Ok, I am going to try to describe this as I felt it.

I left the B&B well into dusk.  The skies had cleared enough for a good view of the heavens above.  I was confused by this very bright star in the high north.  The moon was rising in the east but upside down and twisted in a confusing direction.  The towns lights were still too bright for me to see as clearly as I would like so I started walking on the main road out of  the city.  As a walked past the Navy base toward the fuel warfs I found an embankment that would shield me from the streetlights that were along the highway.  I scrambled down this hill onto a beach facing south and the harbour.  Here I hunkered down with my big binoculars and studied the pole stars.  There was the southern cross as I had seen it in books for years.  There I spotted the two Megellanic clouds, and inside the large one I could see the Crab Nebula… so bright and clear in the binocs.  The first time I had seen that was in photos as an 11 year old.  Fantastic.

Now since arriving here I have had a difficult time getting proper sense my position on the globe.  On the ground the world looks much the same… sky above, ground below, sun and clouds etc.  It is hard to sense being on the bottom of the earth.  So had to lay on the ground and put the sky into an orientation that I understood.  Suddenly it made some sense.  Then I stood up and figured out that the although the moon was rising in the east as it should… it would swing low into the northern sky.  for two nights I had visualized it going the other way out of habit.  Plus the bright star that confused me the night before was Sirus the dog star.  It is below and to the left of Orion when seen from home.  Here it was above an to the right of an inverted Orion.  I felt so excited because with a physical rush my body knew that I was being pulled gravitionaly to the center of the planet but looking “up” the horizon and the underside of the winter stars.  Holy shit it was like an amusement ride.  Orions sword was facing down like it always does but I was underneath it so thats why it was facing up.

Nerdy I know but deeply personal.

Yes we did make our flight out of Buenos Aires.  It was so hot in B.A. that when we boarded the plane the air conditioning was creating thick clouds of fog and mist inside aircraft.  It was like walking into a Berlin disco or a cheap horror movie.  Strange that our ticket was first class in cost,  yet not is design.  You know those two seats at the back of the aircraft that do not lean back… ya we got those.  Not complaining though.  We are both delighted to have made it.

The city of Ushuaia is enchanting.  This location at the bottom of world has an epic feel to it.  Wind swept and chilly.  Sunny…rain… sun and rain… wind .  Beautiful tall mountains on both sides of Beagle Channel,.  I see those cruise ships heading to Antarctica and I think, ” Oh if only I had $8000.00 dollars in my other pocket.”

We took a smaller  sail boat out into the channel and visited “H Isle” .  Nesting cormorants and other birds plus very exotic vegetation.  Plus I am learning about the long dead native population that lived  here, the Yamana.  Naked in the wilderness eating seal oil and smearing it onto there naked bodies for thermal protection.  Sadly, like the Hurons back home, they are all dead now.   A quick visit under sail to rock crops with sea lions and more birds.

Back at the BB and maybe a short nap.

Off to hike in the national park tomorrow.

ciao

Well we got to Jorge Newberry airport to begin our many long flights around the country only to find that even though my print out said I was confirmed and asured of our flights.  The entire itinerary was lost and there were no flights to Ushuaia till March.  Oh, man I felt bad but stayed quiet and Canadian about the mix up with my agent.  After many attempts to figure a way including going to other airline counters we returned to our first agent and tried for think of alternate destinations etc.  Well, maybe my semi weepy eyes did it, or not freaking out or something but she got on the phone and talked to another person and got us a flight in first class.  Normally reserved for who knows who?  Anyway we are off only 6 hours late.  I am feeling  very lucky indeed.

Of all goes well I will report from Tierra del Fuego.

ciao