Welcome to Ushuaia!

Today we had an early wake-up call this morning so we could get ready to head south. After eating breakfast, we got on a bus to take us to the airport for our charter flight to Ushuaia. It was weird thinking that this was my last day on land for a bit.

When we got to the airport, we went through security. It was a little different than back home- they did not mind that we had water in our water bottles, but were much pickier about lithium ion batteries and electronics.

Once it was time for our plane to leave, we left the terminal in a bus to load the plane on the tarmac. It was beautiful weather and I tried to soak up the warmth for as long as I could! On the plane, it was just those of us going to the ship, so we could spread out. Landing in Ushuaia was the absolute most beautiful trip to an airport I’d ever had. You come in with the Andes Mountains on either side of the plane and you follow the water in. The water is that gorgeous aquamarine color of the Caribbean when the sun hits it. There was snow on the Andes, and the wind hits you coming off both sides of the mountains, so it is a wobbly landing for the last few minutes.

After we landed and collected our checked bags, we got on a bus for a city tour. It was fun to see all of the beautiful buildings and learn more about the town. We were told things were getting compressed time-wise because our ship to Antarctica is leaving earlier tonight, as a storm is due in.

After the tour, we all boarded a catamaran for lunch and a tour. The city tour guide told us that they can see 3 seasons in one day in Ushuaia, and we got a feel for that. It was sunny and warm when we boarded, but quickly turned to rain, followed by wind, and then we even saw a few snow flakes. We got to see some birds nesting, and the beautiful Lapatai Bay. The area is surrounded by the country of Chile – Ushuaia is on an island south of mainland Argentina, and is bordered on all sides by the country of Chile. The people of Ushuaia cannot get to Argentina by vehicle without driving through Chile first. I found that really interesting, and they said it makes living here expensive, as all goods have to go through Chile to make it here.

After the catamaran cruise, we boarded our ship, and they got underway almost immediately. Jacqueline and I met with one of the naturalists on the ship and she gave us a quick tour of the ship, along with helping us get sized for our parkas, pants, and boots. This ship is gorgeous. I’ve never been on a ship quite like this. Stay tuned for a ship tour in a future blog. It’s truly going to be a great place to reflect on all of the epic adventures we’re about to have- so many beautiful spots to sit and look out windows!

So, we are officially underway. We are told that there are some 40-knot winds coming, and because we’ll be close to land at that time still, the waves are going to be “messy.” They recommended taking motion sickness medicine, and promised it would get better farther into the journey south. They also said that what we are about to experience (3-4 meter seas), and that is a ‘good’ crossing for the Drake Passage- it’s not what they call the “Drake Lake” (super smooth), but it’s also not the “Drake Shake” (nasty crossing). Seems like the best we can hope for!