From Buenos Aires to Ushuaia – 14 March 2017
We started off our day waking up in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires. Most of us headed to the top floor of the hotel where we had breakfast and chatted about our plans for the day while looking out over the city. Since we only had the morning before our flight to Ushuaia, many of us decided to take the walk through Palermo to the botanic gardens.
Walking to the botanic gardens was a treat. A storm had come through earlier in the week so it was significantly cooler than a normal Argentine summer’s day and the city pavements are lined with large, unkempt trees. Drivers in Buenos Aires can be a little “unpredictable”, and crossing the street successfully is a blessing rather than a given.
The botanic garden was beautiful. Even though some exhibitions were closed, we got to see many of the local plants, including Yerba Maté, a shrub used to make the famouls local Mate tea. We also got to see a number of butterfly species in the butterfly garden. The botanic garden was more like a large park with lots of fountains and sculptures and many people sitting on benches in the shade enjoying lunch or a chat with friends.We left the botanic gardens around noon and headed back to the hotel where we quickly gathered our things and headed off to the airport. After a relatively uneventful flight, we were approaching the airport in Ushuaia.
I don’t think any of use were prepared for the beauty of Ushuaia’s terrain. Settled between the Andes and the sea, Ushuaia is a sight like no other. Even from the entrance of the airport, the mountains stretch up and around the town, and push the town toward the sea.
After pictures and a quick tour of the town by minibus, we settled in our very comfi hotel and went to for a late but much needed dinner, where a celebratory merengue penguin made an appeareance for Alec’s birthday!
written by SK Read