ARGENTINA
Not yet ready for great golf tourism
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What to see
Pampa & Patagonia were the domain of the native Indian tribes till the arrival of the conquistodares. Now it is sort of Texas, a country of immense estates where Indians are mainly the gauchos, local cow-boys in farms called "estancias" which are sometimes as large as big industrial cities. They are fenced kilometers all around to protect the millions of cattle providing the best beef in the world.!
The Pampa region (600000 km²) is flat land that circles Buenos Aires at thousand kilometres around. It is said that it has a population of ... 50 M cattle and 35 M sheep!
Patagonia is larger than the Pampa with about 1M km² and a human population of... 1 men par km²! Patagonia is about the half southern part of the continent between Atlantic to Pacific ocean shared with Chile till the "end of the world", Ushuaia being its symbol.
- Ushuaia
Ushuaia, the "southernmost city in the world" is considered as one of the top ten places on the earth which tourists want to see. In fact, as soon as ice and snow thaw, tourists arrive by charters and cruises to visit the colourful painted wooden houses well lined around the "bay open to the west" (ushuaia in Yamana). The Indians Yamana where the natives of Ushuaia but in 2005 there was only one old Yamana woman still in life!
Located on the Northern bank of the Beagle Channel which leads out to the sea, the city has been created in 1870 by Missions but built up by the average 600 convicts of the Penitentiary between 1902 and 1947. The old prison is worth a visit as the Museum of the End of the World dedicated to the history of the island and the native Indian Yamana way of life. The Naval Museum reminds the adventure of all the sailors and their ships who have followed Magellan in the discovery of the Tierra del Fuego . The National Park, home of local species like beaver, red fox, guanaco and condor, offers beautiful views to the Beagle Channel and the Lapataia Bay . The reproduction of the original prisoners train used for the transport of the woods offers a short ride in the park from the station located near the park's entry.
In the city, have a shopping walk along San Martin which is the street where are the main offices: Post, Tourism... but also the best Tea and Chocolate bars and some good restaurants all located in ancient coloured wooden houses. Very picturesque. Maipu is the avenue along the harbour where arrive big cruises and depart Antartic expeditions.
In fact, Ushuaia is the end of the Panamerican highway coming from Alaska (see the board in the park near Lapataia bay) and the gateway to Antartica for the south pole explorers through the Beagle Channel. Half or full day excursions in the Channel give the chance to see seals, sea-lions, penguins, petrels, cormorants and black albatross.
But the best way to discover Tierra del Fuego is by cruising from Punta Arenas ( Chile ) to Ushuaia through the Magellan straight, Cape Horn and Beagle Channel to Ushuaia.
- Calafate
At less than one hour flight from Ushuaia, Calafate is the base to visit the famous Perito Moreno Glacier, an ice wall 200 feet high 2 kms long looming over a lake. It is and one of the worlds only advancing glaciers and in summer time ice blocks as big as high-rise buildings slip and splash down in the lake in a thunder sound. Very spectacular!
- Bariloche
A lot of publicity is made around San Carlos de Bariloche, sort of Swiss Alpine holiday resort settled in a paramount environment. It is the place "à la mode" where students are used to come after their examination to have good time. In fact nightlife is very exciting! But it is overcrowded in season and early fall arrives in March. Consulting the weather forecast is better than trust ads or sayings!
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Ushuaia harbour
in the Ushaia bay
Post Office with convicts paintings
The convisct' train
End of Panamerican highway
Seals and cormorants on rocks in the Beagle Channel
Perito Moreno Glacier
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