As we made our way up the Beagle Channel and neared the port of Ushuaia, it became clear that the weather would give us a hard time here as well. It was announced that it was too windy to attempt to pull into port, so we would be waiting it out until the wind died down. We spent the day losing our minds a bit, playing Monopoly, drinking lots of cocktails, and staring longingly at the oh-so-close-yet-so-far-away shore. Around 5 o’clock, the captain made the call and finally managed to swing us skillfully into the dock. Karen and I were the first ones off the ship. A rainbow appears over Ushuaia as we wait for the winds to die down so that we can dock the ship safely (Meg Giddings)
The next day, One Ocean arranged a day tour for us out to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We hopped on a minibus with our guide and headed out on National Route 3, which he informed us is actually the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway. Where this highway ends in the heart of the national park is actually the southernmost point that you can drive a motor vehicle. Not a bad place to end a road trip, I’ll say. A great shot of a rainbow over the Beagle Channel as we explore Tierra del Fuego National Park (Karen DiGangi)
It felt SO GOOD to stretch our legs and do a bit of wandering. It’s a beautiful area with gorgeous views of the Beagle Channel.
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about all the flora and fauna in the area, pointing out different types of trees and explaining why they grow in certain areas of the island. He also mentioned the invasive nature of beavers in Tierra del Fuego, just as our 4x4 guide had many days before. Brought in during the 1940s in the hopes of establishing a fur trade, the beavers quickly settled in. Because they have no natural predators on the island, their population has grown unchecked, and they have caused a lot of damage to the forest. Our guides pointed out numerous places with obvious beaver damage, and these areas can take a long time to recover.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
