Our next two days were spent crossing the Drake Channel on the way back to Ushuaia. The trip back to Ushuaia was considerably rougher than the trip to Antarctica--this was probably more like the "typical" Drake crossing that we had been warned about. You pretty much had to hold onto something any time you tried to walk. Fortunately, neither Brenda nor I have the seasickness gene, so other than worrying about breaking an ankle, we didn't have any major problems.
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| Seas were a little rough |
For you nature fans, here's a list of all of the wildlife we saw on the trip:
Not much wildlife to see on our way back to Ushuaia--mostly sea birds:
After we reached the Beagle Channel and calmer water, we were able to make a visit to the ship's bridge. It turns out that despite the sign, all passengers were "authorized".
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| Captain Kalt takes over |
Having safely navigated the Drake Passage, the captain was able to enjoy a stiff drink and say goodbye...
We arrived in Ushuaia early in the morning and our flight to Buenos Aires wasn't until the afternoon, so we had a few hours to wander.
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| The Evita memorial |
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| Near the Argentine naval base |
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| A boat outside the Maritime Museum |
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| Street scene in Ushuaia |
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| Our last penguin |
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| Museo del Fin del Mundo (End of the World Museum) |
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| At the wharf |
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| Two beagles at the Beagle Channel |
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| Our last meal at one of Argentina's famous Irish restaurants |
Our trip from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires to Miami was more eventful than we would have preferred. Our flight to Buenos Aires was delayed for more than 6 hours, which would have caused us to miss our flight to Miami. So Aerolinas Argentinas booked us on a different flight to Buenos Aires. Unfortunately that flight went to the domestic airport, and the flight to Miami left from the international airport. This meant we had to take a taxi between airports, and we managed to wind up with the only taxi driver in Buenos Aires who didn't know how to get to the international airport. Somehow, we made it, and the rest of the trip was uneventful.
Flying into RDU, we flew over our neighborhood, so here are a few shots for those of you who care....
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| The far west side of Cary, looking north. NC-540 is at the far right. |
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| Carolina Preserve, where we live. Our house is in the yellow circle. |
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| Downtown Durham |
So, that's it!
Next stop--
Cuba!
