To the End of the World
Although I had just arrived in Buenos Aires, it was time to move on and begin my journey around the country. Not to worry though, I was going to be in Buenos Aires two more times, later in the trip, but till then, let’s keep on going.
Routine morning of waking up early, like the day before, although this time I was a lot more refreshed. I started early by packing my carry on bag, which I would live out of for the next 3 weeks as I would trek through through Argentina from south to north.
Renata was up early as well, as she had another 24 hour shift beginning early in the morning. I have honestly never regretted my decision to not become a doctor, especially when seeing my friends who are going through the process or are working as doctors.
We had a quick chat before she was gone, and a quick goodbye in case she wasn’t going to be able to meet us later for brunch. I continued with my packing and then went down to grab a coffee.
I ended up at Havanna, which you could think of as an Argentinian version of Starbucks. I managed to order a slice of banana bread along with a caffe con leche, and was starting to get impressed by how I can manage to do things in Spanish despite the fact that I did not really learn it. I used my time at the cafe to catch up with friends and family, and then took a little stroll around the neighbourhood before going back up to the apartment.
Uli was up at this point, and let me know that he was just waiting to hear back from Renata to see if she was going to be able to meet us for a quick brunch or not. I used the time to get ready for the airport, and then we left to meet her. We took the subway to a different part of the town which was super residential. The subway station exit was in the middle of a park, and it was a great way to observe a Sunday morning for Porteños. The park was filled with people exercising, having a walk around, or just sat on one of the many benches. It was nice to find this little slice of the city which was much quieter than the centre.
We took a seat at Cafe Martinez, which now that I think about it, more closely resembles a Starbucks than Havanna. I opted for an avocado toast with scrambled eggs, served with a caffe con leche and an orange juice. The brunch was decent, but nothing special. The three of us sat there chatting and discussing some last minute tips for my trip, while also watching the football game that was going on. If my memory does not fail me, it was France against Poland, and we were hoping for a French victory but that did not happen.
Soon enough, it time to head to the airport so Ren and Uli helped me find a taxi before we wished each other a see you soon. The taxi ride was rather quick, and I was at the airport about two hours before my flight. I waited there patiently for the flight while charging my phone, and in no time, it was time to board. It was the longest flight that I would take in Argentina, slotted at around 4 hours, which I used to catch up on some of my blogposts. The time passed by quickly, and soon enough, I was taking in the beautiful scenery on the approach to the southernmost city in the world - Ushuaia! The arrival process was quick, and in no time I was in a taxi making my way to the hostel.
So, let me give you some reference to where I actually was. Picture South America, and then the very southern tip of it - that’s roughly where Ushuaia is in the world. A small yet very touristy city, it is known as the departure point for cruises going to Antarctica, where a roundtrip sailing takes about 10 days. Now, how did I end up here? Well, I remember a few years ago looking into how to get to Antarctica where I ran across Ushuaia, and since then, was appealed to visit the city at the end of the world whenever I would visit Argentina. It is one of the only places I knew about in the country before I booked my flights or looked into places to visit in Argentina. I was excited to have finally made it, and I cannot lie that it took me a bit to process just how far I was from the entire world.
So back to my day, I checked into the hostel, arranged my stuff, and went out again, in more layers than before, to grab a bite to eat. Despite it being almost summer in the southern hemisphere, the temperature was under 10 degrees or so, and would not reach any higher during my whole time here. I walked around the city which really reminded me of some of the places I had visited in Iceland a few years back, and came across a restaurant that was along the main stretch of the city. I was simply hungry at this point, with nothing in mind, so I settled for some Hake fish sticks. It was an easy thing to eat, as well as on the cheaper side. Ushuaia was very expensive and the prices off of a single menu were enough to prove that.
I got back to the hostel before midnight, although there was still some light outside due to how south we were in the world. I remember experiencing the extremely long days in Iceland a few years back and now found myself in this same situation again. I then knew that I had some very long days coming up and quickly fell asleep, preparing for the long day of hiking that was to come.
Overall, the arrival in Ushuaia signalled the beginning of my solo journey around Argentina, which I am sure will be filled with all types of adventures, people, and most importantly, food. I am looking forward to hear your thoughts about my travels, and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Till then, stay positive!
