The little things about Ushuaia you didn't know...

We missed the earthquake in Santiago by less than 14 hours. Lucky. It's been now two full days since we landed in Ushuaia. To be honest, it feels like we've been around for a couple of weeks, not because we're bored, but because days here are so long. Sun sets at around 10pm, and Argentineans start eating at that time. 

During the daytime we've been exploring the local municipality. We've seen the ugly parts of Ushuaia and the nice ones. We know the bus routes, we know the shortcuts, I can confidently say we could be tour guides in this town. 

As of right now we're staying at a Camping Hotel a few kilometers outside of town in a place called Rio Pipo. Yesterday, as you were able to see through Micho's post, we hiked up to the Martial Glacier (not a lot of glacier, mostly rocks). Before the hike, we spent some time around town and I bought a winter jacket (nobody told us it was going to be this cold in summer here). Finally, in the afternoon, we met up with the Compass group as they arrived to the hotel after 16 days of riding from Pucón (Chile).

 

Anyways, during this entire time (and in order for me to be coherent with this post's title), here a few peculiar things we've noticed about Ushuaia, some things Travel Guides might not tell you:

- summer here isn't summer. It's COLD

- Ushuaia has a ghetto (we've been all over it)

- soccer isn't important here, only rugby

- that being said, there are two types of young people here: skaters and rugby players

- cab drivers do not understand the money conversion concept, do not try to pay them in US dollars

- stores shut down from 12-3pm

- Ushuaians have NO IDEA where things are in town. They may have grown up here, but do not know where the supermarket is, they will just say "sorry, I've never been to that part of town"

- also, it might be the proximity to the southern pole and some magnetic effect it has on people here, but they don't know left from right either

Other than that, the town is nice, weather is aggressive and people are warm. We are thinking of going to a penguin mingling experience they offer by the dock, a 6-hour tour. That might have to wait until we come back from Puerto Natales. 

Tomorrow, 6am, we have to return two 650GS to Puerto Natales, a town located about 900km northwest of Ushuaia. Then ride a bus back down before the real tour starts.