El Fin del Mundo

This day has been re-affirming. In Los Antiguos I read a book, There is a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, and I’ve been practicing the attainment of higher frequencies of energy through a connectedness to my spirituality, which channels all the energies to work toward positive outcomes. This is not as complicated as it sounds. It’s more than the power of positive thinking. It means focussing on breathing, relaxing the tension in one’s face and shoulders, trusting in and connecting to a Higher Force that is pure love, and letting go of the natural urge to be in control. What happens after that is pure magic: everything falls into place, and things unfold the way they are supposed to.The past week or two has been frustrating as nothing that I was trying to plan would materialize. I was going to be in Ushuaia for 3 weeks, and tried getting a Workaway job there, but gave up after several emails. I contemplated changing my flight to Buenos Aires to an earlier date and then go to Uruguay and work there for 2 weeks, but I was unable to get onto the website to do the change and I had no replies from emails I had sent to Uruguay. All along I knew there would be a reason for this, but at the same time I knew I had to make decisions. On Friday the 13th March, it started to change:

• I managed to buy a new ticket for US$150 less than what a change of dates would have cost
• I made an Airbnb booking in Buenos Aires for 2 days only
• I decided to go to Uruguay anyway, work or no work
• Halfway to the place where I was going to dispatch Louise seperately to Buenos Aires (thinking only 10kg of hand luggage was allowed on the plane) I decided not to carry on walking and turned back. I was just fed-up with worrying about everything and gave up on all my concerns

And then this morning:

• It wasn’t raining when I left for the airport (rain had been forecast)
• I had decided to take the bus into the city centre to save on the cost of the taxi to the airport, and as Louise and I crossed the street to the bus stop, it arrived, right on cue
• The route of that specific bus just happened to go right to the other side of town, very close to the airport, so the taxi cost next to nothing
• Louise was allowed as luggage, absolutely no problem
• I had been assigned a middle seat, and the window seat just happened to be unoccupied (the plane was full)

And on landing at Buenos Aires:

• WApp’s that I had received made me realise that Uruguay was not going to allow me entrance as result of the coronavirus
• And urgings from friends and other incidents made me decide there and then to change my flight back to South Africa
• I went to the LATAM counter (no que!) and managed to get a flight on the 16th, allowing for the 2 days accommodation I had booked, just perfect.

All of the above is what is re-affirming. There is an English hymn that we used to sing in the Methodist Church when I was a child: Trust and obey, for there’s no other way… This song has become my mantra.

Okay, now that I have shared some of the turbulence I’ve been through, let me tell you about Ushuaia, also known as El Fin del Mundo (The End of the World), as it is the southernmost city on the continent. Here’s a map to orientate you (the yellow is Argentina, the rest is Chile):As usual on arrival, I decided to walk to the place I had booked, not realizing that it was 2,4km, with a hefty uphill to boot. The swivel of Louis’ wheels is not working that well anymore, so the poor thing periodically gets kicked just to keep her on track. I arrived hot and sweaty, ate a leftover sandwich and went to bed.The Argentinian part of Tierra del Fuego, the large island south of the Strait of Magellan, was populated by mostly non-Argentinians during the second half of the 19th century. In 1869 a British missionary, Stirling, lived among the native Yámana and was later joined by other missionaries, teachers and farmers. These natives suffered many deaths as result of diseases and eventually the missionaries withdrew.The Argentinian government decided to establish this area as a penal colony in an attempt to gain sovereignty and to populate the area. In 1896 the first inmates were accepted in the newly built prison in Ushuaia. They were some of the most serious criminals and second-time offenders of the country, and were used to chop down thousands of trees in the area. They built a railway-line from the forest to the settlement, and most of the timber houses of the town were built by them as well. The prison was closed down in 1947 because of reports of abuse and poor conditions. The train is now run as a tourist attraction to transport visitors to the National Park. A mural on the post office wall:Today, Ushuaia has much to offer in the way of trekking, catamaran trips along the Beagle Channel to see lighthouses, sea lions, birds and penguins, visits to museums and estancias (farms), skiing and walks along the waterfront. The long main street has many restaurants and shops, some of them tax-free.All the excursions are quite expensive (most are over a R1000), so I limited myself to two of the cheaper ones. The first was to the National Park where I spent the day walking some trails. The bus stops at different points in the park, and I got off at the pier, where the smallest and southernmost post office is.From there I followed a trail through more enchanted forests and along picturesque coves, until I reached a point where one can cross to a small island, where the end of Route No 3 is, which starts in Alaska.There is a beaver dam built in one of the rivers on the island, most intriguing. Unfortunately they are a pest, as they were orginally brought in to breed for their pelts, which was not lucrative, so they became wild. They cause a lot of damage to the forests and are being trapped and castrated or sterilised to curtail their numbers.On my way back through town, I ran into a protest march for International Women’s Day. Ooh boy, I wouldn’t want to cross swords with some of those ladies! They were dancing and having fun though, and feminism is huge in Argentina. Necessarily so, as abuse towards women is rife.My second outing was to Laguna Esmeralda, an emerald coloured lake northeast of Ushuaia, surrounded by the Sierra Alvear and with water from a hanging glazier feeding into the lake. To get there, one has to hike 4km through muddy forest paths and peat bogs. Suggested walking time is 2hrs, and it takes 2 long hours to slog through it all. The parts of the path in the forest that were dry were a pleasure, but the rest was a matter of hopscotch from solid piece, to roots, to plant mounds, to stones and little detours that take you to firmer ground. One slip, and you land ankle deep in the mud. I slid on some flat pieces of logs that had been packed to serve as pathway, and had quite a nasty fall. Luckily my phone didn’t hit the water, but I was a bit shaken up and my arm and leg bruised.I came prepared for the peat bogs though, as I had read a blog beforehand, warning of the treacherous stretch before the final part taking you up to the lake. I took off my shoes and rolled up my pants, and just walked through the peat, trying to keep to more solid spots, because one can sink in knee-deep. I had slip-slops for the stony bits in between, and washed my feet in the emerald river water afterwards – I had even brought a towel. Everybody commented on the suitability of the plan, but nobody followed suit. Some people very meticulously picked their way through, others just gave up and got their shoes thoroughly covered in mud and peat. It was a challenge, and the view from above of the lake and mountains was spectacular. There were hordes of people doing the hike, but on my way back I had a few minutes of walking alone through the forest. I stopped and listened to the silence, breathing in the rich, moist air and appreciating the stillness of the soft green leaves, filling my soul.The day before the 13th I followed a road up a mountain to what I thought would be a view, but all I found were cabins in the forest and dogs. I also found a tree under which I could sit and gather my wits, do the thing I described at the beginning of this blog. When I got up from there, things had changed, I just knew itOn the 14th I left for Buenos Aires, and had one day to take my leave. My accommodation was in a lovely old homely apartment, with a super helpful hostess who insisted on cooking for me and driving me to the shop. I walked 25 blocks to Plaza de Mayo, a nostalgic and emotional trip, reliving my introduction to Argentina more than 7 months ago. Time had passed in the blink of an eye.1

16th March:

As I walk towards the linking tunnel before entering the plane, it hits me: I’m leaving – my travels have come to a swift end. Coronavirus has dictated that I leave sooner than later, 3 weeks prematurely. Emotions well up, and I blink away the tears. I will be back, I think, or probably not. This has been the adventure of a lifetime, but there are other worlds to explore. And my family and friends are warmly awaiting my arrival. Taking a deep breath, I smile and step onto the walkway.

Thank you all for following my blog. Talking to you in my mind as I formulated experiences helped to make everything more meaningful. I truly appreciate each read, feedback or comment, a heartfelt thank you!

Se cuidante!