Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego
January 21, 2008

Well, we were up early to meet our 5.30am ride to the airport to catch our 8.00am flight. Only problem was our flight didn´t leave until noon. Seems Aerolinneas Argentina is having trouble getting its flights off on time. Just to add to the excitement, the Aerolinneas agent couldn´t find our e-ticket. It became much easier for her when we realized that she thought we were Donna and James Kelly, who had apparently already checked in, for a different flight. So much for overcoming language barriers.

Our reward for our patience is that tonight we are in Ushuaia, a rugged little town at the bottom of the world, just south of where the Andes Mountains take an easterly turn. The mountains are rugged, the clouds are drifting through them, and the sun is trying to find a way around the clouds. The temperature is more to our liking, too. Buenos Aires was in the 90s, Ushuaia is in the 60s. Reminds us of Northern Minnesota in the fall.

The best part, for at least one of us, is dinner at a tenedor libre, literally translated, "free fork". Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we continue the theme of more meat than you can possibly eat. Julio is working hard in a glassed-off area at the front of the restaurant, slow roasting lamb and beef and chicken and sausage and parts that don´t have a name in Minnesota. You take your plate up to Julio´s window, tell him what you want, and he cuts off a big piece with a knife the size of a baseball bat. And over and over again, until the food coma finally catches up to you.

There´s also a cold salad buffet, again with dishes Minnesotans can´t name. But they're good, and we did some damage.

That´s likely to be all you hear about food for a while. Tomorrow we have a tour of the National Park, then we board the boat and head out toward the Drake Passage. We´re going to our hotel room now to read the directions for our anti-nausea medications.