I awoke after a great night of much needed sound sleep we dressed and set out on our day. We started at a local bakery and coffee shop. I had a delicious apple pastry and coffee con leche.
The town is surrounded by incredible mountains. We drove through town to the nearby Tierra del Fuego national park. Where we boarded “el tren fin del mundo” (the train to the end of the world). It was also formerly called the convict train. The waiting area provided some history and artifacts
Ushuaia originally began as a prison colony. Each morning selected prisoners would board the train and travel into the mountains to cut trees for lumber and firewood to support the prison and town. In the winter prisoners would walk in front of the train clearing the tracks of snow and ice. At the end of the day the prisoners would climb atop the freshly cut lumber for the ride back to the prison. Although the work was hard, many prisoners felt a sense of purpose and enjoyed being out in nature and the fresh air, although others said it was miserable conditions, and attempted to escape; however, due to the terrain remote conditions and close knit community, many returned a few days later for food. The convict train operated in the early 1900’s for close to 100 years.
The scenery from the train was phenomenal. There is narration available through headphones giving historical information along the way.
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Looking out at the baron land in front of us, we can see many of the stumps left from the trees harvested by the prisoners over the years. The taller stumps are said to have been cut at the snow level during winter, sometimes waist high.
After returning to the train station, we got back in the car and drove into Tierra del Fuego national park, again marveling at the beauty of God’s creation. The road ends at the furthest south roadway in Argentina. A short trail leads along the shoreline of the bay. If we were to head out into the channel the next land mass would be Antártica.
After a bit more driving we took a couple of side routes. One went to a campground that was along the train route. It gave the opportunity to get some pictures on the tracks. The other side route took us to the opposite side of the bay talked about above. There is a small stream emptying into the ocean.
We returned to the city of Ushuaia for some more exploration. The harbor views are spectacular, and there are many monuments to military and historical figures.
We stopped at the Patagonia brewing company for a drink before heading to dinner at a restaurant on a hillside that offered more incredible views of the city, harbor, and surrounding mountains. There was a nice sunset, and the food was delicious.
After a final look at the city lights below we returned to our room for the night which cost us $15 each for two nights
Video of train and National Park
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