Argentina, day 3 - From Ushuaia to El Calafate

Ushuaia woke up rainy and cold today. And very-very quiet. Easter Sunday, I reminded myself (you can´t really feel it unless you are able to find a church and share it with other orthodox). I believe what makes places like this bearable on days like this it´s warm friendships and cosy cafés. Ushuaia has a couple of those, Andino and Tante Sara. The friends are very far away, sending sms with their easter wishes.

I visited the Museo del Presidio, in Ushuaia´s old and famous prison. It also houses the Museo Maritimo, Museo Antartico and an art gallery. Poor materials, but a very strong story. That of the prisoners, who ended up here and left to die, forgotten by everyone; murderers (including 16-year-old “petiso orejudo”, who murdered or tortured a number of babies and children in early 20th century Buenos Aires), mixed with thieves, mixed with political prisoners (the intellectual Ricardo Rojas, author of Archipélago, was among them). But also that of the expeditions to the Antarctic, of which the Argentines are obviously very proud. Nevertheless, it was in front of the photos of the Yamanas that I stood the most. The “do not disturb” sign in my hotel room showed the image of a Yamana mother with her baby on her back. Too late... The last survivor is a 88-year-old lady, still living in Ushuaia.

It was pouring down when I boarded the plane to El Calafate. But just before we took off, it opened up and the sun shined for a while. I looked at the town and kept telling myself “Ushuaia, Ushuaia, Ushuaia”... I finally came and I was leaving already. Three months ago that name was just a dream.

Arriving to El Calafate was very far from what I had expected. The landscape is nothing like what I had imagined. It´s a grey-brown desert, with a long never-ending road, the altiplano further away and the mountains even further. What a surprise, I loved it! I got out of the airport in the middle of nowhere. El Calafate is 20 Kms away. Nothing in between.

I got in my hotel room and discovered I had a huge window looking on Lago Argentino. Green and very agitated from the strong wind. I started writing and didn´t turn the lights on until I couldn´t see anything anymore. It was too beautiful to spoil it.