The End of the World

Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia is a destination town on the southern tip of Argentina that calls itself The End of the World. It has for example of an End of the World Hostel, End of the World Café, End of the World Bagels. I suspect edge of the world would be a better translation. Less apocalyptic.

My first impression was that The End of the World seemed a lot like Duluth, Minnesota. Chilly temps and stunning landscapes.

People had warned me on the road that Tierra Del Fuego - which is the island on which Ushuaia sits - would be cold, but for a Minnesotan it's nothing. January is summer there and temperatures are from the mid 40s to high 50s fahrenheit. In the winter average temps are in the high 30s.

Unfortunately since it's a tourist town in Argentina, beer and french fries are stupid expensive. You can't find a beer for less than $5 and a cheap meal at a restaurant will run you $20. So I didn't go out and instead fell into a routine of waking up early and going on hikes and tours.

The one time I did go out was with a couple lovely young Argentinians I had met in a diner my first day in town. We went to a packed Irish pub and drank two pricey pints a piece.

Victoria and Rosaria as it turned out were well-adjusted Christians not prone to blackout binge drinking, and I as it turned out was a cheap bastard who couldn't stomach $7 beers. So we didn't go too crazy.

The highlight of Ushuaia for me was a beatiful hike up a mountain I did in Tierra Del Fuego National Park. I also went on a tour to an island with 25,000 penguins. I loved the penguins.

Ultimately though The End of the World is just too expensive for the thrifty traveler. After four days of hiking and gawking I woke up at 4:30am to catch a bus to Chili.