Ushuaia, Day 5
How ignorant! It
was only at 11 am when buying stamps in the kiosko and hearing the governer's
solemn voice on the radio, we realized that we were at the right place at the
right time: April 2 is devoted to the Malvinas (the Falklands in the UK
vocabulary) and Ushuaia – the city closest to them - is the epicenter of Argentine rage against the British »occupators«.
We stopped at the
memorial to have a glimpse at what is supposed to be one of the most important
annual ceremonies in Argentina. The importance of the occasion was in
contrast with the few people present. Some ministers, some parliamentarians,
some social workers, some surviving war soldiers ... a ceremony for the ceremony's
sake.
It still
intrigues us why Argentina celebrates this war. Some blocks further, there is
Ushuaia's main city museum, placed in the ex-prison, where the same Dictatorship
that launched the Malvinas war sent its political prisoners: to the end of the
world, obviously.
The annual ceremony to commemorate the Malvinas war
All Ushuaia's VIP were there
Next dream: Antarctica, only 1295 km further south
Hasta la vista, Patagonia!
Our tips for
those that might follow our steps:
1.
Posada
del Fin del Mundo: It's everything you can wish of a posada. Cosy,
personalised, attentive. Off the noisy main street, a couple of blocks up the
street, with a privilidged view over the Beagle Channel. Tea & yummy cakes
at your disposal 24/7, a delight after a day of trekking in the crispy and
misty Patagonian lands. Warmly recommended.
2.
Restaurants:
Kaupe for its king crab and merluza negra, Bodegon Fuegino for its Patagonian
Lamb, Almacen Ramos Generales for its French patisserie.
3.
Trips:
Sendero de la Costa in the National Park Tierra del Fuego; a trek to Laguna
Esmeralda; a halfday cruise in the Beagle Channel with Patagonia Explorer (a trek
on the Bridges Island does make a difference); Ruta J well beyond Estancia
Harberton; don't wait to reserve your penguin trip till the last day (we did and
cried;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment