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Punta Arenas, Chile12/30/2010
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Jake the Canoeist...Better Move Fast, This IS a Museum!
Met Shaun & Helen Outside This Beautiful, Historic Old Home Across From...
This Cemetary is Famous, Great Apt. Style Burials
Today we end our long, relaxing stay in Ushuaia and begin the journey N. Bus leaves at 8...we got our tickets days ago so have nice view seats up front. Looking forward to new adventure on our Navimag ferry trip along the coast of Chile
Bus left 8am exactly...same route going as coming back up to Rio Grande, crossing the Stait of Magellan Where & What is Strait of M., and then turning S. to P.A. It was flat, flat, flat tundra/steppe again once an hour away from Ushuaia...bus all tourists from all over. Same ridiculous Chile border crossing - ckg for veggies etc, all out luggage scan and some even open, over an hour. This time our driver was conscientious and we arr in P.A. as promised at 7:30 pm. We had reservations at Hospedaje Costanera, a 6 to 8 block walk, where the houselady, Teresa, greeted us warmly. She helped us get oriented, gave us a map, showed us where to find ongoing bus, ATMs, restaurants, etc.
After banking chores to pay back Jake (in Cochrane the only ATM only took MC and we only have Visa...Jake, thank you for having MC, ha!), we got our bus tickets for Sat. at 1:15 to Puerto Natales and finally (10pm) to dinner, a local restaurant and our first meal of the day. Typical on a long bus day, we snack all day and then eat late. In Argentina the locals just begin to come alive around this time it seems and stores, restaurants, etc. stay open past 2 am! Food is not special, altho supposedly the beef in Argentina and Chile is supposed to be great but we don´t eat much, if any (way over budget).
12/31
Walked around town, went to P.O. and shipped box home. Bon got an email from Shaun and Helen - we will meet them @ 8 by plaza. Plus, email from Barbara Venegas who we met in Chalten. She's in P.A. and we called her _ hope to see her before lvg tomor. In eve we searched for a place to celebrate...first place closed at 9, so only got one beer there. Finally, we ended up at The Beagle Restaurant, only game in town turns out (w/o reservations). Lots of tourists there because it was only place open...very strange. Christmas was more celebrated w/ fireworks, etc! Any way, we were joined by Frank, a German fellow travelling for 3 yrs thruout Americas, he started 4 mos ago in Buenos Aires where he landed w/ his BMW bike after a 6 wk boat trip across the Atlantic. We had a rousing time...I partook too much...and were last to leave the place at 1 am.
