The End of the World, January 27
The British had a problem. In the late 18th century, due to the pesky American War of Indepedence, they could no longer transport convicts to North America. They turned to Australia as a dumping ground for their undesirables. Transportation served at least two purposes. The British jail system couldn’t accommodate very many prisoners, so this alleviated the problem – it was either that or execution. Secondly, in the long run, it helped to colonize the Australian continent.
Argentina had a problem. They needed to attract more people to Tierra del Fuego. They also wanted rid of repeat offender convicts. They looked at the British convict transportation program and decided it was a pretty good idea. Certainly a better idea in the Argentine minds than the other British idea of colonizing the Falkland Islands. Someone said, “Let’s build a prison in Ushuaia and send our bad guys there!”.
Starting in 1896 prisoners began to arrive in Tierra del Fuego. The prisoners played a significant role in the development of Ushuaia. They were used for labor; mostly cutting trees, building houses and a railroad. Escaping was useless: you couldn’t get much more isolated than Tierra del Fuego. It’s a series of islands the very tip of South America. Any way out involves crossing a body of water. One prisoner who tried to escape was found dead by a river. But at least they named the creek after him. In other words, there was nowhere to go.
Today, Ushuaia is a city of around 80,000. Prisoners are no longer transported here. They have either all left or were assimilated into the general population. The prison itself was closed in 1947 by Juan Peron and is now a museum. The city now attracts its population with jobs in tech manufacturing, cargo shipping and catering to tourists. Ushuaia is considered the southernmost city in the world, and in the summer months is a hub for large cruise ships passing through Tierra del Fuego and the Chilean fjords, for cargo ships passing between oceans, for trekking and camping in the Andes and for expedition ships heading for Antarctica.
Last time we were here, the wind was blowing, the waters were rough and summer was rapidly packing its bags. That time, while waiting to board our ship, we were held prisoner on a catamaran tied securely at the pier and fed lunch. This time, it’s the height of summer. Upon leaving the airport, we loaded onto busses and drove through Tierra del Fuego National Park. Just a few kilometers outside Ushuaia, beginning its journey to Buenos Aires and beyond, Route 3 turns into a gravel road. We rolled through the Park among the southern end of the Andes and where glacial valleys and moraines were clearly visible. Also clearly visible were the bare hillsides where prisoners did their logging work more than 100 years ago.
We came to a bay in the Beagle Channel and boarded a catamaran, apparently the preferred method for schlepping tourists around at the Bottom of the World. This time, we actually were able to leave the shore, and made our way back to Ushuaia and our waiting ship on a glorious sunny day. We had our first introduction to aquatic birds. Shags, petrels and tern rookeries dotted the rocky islands around Ushuaia harbor. We also had our first introduction to the smells of a rookery with which we will become very familiar over the coming days.
Finally, it was time to board the National Geographic Explorer, the same ship on which we spent nearly a month in 2016. This is our third time traveling with Lindblad Expeditions. It’s a company that caters to a slightly older demographic. They are very careful with their passengers, lending assistance wherever needed and emphasizing safety. So, it strikes me as funny that upon entering the ship for the first time, passengers climb a rickety and slightly tippy stairway up about two stories. Halfway up, at least there’s a large net on the sides to keep people from denting the dock should they happen to fall off.
As I said, we travelled on this ship two years ago. That trip was one with many passengers who had traveled with Lindblad many times in the past. We found it somewhat intimidating, and maybe a little obnoxious that fellow passengers obviously knew and were known by the crew. This time, as soon as we boarded, we saw waiters, cabin attendants and crew members who we remembered. We were greeted like family members, with huge smiles and hugs. They clearly remembered us. Even the captain knew us. Michele and I looked at each other and said,”Uh oh, we’ve become THOSE people”.
After a little bit of time, and with no small amount of déjà vu, we quickly re-oriented ourselves to the ship, filled with anticipation and excitement for the sights, adventures, education and the Drake Passage, all of which lie ahead.