After landing in Ushuaia, Argentina, I found that most of the content we covered in class is almost to the dot, accurate. My initial impressions of the city were pretty bleak. It reminded me of an isolated town, with less access to the outside world compared to other cities. After spending the equivalent of two days here, I can say that my perspective on the area has significantly changed. Most places are hole-in-the-wall. Despite initial appearances of the town, if you know where to look and have will to adventure, you’ll find that the city is very intimate and personal. It has bustling restaurants, bars, and shops; one only has to use their shoes. One excursion we went on was, Tierra del Fuego National Park. Compared to the other excursion, this one was less “tourist-y” and instead had a cultural centered outlook. We learned about the environment, native populations, and went on beautiful hikes. I hope that I get to enjoy more significant and meaningful experiences like that one during my time in Antarctica, despite the “Drake-shake” or any unpleasant weather. On another note, some of the main differences I have seen so far include the obvious change in infrastructure followed by the change in environment (plants, mountains, microorganisms). Another interesting difference for me was seeing horses roam freely around the national park, I know that is normal in a lot of countries, but it still caught me off guard to see a horse on our trail, or see markings on our hikes from them. But while I say all of this I must stress that if you have two shoes and a call to adventure or be spontaneous, walk around, you’ll find the heart of this city.
