| The Beagle Channel |
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| Written by Keith Rhoades | |
| Wednesday, 17 November 2010 | |
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Greetings friends and family...last night I went to bed about 10...but was woke up at 4:30 AM because the sun started shining in my room!! I dont know if I could deal with these extreme days and nights! In June the sun rises at 10 am and sets at 4 pm! Maria had breakfast for me and I took a nice hot shower in my private bathroom!! I walked down to the port and got on a catameran...The catameran set sail at 9 am and we went throught the Beagle Channel through and archipellego of small islands...one islands had south american sea lions. The Channell is where the pacific ocean meet the atlantic ocean! We passed all kind of birds I cant even remember the names of all of them. I do remember the albatross...it fascinated me because they can glide for a long time without flapping their wings and their wing span is huge. I was mezmerized by them. We continued along the Channel to another island where I finally got to see the penguins. They were Magellanic Penguins. There was another type there too...cant remember their name but I couldnt see them because they were nesting. The penguins were so cute and inquisitive and the showed off jumping in the water and staring at us as we stared at them. We then set sail for an Estancia Haberton...there are lots of Estancias here. They are like old missions that would harbor the ships, provide food, lodging. The Estancia we went to was originally inhabitated by the Yamana Indians...we learned about their culture and how they lived and then how the Episcopal Church came and set up the Estancia...like the Catholics did with the Calfironia Missions. The weather today was gorgeous. We then went on a hike through a nature preserve and I learned about all kinds of flora and fauna...including medicinal remedies and how some of the plants grow in this cold volatile climate. Some of the tree grow sideways due to the winds and shallow root system here in tierra del Fuego. From here we hopped on a bus which took us to Lago Escondido...Hidden Lake which was up in the Garibaldi Pass of the Argentine Andes. Beautiful scenery and small glaciers which I learned were left over from the last ice age 10,000 years ago We then headed to the Valle De Lobos....a valley where people in winter go x coutnry skiing and dog sledding. That season is over but we got to tour the kennel for the siberian and alaskan huskies. I got to pet them too! I felt like a kid today with wide eyes, full of wonder and finding excitement and newness in everything I did. Oh to feel that way every day!! We finally got back to Ushuaia about 7 pm and I stopped to have a sandwich and now winding down. I think tomorrow I am going to just hang out in Ushuaia and visit some of the sites and museums here and then friday go hiking at Tierra Del Fuego National Park. I also sort of felt like I was in school today...learning so much ecologoy, geogroapy, sociology...I cant even remember or digest everything I learned today. I can hardly wait until next week when I actually go hiking on a glacier! Today was one of those days that ranks among the top for excitement like the reed islands i visited in Lake Titicaca. When I was on the boat I was reflecting on all the places I have been to...and the many exotic animals and stuff you read about as a child and it started sinking in how lucky and blessed I am to be able to actually see these things and experience these places. My feeling of gratitude runs over tonight and I only wish I could bottle up this feeling and bring it home with me and remember it and feel it on those days I feel like giving up, not pressing on, or just down in the dumps. Well, until tomorrow night...I hope all is well with you. Take care. |
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