel 
2
 2/8/2018 – 2/10/2018 
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Bush home selected
89
2/11/2018 – 5/11/2018
  Zambezi River Cruise – Victoria Falls 
8
5/11/2018 – 5/19/2018
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Rent a bush home
89
5/19/2018 – 8/16/2018
 Uganda – See gorillas and the “Cradle of Mankind.” 
7
8/16/2018 – 8/23/2018
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Rent a bush home
89
 8/23/2018 -11/20/2018 
 Mozambique, Africa (get visa stamped) 
1
 11/20/2018 -11/21/2018 
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Rent a bush home
89
 11/21/2019 – 2/17/2019 
 Valparaiso, Chile – Rent vacation home or hotel
36
 2/17/2019 – 3/24/2019 
 Cruise – San Antonio, Chile – San Diego 
14
 3/24/2019 – 4/8/2019 
 San Diego, CA – Fly to Minneapolis, MN – Family visit
13
 4/8/2019 – 4/21/2019 
 Cruise – Fort Lauderdale, FL- Dublin, Ire (1-day hotel stay) 
15
 4/21/2019 – 5/6/2019 
 Ireland – Rent country house – Research Tom’s ancestry 
90
 5/6/2019 – 8/1/2019 
 Amsterdam, NLD – Hotel stay 
11
 8/1/2019 – 8/11/2019 
 Cruise, Baltic – Amsterdam, NLD – Amsterdam, NLD 
12
 8/11/2019 – 8/23/2019 
 England – Rent country home
62
 8/23/2019 – 10/24/2019 
 Southampton, UK – Fort Lauderdale, FL
15
  10/24/2019 – 11/8/2019 
 Henderson/Las Vegas, NV – Los Angeles, CA -Scottsdale, AZ 
25
 11/8/2019 – 12/3/2019 
 Ecuador – Galapagos – Rent vacation homes on islands
89
 12/3/2019 – 3/1/2020 
 Peru – Machu Picchu – Rent vacation homes, visit site 
30
 3/1/2020 –  3/31/2020 
 The Pantanal/Amazon River Cruise – Brazil (2 cruises)
30
 3/31/2020 – 4/30/2020 
 Number of days  
852

You’ll note we’ve added some locations we’d never mentioned in past posts for those avid followers of our site.  As we began pinning down places and dates, Tom continued searching for cruises that can get us from Point A to Point B in many instances.

In other cases, we included 89 or 90 day stays in countries before or after specific cruises. Additionally, one may wonder, why are we going back and forth to South America? This was a plan Tom had suggested long ago, which I didn’t think made sense.

Artistic painting on a wall on a narrow street.

Now, as we map this out and, based on available cruises, it makes all the sense in the world to me. In reality, there isn’t much “jumping around,” and after all, we’re doing it precisely as we see fit, not by some preconceived notion as to how we “should” travel.

As always, we’re doing it exactly as we’d prefer, always considering the best possible experiences befitting our tastes along with the most reasonable costs in the process.

Diners sitting outdoors at a local dining establishment

There are a few other points we should mention, including Ecuador one year from now. Through our extensive research over these past years, we’ve discovered we can rent vacation homes on three of the islands in the Galapagos, enabling us many private tours to the areas where wildlife is found, rather than going out on tour with lots of other tourists. This is especially appealing.

Another point to mention is regarding Machu Picchu…by staying in the area for one month, the experiences will be more comprehensive and rich in culture, and we’ll have plenty of time to acclimate to the high altitudes staying at varying points partway up the mountains.

It’s too early to book the cruise to The Pantanal in Brazil, the world’s most extensive wetlands (10 times the size of the Florida Everglades) and home to 3500 plant species, 656 bird species, 325 fish species, 159 mammals, 53 amphibians, and 98 reptiles. Our kind of place.

On a narrow road, we walked in the Serrano Plaza area.

From there, either before or after The Pantanal, we’ll cruise the Amazon River. This type of journey may not be for everyone, but it fits well into our objectives of experiencing nature at its fullest.

From there?  At this point, we aren’t even thinking of terms of what will be next. Indeed, we’ll visit family in the US.  By that time, we’ll have a handle on where we’ll go next, primarily locations we’ve never stayed in in the past.

This morning our friends from the UK left to head to their home in the UK, and now it’s just the two of us. We’ve been highly social with others since November 23rd, and now we’ll happily return to our normal happy state of being “just the two of us.”

Inside the mall near Jumbo market.

St. Petersburg, here we come! Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more, including some details of the Baltic cruise we locked in last night, one we hadn’t seen on the horizon for quite some time based on high prices. But, when we could get the balcony cabin for an excellent price, it was time to book it.

Five years ago today, we boarded the first cruise (for either of us), embarking from San Diego, heading through the Panama Canal (we recently transited the canal a second time during the most recent cruise), and ending in Fort Lauderdale. Here is the link from that first day!

Enjoy your day with any plans you may have on the horizon!

Photo from one year ago today, January 3, 2017:

Trespassers entering this field in Tasmania, thinking they could “get high” from the unprocessed poppy/opium, have died from doing so. For more details, please click here.

Happy New Year to all!…Tomorrow’s big reveal of future plans and “year in review” photos……

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A colorfully painted wall on a narrow street in the Serrano Plaza area.

Tomorrow and on future January firsts, we will post “our year in review” with photos.  We haven’t been consistent in posting this feature but plan to do so in future years. Please check back tomorrow to see our year in review. 

Colorful painting on walls in Argentina is a popular cultural activity.

Last year, while in Penguin Tasmania, New Year’s Eve was on December 30th due to the International Dateline.  Subsequently, the photo below from one year ago, listed as the “one year ago” photo was posted on December 30th.  We apologize for the confusion.

Most likely, we won’t be on the other side of the International Dateline again until a much later date in the future, not necessarily in the next few years.  Also, tomorrow, we plan to post our upcoming plans for the future.  Please check back to see!

Everywhere we walk, we encounter wall painting of this type.  Very entertaining!

Yesterday, we took a taxi to the other end of Palermo to Jumbo, a large supermarket, where we purchased food and drinks for tonight’s New Year’s celebration with our new friends and past cruise-mate, Margaret and Con. Again tomorrow we’ll repeat the same meal, based on the lack of availability of opened restaurants over this holiday.

The “Jumbo” supermarket is located in a mall.

As always, it was fun to visit a huge supermarket in another country.  The types of foods vary along with the prices.  Unfortunately, we were so busy trying to find the items, including drinks, on our shopping list for the four for of us for tonight’s and tomorrow’s celebrations, we were too distracted to take photos once inside the market. 

It was a huge market although not as well laid out as some markets in throughout the world.  We managed to find most of the items on our list but couldn’t find all of the ingredients to make my special turmeric tea which I’ve been having each morning instead of coffee. 

We wandered around the mall where the Jumbo market is located.

Drinking the tea has become quite a treat for me and each morning, instead of eating (not hungry), I consume a mug of the healthy tea which includes cinnamon, turmeric powder, pepper (pepper increases the bio-availability of the turmeric), unsweetened organic cocoa powder, powdered ginger and unsweetened organic coconut cream along with your preferred sweetener. 

A deli located in the mall.

We were only able to find a few of these ingredients at the market. It made no sense to buy some of the ingredients, never knowing if we’d ever find the balance.  At that point, I decided I’d give up the tea and wait until we arrive in South Africa where I’m certain we’ll find everything needed.

After we returned to our room and rearranged the tiny refrigerator, we managed to fit everything except the roasted chickens we’d purchased.  The hotel staff offered to store them for us and reheat them in their microwave each of the next two evenings.

Tom checked out the McDonald’s but didn’t order a thing.  Good.

Fortunately, in this wonderful boutique hotel, we’ll be allowed to use our own food for this particular occasion when no restaurants are open.  We’ll dine in one of the large booths in the bar.  As typical in boutique hotels, the small restaurant has nothing on the menu that I can eat nor anything Tom likes.

We took the cart up the steep escalator in the mall.  We’d seen a similar set-up in Bali, Indonesia and Fairlight, Australia.

This plan works well for the four of us.  Tonight, we plan to get together with Margaret and Con at 8:30 pm to dine, a little late for us but, fine if we all plan to stay up for the midnight fireworks.

The seafood display was filled with many types of fish and shellfish.

Yesterday afternoon, after putting everything away, we moseyed back to the lobby to continue working on future planning in order to fine-tune some of our objectives over the next few years.  This end-of-the-year objective provides us with peace of mind and joyful anticipation of what is yet to come.

These salmon kabobs looked great, priced at US $2.09 (ARS 39.99) per 100 grams which would be US $20.87 (ARS 399.90) for one kilo (2.2 pounds).

By 5:30 pm, we headed out the door to once again to return to the Serrano Plaza area to find a spot for dinner and further explore this exciting area we’ve visited over the past few nights. 

Once we discovered this trendy area, it’s been hard to stay away from the lively streets, colorful graffiti painted on walls, with dozens of restaurants and shops all of which possess a typical Argentinian feel.

The exterior of Bulls BBQ Smoke House.

After wandering the streets for a while we spotted a  lone diner sitting at an outdoor table with a plate of barbecue ribs that looked great. We couldn’t resist checking it out further.  Once inside the restaurant, we noticed that Bulls BBQ Smoke House not only offered exquisite barbecue ribs and other meats but also a smoked chicken breast Caesar salad.   Perfect!

Meat cooking on the wood-fired stove at Bulls BBQ Smoke House.

We ordered and paid for our food and bottled water (cash only) at the counter and found a table in the back of the restaurant.  The owner was delightful, paying special attention to my dietary needs and Tom’s upcoming plate of beef ribs, fries, pickles, and coleslaw.  See photo below.

Tom, waiting for dinner to be served last night.

The meal was exceptional as was the reasonable cost at US $25.57, (ARS $490).  We hope to return at least one more time before departing Buenos Aires in 23 days.  I devoured Tom’s coleslaw, along with my salad and, he ate everything on his plate, leaving him feeling stuffed.

The restaurant is small but friendly with the freshest of well-prepared food.

After dinner, we decided to walk off our meal, meandering further through the area.  By coincidence, we stumbled across an upscale gourmet “spices and oils” shop noticing they had unsweetened coconut cream but none of my other tea ingredients. 

Tom’s monstrous meal.  I ordered the guacamole for my salad and ate all of his sugar-free coleslaw.

The lovely shopkeeper who spoke some English suggested we walk back to the direction from which we came to find a health food store that may have the remaining ingredients we’d need. 

By adding the guacamole and coleslaw I had plenty to eat.

After a two block walk, we found the health food store.  Alas, they had everything I needed!  All of the remaining organic ingredients were available in bulk and the friendly two shopkeepers engaged with us in chatty broken English while weighing the items we needed, wishing us a heartfelt “Feliz Ano Nuevo” as we headed out the door.

Once back on the street we headed back to the upscale spices and oils stop which luckily was still open so we could purchase the remaining coconut cream from her.  After all, she was kind enough to point us in the right direction of the health food store which we appreciated and, we decided to give her the business.

The shelves of the gourmet spices and oils shop are neatly lined with cooking treasures.

Luckily, we had the small cooler bag with us as Tom carried the heavy package as we walked back to the hotel.  By the time we returned to our room it was 8:30 pm. 

We hunkered down for the evening to watch two shows on my laptop; season two of “Top of the Lake” (exceptional); and season one of Damnation” (good but not great).

What a pretty display!

Tomorrow, New Year’s Day, we’ll be back with our “year in review” photos, plus photos from our New Year’s Eve celebration and our new loosely planned itinerary for the next few years.

May each and every one of our dear readers/friends have a safe and fulfilling New Year’s Eve and year to come.  You mean the world to us!

___________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, December 31, 2016:

Due to the International Dateline, we posted the “year in review” photos on December 30th.   From that date’s post, we included this photo of our visit to the Monkey Temple in Bali in May wearing the required sarongs.  For more of last year’s photos, please click here.

Exploring Palermo on foot…New discoveries…Winging it!…Making plans for New Year’s Eve…

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Painting on the wall outside a sushi restaurant.

Dining is a bit challenging here in Buenos Aires.  As we mentioned in earlier posts, most restaurants don’t open until later in the evening, long after we’d prefer to dine.

This is where we dined last night, San Serrano Deli & Drinks.

As a result, each evening, we’ve taken off on foot in search of a new restaurant to try, hoping after a few weeks we’ll settle in with a week’s worth of favorites, to which we’ll return for memorable meals. 

Guest started filtering inside when it was hot outdoors, although many patrons dined at tables near the busy street.

The most challenging part is my way of eating. If that weren’t an issue, it would be pretty straightforward. Thus far, all I’ve eaten has been one form or another of a Caesar salad with chicken which has been okay.

We stretched our necks to read this menu on the wall.  After a while, a server brought us menus.

Last night was no exception. But, this time, we wandered further away from our hotel to find another spectacular trendy neighborhood that sent us reeling with delight. It was the most charming area we’d seen to date. 

Tom passed on beer and opted for bottled water.  Tap water isn’t served in any restaurants since it may not be safe to drink.

After looking at several potential spots for dinner, we decided on a busy deli and bakery. The restaurant was busy was a good indicator the food might be good since we’ve seen others open at the early hour of 6:00 pm with few patrons.

Tom’s burger with ham, eggs, cheese, and beef plus fried potatoes.

Although service was slow based on the activity, we were fine, especially when we were handed the menus that included English descriptions. However, based on my dietary restrictions, the server asked an English-speaking server to ensure the modifications I required. It all worked out well.

My grilled chicken salad with grilled tomatoes.

As for tomorrow’s upcoming New Year’s Eve, we’ve met a lovely couple from the UK staying at this hotel and who was also on the recent cruise with us. Margaret and Con plan to dine with us in the hotel and enjoy some food, wine, and champagne. As it turns out, the hotel is not planning a party, so we’re planning our party.

Gated property.

Today, as soon as we upload the post, we’re taking a taxi to a big supermarket where we’ll purchase wine, champagne, liquor for Tom, and the food we’ll share with our new friends on New Year’s Eve and hopefully again on New Year’s Day. What a perfect plan for what may have proved to have been another meat and cheese holiday.

Lingerie shop.  There are many of these in Argentina.

Eating all that meat and cheese on Christmas Eve and day disagreed with me, so at least today at the market, we’ll be able to purchase some vegetables, salad, and a variety of foods suitable for the special event.

Sullivan’s Irish Pub, on a corner in the neighborhood we discovered.

The hotel will allow us to dine with our food and drinks in the otherwise quiet dining area. It should be a good night, especially when we hit it off so well with Margaret and Con.

The historic building we see each time we head down Gorriti road.

That’s it for today, folks. May it be a safe and satisfying holiday! We hope your plans for the New Year include exactly what you’d prefer, whether a quiet evening at home or a festive celebration of the upcoming New Year.

A decorated tree in the neighborhood.

Have a lovely day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 30, 2016:

This ÿear in review photo” was posted on this date a year ago. Tomorrow, we’ll do the same, posting favorite photos of us throughout the year. In this photo taken in 2016, we were on the Mekong River Cruise and tour in July, stopping at the Kampong Cham temple in Cambodia. For more pictures from last year’s recap, please click here.

Wow! An outstanding evening in Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires…What an exciting deal!…Wine lovers, take note…

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Monogrammed cloth napkins and plates were awaiting us as we were seated at La Cabrera last night.

When searching online for possible restaurants in the area, over and over again, La Cabrera popped up in our searches. This was one of the few restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, offering pricey fixed-price menus at the cost of US $104.25 per person (ARS 2,000, with a recent exchange rate drop since our mention in a prior post).

Tom ordered a local beer while I had a Malbec.  Wine lovers, see our notes below.

With an added tip based on La Cabrera’s purported good service, we could easily have spent US $300 (ARS 5,756) for each of the two holiday nights, especially with added cocktails since Tom wouldn’t have been interested in the included wine offerings. 

Based on our perception of the high cost of dining at La Cabrera, we didn’t give it much thought, although we passed it and its second restaurant located on the same block, many times during our walks through the busy district.

These side dishes are complimentary at La Cabrera. 

Yesterday, while checking the menu on their website hoping to discover their regular (non-holiday) prices (which weren’t posted online), I stumbled across this ad below:

The La Cabrera ad states, in Spanish in small print above the word “Happy,”  that happy hour is daily between 6:30 and 8:00 pm. Getting there by 6:15 pm is a must, or one may not get in for this excellent benefit.

Before dinner, we decided to find a local pharmacy to purchase some over-the-counter items for the upcoming Antarctica cruise, also buying enough for the first few months in Africa. We were impressed with the “caged” pharmacist’s ability to find everything on our list in the tiny space.

Roasted garlic in the finest of olive oil.

As it turned out, the Farmacia, which closes at 8:00 pm, was within a block or two of the restaurant, and we decided to head there first before walking to the restaurant.

When we arrived at La Cabrera at 6:15, we discovered a queue of a dozen people waiting outside to take advantage of the “happy hour” pricing as well. We found our spot in line and waited along with the others as several more diners arrived during the waiting period. By 6:40 pm, they started letting us “bargain hunters” enter the restaurant to be seated in a relatively tight space quickly.

A woman sitting alone next to us ordered this colossal steak and devoured the entire thing.

No more than five minutes after we were seated, they started turning people away. Most locals take a two-hour siesta between 2:00 and 4:00 pm, and they usually don’t dine until 9:00 or 10:00 pm or later, a little too late for us. Such early seating is unusual in Buenos Aires.

As early birds awakening by 6:00 am at the latest each day, we’re usually sound asleep by midnight. Going to bed on a full stomach is something we aren’t interested in doing, nor do we like to wait that late to dine, usually our only meal of the day. The “happy hour” concept works exceptionally well for us. 

This was my entree, a Caesar salad with grilled chicken (no croutons) to which I requested avocado. They added one and a half small avos, and to my surprise, I consumed the entire dish. They also included a lemon mayonnaise dressing (not bottled) on the side.

As we’ve walked the restaurant-lined streets of the Palermo Soho district over this past six days, we’ve noted dozens of restaurants where we’ll never be able to dine when they don’t open until 9:00 or 10:00 pm.  However, we’ve been able to find enough restaurants to suits our needs that open by 6:00 or 7:00 pm.

After last night’s spectacular experience, not only regarding the excellent food and service but also the highly cultural event, we certainly look forward to returning to La Cabrera several more times during the “happy hour” period. As a footnote, this restaurant is certainly worth visiting in the later hours at a total price for those who prefer to dine later in the evening when the pace may be more relaxed.

To reach my required 60 grams of protein each day, I added this egg and red pepper dish, cooked to perfection. This alone would have been a big enough meal for me with its four eggs. Good grief. I ate the whole thing as we took our time and dined at a leisurely pace.

We’d heard prices are high in Buenos Aires, and in most cases, they are. As a result, we budgeted US $100 (ARS 1,886) per day for meals while staying in a hotel for over 30 nights.

Last night’s meal, including wine, beer, and a generous tip, totaled US $46.23 (ARS 871.70) after the 40% discount. Wow! Subsequently, we’re averaging only US $34 (ARS 641) per day, keeping in mind that we only eat dinner out. This amount includes the food we’d purchased at the mini-mart for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when we weren’t willing to spend the above-mentioned high prices for the fixed-priced menus on those two holiday nights.

Tom ordered the barbecue ribs, which was the equivalent of an entire slab with these three sauces. He ate all the juicy, tender meat and left the sauces. He’s not a “sauce” kind of guy, although he can be pretty saucy at times!.

Tom eats a light breakfast of coffee, hard-boiled eggs, ham, and cheese (pastries, fruit, and juice are available for others) in the excellent Prodeo Hotel, which is included in our nightly rate.

The food at La Cabrera was over-the-top fresh, hot, delicious, and beautifully presented on sizzling platters.  Both of us couldn’t have enjoyed the experience more and look forward to a repeat performance soon. Next time, I won’t order so much food since I’m still stuffed this morning.

This wasn’t a full-sized bottle of Malbec but contained two large glasses. I had one glass, and the waiter provided the cork to take the balance back to the hotel with us! See the notes below on Argentinian Malbec as compared to French.
“Learn the Difference: Argentinian Malbec vs. French Malbec (from this site)

Blog » Wine Tips & Tricks » Learn the Difference: Argentinian Malbec vs. French Malbec

France is the origin of Malbec, but Argentina is now home to nearly 70% of the Malbec vineyards of the world. Thus, your very first taste of Malbec could have been from Mendoza, Argentina. There is a dramatic difference in taste between the two regions, and this is because Malbec really shows how terroir affects the wine.

An instant definition of ‘terroir.’

Terroir encompasses all the regional factors that define the taste of a wine grape, including sun, soil, the slant of a hillside, proximity to a body of water, climate, weather, and altitude. Terroir happens before a winemaker even touches the grapes. Any winemaker worth their salt will tell you: great wine is made in the vineyard, not in the cellar. Read more about Terroir.”

After the New Year holiday ends, we’ll begin sightseeing. We won’t do another comprehensive post on this particular restaurant when we return during our remaining 25 nights in Buenos Aires. However, we will share some details of other restaurants we’ll visit along the way.

We’re looking forward to sharing those details with all of YOU.

After we finished our meal, the waiter dropped off this “lollipop tree,” encouraging Tom to take some with him. He did.

Have a delicious day, dear friends!

Photo from one year ago today, December 29, 2016:

The previous day while on a walk in Penguin, Tasmania, we spotted this White Faced Heron. For more photos, please click here.

Day 25…Cruise to South America…Ushuaia…”End of the world, beginning of everything”…

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Ushuaia is a seaport and resort town.
We were bundled up in Ushuaia in the cold air. 
The sign reads, “fin del mundo,” the end of the world.

“Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising”

In Ushuaia, this was the first loon we’d seen since our old lives in Minnesota.

In 37 days, we’ll be returning to Ushuaia to board Ponant’s Le Soleil to begin our 17-day journey to Antarctica.  As we perused the colorful and unusual city known as the “end of the world” we found ourselves particularly interested in the seaport community.

An expedition ship preparing to set sail to Antarctica.  Soon, we’ll be on such a ship.

We couldn’t stop smiling as we wandered through the town, entranced by its unique beauty and charm. At times, I found myself squealing with delight while Tom reveled along with me in a more sedate manner. Guys don’t usually squeal. But, I found doing so irresistible.

It’s almost summer in Ushuaia but it was cold and the mountains are still snow-capped.

We didn’t need a specific ship’s tour to get the flavor of the port city as we walked the level and hilly streets of the town, stopping to peer inside unique shops, restaurants, and businesses.

“Construction of the national penitentiary in Ushuaia began in 1902 when there were already a dozen prisoners living in wood and tin huts. The convicts sentenced to the penitentiary in Ushuaia were dangerous repeat offenders and political prisoners sent down from jails in Buenos Aires province.”

The local people are friendly, never failing to nod and smile when passing us on the street. The workers at the port were equally friendly and accommodating while passengers walked past, often interrupting their work in loading and unloading food and supplies for various seafaring ships preparing to set sail.

Mountains surround the town.

With both of us possessing an affinity for the sea, this outing was of the utmost interest. For a moment, I fantasized about staying in this town for a period of time but the winters are bitterly cold and snowy.  Even now, with their summer looming in a few days, it was outrageously cold. I guess this type of weather isn’t for us for the long haul.

Most of the town is centered around seaport enterprises.

Here is information about Ushuaia from this site:

“Ushuaia (/uːˈʃwaɪ.ə/; Spanish pronunciation: [uˈswaʝa]) is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina. It is commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world. Ushuaia is located in a wide bay on the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, bounded on the north by the Martial mountain range, and on the south by the Beagle Channel. It is the only municipality in the Department of Ushuaia, which has an area of 9,390 km2 (3,625 sq mi). It was founded October 12 of 1884 by Augusto Lasserre and is located on the shores of the Beagle Channel surrounded by the mountain range of the Martial Glacier, in the Bay of Ushuaia. Besides being an administrative center, it is a light industrial port and tourist hub.

Country  Argentina
Province  Tierra del Fuego
Department Ushuaia
Founded 12 October 1884
Founded by Commodore Lasserre ARA
Government
 • Type Municipality
 • Mayor Federico Sciurano
Area
 • Total 23 km2 (9 sq mi)
Elevation 23 m (75 ft)
Population (2010 Census[1])
 • Total 56,956
 • Density 2,500/km2 (6,400/sq mi)
Time zone ART (UTC−3)
CPA Base V 9410
Area code(s) +54 2901
Climate ET

The word Ushuaia comes from the Yaghan language: ush and waia (“bay” or “cove”) and means “deep bay” or “bay to background”. The act creating the subprefecture in 1884 cites the name “Oshovia”, one of the many orthographic variations of the word.[4] Its demonym is “Ushuaiense”.

Another ship, preparing to head to Antarctica.

The name is often pronounced “u-sua-ia” (Spanish pronunciation: [uˈswaʝa]), an exception to the orthographic rules of Spanish, since the ‘s’ forms a syllable with the following ‘u’ despite the intervening ‘h’.The pronunciation”Usuaía” (accented on the ‘i’) is erroneous: the prosodic accent is on the first ‘a’, which is why the word is written without an accent mark.”

Ushuaia’s motto reads: “Ushuaia, end of the world, beginning of everything.”

An exquisite albatross sculpture.  We especially enjoyed seeing many albatrosses in the port.

The above-listed website has considerably more information should you desire to learn more than we’ve listed here.

A totem pole depicting distances to various cities in the world.

What’s on the agenda for today? With only six days remaining until the end of the cruise, today, we’ll continue to socialize with people we’ve already met and others we’re yet to meet. As always, the cruise has been an ideal venue for us to make new friends.

Lupine flowers are commonly seen in springtime in Ushuaia. Soon, on December 21st, summer will begin in this part of the world.

Of course, our new friends Lisa and Barry with whom we spent the first 15 days on the cruise are staying in touch as we’re all anticipating being together again in the near future.

The bust statue of Argentina’s beloved Evita.

Tonight, we’re dining in Qsine, an upscale specialty restaurant for which we’ll be writing a review and sharing photos tomorrow. After meeting with Chef Chantal a few days ago, I have no doubt the meal will exquisitely perfect for my way of eating.

The long walk from the ship to the town was highlighted by the many sights and sounds of the bustling port.

See you tomorrow, dear readers, and our heartfelt thanks for you continuing with us through yet another 30-night cruise.  

Photo from one year ago today, December 17, 2016:

Wildflowers blooming along a country road in Tasmania. For more details, please click here.

Day 24…Cruise to South America…Cape Horn…The End of the World…How exciting!…Ushuaia…

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This rock formation connotes where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet at Cape Horn.

“Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising”

Evening photo last night. The sun didn’t fully set until almost 11:00 pm.

It was only around 6:00 am that we were situated in Cafe al Bacio. The ship is humming with announcements over the loudspeaker, with the passengers’ enthusiasm palpable as we sail from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean via Cape Horn, South America.

Tom said he was nearly blown away by high winds when he took this photo early this morning as we approached Cape Horn.

It’s hard to believe we are currently in Cape Horn that explorers discovered long ago, uninhabited weather-dominated acclaimed “end of the world,” known as the last visible landmass, before reaching Antarctica.

Rock formations at Cape Horn.

This is of particular interest to us based on the fact that we’ll be heading to Antarctica in a mere 38 days. Taking this specific cruise before the upcoming cruise has proven highly beneficial to our understanding and appreciation for this remote part of the world.

Here is a map of this area from this site:

Map of the most southerly tip of South America, Cape Horn, where we’re currently sailing.

 From this site, more on Cape Horn:

“Cape Horn (Spanish: Cabo de Hornos) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez Islands), Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage and marks where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet.

Cape Horn was discovered and first rounded by the Dutchman Willem Schouten, who named it Kaap Hoorn after the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands. For decades, Cape Horn was a significant milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world. The waters around Cape Horn are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents, and icebergs; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailors’ graveyard.

Sailing around the Horn is widely regarded as one of the significant challenges in yachting. The need for ships to round Cape Horn was significantly reduced by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. Thus a few recreational sailors continue to sail this route, sometimes as part of a circumnavigation of the globe. Almost all of these choose routes through the channels to the north of the Cape. (Many take a detour through the islands and anchor to wait for fair weather to visit Horn Island or sail around it to replicate a rounding of this historic point). Several major ocean yacht races, notably the Volvo Ocean Race, the VELUX 5 Oceans, and the Vendée Globe, sail around the world via the Horn. Speed records for round-the-world sailing are recognized for following this route.

Many rock formations are named, but with the slow Wi-Fi right now, we’re unable to do much research.

Cape Horn is located on Isla Hornos in the Hermite Islands group, at the southern end of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.  It marks the north edge of the Drake Passage, the strait between South America and Antarctica. It is located in Cabo de Hornos National Park.

Cape Horn is the southern limit of the range of the Magellanic penguin. The cape lies within Chilean territorial waters, and the Chilean Navy maintains a station on Hoorn Island, consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse.  A short distance from the central station is a memorial, including a large sculpture made by Chilean sculptor José Balcells featuring the silhouette of an albatross, in remembrance of the sailors who died while attempting to “round the Horn.” It was erected in 1992 through the initiative of the Chilean Section of the Cape Horn Captains Brotherhood.[ The terrain is entirely treeless, although quite lush owing to frequent precipitation.
Two lighthouses are located near or in Cape Horn. The one located in the Chilean Navy Station is the more accessible and visited and is commonly referred to as the Cape Horn lighthouse. However, the Chilean Navy station, including the lighthouse (ARLS CHI-030, 55°57′48.5″S 67°13′14.2″W) and the memorial, are not located on Cape Horn (which is difficult to access either by land or sea), but on another land point about one-mile east-northeast.
Views of Cape Horn from the ship’s bow.
On Cape Horn proper is a smaller 4-meter (13-foot) fiberglass light tower, with a focal plane of 40 meters (130 feet) and a range of about 21 kilometers (13 miles). This is the authentic Cape Horn lighthouse (ARLS CHI-006, 55°58′38.3″S 67°15′45.5″W), and as such the world’s southernmost traditional lighthouse.  A few minor aids to navigation are located farther south, including one in the Diego Ramírez Islands and several in Antarctica.
The climate in the region is generally cool, owing to the southern latitude. There are no weather stations in the islands, including Cape Horn, but a study in 1882–1883 found an annual rainfall of 1,357 millimeters (53.4 inches), with an average annual temperature of 5.2 °C (41.4 °F). Winds were reported to average 30 kilometers per hour (8.33 m/s; 18.64 mph), (5 Bf), with squalls of over 100 kilometers per hour (27.78 m/s; 62.14 mph), (10 Bf) occurring in all seasons. There are 278 days of rainfall (70 days snow) and 2,000 millimeters (79 inches) of annual rainfall.

Cloud coverage is generally extensive, with averages from 5.2 eighths in May and July to 6.4 eighths in December and January.  Precipitation is high throughout the year: the weather station on the nearby Diego Ramirez Islands, 109 kilometers (68 mi) south-west in the Drake Passage, shows the greatest rainfall in March, averaging 137.4 millimeters (5.41 in); while October, which has the least rainfall, still averages 93.7 millimeters (3.69 in). Wind conditions are generally severe, particularly in winter. In summer, the wind at Cape Horn is gale force up to 5% of the time, with generally good visibility; however, in winter, gale-force winds occur up to 30% of the time, often with poor visibility.

Ship in the area heading further south to Antarctica.

Many stories are told of hazardous journeys “around the Horn,” most describing fierce storms. Charles Darwin wrote: “One sight of such a coast is enough to make a landsman dream for a week about shipwrecks, peril, and death.”

We had planned to post the story of yesterday’s visit to Ushuaia but based on today’s sailing to Cape Horn. We decided to postpone it until tomorrow, which will be a sea day. We’re excited to share the photos from Ushuaia as well.

Cape Horn is not one single spot.  It’s a series of islands and rock formations.

Last night, at the Captain’s Club party from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, we thoroughly enjoyed the company of another new couple. We continue to enjoy meeting travelers from all over the world on this cruise, especially during the relaxed and easy environment of the Captain’s Club.

I took a break from the group at around 6:30. At the same time, management staff from the specialty restaurants stopped by to ask me to meet the chef from two of the specialty restaurants where we’ll be dining over the next few days, subsequently preparing stories here with photos of the memorable dining experiences.

Albatross statue at the top of a hill in Cape Horn by Jose Balcells as a memorial to sailors who lost their lives at Cabo de Homes, Cape Horn Chili.

At dinner, we sat at a round table for 10, again meeting more passengers we’d yet to meet. Later, several of us danced at the silent disco party in the area of the solarium pool.  It was cold in that area, and we both had to bundle up to stay warm, even with our rambunctious dancing to the music.

Today, we’ll need a nap. We’re both a bit sluggish after getting to bed at midnight and arising by 5:00 am. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with our fabulous photos of Ushuaia, one of the most exciting towns we’ve visited during this 30-night cruise, which ends one week from today.

Lighthouse in Cape Horn.  For this Cape Horn lighthouse fable, please click here.

May those of you who celebrate enjoy holiday festivities safely and with much merriment.

  Photo from one year ago today, December 16, 2016:

Fran and Terry hosted our evening ou at a local cafe. During our evening, we met other locals in Penguin Tasmania. For more details, please click here.

Day 23…Cruise to South America…Pantagonia…The Straits!!!…Today, we’re officially at the city known as the “End of the World,” Ushuaia, Argentina.

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Map of where we’ve traveled over these past many days in the Chilean and Magellan Straits.

“Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising”

Note the snow-covered pointed peak

Of course, we were disappointed to be unable to post the stunning photos we’ve taken in this remote part of the world. Since we’re far from satellites, the signal is so weak. We can barely write the post, let alone post photos.

Snow-covered mountains left us all in awe of the scenes before our eyes.

After considering several “workarounds,” we’re now able to post with photos and have since gone back to yesterday’s post, adding the images we’d earmarked for that post.

Now, at almost 1:00 pm Friday, December 15th, we’re back in business and able to post correctly. It’s a huge relief! We were both concerned and frustrated being unable to complete the posts, not only for the disappointment in being unable to stay in touch with all of our readers but also for the fact we’d get behind with backlogged photos and stories.

We imagined how exciting it would be to be on a small boat maneuvering through the fiords.

As of today, we’ll be caught up. Early this morning, we disembarked the ship to visit one of the most exciting ports of call during this cruise, Ushuaia, Argentina. Knowing we’ll be returning to Ushuaia in 39 days to board the Antarctica cruise made being here today all the more exciting.

The fiords create their own weather system, which was constantly changing.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the Ushuaia photos. Still, today, we feel it’s important to share the pictures and story of the great passage we made through the Chilean and Magellan Straits, one of the most memorable scenery experiences in our five years of world travel.

With the utmost awe and wonder, for days, our eyes were constantly peeled out the windows and decks (albeit in bitter cold), taking in every fantastic scene of the remote and untarnished area of the world, Patagonia, as shown in the above map.

A patch of blue sky at a distance.

There was no port of call stops. There were no shops, no restaurants, and no trinkets to buy. There was only the finite remoteness of a land we can only imagine, as neither of us had ever witnessed anywhere in the world.

Many of the rock formations have a grayish cast.

I feel breathless in attempting to describe this lonely place near the “end of the world” where one snow-covered mountain and glacier after another caught or attention, leaving us in a state of utter wonder over the magic of the world around us.

We sailed over hundreds of miles (KM) through the Chilean Fiords and The Strait(s) of Magellan.  The views are breathtaking!

Our photos cannot do it justice. How does one take a fascinating image of a glacier or mountain when “up close and personal” as we were hour after hour? We sailed through it all morning until dark which didn’t come until almost 11:00 pm each night.

Each snow-covered mountain is more beautiful than the next.  Photos don’t do it justice.

A few photos we previously posted of the two of us were indeed taken outdoors around 10:00 pm. The air is cold and fresh. We saw no evidence of human intervention, no trash, no debris, no remnants of human life in any form.  

Gorgeous glaciers.

We observed a variety of seabirds, but there was little visible wildlife. However, we anticipated hidden within the rugged terrain, therein may live a vast array of wildlife we may never see.

We’d heard snippets of the Chilean Fiords and the Strait of Magellan. Also, we’ve seen similar settings in other parts of the world, for example, the “sounds” in New Zealand. We’ve anticipated the Norwegian fiords and others. But, no way can we conceive of those being more shocked than that which our eye beheld over these past days at sea.

A glacier in the straits.

Thus, dear readers, with a bit of trepidation, we share today’s photos, knowing full well that there’s no way our amateur photos can depict what our eyes beheld. Know that…within our heartfelt words expressed here…it was astounding. We’ll never forget.

This photo was taken through the glass window in the dining room resulting in the blue tint.

In a mere eight days, we’ll disembark this ship, the Celebrity Infinity, for a month in Buenos Aires, a vast difference from our time aboard the ship, but surely we’ll enjoy it in an entirely different manner.

Be well.  Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, December 15, 2016:

This pretty horse caught our attention as we drove through the countryside in Penguin, Tasmania. For more photos, please click here.