| Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego |
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| Written by Keith Rhoades | |
| Thursday, 18 November 2010 | |
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Hello from Ushuaia..fin del mundo. Today I didnt have any major plans so I stayed and explored the town of Ushuaia. I woke up and Maria had breakfast for me and I got ready and headed out. In some ways it was nice to have very low key, slow paced day but in some ways not. I actually got to just enjoy this town. My first stop was the old prison built in 1890. Argetina wanted to copy England with their penal colony in Australia so they set up a penal colony here in Ushuaia. It was actually really interesting to tour the prison and see the cells. My favorite part was there were stories about various prisoners and why they were serving time there. The youngest was 12 years old for setting fires in Buenos Aires and killing some boys! There was 600 inmates male and female and they did hard labor building railroads, bridges, etc. I then went to the Mueseum of the Antartica and Tierra Del Fuego. both were interesting but I really enjoyed the Tierra Del Fuego museum. It had the history of when it was discovered by Magellan in 1520 and called Magellanland...then Fire Land because all the natives had fires along the coast...thus it became Tierra Del Fuego. It had old maps and expeditions. In 1830 Fitz Roy and Darwin came on the Beagle and did a study of the natives Yamaman people. Darwin at that time believe he found the missing link between apes and humans and it was these natives. They couldn´t stand fully erect because their bodies were always squatting. It was interesting to learn about the natives and tragic as in so many cases the entire race was wiped out due to disease and loss of resources. I loved looking at the old maps from 1600s...imagining what it must have been like to be an explorer at that time. I then went to another little museum about the wildlife and plants in the area. I then walked along the port shore up to the edge of town where they have a memorial for all the soldiers taht died in Las Malvina (The Falkland Island War) which is part of Teirra Del Fuego. I remember as a child hearing about that war between England and Argentina..but to be honest I dont really know that much about it and need to read up on it. I then stumbled upon the local cemetery. It was fascinating...nearly all the graves are in mausoleums above ground with a window in it...and you can see the actual coffin and then there are photos, mometos, cards placed inside the window. The family comes and leaves stuff there. It is kind of eeirie but kind of cool. It was bittersweet reading some of the notes loved ones had left behind...¨"miss you papi" "i think of you everyday" "mama and papa love you". There was a childrens section which made me pensive..children who were only a few days or few months old...born around the same time as myself. Had they lived they would be my age..and it raised the questions why do some make it, why do some not? Plus looking around at all the graves I thought in each grave lies a story...a story of love, anger, disappointment, hurt, loss...no unsimalar to our own stories but found myself wanting to know their stories. Because I was in an already pensive mood, this also started raising my questions about God and life after death...is there a God? Is there life after death? or when life is done...is that it!? I really wish I had faith and belief that there was but I struggle so with it. And I find not having that faith or belief leads me to feel that life is very futile..or what is the point. The town closes up from 2-4 for siesta...so I headed back to my room and rested for a while. As the afternoon wore on I felt very overcome with loneliness. It happens on these trips...where you just feel alone. I came back to town and had an ice cream cone and watched the people come and go and just felt like a stranger in a strange land....yet it did not leave me feeling like I wanted to come home. In fact, part of me is not sure what waits for me back home...the future is so uncertain back home and changes are taking place and I am not sure or clear what my direction is...and while I felt that way when I was back in Los Angeles...for some reason the feelings are even more intense now that I am away and on the road. So the positive about having a relaxed day is you can actually visit and enjoy some of these museums rather than rush. But the bad thing is that it does not keep me busy enough...so I start thinking and get lost in my mind which can be dangerous. Plus this town is very small...if I were in Buenos Aires or some other big city...there is always something you can find to escape into. But here...I am forced to be with myself and myself alone. So I am going souvenir shopping now and then grab dinner and head back to my room. Tomorrow I have planned to go the Parque Nacional De Tierra Del Fuego for some hiking...so that should do me good. Even though it sounds like a "downer" email....its all good. Sometimes I need to stop and reflect upon these things..as long as I dont get stuck there and dwell...and dwell..and dwell. Well, until tomorrow´s adventures...much love. |
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