March 20 Lay over Day

At 4:00am the bus pulls into the station and I haven't had a moments sleep. I guess the driver needed the stereo to be up full blast so that he would not fall asleep. That or he was one of those "if I can't sleep, no one can." guys. I'm not in the best of moods and not happy about an 18 hour lay over so I immediately start to look for a sooner bus. There is one other bus company going were we want to go and it leaves at the same time as our bus. Haven't they heard of competition? We have met two German guys who suggest that we all rent a car and drive 200km to a petrified forest. They are eager for us to go being too young to rent a car. I'm glad that Dan is as little interested in a petrified forest than me. I'm set off to find a hotel or hostel and our guide book recommends one around the corner. It's colder than a witches... well, it was really cold! I walked up and down the street were it should have been and when I at long last narrowed down the address it was now a buffet restaurant for $7 all you can eat. I went up and down street after street and found only one hotel that was $60 a night and I refused to pay that. I would rather have another terrible night in the bus station. Back at the bus station I tried to rest my head but my foul mood just got worse. That's It! I'll do what I hate to do. Let's get a Taxi! 

The first hotel was sold out. By who? Who the hell would be at a budget hotel in that sleepy town. The nest is the same, as is the third. But we find room at the fourth and check in after getting ripped off by the cabby. All I want is to go to sleep and wake up when the bus is supposed to leave and I collapse. 

When I woke up latter that afternoon, I felt much better and went with Dan to find something to eat. After that we though we could kill a few hours at an internet cafe and started to ask around. One pointed up the next down and still the third pointed diagonally. On one of our criss-crossing passes through town we passed a Casino. "Could certainly kill a few hours in there." "Probably shouldn't." "Let's have a look"........

It started off with a little electronic horse racing. I was kicking ass! Up at least $10. Feeling lucky I joined the crowd around the roulette table. "That was a fast $20. Better stick to small time slots." Started doing well there too. Even after losing at the roulette table, back up $20. "I know! I should take this winning streak to the blackjack table." It was all down hill from there. Way down hill! Despite both of us havening equally bad luck we certainly were in good spirits as we got on the bus at 12:30am in the morning. 

March 21

One of the best bus rides yet. Five minutes after getting on the bus I was asleep and didn't wake up until we pulled into the bus station the next afternoon. At the bus station there was another change of plans. Instead of cutting back across and up Argentina to El Calafate we though we would push on to Ushuaia, at he end of the World. It was another one of those two day trips were we had to cross into Chili then back into Argentina before coming to the end of the road. Fortunate for us our bus was leaving in 30 minutes, time for a very expensive cup of coffee then back aboard the bus. 

Six hours later we were in Punte Arenas, Chili. 

One of the nicest features of this part of the world are the people. Getting off the bus the taxi drivers and hostel representatives allow you a moment to get your bag figure out were you are and then ask if you need some help or a place to stay or a taxi. No screaming or hurrying or fast talk. We chose our hostel from one of those nice people and walked the few blocks to it. It wasn't anything special but we had our own room and it was only $6 each. The dinner bell was sounding in my stomach so we went right back out to eat. We fond a restaurant that served any kind of food you wanted. They had a Mexican section in the menu and I went right for it. An enchilada and a taco for me please. Well...they tried. The best place to get good Mexican food is back at home. Back at the hostel I took a shower because Dan said I stunk and we went back out to see if there was any nigh life. 

March 22

There was, and we missed the bus in the morning. 

We spent the next day looking around town again and found some great deals on cold weather gear. If I didn't have to carry it, I'm sure I would have bought at least two jackets. It must be were they send all of last years models. What I did buy is the most hideous Hawaiian shirt at a thrift store. That's right boy's, if you want to find deals like $4 Hawaiian shirts you have to come to the end of the World.

Killing a couple hours is about all I can say about Double Jeopardy, which is what we did that nigh before going to bed. 

March 23

Dan's determined not to miss the bus to day so we get an early start and make it to the bus station just after 8:00am. The station is closed and the lights are off. We ask a friendly cabby and he tries to help by looking up the time table in his newspaper. None of us including the cabby can make heads or tails of it so we look for a cup of coffee. We study the table at the coffee shop and still can't figure out which days the bus leaves at what time. After coffee we do a drive by to see if there is any signs of life at the bus station. Just when we arrive the clerk arrives and is unlocking the door. We find out that today the bus leaves at 8:00am, yesterday, the bus we missed left at 8:30am but there would be another tomorrow at 8:30am. One more day in Punte Arenas.

We check into another hostel just one block away. It's another one of those houses that the owners let rooms at and it's twice as much as the last hostel but they have a cable TV in the room and Dan quickly agrees. 

Poof and the day was gone.

March 24

Can you believe we made the bus. But it wasn't a bus at all, it was a minivan that drove us to the docks to catch a ferryboat. We took a three hour boat ride across the Strait of Magellan. Again I had that feeling of being far from home and this time rightly so I think. I was nearly as far south as I could go by land and although I have never been to Alaska, I guessed that it must look a little like this. As we neared Porvenir on Tierra del Fuego, a school of dolphins charged the ferry and put on a show riding the bow wake and spinning and flipping in the air. A nice welcome. From there we boarded a bus for the 10 hour ride to were the road runs out, Ushuaia. 

We were again greeted by friendly people as we got off the bus, but chose a hostel based on distance and price instead of the nicest person. After checking in we went straight back out to see the town. 

March 25

A few quick e-mails to let Brooke and a few others know we were still alive (and at the end of the World) then a bus to the true end of the road.

We had already planned it to be a slam dunk stop and had purchased plane tickets back to Rio Gallegos a few days earlier in Punta Arenas. And that was really too bad. It was a much nicer place than I had imagined. The town is situated between Bahia Ushuaia (the bay) and climbs quickly up the foothills at the end of the Andes. If you look one direction you see the bay with water reflecting like mirrored glass with snow capped mountains in the distance behind and in the other you look straight up a snow topped mountain with jagged peaks. Why can't we get stuck in beautiful places like this, I wonder?

Off to the airport!

Up and Down in two hours. It would have taken three days by bus over bumpy dirt roads. I wouldn't have hated it but what the hell, it made Dan's day.

At the airport we are thinking of taking a chance and going to the bus terminal to see if we can catch the bus to El Calafate when I spot one of the bus companies has an office right at the airport. The nest all-night bus leaves in 45 minutes, another stroke of good luck. (next time I say we never get lucky, remind me of the past few bus rides.)