Day 26 - January 29, 2008 - Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia photos
We lost another hour last night, so morning seemed to come too early for us! Clay woke up with a sore throat, but we all just woke up unfocused and out of sorts somehow. Maybe it was because Debbie did not have any plan in place for us today. So, we got a late start with breakfast in LaVeranda. For the first time since we boarded we were still onboard when a loudspeaker announcement was made that the ship had cleared and all passengers could go ashore. We discussed it and had a loose plan to get some local money from an ATM, find a taxi and go out to Tierra del Fuego National Park and then to the chairlift up to Martial Glacier, then some shopping and lunch. Back to the ship around 4pm to get freshened up for our Special Event. The Full Circle passengers were invited to "Ushuaia Prison Break" at the Prison at the End of the World. It is a notorious and historical building that is now a museum. We needed to be in the Constellation Theater at 5pm for it.
So, on our way out Manuel at the Travel Concierge Desk asked if we'd like a map. We would. There was a local woman there to answer questions and got some helpful suggestions from her. we wandered out and the first 2 places we tried for an ATM were closed. Margie needed a new camera battery and we wandered upon a camera shop and they had a battery. While she was getting it, Clay found an ATM. So, we started looking for a taxi. The first 2 people we spoke to did not speak English. We walked back to the entrance to the docks and found a cluster of cabbies who all spoke good English. We got their prices and then they elected a driver. We spent about 4 hours with Marcello. He was very informative and we had a good day with him. The scenery was just amazing and we saw loads of rabbits and a family of kelp geese. We saw beaver dams, but never spotted an actual beaver. The roads in the park are not paved and they have had very little rain here in the past month, which is usually their rainiest. They have had unusually warm and dry weather. It was in the upper 50sF most of the day, but in the afternoon the sun finally broke through and it really warmed up. The roads were very, very dusty. It was a fine misty dust and it got all over. Marcello was out wiping down the windows and doors each time we got in and out of the car. He said since it has been like this he has to change his air filter once a week! It was a mess. The chair lift to the Martial Glacier was fun too, about 15 minutes ride each way. It followed a big roaring stream of glacier melt. You just got a closer view of the Martial Glacier at the top. You could walk all the way to the glacier, but since it has shrunk the walk is now about 2 hours each way, so we didn't get any closer. We took our taxi back down to the restaurant that the Visitor's Bureau person onboard had suggested, Tante Nina. Our taxi driver suggested a place a few doors down called Tia Elvira. We checked both menus. Clay wanted centolla crab and the prices were a little lower at Tante Nina, and it had great views from big windows overlooking Ushuaia Bay, so we went in there. Clay had asked Marcello if there was a local beer. He told him it was Beagle. Beagle Beer was on the menu at Tia Elvira, so we figured it would be available most places. Wrong. They only had Quilmes as the local beer at Tante Nina. The waiter asked Clay if he wanted the big one. Clay said sure. It was bigger than a wine bottle! Clay was floating back to the ship. He really enjoyed his crab and Margie had the fresh trout which was very good too. Debbie had a rump steak and it was also very tasty. Then we went out shopping. Clay got a T-shirt and an ice cream cone. Then Clay got a Beagle beer to take back to the ship. Margie did not find anything and seriously debated about getting a hair cut. In the end, we ran out of time and she decided to let Debbie have a chance at trimming her hair.
We got back to the ship just in time to change our shoes since they were so dusty. The dress for the evening onboard was Country Club Casual again, but our invitations had nothing about dress for the Special Event. Other than Jailbird Uniforms Optional. We opted out. Some people wore the whole thing, some just the shirts or the hats or the pants. It was mixed. We were taken on a short guided tour of the prison portion of the museum and let into cells as if we were prisoners. Then we were taken to a big octagonal room, that used to be the prison bakery, for cocktails. They had Pisco sours, champagne, bloody marys, orange juice with something, red and white wine. After a little skit put on about us being prisoners and a song, they pulled back curtains on an hors d'ouvres buffet. There was crab salad, octopus salad, shrimp, proscuitto on biscuits, cheese on bread, etc. They introduced the Chef responsible. He was a Frenchman who apparently owns the best restaurant in town here. Clay thought he had better, or fresher, crab in town for lunch. We went to another courtyard of the museum/prison complex to view the outside of a replica of the Lighthouse at the End of the World. Then, we strolled through the gift shop and an art gallery. Debbie and Margie each made a purchase, then back to the ship. We were to sail at 9pm. so we had time for dinner. Compass Rose had nothing that really appealed to any of us and we weren't really all that hungry. LaVeranda had a new menu starting tonight, Argentine Steakhouse. So, we went up to Deck 11. There were several things on the menu that sounded good, but weren't. We all really liked the soup though, it was supposedly a local thing and was kind of sweet and sour. Unfortunately, then things fell apart. We waited and waited and waited. Debbie had ordered a pasta course, gnocchi, which never came and we never did get any explanation of what the delay was. Anyway, everyone tasted Debbie's entree of arroz con pollo and agreed it was awful. So, she asked for her gnocchi again. It was awful too. The gnocchi were really big and were just dry raw potato inside. Clay ordered Queso Fundido. There was technically some melted cheese there, but it was on top as a kind of broiled on garnish. So, all in all not a big success for their first night. We may go back over the next 8-9 nights that they will run this menu to try some other dishes though. We did like the local dessert, that was kind of like cajeta crepes with fruit inside.
We sailed a little before nine and weare sad to say goodbye to Patagonia. It has been a beautiful place and we have enjoyed exceptional weather that made it even more awesome. Tomorrow is a sea day as we sail to Port Stanley in the Falklands Islands (or Malvinas to the Argentines). Tomorrow is Informal night and we have been invited to a hosted table with Assistant Food & Beverage Manager Arjan Scheepers. As Clay said today, we only have about another month to go. He is already getting sad to go!
Ushuaia photos