Ushuaia Days

Well, we've found shelter for another night at the Cesar Hotel on San Martin. We were supposed to stay here from tomorrow, but we could move in today. so back in another room full of plastic bags, sailing gear, laundry, computer and photo gear. I just washed out my sailing trousers with sweet water to get rid of some of the salt. Why do our hotel rooms always end up looking like camp sites though?



This isn't such a nice place as Cabo, no room to cook for one thing, and not much room for sitting down. The public spaces are the same as in most big hotels, clean and impersonal. The frames on the walls are a strange mix of old photographs of Ushuaia, which are nice, bad reproductions of great art, Vincent van Gogh in colours that would make him unhapppy, and watercolours with the kind of English garden images that look completely out of place here. Because we were moving in and organising ourselves today we must have left and picked up the key to the room at least ten times within two hours, not an issue at Cabo. Anyway, mustn't grumble. At least we can stay here until we board the Multanovskiy, so no unpacking and packing for a few days....

We're both not feeling great today, headaches and other minor ailments, so it's a good day for moving rooms and taking it easy. Hopefully we can go for a long walk again tomorrow. It's a pretty grey day here too, cool, but not too cold.

A few days in Ushuaia, with a few practical things to settle and arrange, and a little more time off. We join our other ship in a few days, two more trips for me, on a different ship, a different way of working and at a different pace. we only have 11 days for a trip, half the number we have on the Europa. We have fewer landings, but more than half. The Drake takes only two days though.

Being here creates some weird moments. Today, as we were carrying down luggage to the new hotel, a man shouted and waved at us from the back of a motorcycle. Not some crazy person, but the captain of one of the catamarans here. He is always very friendly and interested, and it was funny to see him earlier. Ushuaia still is a small town, where you will meet or see the people you know regularly.

I think we also know quite a few pizza places round here now. Being vegetarian in Argentina can be a bit of a challenge, but you can always count on pizza and pasta places. The best pizza around here, I think, you can get at 137 (San Martin), formerly known as Tanta Sara. Again, a new, modern, clean place. For atmosphere the best place is Barcleit, old, small, great wallpaper and unique service. Maybe not the best pizza, but certainly good enough. And just fun and good memories.