El Fin del Mundo...

Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world. They call it the End of the World here and looking out from the docks south toward the Drake Passage and further south, toward Antarctica, it doesn't sound like an empty boast. It's funny to think how far I've come and how far away home seems right now. Four months ago I boarded a plane in Tijuana, Mexico and 24 hours later I was in Quito, Ecuador. Now I'm standing at the southern tip of Argentina, ready to start making my way north again to warmer weather. Or at least that was the plan.

After going through Patagonia for a month with Tony, we were suppose to part ways after the Super Bowl but once again life sometimes works in mysterious ways. A Danish girl named Mie (who happens to be the girl I'm traveling with currently) came back to our hostel (prophetically named Antarctica Hostel) with almost unbelievable news. She had just booked a last minute ticket on a cruise ship to Antarctica for $900 US. That was all it took. The next day, there was a mad rush of backpackers eager on getting the all elusive 7th continent stamp in their passport. In all, over 20 people from our hostel alone managed to book passage aboard the Macro Polo. And in total, there were 120 of us on a ship with 495 passengers. So what looked like the end of my southward journey was actually only the beginning.

After I had cancelled my Carnival plans, and confirmed my own berth on the ship, we all begin hastily preparing for the trip. This consisted of mainly buying alcohol which we would smuggle onboard to cut our already drastically cut price and some specialized gear like high rubber boots. While the ticket to Antarctica overshadowed almost everything else I did in Ushuaia, I managed to get a few other things in before we embarked.





Tony, Andreas, and I spent two days in Terra del Fuego National Park. We saw the superbowl. I continued my frantic struggle to get caught up in my photo gallery (something I am now happy to announce is finally done!). We cooked a few great meals. And I met a few new people who would become the crew I kicked it with for the most part on the two week cruise. I enjoyed my time immensily in Ushuaia. That's not to say I'd ever come back, but after trekking around Patagonia for three or so weeks, it was nice to have a break and relax. Plus the friends I made there feel like the kind that will stick, and those are rare enough in any situation.