Perito Moreno Glacier was our final stop on the road south to the end of the world! After spending the night in Rio Gallegos, we get up early for yet another long 11 hour bus, this time by day, down to Ushuaia.
Early departure from Rio Gallegos….glued to the TV in reception at the hotel and waiting at the bus station
Luckily the kids are entertained by movies. Gotta wonder who selects the movies for these journeys? Today it is Abraham Lincoln and the Zombies! More blood and gore than you could wish on anyone, never mind our young kids. Another passenger even tries to warn us, but there’s no luring them out of watching it! Blood and heads are flying everywhere but my kids seem pretty amused and unfazed by this utterly daft and apparently funny film! The next film begins with a steamy pole dancing scene but someone gets up and complains and they agree to switch it off altogether! I don’t think many kids make this journey.
Patagonian views
Thankfully we are also entertained by lovely views, animal spotting, on board meals and breaks for emigration/immigration x 2 as the route takes us in and out of Chile.
Getting hands as well as passports stamped!
There’s also a short ferry crossing across the Magellan Straits to Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire – so named because the first explorers saw many fires burning along the coast. Tierra del Fuego is actually an island).
Crossing the Magellan Straits on the ferry to Tierra del Fuego
They belonged to the indigenous Yanama people – more on them in a blog from the kids!) I can see why they don’t make this an overnight trip!
Arriving in Tierra del Fuego – only another 290k to the end of the world
After the crossing we head off first on gravel road through gentle barren shrub land with occasional ranch, guanaco (or maybe Patagonia deer) cowboys, distant sea views.
In between ferry and border crossings, not to mention admiring views and zombie movies, there is still time to sleep and time to make friends!
Everyone falls asleep in the hot bus then we reach the Chilean exit post, where we discover black coffee swashing around on the floor and my day sack all sodden and flat Stanley almost drowned!! Poor Flat, he’s all coffee stained and understandably very sorry for himself! Travel is not always easy when you’re Flat:)
Poor coffee drenched Flat Stanley tries to dry off in the Patagonian afternoon sun!
We finally arrive in Ushuaia, and head to our hostel, a pleasant and rustic hotel out of town, overlooking the Beagle Channel and a cosy 4 bed room, ready for a few days to explore the end of the world!!
Ushuaia – city at the end of the world, and Hosteria de Recodo.
Jun 21, 2013 @ 14:26:50
Sounds like a long journey to the end of the world but I’m sure worth it. Poor Flat Stanley, hope he dries out ready for his next adventure! xx