30th March 2018 – Between the Woods and the Water: Tierra del Fuego National Park
I had been looking forward to visiting Tierra del Fuego National Park for some time, so I was really excited for today. I especially hoped we might see the elusive Andean condor, a bird I have been fascinated by for a while, ever since I was a wee kid reading South American folklore. We did see 3 circling by Staten Island while we were on the Plancius (an amazing day where we also saw killer whales, Peale’s dolphins and wandering albatrosses) but truth be told, they just looked like black dots floating about in the sky. I had a feeling we might have a better chance of seeing them properly today.
After a short drive, we arrived in the National Park. It was a gorgeous morning; the perfect day to go walking. Our first hike was overlooking the coast.
The views were incredible and I was sad when we reached the end of the walk. I honestly did not think it could get any better. I was wrong.
We drove to our second location and this hike was absurd. Glacial valleys, blue waters and the Andes surrounding us- it almost didn’t seem real. I kept taking pictures of my surroundings, trying to capture what I was experiencing but it was fruitless. I had to remind myself to just take it all in and enjoy the moment. It was at this point I was certain this would not be my last visit to Patagonia. I thought of Patrick Leigh Fermor and his walk through Europe, and how I would love to do similar a cross-border trek from Argentina to Chile through the National Park.
With more beautiful views, interesting wildlife, and Rachel slipping in the mud- the rest of the walk was what one would expect when hiking through the National Park. We stopped by a nearby campsite where we sat in the sun to have our lunch next to a lovely river.
The views were great, and there are few things I am more proud of than my avocado and scrambled egg sandwich.
Some of the “locals” were also interested in our lunch though so we had to be on watch….
The final hike location was a deciduous forest. Stepping through it we were welcomed to an explosion of warm colours – orange and reds and greens. The guide commented it’s like walking through a fairytale forest and I can’t think of a better way to describe it. Words have always eluded me so I thought I’d let the pictures speak for themselves.
Close to the end of our final hike, someone pointed to the sky. Condor. I took out my binoculars and peeped through them. I saw the familiar black dot moving about. It was really far away, and seeing that spot of that size in the sky meant that it must’ve been huge. I thought that when I strained my eyes enough I could just about make out its beak and wings, but quickly realised that at that point I was just deceiving myself.
We reached the end of the road, quite literally, and took the compulsory group picture at the sign confirming our special destination. For some other travellers who started in Alaska this is the end of the Panamerican Highway and their long journey across the Americas. For us, it’s the end of our Antarctic adventure.
On the way back, we stopped by a café with stunning views of Lago Roca and towards Chile.
It was a really lovely day and the best way to end our time in Ushuaia. And maybe I didn’t get to see the Andean condor up close, but I guess for now I will have to be content with 4 black dots in the sky.
Written by Rekha Mohan
