Welcome to the end of the world!

GERMAN
Welcome to the end of the world. Just the name 'Tierra del Fuego' (Land of Fire) sounds so adventurous that I couldn't miss this part of Argentina. After all, I can claim to have been to the southernmost city in the world (Ushuaia) and hiked to the end of Route Nacional 3. My hostel has a different perspective, as it claims not to be at the end of the world but at the beginning, you just have to turn the globe around. In summer, there are endless opportunities to spend weeks in nature, in the mountains, by the lakes, etc. Due to the offseason (winter), however, many trails were inaccessible, so we limited ourselves to a day hike in the Tierra del Fuego National Park and a day hike in El Calafate and El Chalten with the National Park of the Glaciers. The nature here is indescribable. Even though there are no penguins to be seen in the offseason, it was still possible to see falcons, seals, woodpeckers, foxes, and cormorants. Even the seagulls look adventurous with their bright red beaks.

In Ushuaia, I met a Hungarian girl. Her travel route is similar to mine, so we continue traveling together. Due to the weather, almost all restaurants are closed and the famous Route 4 is blocked. We had planned to travel to Bariloche in the mountains via Route 4, but we had to change our route and go along the coast. Overall, traveling is slightly restricted. The country's poor economic situation and the pressure on politicians due to the upcoming elections in October result in strikes by government officials, which includes all public transportation. The banks don't make life easier for us either. It is only possible to withdraw money with a fee of 5-10€, and the maximum amount of approximately 100€ can only be withdrawn at every fifth bank. Argentina is a strong, proud, and traditional country. It saddens me to see how difficult the economy is making life for the people. Everywhere I go, I am faced with the same questions: 'What's your name? Where are you from? How long have you been traveling?' so I find myself longing for a constant element. A few days without living out of a backpack, a few days without a new orientation, a new city map, a new hostel, new people. At the same time, I hear about more and more places that I 'absolutely' have to see, and I feel that my time here is too short.

Our coastal route took us to Puerto Madryn, where we could see whales and snorkel/dive with seals. To get organized, we decided to stay here for an extra night before continuing our journey to Salta in the northwest of Argentina.

As always, greetings.
Hasta luego
Dory


ENGLISH
Welcome to the end of the world. The name 'Tierra del Fuego' (Land of Fire) itself sounds so adventurous that I couldn't skip this part of Argentina. Now I can say that I have been to the southernmost city on earth (Ushuaia) and hiked to the end of National Route 3. My hostel had a different point of view. It states that it's not located at the end of the world but at the beginning. All you have to do is turn the globe around. In summer, there are endless opportunities to spend weeks or months in nature, between countless lakes and mountains. Since it's the low season (winter), most paths are inaccessible, so we reduced our hiking expeditions to day tours in Tierra del Fuego National Park, El Calafate, and El Chalten with the National Park of the Glaciers. The nature here is unbelievable. Even though it was not possible to see penguins in the low season, we were able to see falcons, seals, woodpeckers, foxes, and cormorants. Even the seagulls here look quite adventurous with their red beaks.

In Ushuaia, I met a Hungarian girl with a similar travel route to mine. We will continue our trip together. Unfortunately, due to the low season and the weather, almost all restaurants and the famous Route 4, which we planned to take towards Bariloche in the mountains, are closed. We had to skip this place and take a detour along the coast. In general, traveling has its limits. The country's bad economic situation and the upcoming elections in October lead to strikes by state employees, which includes all public transportation. The banks don't make life easier for us either. Withdrawing money is only possible with a fee of 5-10€. Furthermore, the maximum amount of 5000 Pesos (about 100€) is only available at every 5th bank. Argentina is a strong and proud country, and I feel sorry for the people whose lives are made so difficult by the economy. In every place I travel to, the same questions await me: 'What's your name? Where are you from? How long have you been traveling for?' I am starting to miss a constant component. Some days not living out of a backpack, some days without a new orientation, without a new city map, without a new hostel, without new people, etc. On the other hand, I hear more and more about places that I 'absolutely' have to see, and I feel like my time here is running out.

The coastal route took us to Puerto Madryn, where we watched whales and snorkeling with seals. We will stay an additional night here to organize our further trip to Salta in the northeast of Argentina.

Greetings as always.
Hasta luego
Dory