After a whole night and most of the following day in various airports and airplanes, our group of about 15 or so students finally set foot in Ushuaia. The very first thing that catches your eye in this far-removed city is the multitude of colors. The ocean is a vibrant blue; there are greens, browns, and whites in the hills; and the slanted buildings come in many pastel shades. As our bus drove through the city, it is abundantly clear in the architecture that each area of the city has a distinct mix of cultural influences. In Texas, you see some Mexican influence, and occasionally European, but the effect is not nearly as stark as in Ushuaia. In Ushuaia, each street feels like its own country, as if the entire city could be a microcosm of Europe. I have never seen this type of street-to-street diversity in the U.S.
While in Ushuaia, we had the wonderful opportunity to tour the national park (Tierra del Fuego). The tour of Tierra del Fuego was excellent. During this visit, we hiked two roughly 25-minute hikes, stopping to photograph the local scenery. While we stopped for lunch, a caracara eagle hopped around us trying to steal bits of bread. It was beautiful, and I managed to get a few photos of it. The wildlife in Ushuaia seems to have a strange relationship with humans. The eagle, specifically, was very friendly with us, and despite our attempts to maintain a solid distance from it, it seemed to try to stay very near (likely to steal more scraps). Overall, it was an incredible way to experience the natural wealth of the region. We were fortunate to have a very knowledgeable guide, who helped to identify the plants that we were able to find. We spotted what we believe to be “Calafate,” a local fruit that seems to be extremely popular. At a local restaurant, they served us Calafate ice cream, and at the local shops, they all sold boxes of shortbread cookies with Calafate as a filling.
Overall, the city was a gracious host to our little group. We found it to be diverse, historically rich, a valuable resource for the natural sciences, and warmly welcoming despite its cold climate.
