2. Ushuaia, The Beagle Channel and Drake Passage

Ushuaia in Argentina is called the most southern town in the world, or like the Argentinians like to call it el fin del mundo.
It has a very interesting history and you can still see that not too long ago this was still a pioneering town, but those days have gone. Nowadays the town is thriving on tourism and big cruise ships visit the town daily (in summer). Penguins can be seen everywhere, in the form of  unatttractive souvenirs (except for the beer mug in the form of a penguin that I forgot to buy), even in the form of  pastries.
The countryside has several good hikes to offer which I did at the end of my trip. But my first days here I just spend acclimatizing and preparing for the adventure ahead. The Bark Europa was already in the harbour but I could only gaze at it.

On the 7th of February we were allowed on board, we were all wondering how to stow away all our luggage in the tiny cabins but we all managed. After a warm welcoming speech of the captain everybody started to get to know each other and I remember some Japanese tourists thinking that we had a party and suddenly they were on deck as well, but unfortunately for them they were not allowed on board.



The 8th of February was departure day.
After first filling the tanks with fuel and freshwater and probably some paperwork we finally departed.
We got instructions on how to behave on board, safety procedures and which tasks were expected from us.
We were all divided in three watches, the task of the watch would be to steer the ship and be on the lookout for any object that could be in our way, like floating containers or maybe even sleeping whales, not that anyone of us had an idea how a sleeping whale would look like though.

The first hours through the Beagle channel we still had a mandatory pilot on board, after he had left we raised the sails and took over. Dolphins and some Magellanic penguins accompanied us, the weather was calm and nice.

That would change though.

During the night we entered the ocean between South America and Antarctica, the swell was increasing and the waves grew bigger.
So when it was time for my morning shift, I tried to get breakfast, was wondering how anyone could feel comfortable in these conditions and before I knew it I had to run our bathroom to get rid of my breakfast as fast as possible: seasick.
That first watch was not meant for me.
Fortunately for me I recovered within a few hours after which I truly enjoyed the conditions out there.
Not everyone was so lucky though, some of us were stuck to their bed for the whole ocean crossing.
Safety lines were spanned across the ship and we were strongly advised only to go on deck with a harness on  and to secure yourself on those saftey lines.
The library was off limits after a fellow passenger crashed into one of the tables and broke it.

After that first day the weather became calmer and we got to see blue skies again.
It took us 4 days to cross the ocean. Actually it was a good experience that you do not arrive instantaneously at your destination. This was a journey, not a holiday trip and you need to have some determination to get there.






It is a spectacular feeling to be in rough conditions with absolutely nothing else in sight than the ocean and birds accompanying us. Also in the skies above you would not see any trace at all of airplanes, we had just entered another world.



This album here has mainly pictures of Ushuaia, the Beagle channel and sailing on the Drake Passage.
It has 41 pictures.

click here for the album

And here is a video, play it with the sound on (and best to see it full screen):

16. Drake Passage, Harberton, Ushuaia. Heading Back, Walks in the Park and a Final Goodbye

After leaving the Melchior Islands we headed back to open ocean. On the way to Antarctica everyone was curious about the Drake Passage and we all knew that we had to endure this a few days but the reward would be at the end of the ocean crossing. Going back is different though. You know now what to expect and for some of us the outlook of a few days of rolling waves was not something to look forward to.
















The first hours again were a bit hard, but this time I held up and could relish my food as usual.
Eventually the ocean would be so calm that we had to use the motor to return on schedule in Ushuaia.
We got a last goodbye with another gorgeous sunset and dolphins that accompanied us for quite a while.



At night it was possible to have a view at the infamous Cape Horn far away in the distance.

Back at Argentina we made a stop at the Estancia Harberton, one of the first settlements in this remote region which has a very interesting history.
Nowadays it is part of the Argentinian heritage and has a good museum with all kinds of information about whales and seals living here. They categorize and do research on beached sea mammals and it was a welcome stop. It felt strange to walk on grass again.

This night we had our official farewell party with another barbecue. With no more sailing ahead the party lasted until the early hours.

That left us with one more day going back to Ushuaia, remarkably there were whales in the Beagle Channel,  Sei Whales which had not been seen here for 16 years. They kept far away though.


The 28th it would be the official end of the trip. All left the boat and I have to admit I had a hard time saying goodbye.



I did stay a few more days in Ushuaia, to slowly get used again to the 'real world'. I visited the National Parks and made several very enjoyable hikes, actually I saw another whale at the Bahia Ensanada, just from the mainland.

I did meet a few of the crew on my last night in Ushuaia, were we had some good drinks. Saturday the 3rd of March I would fly back home, but not before saying a final goodbye to the Europa that would sail again for another adventure and was leaving for South Africa.




This album here has pictures of the the Bark Europa at the Drake Passage, Seal Skeletons at the Harberton Estancia, Pictures from the National Park in Ushuaia including Woodpeckers and Caracaras and the Bark Europa finally leaving.
It has 39 pictures.

click here for the album




This was the end of a journey of a lifetime for me. All crew of the Bark Europa and my fellow passengers thanks for an incredible experience.