We keep going back to ‘The End of the World.’
This poppy was as big as a salad plate!
This was our third visit, but this time we were joined by our adult children for the holidays, which made it the best ever.
Ushuaia Argentina is the southern-most city in the world,
and can be accessed via the stunning Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego.
The city is surrounded by the towering glacier-rich Andes cordillera (spine), which was shrouded with clouds on this visit.
This part of the world is a wildlife and birders paradise and I will post some critters next.
Not too many people come here, but those who do are rewarded with vast tracks of open spaces and pristine nature everywhere.
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.
Stunning Patagonia. We were back for the second time in January of this year.
This is a saltwater marsh bird-sanctuary in El Calafate Argentina. It looked like a Monet painting.
These Harrier Hawks were guarding their nest and dove at us repeatedly. We wore tie on hats and protective eyewear and ducked a lot. We moved out of their nesting territory, but not before I took some shots. It was quite exhilarating!
Note the talons!
He looks rather annoyed at me doesn’t he!
The Southern Caracara’s were everywhere!
We came upon this herd of oncoming traffic while exploring down a dirt road in Las Rocas, El Calafate. You can see why Patagonia is famous for its horses. They were a gorgeous sight, and a bit of a problem as the road had no shoulder! They streamed around us quite politely though!
El Perito Morena Glacier El Calafate.
This Night Heron was in Ushuaia Argentina, the southern most city in the world, nicknamed El Fin Del Mundo. Of course we want to go back!
Cheers to you and happy Tuesday!
What are the optimum number of photos you like to look at in a blog post? Will you look at more photos if they are addressing a common theme? (Click to enlarge.)
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I have this mental rule that I still try to stick to even though I constantly break it. This rule is that I should attempt to limit photos per post to no more than 6 photos. I made this rule because I noticed I couldn’t process more than six disparate images fully, it becomes sort of overwhelming, and I stop looking. I have a friend who sends me slide shows of photos of her trips that number up to a hundred, are unlabeled and completely overwhelm. I can’t focus on any photo because there are too many.
However I also notice that if the photos are a common theme, lampposts, birds, whatever, I can and do process many easily. It is almost like each image builds on the prior one.
Should I regret for example, not posting all my Flamingo photos together because I now wonder, since they are a common theme, would people like to see all the photos once, and would it have been a better post?
And last call for the flamingos. Do you like seeing all these photos or do you think the quantity is distracting?
Just this guy. They breed the most beautiful Siberian Husky’s you have ever seen in Ushuaia, and use them in the winter as sled dogs to get around.
St.Bernards are popular here also. They wake from their long summer snooze when the icy Andean winter winds begin to blow. Mush, mush they’re off! For now though, in the sweltering 50F summer heat, it’s just snooze, snooze. I’m resting!
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.
Attention class!! Here is your non-requested penguin tutorial. We learned a lot about penguins on our Antarctica trip. The best factoid I learned? If a penguin is not liking you, they will projectile vomit their stomach contents at you, which consists essentially of regurgitated fish and penguin bile.
Hence when visiting penguins, it is very important that they “be” liking you!
I am so good at super complicated sciencey stuff like this.
And sorry, I know this is putting a damper on all the cute penguin lore of late…..
These Kings are not supposed to be here.
Last time we were in the area we saw kings where they were not supposed to be also.
Maybe the Kings have decided they like the real estate just north of Antarctica better. Less predators, warmer weather, why not relocate to warmer climes? Smart kings.
Maybe they will make their way to the Orient after a while!
Kings are the second largest of the penguin species, next to the Emperors. They live in the northern Antarctic and breed on the subantarctic islands, and errrrr, where ever the heck else they please……..thank you.
This is a Magellanic chick and it’s mother. The Magellanic is a South American Penguin.
More chicks.
Gentoos are large and hang out with the Kings. They have orange beaks and are native to the South Georgia Islands. Unless of course, you happen to spot them off the coast of Hawaii. If the Kings can move up in the world, why not the Gentoos? Fair is fair.
Here is a shot of the colony. They like to live close by their neighbors just like in suburban American neighborhoods!
Here is the penguin’s arch enemy, the Skua, who like to eat the chicks.
An Upland Goose was hanging out with the penguins also! He probably wasn’t supposed to be here either…. silly goose!
Okay, that is it for your penguin (and other critter) tutorial. This lesson has seriously taxed my limited brain circuitry. But you do have to admit it is true that traveling is very educational. Now we all know to NEVER piss off a penguin!
