Jennifer: Transportation
We had a few options for how to get between Montevideo and our next city, which was Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. We decided we wanted to use the fact that both cities were on the ocean, and get a different travel experience. We looked at taking Buquebus from Montevideo to Buenos Aires, and flying from there, but the transitions and timing got very complicated, and much more expensive than what we were looking for. In the end we ended up catching the bus back to the airport and then flying to Ushuaia. The fly time was six hours all together; with a 3hr and 50min layover is Buenos Aires, for a total of nine hours. The layover sucked, but we all used to it to read or write in our journals. We left at 10:55am from Montevideo, and landed in Ushuaia at 7:45pm. This was one of the easier time changes, and we were able to head to the hotel and check in before dinner. The plane tickets for the five of us came out to U$36787.80 (US$1844) and the busses are really cheap, we spent U$59.85 (US$3).
Since we were arriving to Ushuaia off season, we decided to be daring and not book a hotel before arriving. This would give us a chance to get a lay of the land and talk to some locals to see what they recommended. From the Airport we took a van taxi which cost us AR$18 (US$4.54) and dropped us off at the waterfront. From there we were able to find a restaurant to grab something warm to drink and ask about accommodation recommendations. We also asked him the best way to get around the city. He said we could normally walk to most restaurants and shops in the area, but to get to things farther out, we could have our hotel call for a taxi.
Erin:
Food/Accommodations
Dino:
Cerro Castor
Location: 26 km from the city of Ushuaia, Argentina over Route No. 3
Price: Lift =123 pesos + Equipment=78 pesos = 201pesos($50.73)
Total for 5: 1005peso = $253.66
We had looked up many things to do in Ushuaia, and one of the things we all wanted to do was go out and ski and snowboard. Luckily for us we arrived in Ushuaia on the last week the mountain is open for such an activity. Since the seasons are changing we found out that the price of skiing and snowboarding went down to only 123 pesos per person($31.04). Everyone decided to pick up snowboards and helmets for safety. Fortunately we all thought to bring jackets and gloves so we did not have to worry about buying new gear. The guys had all snowboarded before, but Jennifer and Erin had not, so they had to learn on the go so we forwent lessons. With 24 different slopes to ride, everyone just went on the easier ones so we could all get a chance to ride with one another. We spent several hours riding and enjoying the cool air around us. Overall one of the most exhilarating experiences thus far.
Location: Yaganes 127 (next to the port), Ushuaia, Argentina
Price: $100/person
Total: $500
We found out that there were Penguins in Ushuaia!!! Everyone got really excited about this so we booked our tour with the Pira Tour group. On the day of the tour we hopped on a bus of about 15 people toward Harburton Estancia. The bus ride was about an hour which felt like forever because we all really wanted to see penguins in the wild. Upon arrival we treated ourselves to a coffee break and a nice slice of lemon cake(98.97pesos). John and Dino agreed it was probably one of the best cakes tasted during the trip. Erin, Jennifer and Nathaniel didn’t think so much about. But once the snack was done off we went on to a small island 15 minutes from the shore. We were very amazed when we started to see them. We were surprised to learn that we were going to get off onto the island and get closer. Apparently this is one of the only tour groups allowed to do such a thing. We took most of our time taking photos near the penguins. We kind of scared ourselves that they would eat or eyes out if we got too close. After 45 minutes with the penguins we had to say our goodbyes. Erin and Jennifer were especially saddened by our departure. An exciting new experience with local wildlife that we usually only see in zoos or TV.
Total for Skiing and Penguin Watching: $778.66
John Ropietski:
Beagle Channel
Description
This excursion sets out from the tourist port of Ushuaia, on one of the different crafts available, even though our proposal is a twenty-passenger ship so you can experience a good approach of the surrounding natural environment and are assisted in a more personalized way. Later, the boat sails southwest, away from the city and towards the heart of the Beagle Channel. It circumnavigates Alicia Island, which shelters a large colony of sea lions, until it reaches the Eclaireurs Light House, standing on a small island in the archipelago of the same name. This old lighthouse dating back from 1919 is one of the icons of Ushuaia, and the farthest point of the excursion
Maritime, Penal, and Antarctica Museum
Description
The huge Maritime, Penal, and Antarctica Museum is housed in a sprawling 5-spoked penitentiary built for bad guys and political prisoners (from Russian anarchist philosopher, Simon Radowitzky, to a noted Argentine author, Ricardo Rojas). The maritime portion displays scale models of the important early explorers from Magellan to the Dutch, English, and Portuguese. A huge map of Tierra del Fuego shows the literally hundreds of ships that have foundered and sunk on its shores. The museum also describes the lives of the most notorious murderers and the politically incorrect and a huge amount of information on the exploration of Antarctica.
Nathaniel:
Overall, I enjoyed the time spent in Ushuaia. My favorite attraction was the Maritime Museum. It taught me a lot of stuff about Antarctica that I really had never learned before. Plus, I have always had such a big interest in the sea and ships. Antarctica is interesting because most people do not really know a whole lot about the continent. I also enjoyed the snowboarding, especially with the fact that we were using real snow and not artificial.
Budget (USD):
Food:
Attractions: $500+$778.66= $1278.66
Accommodations:
Transportation: $1851.54
Weekly Total: $3130.20
Grand Total Remaining: 62,547.75
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