Ushuaia & The Beagle Channel!

On August 25, 2013August 26, 2013 By cindy knokeIn MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Patagonia, TRAVEL REVIEWS97 Comments

The happy penguins of Patagonia!

The Beagle Channel is named after Darwin’s ship, the HMS Beagle. Darwin explored and mapped the entire southern tip of Patagonia.

The Andes.

Channel view from Andes hike.

Poppies everywhere!

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia Argentina. (This means “Land of Fire” and was named by Darwin. It referred to all the fires Darwin saw from his ship that were lit by the native people to keep warm.)

Ushuaia terrain.

I would recommend adding gorgeous Patagonia to your bucket list if you like to travel.

Happy Sunday to you from The Holler!

Ushuaia’s Twisted Trees!

On February 6, 2013December 6, 2013 By cindy knokeIn MY PHOTOGRAPHS, TRAVEL REVIEWS41 Comments

The weather in Ushuaia is directly influenced by its proximity to Antarctica and by the towering Andes that surround the region. It is a Magellanic subpolar climate. Winds are always present, but especially intense during the winter season. Trees in Ushuaia tend to follow the wind direction in an uni-directional growth pattern creating a twisted appearance. These trees are referred to as Flag Trees because they are permanently shaped like flags blowing in the wind. The particular trees in these photos are Southern Beech Trees.

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Beech Trees have shallow root systems and intense winds in bowl-shaped areas can wipe out entire forests.

Some of these areas remain devoid of trees because of the steady and intense wind.

This is a harsh, yet fragile environment. The strength of these polar winds creates a unique landscape in Ushuaia of savage and intense beauty.

The Astonishing Andes!

On February 4, 2013February 5, 2013 By cindy knokeIn MY PHOTOGRAPHS, TRAVEL REVIEWS25 Comments

Patagonia’s incredible and unique beauty is created by the sheltering and formative influence of the incomparable Andes. The Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world, stretching spinelike 4,300 miles across the continent of South America. The Andes are also the highest mountain range in the world outside of Asia, with an average mountain height of 13,000 feet. Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak at 22,841 feet.
The world’s highest volcanos are contained within this mountain range, including the world’s highest active volcano, Ojas del Salado, which lies, visible, on the border between Argentina and Chile. Ojas rises to 22,615 feet. She competes with 50 sister volcanos in the Andes range all of whom rise to over 19,695 feet.
Everything you see in Patagonia is framed by these formidable mountains.

The Andes approaching Ushuaia Argentina (shot from the Airplane window.) The Andes terminate in Ushuaia, El Fin del Mundo.

Ushuaia

The Peaks of the Andes shape the wind and the clouds.

El Calafate

Eerie Patagonian Sunsets & Stunning Terroir!

On January 24, 2013January 27, 2013 By cindy knokeIn MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Sunsets, TRAVEL REVIEWS60 Comments

Inside The Parque Nacional de Los Galciares at Lago Roca. (Glacier National Park, Rock Lake)

Estancia Anita. Ranch en route to the lake.

The vast Patagonian Steppe.

The solitary and windswept Andes.

Tomorrow we make haste to Ushuaia and the incredible splendor of The Beagle Channel, still in Patagonia, but also the most southern city in the world! Wildlife abounds here in incredible numbers. This will be a return trip for us and this time we are staying for a full week. So please stay tuned & cheers to all!