Argentina: Ends of the earth

At the southern tip of South America, on the island of Tierra del Fuego, ocean, sky, mountains and air combine in ethereal delight to forge majestic and rugged landscapes. 
Most striking are the mountains, the southern Andes range. Peaks jut high to heaven and spread far across land and sea, snowcapped and rocky, solemn and jagged. They preside as stone sentinels, more cold and rugged than Utah peaks, more remote, isolated and lonely. Dante on any level could never have dreamed of such a place.
This is a land of extremes, dubbed El Fin del Mundo (the end of the world), where mankind coexists with nature, seas heave and flatten, and skies press down in gray gloom or rise in clear, crisp expanse. The wind is frigid and warm, biting and soothing. It blows in early morning fury, then stops, leaving a stillness that sings of beauty and peace.
Summertime in the U.S. is wintertime in much of South America, and few places are as captivating as El Fin del Mundo. At 10 a.m., the sky is daybreak-gray, but by afternoon, solid clouds give way to soothing sun. Winter on Tierra del Fuego is akin to winter in Utah, and for those who disdain the busy tourist season, there’s no better time to visit. 
   
Southernmost city » On the southern shore of Tierra del Fuego, the city of Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swhy-a), has risen from mud, stone and sweat of those held captive by the place (both metaphorically and physically). The area originally was home to a prison, a penal colony of sorts, where inmates cut wood in nearby forests and helped build a railway, as well as Ushuaia. The prison at Ushuaia is now a museum and the main industries on the island are tourism, fishing and petroleum.
Ushuaia, population 60,000, is the southernmost city in the world and is one of two on the Argentine portion of the island. The other is Rio Grande, home to about 90,000.
Tierra del Fuego was divided by Argentina and Chile in 1881 and means ³land of fire.² The island was named in the early 1500s when Ferdinand Magellan sailed by on his trip to circumnavigate the globe. He saw fires started by natives on the shores and dubbed it a land of fire.
Ushuaia rests at the edge of a natural harbor on the shore of the Beagle Channel, named for the ship which carried Charles Darwin on its second passage through the channel in the early 1800s. It connects the Atlantic to the Pacific. Ushuaia begins at the harbor and spreads up the benches of the Martial Mountains, which hold back the Martial glacier.
Though some of the buildings and homes in Ushuaia appear rustic and haphazard, the city has a bustling retail district with stores, restaurants and comfortable hotels. Three-star accommodations are clean and affordable.
Restaurants and cafes offer the best Argentine cuts of beef and fresh seafood. Tierra del Fuego is a tax-free zone, so purchases are cheaper than in other regions of the country. The exchange rate is about 3 pesos to $1.
Like larger cities in Argentina, shopping in Ushuaia is a favorite pastime. Argentines are among the most fashionable people in the world, with tastes and sophistication rivaling any European or American modes and coutures.

Nature tours: » Wildlife enthusiasts will find the island a paradise. Tierra del Fuego National Park, a large refuge designated by the Argentine government, is brimming with animals and vegetation. Any of 38 tour companies in Ushuaia will guide visitors through a motorized tour, stopping at majestic points in the park to view wildlife and breathtaking panoramas. There’s also a tourist train to transport visitors on a scenic, one-hour ride to a bus-tour pickup point in the park.
Wildlife includes condors, swans, ducks, geese and a variety of seabirds; beavers and otters, rabbits, hares, wolves and more. Take a boat tour into the channel from one of seven companies at the waterfront and you¹ll view sea lions sunning themselves on rock islands or fishing in icy waters.
There are dolphins and whales and, at times, penguins, as well as the picturesque ³El faro del Fin del Mundo² (the lighthouse of the end of the world). It beams and beckons to navigators, guiding them on their way, keeping them safe from treacherous rock islands.
Boat tours offer onboard-only voyages or may land passengers at certain islands for wildlife walking tours. Be sure to bring a winter coat, boots, hat and gloves. A scarf, long underwear (or snow pants) and Chapstick also is recommended.
— 
   
D.B. TROESTER can be contacted at dtroester@sltrib.com or 801-257-8731. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com.  

   Fashion and nature at the end of the world
   
   Getting there » Travel to Ushuaia can be booked through Aerolineas Argentinas at aerolineas.com.ar.
    » Hundreds of travel agencies in Buenos Aires also can book travel to Ushuaia.
    » A round-trip flight from Salt Lake City to Buenos Aires costs from $600 to $1,700. Flight time is about 16 hours.
    » A round-trip flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia costs $300 to $700. Flight time is about 4 hours.
    Where to stay (double room prices) » Ushuaia: 3-star hotel, $55 to $120; 4-star hotel, $150 to $190
    » Buenos Aires: 3-star hotel, $95 to $150, 4- or 5-star hotel, $100 to $250.
    What to do » Boat tours into the Beagle Channel range from $40 to $80.
    » Bus tours through Tierra del Fuego National Park range from $70 to $80.
    » Train to El Fin del Mundo: $70
    » Prison, maritime and history museums
    » Skiing
    » Shopping
    More information » Visit wikitravel.org/en/Argentina; justargentina.org; travelsur.net; and welcomeargentina.com (in Spanish).
______________________________________________
SOURCE
“Tierra del Fuego: Ends of the earth”
By D.B. Troester
The Salt Lake Tribune
07/29/2008
http://www.sltrib.com
http://www.sltrib.com/Features/ci_10006809