Jan 19 - Ushuaia End of the World

We had a 2:30 wake up this morning and left the hotel at 4:30. The streets of Buenos Aires were empty which is unusual. The AEP airport is pretty new and very pretty. We got thru check and security and had some time to eat a muffin and get a cappuccino. The flight was 3 hours long and it went smoothly.

When we landed it was 46 degrees with a breeze and some light mist. It was just a 20 minute bus ride to downtown Ushuaia which is the southern most city in the world. The sun was out as we unloaded from the bus. The city has 90,000 people so it's a big city.

We headed for a local restaurant the Casa Olmo Bodega for lunch. It was a very cool old restaurant with a ton of wood and a lot of neat murals. We ordered the lamb stew and a beef empanadas as well as two glasses of white wine. A great way to start our short stay in Ushuaia. The food was wonderful and the proprietor a friendly guy. We started with pita chips and hummus and both had wonderful flavor. We relaxed and talked about the trip ahead of us.

Next came the bakery where we picked up several cookies and a free sample of the freshly baked baguette that just came from the oven. Jack also had a hot chocolate which was very yummy and steaming.

We strolled the main city street and there were a ton of shops to visit. In the end Dianne bought a sweatshirt and a T shirt for Avery. The shops were high end to low end and there was some pretty stuff. We found building full of artisan shops which was very cool. Jack bought a warm cap made from llama wool which fit nice and snug - perfect for this trip and playing golf on a cold day.

We finished back at the same bakery for a Coke Zero and a cappuccino. One of our ship mates was also there so we had a nice break before it was time to go back to board the bus.

The bus ride took us thru security and out onto the dock. We boarded the boat up a steep ramp and we were finally ABOARD! It took a long time to make this happen and we were very excited to reach our cabin and take a moment to savor the journey ahead of us.

We had a short break and then we headed out to do some exploring. We had been on this same exact boat in the same cabin - 707 - when we travelled to Iceland and Greenland two years ago. This boat is designed for this type of excursion exploration and we love everything about it .

We had an early lunch and then spent time out on the forward bridge searching for wildlife. We saw Magellan penguins and seals and whales and a ton of different birds. This trip will be filled with so many different sights and the first day did not disappoint.

We finished with a glass of wine and then off to sleep. It was a great first day on the Ultramarine.











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