Dec 11, Sunday. Night and day from our room.
We had a half day tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. We were picked up at the hotel around 8:20 then set off on our drive.
The first white people to arrive were the English. They came on the first voyage of the Beagle (named after the queen's dog breed). Darwin showed up later on the second voyage of the Beagle. Later they established some Anglican missions to convert the indigenous population.
Our first stop was a train station (Train to the End of the World) AKA the convict train. It was very difficult to get settlers to come to Ushuaia. Today's weather was around 45-50° F and this is almost their summertime. Around the late 1800's someone got the great idea of opening a prison here to get cheap workers. The prison eventually held a few hundred convicts, some were quite serious offenders others just bad guys. The cells were made from cement and were basically impossible to heat. The train was used to transport convicts to 1.) work on the railroad itself and to 2.) clear fields of trees. The convicts opted to work rather than sit in their frozen cells. Few escaped. There really was no way out of here. Tierra del Fuego is an island. The weather ranges from cold to extremely cold. One poor soul, in a desperate attempt to flee jumped into a river with his handcuffs on. A body was found on the beach near the Beagle Channel several weeks later. The King Crabs had eaten the flesh from his body. The prison was closed by Peron in 1949 who decided the vicious nature of treatment of the prisoners was too much. The train remained to help the lumbering industry until 1952.
After we left the train we drove a short distance to Ensenada Bay. The tide was down and we could see the shoreline covered in kelp, mussel shells, and various other tidal creatures (limpets, for example)
On the way back to the hotel, I managed to get a view from the road up to the hotel itself. You can't see the big black mountain behind this place, but I'll try another time.
The photo below is from the lobby - one of the sitting areas near the window. A view, a comfy seat, WOW.
We had a half day tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. We were picked up at the hotel around 8:20 then set off on our drive.
The first white people to arrive were the English. They came on the first voyage of the Beagle (named after the queen's dog breed). Darwin showed up later on the second voyage of the Beagle. Later they established some Anglican missions to convert the indigenous population.
Our first stop was a train station (Train to the End of the World) AKA the convict train. It was very difficult to get settlers to come to Ushuaia. Today's weather was around 45-50° F and this is almost their summertime. Around the late 1800's someone got the great idea of opening a prison here to get cheap workers. The prison eventually held a few hundred convicts, some were quite serious offenders others just bad guys. The cells were made from cement and were basically impossible to heat. The train was used to transport convicts to 1.) work on the railroad itself and to 2.) clear fields of trees. The convicts opted to work rather than sit in their frozen cells. Few escaped. There really was no way out of here. Tierra del Fuego is an island. The weather ranges from cold to extremely cold. One poor soul, in a desperate attempt to flee jumped into a river with his handcuffs on. A body was found on the beach near the Beagle Channel several weeks later. The King Crabs had eaten the flesh from his body. The prison was closed by Peron in 1949 who decided the vicious nature of treatment of the prisoners was too much. The train remained to help the lumbering industry until 1952.
Charlie outside the train station
From inside the car
Engineer of a different engine than ours with his ubiquitous mate. Argentinians drink this stuff religiously morning, noon, and night. Pedro, our guide today, told us that it is slightly caffeinated. When the mate is mixed with warm water it make you hold liquids, but when it is mixed with cool water it is a diuretic. (Just quoting) Young children get their mate mixed with warm milk.
The steam train controls.
Typical scenery along the train route. Small streams, forests, bogs, and small lakes. It really was beautiful.
Charlie standing by the engine of our train at a stop called Cascaras Macarena. (Macarena waterfall). Our train was filled with tourists, surprise, surprise. The problem is as a group tourists are bizarre. One odd bird began to climb onto the engine so her husband could take her photo. When they called her off, she hopped in the doorway for more photos - at least 4 times. It took us a while to get a free photo without the red coated creature.
The rest of the train
A fellow train tourist took our photo
Cascaras Macarena
The trees in the photo were cut by the prisoners many years ago. They have not grown back. The shorter stumps were cut in the summer, the longer stumps were cut in the winter.
At the end of the line, the engine was detached and backed down a side track. We didn't see the rest - for example - what happens to the cars? Does the engine back up and attach to what had been the back end of our train? I think that's what happens.
After we left the train we drove a short distance to Ensenada Bay. The tide was down and we could see the shoreline covered in kelp, mussel shells, and various other tidal creatures (limpets, for example)
Upland geese in the grass near Ensenada Bay
A red necked goose on the sand.
Next stop on our tour was Lago Acigami. The Chilean portion of this lake is called Lago Roca, the Argentineans call it Lao Acigami. The area is divided between the two nations is a peculiar triangular wedge of Argentina with Chile owning the outer bits. Very odd. We took a bit of a stroll along the shore and spotted some wonderful waterfowl.
An ibis
Lago Acigami
An information center (with a museum, coffee shop, gift shop, overlook tower, and park offices) The original indian tribe that inhabited this area was called the Yamana tribe. They ran around with absolutely nothing on except a ceremonial band around the heads of the men. Brrrrrr. They hunted sea lions with harpoons. The women watched the children and dove into the bays looking for mussels. When the Yamanas first met up with the English they ran away. Later they went to the missions, wore clothing, and in an attempt to continue their livelihood sea lion hunting and gathering, got sopping wet, and many died of pneumonia. Later Argentinian leaders had many of them killed. There is one left.
Two black headed swans and their 3 chicks.
Somebody had a bright idea in 1946 to bring Canadian beavers into Patagonia to begin a fur trade. With no natural predators the beavers ran amok, decimating forests, damming up streams, and being a general nuisance. The irony is that the beaver fur here isn't very good, so they weren't useful for anything but destruction. Since 2011 the Argentinean government has been trying to get rid of them-they're still here.
A beaver dam
The beaver dam's consequences.
Our last stop Bahia Lapataia. This is the southern-most point of the Pan American Highway. Begin in Alaska - stop here.
The break in the distance goes to the Beagle Channel.
There are parrots here.
On the way back to the hotel, I managed to get a view from the road up to the hotel itself. You can't see the big black mountain behind this place, but I'll try another time.
One more tour on our trip, Tomorrow - a boat ride on the Beagle Channel.
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