Direction Home

We have spent almost two weeks in Ushuaia. The first week we were thoroughly relaxing in Ana´s home, not really thinking about anything.
One day we have learnt that a famous hitch-hiker and a writer Juan Villarino was in town. He and his girlfriend Laura have succeded in getting a ride to Antarctica. We found out when their ship was due to return to the port and went to the pier to meet them. As we were watching people walking out of the port reception, we saw a familiar face - Romina! It was a third time we meet her! We were chatting when Juan and Laura walked out. We greeted them, shared our almost-cold-by-then mate and chatted for a bit. We agreed to meet that night.
Later that night while sharing some beers, Juan and Laura told us about their Antarctica experience. Amazing photos and lots of impressions. Wow. Right now they are on their journey to Greenland! After a few hours of talking, Juan and Laura`s friends Aki and Leandro arrived. They did not join in the conversation, but got busy in the kitchen. A few hours more and they invited us all to the table. It was a feast! The food was all vegetarian, a tough thing to pull off creatively in Ushuaia, but they have masterfully succeded! It was our first truly vegetarian meal in a while.
Our spirits were high when we left the house that night.The days were passing by one after another but we were not getting any closer to what we should do next. We would make up our minds about looking for a ride to Antarctica only to reject it and decide to leave town a few hours later. I don´t think we have ever been so undecided in all our lives! Well, after about ten changes of mind, four days of arguing for and against, we have agreed: no Antarctica.
In our last days in Ushuaia we explored the magnificent landscapes around - forests, glaciers and beaches. We camped in a beautiful lenga forest near the glacier one night and another night on the beach, witnessing amazing sunsets and walking amongst the delicate southern mosses and low wind swept bushes.This is where the glacier was 40 years ago - now there are only a few snowy patches left here and there. The tourism office in town still sends tourists to see the ¨Magnificent Martial Glacier¨ - that is no longer there.Delicate mosses on the way to the ¨glacier¨ - the short green leaves you can see are hard as a rock! A view from our campsite some 400m below the glacier.
Playa Larga, on the other side of the bay from Ushuaia.
We are officially starting on our way home now! Direction: north!!!