Ushuaia, Argentina
Weather: Partly cloudy. 43degrees F
''Antarctica? Why?'' ''Antarctica? Wow!'' Those were the two most common responses from family, friends and colleagues when they learned I was off to the frozen continent for the holidays. Professionally, I study isolation among humans specifically Americans 50+ so for me going to an isolated continent was a logical extension of my professional work. In fact, I felt lucky making a choice to see up close and personal a swiftly changing part of our planet, but some people didn't consider me lucky.
Antarctica is a continent of extremes. It is the coldest: a temperature of -128 degrees F was recorded in 1983 at Russia's Vostock base. It is also the windiest, the driest, and the highest. If you've read anything about travel to Antarctica, you're familiar with tales of crossing the iconic Drake Passage, which separates South America from Antarctica. Suffice to say its 621 miles of storm-prone sea. ''I'm an experienced traveler,'' I told myself. ''Surely I can handle Drake's Passage''.
Apart from the scientific bases run by a handful of countries, the only other signs of human presence in Antarctica are the frozen huts of unknown whalers and famous explorers like Shackleton, Amundsen, Scott, Nordenskjld and Larsen who answered the challenge of its emptiness in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Yesterday I flew from the U.S. to South America landing in balmy Buenos Aires enroute to Ushuaia, bags filled with merino wool and Gore-Tex layers, ski gloves and other paraphernalia designed to keep me warm and dry in sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds. I loved my twenty four hours in Buenos Aires with its streets of colonial buildings lined by flowering jacaranda trees, its parks and squares shaded by vast canopies of ancient gum trees and its many museums, not to mention its fabulous cafe culture. But Antarctica was calling so today I flew to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the southern hemisphere, and the embarkation point for my cruise. It sits at the tip of Tierra del Fuego, on the Beagle Channel (named after Darwin's boat), surrounded by the towering glaciers of southern Argentina and Chile.
The locals repeat that Ushuaia was a ''rapidly growing frontier town'' bustling with adventurous travelers. Ushuaia (i.e., ''bay that penetrates to the west'' in the indigenous Yaghan tongue) clearly benefits from its magnificent, yet remote setting. The rugged spine of the South American Andes ends here, where two oceans meet. Upon arriving to Ushuaia I checked into Hotel Los Cauquenes Resort and Spa and arranged for a day trip on the Patagonia Adventure Explorer. I left the local port with a small group of passengers in the direction of Alice Island to see the colony of sea lions; we continued to the Birds' Island where the King and Imperial Cormorants live. Then, we navigated towards the Sea Lions Island to see them and Fur Seals. Finally, we found Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse for a short trek.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.