Tierra del Fuego national park
Argentina established the ’Tierra del Fuego national park’ in 1960 and preserved this beautiful natural environment for future generations. It is full of dramatic scenery, with waterfalls, forests, mountains and glaciers - and a number of trekking and hiking trails. And a 2000 peso entrance fee! Ouch!
The Beagle channel is the boundary between Argentina and Chile - and that boundary cuts through one island. So half that little island is Argentina and half is Chile
I was entranced by a unique sight!
The Post Office at the end of the world!
Now, everything here is something or the other at the end of the world - the railway at the end of the world, the national park at the end of the world, the light house at the…well, you get the idea.
But this post office was something special! Constructed of corrugated metal and wooden piles, this small shanty atop a short pier posts parcels from the absolute last stop in the Americas before continuing on toward Antarctica. You can send yourself a postcard from here and see how long it takes to reach you. You can actually tell yourself ‘Wish you were here’.
The Post Office at the end of the world!
Now, everything here is something or the other at the end of the world - the railway at the end of the world, the national park at the end of the world, the light house at the…well, you get the idea.
But this post office was something special! Constructed of corrugated metal and wooden piles, this small shanty atop a short pier posts parcels from the absolute last stop in the Americas before continuing on toward Antarctica. You can send yourself a postcard from here and see how long it takes to reach you. You can actually tell yourself ‘Wish you were here’.
|
|
And not only does it sell postcards and stamps and stuff - but it can stamp your passport as well!
And why is that? Because the impressively moustachioed postmaster went rogue and proclaimed himself to be the Prime Minister of the ‘Independent Republic of Redonda’- named after the Redonda (round) island in the Ensenada bay! The fifty-hectare micro-island-nation he officially founded is a classified ‘anarchist’ state bound by only one rule: ‘Do what you want, as long as you respect others.’
And why is that? Because the impressively moustachioed postmaster went rogue and proclaimed himself to be the Prime Minister of the ‘Independent Republic of Redonda’- named after the Redonda (round) island in the Ensenada bay! The fifty-hectare micro-island-nation he officially founded is a classified ‘anarchist’ state bound by only one rule: ‘Do what you want, as long as you respect others.’
Now it was time to start the trek- it started at the post office at the end of the earth - Fin del Mundo and went along the coastline of the Beagle channel till it again came back out near the Lapataia river. It was about 8 km and was supposed to take 4 hours to do.
The trek was quite nice - not too much of ascending and descending, and with pleasant coastal views all along.
Everyone on the trek overtook me - young people, old people, doddering people!
But hey, it wasn’t a race! I just needed to finish. Without actually collapsing!
But success - I completed the trek in the prescribed four hours
But hey, it wasn’t a race! I just needed to finish. Without actually collapsing!
But success - I completed the trek in the prescribed four hours
It was so exciting to see our ship all lighted up and ready to go to Antarctica! Ocean Victory! WOOHOO!
