all aboard
Ushuaia sits
at a large bay north of the Beagle Channel where the
Ona people have carved out a tough living for over 10.000 years.
The town was
founded in 1884 to establish Argentine claims over Tierra del Fuego.
In the early years missionaries and convicts had an important
role in the region's history but nowadays Ushuaia is a major tourist hub to the nearby abundant Beagle Channel wildlife
and tours to Antarctica.
In 1982 the town's naval base played a major role in the short-lived
invasion of the
Falkland islands. Nowadays the city sports a large memorial for the fallen Argentine soldiers and sailors in the
lost Guerra de las Malvinas.
Ushuaia proudly advertises itself as "Fin del Mundo", or the End of the
world.
but in the afternoon showers take over
a monument to commemorate the first raising of the Argentine flag in 1884 was erected 50 years later
the colorful church of La Merced sits at a busy and wet San Martin West avenue
Ushuaia is basking in the morning sun
the runway of Ushuaia's Aeroclub ends right at the harbor
from our stateroom we have a nice view of a sunny Ushuaia town
Roca street goes right up
Monte Olivia is stocked full of souvenirs
penguins down the drain? No, its another souvenir shop
looking east into Avenue Maipu
the Argentine flag flies over a wet Plaza Civica
time to head back to the ship
when we sail out there is a nice view of the peaks of the Martial Mountains
this buste of Evita Peron in front of the government building was inaugurated in 2006