Pali Aike

Pali Aike, a cold patagonian step with vulcanic formations in region XII of Chile, in province de Magellanes, 195 km from Punta Arenas... The oldes vulcano errupted 3000000 years ago, the newest erruption is dated for 10000 years. Impressive colours and balzatic lava pipes.

Guanaco baby seems to be very curious while it`s mama - very pissed off...

Moon landscape

Lava pipes

Climbing to a Crater Morada del Diablo

The inner layers of crater are peeling off, showing many different shadows of basalt lava

Once you drop into, forget getting away from the Devil´s Throat

Looking into Crater Morada del Diablo

So much live and joy on such a dry and windy place

Lava bubbles

Calafate Enano (Berberis empetrifolia)

Zapatito de la Virgen (Calceoraria uniflora)

Ana Lagoon with salty water, the only source of water in the park.

On the way back to Punta Arenas

from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas, Chile

Ushuaia - it is such a small city, at the ass of the world - but if you turn the map the other way around it is actually The Beginning, not the End of the World... I felt here very nice  - and I have spent the whole week there, enjoying the idea of being so far away.

The view of Ushuaia harbour

Es mucho trabajo...

Goodbye Ushuaia, I know one day I will be back!!!

Tuesday, 7. December

With my australian friend we went for a relaxed trek to the Glaciar Martial. At the end of the trek it was not so relaxed anymore, because it was indeed very steep and the wheather was changing every 5 minutes. The glacier itself was really small, but the view over Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel - very impressive.

Wednesday, 8. December

I am leaving Ushuaia - I feel a bit sorry about it; I feel for the first time sorry during my trip that I am leaving. I went to Punta Arenas in Chile - this time I have crossed just two control points, exit from Argentina and entrance to Chile - it is quite annoying... On the travel from Rio Gallego to Ushuaia they were four control points, because we have to leave Argentine, enter Chile, and an hour or so later leave Chile to enter Argentina. So at every control point you have to leave the bus, make a queque to show yur passport, than pick up your backpack, form a queque to x-ray your backpack. I still do not understand why we could not queque just once at the every control point carying both: passaport AND backpack - but as I cannot change it I accept it... What can you do? And what can you do about it, thet over 40 persons from the bus HAVE to queque to one window for a pass control even if other two are free?

Estrecho de Magellan, Magellan strait

Welcome to Chile!

Punta Arenas

With our dutch-australian-team we arrived safely in Chile, in Punta Arenas. We are spendinga few days together, since Ushuaia. On the evening of arrival we had a nice dinner in La Luna restaurant and had a loooot of sleep after quite annoing bus ride...





Punta Arenas is a nice city but they have a bit problem with cables hanging around...

Thursday, 9. December

On the first day we visited one of South America most fascinating cemeteries, Cementerio Municipal. It is a great place to relax and think of your closest persons... Time for contemplating and some questions...

Friday, 10. December

We went to Pali Aike national park, 200 km away from Punta Arenas. For South America 200 km there and back is really nothing... On the way to the Parque National we visited two ship wracks stranded next to Estancia San Gregorio and  dropped into Estancia itself where at this moment sheep have been shaved. It was the first time for me that I have seen it life... From one sheep you get a one huge piece of  "wooly carpet" It is not a peaceful procedure but sheep somehow gave up, they were tolerating this unpleasant event with a patiency and in absolute silence...

En estancia San Greorgio

Waiting for their turn in a silence...

Taking as it is in a silence...

... giving up.

Pali Aike

 Pali Aike is rugged volcanic stepe pocked with craters, caves and twisted formations andmeans in Tehuelche language "devil`s country". We have seen a lots of sheeps, guanacos and nandus. Craters of vulcanos as well, of course.

Ushuaia...

Ushuaia


Saturday, 4. December

Lazy day, but only in the morning. Visit in Museo Yàmana, native people of Tierra del Fuego.

please read it...

Yàmana lived in cold and wet and windy Tierra del Fuego naked, protecting their skin with animal fat.
The beginning of their end was e.g. when europeans put clothes on them - which stayed quasi constantly wet, causing deseases...

In the evening a concert of very famous in Argentina 86-years old tango singer Alberto Podesta combined with tango show and milonga - not for tourists, just for local people. A real pleasure.

Sunday, 5. December

A great wheather - sun, sun, sun! Finally the summer begins. At this day as an australian-dutch-polish team we went to Park National Tierra del Fuego; for me it was my second visit to the reserva, so I had another route of trekking now.

 

So many branches are dressed with a lichen called barba de viejo (ols`s man beard)

Andeanian geese at the Beagle Canal

notro, fire bush

A fungus known as pan del indio covers a lot, a lot of trees, grows in huge groups and sometimes falls down next to your head.

If you squizee it makes a kind of sound you do not like...

at the different maturation stages

funny colourfull creature

water plus fallen trees  is one of my favourite landscapes

A grey fox, zorro gris, came very nearby and was very interested in my empanada con carne.

Despite having ribes vaccination I had to hide empanada, the fox came a bit too close...

Brasilian Girl, the Zebra and the Angel loved Tierra del Fuego.

The Wooly Penguin from Buenos Aires, however, stayed with a friend in Piedrabuena.

Maybe one day I would come back here to do the other treks...

 

Monday, 6 December

Mikolajki. Nikolaustag. Penguins with Santa Claus caps in the city...  Lazy day: hot chocolate, bifo de chorizo con pure de papas y ensalada. I have never eaten so much meat before, soon I will get a protein shock. Skype, finally, with my family. I have made a decision and will try to get on a boat to Antàrtida. Working, as I do not want to pay 3500 or 4000 US dollars  for a very last minute oferta. As a biologist giving talks about fauna and flora of this continent (oh, it does not matter maybe that I would do it better at mouse bahavior or neurogenetics or schizophrenia and cannabis topics) or as a translator or waitress, I am quite flexible... Do I really want to spend days and days shaking and floating on waves (I cannot even go in car in a city without feeling sick) and in a very windy and very cold wheather? Maybe they have a plenty of anti-vomiting pills :) For the purpose of visiting Antàrtida: yes, ich nehme es in Kauf. If it will not function, I will go there later as a passenger, never mind - the work there would be hard anyway. But: keep the fingers crossed...