The city of Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. It has captured the imaginations of explorers for decades, and we are no exceptions. I (Daisy) have been dreaming of this place for many years. To actually be here, preparing to embark on our next big cycling adventure, is a dream come true.
Total travel time to get here from our door was about 26 hours. Miraculously, every bag and every bike box arrived undamaged. We spent our first day wandering the town and putting the bicycles together. Ushuaia is cold, windy, wet and full of art.
The city is perched on the edge of the Beagle Channel, surrounded by mountains. It was so dreary we didn’t see them until the fourth day, but they are stunning!
We discovered that both girls love empanadas and most particularly they love “submarinos,” which is the local approach to hot chocolate. To make one you start with steaming hot milk, then melt in a big chunk of dark chocolate before drinking it all down!
I learned the hard way that to buy groceries with a credit card you must show your passport here. Alice and I headed to the store with just a credit card and a few US dollars. At check out I was shocked when they asked for my passport! I tried to pay with the dollars, but they were all too ragged to be accepted. After a long back and forth, I learned that a *photo* of my passport would be good enough and luckily I had one! It was quite a scene.
Here are a few more photos of our time here. Tomorrow we start our journey on bicycles!
Congratulations!! So very exciting!! What an amazing trip you will have. Such lucky children!
Incredible. Your kids are so lucky!
You only live once (as far as I know), you followed your dream, especially with your kids.
So rewarding for you all!
You will have (mostly) incredible times together, but hardship is coming your way too, you’ll manage those times together, I am sure, with all your experience you both have!
Reading this, it remembers what I asked my children when we cycled for several weeks together: In short I only had ONE “rule” don’t be grumpy, if there is anything, we’ll deal with it.
This way we both (always with one child at the time) had a wonderful experience, it did work.
My children became adults and carried this experience with them.
One of them did, until some years ago, several full triatlons, now “reduced” to Trailrunning.
They became (partly because of this experience) physical and mental strong!
Go and have fun together, I will follow you all the way.
Menno
Thank you Menno! I am so proud of the kids. We had some very tough riding days that would be mentally challenging even for adults. They love to look at maps and trace the route we have already ridden. Their only request lately is that we never plan a cycling trip again with such strong winds! I may say I agree with that request.
Cousins,
Wow, what a cool adventure you are on. So interesting to read about it. Thank you for the pictures too. Be safe and have fun.