Flavors of the Beagle

For our last day, a gastronomical adventure to the small town of Puerto Almanza followed by a dash down the Beagle Channel to visit the penguins. On the way to the village we made stops to of course, view the powerful and beautiful vistas. And we had a coffee break with typical pastries.

Pablo & our driver Jose

Mata, though not traditional

Horses everywhere

The village is very small and perched on the shores of the Beagle Channel. It is a traditional fishing village. There are several restaurants there and they all feature seafood. We drove through the village to the restaurant A’Kum where we had mussels, sea bass, flan, and vino blanco. More than we could eat. 

Our next stop was exploring the Beagle Channel and remnants of the almost war with Chile. We met a veteran of that war. He was very pleased to meet a veteran of the Vietnam Conflict. 

Tres amigos

Finally it was time to go to the port to board the boat to take us to visit the Magellanic and Gentoo penguins. The Gentoo penguins do not migrate but remain where they make their home though they may travel 50 - 200 km for food.

It was a lovely day. Tomorrow is relaxing, checking into the flight, and packing.   

For now—Adios!

At the End of the World

Since leaving Buenos Aires we have had a few adventures, beginning with the EZE airport. We thought we would only need to be there an hour early for a domestic flight. But knowing ourselves and our tendency to get a bit mixed up, we decided to leave 2 hours early and be there by 6 AM. We arrived at 6 AM only to join a line of about 200 to check in as the website for check-ins wasn’t working. At 7 AM we were at a friendly agent’s desk who took our luggage and then told us we had to go to the cashier to pay for the bags. According to our boarding passes, boarding was to start at 7:15. We still had to go through security and then get to gate 24. After an anxious wait to pay we were in line for security along with another 200, including a high school soccer team or as they told us football. No way were we going to be at the gate on time. Then voila! We were through security and the gate was right there through the security doors. And we were in Zone 1 for boarding. We got in line, passes and passports in hand. As the agent scanned mine, Dennis in a panic turned around, he had left his carry-on back in the line to board. Back he went, very relieved when he saw the bag, grabbed it and was back getting scanned to enter the next hurdle better known as an airport bus. By 7:50 we were seated on the plane and ready to go. How did we manage?

At Ushuaia we were greeted by people from Tierra del Fuego with a sign: Cynthia Mosca. Dennis loved it. And onto our hotel.

Since our first day here we have been busy. The city is alive with flowers and Dennis is especially envious of the lupine. They are everywhere and in so many colors. Unfortunately Indiana is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer for them to thrive. Our room in the Hostal del Bosque is very comfortable with a great view. The restaurant has a very accommodating staff and serves very nice food. The wine pour is generous and the mixed drinks leave no mistake about the liquor content or so I’ve been told.

Our first tour was of the National Park. Our guide Pablo, took us on several short hiking trails and for those who had gotten their tickets ahead, a train ride. At first we were disappointed that we didn’t do that but then realized that what Pablo showed us was much better than a train ride.

From here we went to watch for the train. along the tracks was a wide open meadow. Wild horses were meandering under the trees busy nibbling the tender greens completely impervious to us. 

And then around the bend came the train…

After that we were off again this time to another part of the park.

Orchids

And the day wasn’t over. Pablo dropped us off at the Puerto Turistico where we were to take a catamaran to tour the islands to see cormorants, sea lions, and penguins among other things. Some of these we did see but the boat broke down before we got to the penguins. We were able to limp back to port. This turned out to be fortunate because instead of taking a refund we got credit for another tour which will include the penguins plus other small towns in the region and a taste of typical cooking for this area. We seem to have unusually good luck in reversing what would be a crisis.

I cannot believe we are at the end of the world or as one young lady told us, this is the beginning!

A final word from Dennis~

Just a few short comments—yea, leaving Buenos Aires was quite an adventure. Nothing starts the blood flowing like thinking, we’re f…ing gonna miss our plane!! On the other side of that adventure is arriving somewhere you’ve never been before and don’t speak the language. How do we get transportation? Shuttle? Uber? Where do we go? How about that shifty little guy who’s more than happy to grab our bags and start running off with them. (OK I added that for color but it has happened.)😝 Cindy arranged earlier to have someone waiting for us near baggage claim to pick us up and take us to our hotel. They were worth their weight in gold. I could have kissed them and I guess Cindy too. Brings a tear to my eye 😢.

On the Pampas

 The day on the pampas with the gauchos on the farm was a most delightful day. It was simply great fun!

Once at the ranch we were treated to a peek at how the meat is barbecued. This was followed by empanadas that Carolina said were the best in Argentina. Though I haven’t tried all of the empanadas in the country, they were delicious. 

And then off to the horses. Saddle up or climb up into a wagon. After my last horseback riding attempt, I was not going to repeat that experience. So up into the carriage I went.

We traveled down the dusty roads getting glimpses of the pampas, some with cattle which would soon be our lunch and some fields filled with horses. Lovely green fields of grass filled with what seemed very contented animals.

After such a morning of exhausting activities and a trip to the bathrooms, we were ready for lunch. And what a lunch, course after course of meats. We shared the trip to the ranch with a group of friendly and talkative people. The couple who went to IU in Bloomington, Anna whose birthday it was, Neil her husband the photographer, Sharon and Nick from London, and Claudia and family from Puerto Rico. Neil and Anna split their time between their family in New York and their family in Chile. Sharon and Nick have traveled to more places than anyone we know. Name a place, they’ve been there. It was a very convivial group led by the intrepid guide Carolina.

  Time for a nap after lunch? No way—time for a dance! 

The gauchos train their horses using the most gentle methods, no violence at all. We were treated to a demonstration of how it’s done and the results of those methods.

And just like the gaucho and his horse, once on the bus, most of us were ready for a nap!

Señor Schulz~

After a cup of coffee in our room, our Uber was waiting outside our door. He took us to a 20 person bus a few miles away where we met the rest of our group. The bus was comfortable and air-conditioned which was welcome in the heat. The group came from many parts of the globe and we all got along well.

After an hour and a half bus ride we stopped in a small town.Guess what we toured? A vineyard? The market that provides food & entertainment to the town? A strip club? Nope, if you guessed church—yep! I’ve set foot in so many churches in our previous trips that God told me personally — “Take a break Dennis and don’t push your luck. I’ve seen about enough of you. It ain’t gonna do you any good.” I feel I’ve received my dispensation. 🤭

Cindy covered the ranch and its activities. It was well worth the trip to see it. The food? First class all the way and the Argentine wine? Equally top notch. After a few hours of eating, drinking, and dancing we boarded the bus for our return to Buenos Aries. As I drifted off to sleep, my last thoughts were of me and God arguing outside a church. It became heated and after wrestling around in the dirt for a few minutes, we dusted ourselves off, shook hands, and decided we would battle again on another day. We were both too tired today. We’d work on this another day.🤼‍♂️