March 19 – 24, 2015: El Chaltén, El Calafate & Ushuaia 
March 19 Thursday: Hike to nowhere (15km)
I book a room at Hosteria El Pilar for tonight. My original plan is to go to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado (12km/4hrs one way) with an elevation of 1200m before taking the car from Hosteria El Pilar around 4 or 5pm. But things do not work out as planned. I set off after 8:30am in a gray morning. The terrain is totally different from the previous two treks with gentle uphill path, forest and grazing cattle. Light snow starts falling an hour later. By 11am, only two persons have walked past me and there is deeper snow on the ground.
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I am not a strong hiker and do not want to get lost in snow. Shackleton is my idol: I have learnt to assess the situation, accept my limitations and know when to turn back. At 11am, I decide to turn back not knowing what lies ahead in a snowy day. I meet six persons (all in pairs) on my way down. It is not safe to walk on my own especially when the weather is unstable.
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I am back in my cabana by 1pm. Unfortunately, the driver from Hosteria El Pilar does not come till 6:30pm. The drive out to the hosteria after the snow fall is captivating – an expansive white world! The hosteria facing the back side of Mt Fitz Roy is gorgeous, comfortable and peaceful. It is run by young people who are amicable and most helpful. I have a steak and a glass of red wine for dinner. The bill is less than 1,200 peso. Great value for a most enjoyable stay! I hope to return for a longer stay one day!
March 20 Friday: Sendero al Fitz Roy (about 16km) – El Calafate
The best decision I have made for my stay in Argentina is to spend a night at Hosteria El Pilar and take the Sendero al Fitz Roy for the second time. I get up before 7am and go outside to watch sunrise. What I see is magical: the golden and pinkish ray is lighting up Ag. Saint Exupery (2558m), Ag. Poincenot (3002m) and Cerro Fitz Roy (3405m) and the clouds are pink too. I am extremely lucky to be able to watch the changing lights and a mesmerising sunrise. 
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After a quick breakfast, I begin my hike along Rio Blanco. The scenery with fresh snow and clear sky is stunning and breathtaking.
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Then the weather changes and becomes cloudy. Looking at the fast changing weather, I decide not to climb the steep slope to Laguna de los Tres for the second time especially I have no walking poles (I have returned them to Paula).
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Later the sky clears up: I have perfect views of Mt Fitz Roy en route to El Chaltén. I have my picnic lunch while enjoy the awesome scenery. Then I stop every five steps to look at the mountains and the breathtaking scenery. My photos can never capture the grandeur and majesty of the landscape.
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My companions of the day are two owls. I do not know their name but we form a bondage after staring at each other for over 15 minutes in the wood all alone. What a wonderful moment in my life!
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I am back in El Chaltén before 2:30pm hoping to catch the bus leaving for El Calafate at 3pm. But the next bus is at 6pm. The tourist office suggests me visit Mirador de los Condores which take about an hour for a return journey. I follow her advice and have a good view of the mountain ranges, El Chaltén and the river valley.
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I arrive in El Calafate bus station just before 9pm (bus fare- 275 peso). It’s dark and I have no map in hand. I trust my instinct and sense of direction. After a minute’s walk along the main street, I spot a sign Flores del Sur Hospedaje with a nice iron gate and a small garden. The place is run by a nice couple who looks friendly and trustworthy. I pay 350 peso for a room which is clean with TV, hot shower and toilet. There is good WiFi too. I am hungry and go to the eatery next door. The wholesome menu of the day with salad and steak and a beer only cost 120 peso. I do not need to spend a fortune to have a decent place to stay and a good meal!
March 21 Saturday: El Calafate – Ushuaia
My plane to Ushuaia leaves around 4pm. David, a friend who has been travelling in this area, has given me two tips: I must visit the Municipal Reserve Laguna Nimez and the shores of Lago Argentino and have an ice-cream. I follow his advice. By 9am, I am on my way to the reserve which is 15 minutes’ walk from the city centre. The reserve with an area of 1,830 acres is well – designed with trail/boardwalk and signage. One can see wetlands with reeds, swamped grasslands and shrubby Patagonian steppe with a high concentration of wildlife. 
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Though I am not a birdwatcher, I can identify a few birds including Austral Flamingo, Black-necked Swan, Magellanic Plover, Southern Lapwing, Chiloe Wigeon, Grebe, Coscoroba Swan, Upland Goose, Crested Duck, Andean Ruddy Duck, Red Shoveler, Southern Caracara and Chimango Caracara. I do not leave the reserve till 12 noon.
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As the airport shuttle (90 peso) is scheduled to pick me up between 12:30 and 1pm, I have to rush back to Flores del Sur Hospedaje. Hence no ice-cream! The airport minibus arrives at 12:30pm sharp. But it goes all around the city and the outskirt to pick up a dozen more passengers. As a result, it does not head off to the airport till 1:15pm. Had I known it, I should have taken a taxi (about 2,000 peso) so that I could have had two more hours to enjoy the reserve and sample an ice-cream.
Efficiency is unknown here. The queue at the airport is not long but it takes more than half an hour for check-in. I arrive in the empty departure lounge at 2:30pm. As announcements are in Spanish, I do not know when to board. As a result, I only rush to the gate when my name is called: I am the last passenger to board! I am back in Posada del Pinguino at 6:30pm. Ushuaia is famous for king crabs (400 peso a kilo). I have a delicious king crab and seafood rice tonight and plan to have a whole crab before leaving Ushuaia. On my way to the hotel, I buy a 500-gram king crab legs for 360 peso and a bottle of red wine. This will be food for Sunday!
March 22 Sunday: Beagle Channel Cruise
I have a lazy morning writing, sorting out photos and enjoying king crab legs with red wine. As the weather is excellent, I prop out to the pier to look for excursions. I find a cruise (600 peso) in a small boat to Beagle Channel. So I am off to the sea again at 3pm! There are seven young Argentine tourists on board. The weather is excellent and we have an enjoyable time with four stops at-
- the iconic “Lighthouse of the End of the World” inaugurated in 1920
- Despard Island with the largest Imperial & King Cormorants rookery of the area
- Alicia Island with South American Sea Lions
- Bridges Island where we have a 30-minute walk on looking at native fauna and vegetation
Beer and hot chocolate are served on board during the 3-hour cruise. I have a great time watching hundred of fur seals, Imperial shags, Black-browed albatrosses and Kelp gulls. Good value-for-money!
March 23 Monday: Magellanic Penguin Trip
I work hard in the morning and join an afternoon excursion with Piratour to see Magellanic penguins for 1,200 peso. At 2:30pm, 14 passengers board a minibus heading to Estancia Harberton which is closer to Port Williams, Chile which lies on the opposite side of the Beagle Channel. The route to Estancia Harberton which was founded by Thomas Bridge in 1886, is scenic especially with autumn colours. The bus ride takes more than an hour and a half and we have a short boat ride to Isla Martillo. One can make a day trip by boat from Ushuia too.
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The colony here has several thousand pairs of Magellanic penguins. Most of them have gone north. I might have seen the species before but cannot remember. About a hundred Gentoo penguins have migrated and settled here for a decade. There are also plenty of Imperial shags and Upland geese.
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I am back in town at 8:30pm. I want to have a steamed king crab. But a dozen people are lining up outside the restaurant. I hate queuing and have mussels and a trout in a nearby restaurant. The food tonight is too salty.
March 24 Tuesday: Ushuaia – Depart on board MV Ortelius
I plan to go my flavourite restaurant for a steamed king crab before going to the pier at 4pm. But I am determined to upload as many photos of the 32-day Antarctica Odyssey as possible and cannot stop before completing the task. Hence I work non-stop till 4pm without taking time for my dream king crab. Am I insane? Possibly!
Remarks
This is my third and the longest stay in Argentina. I first visited Buenos Aires and Iguassu Falls with my best friend Lillian in 1988. Then I stopped at Ushuaia for two days in 1999 after my first trip to Antarctica. I like Argentina and always want to spend more time to find out more about it.
Things have worked out surprisingly well. I have a good rest on land before returning to the sea on board MV Ortelius. My four days’ hike in the Los Glaciares Park is most enjoyable. Patagonia is one of the most beautiful regions in South America and a hikers’ paradise. The weather changes all the time: I have walked in the rain, snow and sunshine and seen rainbows everyday. As I have been properly dressed and stayed warm, the weather has not been a problem.
I find El Chaltén is an excellent base for leisure hikers. One can find all types of accommodation and take a different trail each day without the need to carry heavy backpack, tent and food. Hosteria El Pilar is lovely and I hope to stay longer one day.
Ushuaia has grown a lot since my last visit in 1999. As a main gateway to Antarctic, it has benefitted from the booming polar tourism. Its tourism industry seems doing well offering good products to tourists.
I have done a few things for the first time: an enjoyable self-guided hike to Laguna Esmeraldal, a trip to see Magellanic penguins and a cruise in the Beagle Channel. One can find lots of wildlife in the channel without travelling to Antarctic! I am now carrying a ‘polar bug’ with me and hope to see an Emperor penguin colony next. Hence I shall return to Ushuaia for the third time for the Emperor penguin chicks and a fresh king crab Farewell to Ushuaia for the time being!