Sent on Apr. 7, 2003 from Ushuaia, Argentina.

US$ = 2.82 Pesos, also shown as $; US $ shown as U$S.
Airport Exit Tax = US$18 at the airport.  Take the bus
operated by Manuel Tienda Leon from airport or bus or ferry
terminals to city-hotel for $15; Taxi = $35 from airport.
Post cards are about 60 cents each; mail to the USA is 5.50
Pesos, so nearly $2, the most expensive rates I know.
Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, you pay tax of 7.05 Pesos.

Hello from Ushuaia (Argentina) in Tierra del Fuego, world's
southernmost city 

Well, hitting the southern-most places (Hobart, Tasmania; 
Cape Town, So.Africa, now here) is easier than 
northernmost ones. In my case, Moscow is done, Narvik,
Norway--5 degrees north of the Arctic Circle--is done,
Northeast Canada to St. Lawrence, Prince Edward Island,
Nova Scotia, etc. all done, and later this year I will be
in Alaska, BUT this still leaves other northern places,
like Greenland, the Kamchatka Peninsula in Asia . . .  And
I am done with all deserts except the Gobi.  However, I am
not under a compulsive "travel" urge.  I am as happy to
watch some places, like the North and South poles and
pristine places like the Galapagos, on National Geographic.
 I have no desire to travel to those parts.

1. USHUAIA. There were 4 indigenous Fuegian tribes--one of
them Yamana--in Tierra, now said to be all extinct.  Ushuaia
in the language of the native Indians in these parts means
"penetrating to the West" vis-a-vis the Beagle Channel
connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific. At nearly 56-degrees
Southern Latitude, Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world.
Its population is about 45,000.  The Argentinean Govt.
apparently wants to encourage settlers in these parts. I
was told a Govt.-built 3-bedroom apartment flat can be
purchased for 30,000 Pesos ($11,000), or for 130 Pesos per
month for 15 years. To the north, the city is framed by
Cerro Martial mountains, of which the steep, snow-capped
and very scenic Mt. Olivia is the tallest at 1,400m.  I was
told that some peaks on the Hoste Island (Chile, see below)
is even taller.

A bit about geography.  The East-West Magellan Passage
separates Tierra del Fuego from Patagonia to the north. 
(Patagonia itself includes all of Argentina south of Rio
Colorado in Argentina, AND the Chilean Andes and the fjords
on the Pacific.)  Beagle Channel is the 180km East-West
passage between Ushuaia, Argentina and the islands Navarino
and Hoste (Chile) to the south of it.  Cape Horn is a group
of small islands 150km to the south from Ushuaia, considered
as part of the South American continent, where South
America ends.

Almost all of Tierra del Fuego belongs to Argentina, though
to reach it by land, you must come from the Chilean
side--see Lonely Planet for details.  Ushuaia began as a
convict colony some 80 years back.  The Albatros Hotel in
the city is a landmark and better by location than Hotel
(really a nice lodge) Los Nires (where I am staying), about
5 km from the city.  The scenery is surely nicer here but
the lodge is away from activity.  There is a free bus
service to (and back) the Albatros hotel about every 3 to 4
hours and things you want to do are better done from the
city:

  a= "The End of the World Train" is a narrow-gage
old-fashioned train that travels between the station in
Ushuaia and Parque National Tierra del Fuego, thru some of
the most captivating mountain scenes and steep inclines, 
BUT for 58 Pesos.  It is a robbery. UNLESS you combine it with
a tour perhaps to the lakes. Talk to a travel agent or the tourist
office in town.  The ride lasts no more than 10 minutes, though
they prolong it with 2 10-minute stops at choice spots.  The
fare includes return with no stops.  AND you must pay 12
Pesos in addition to enter the national park, not to
mention the 2 times the 8 Pesos to get to/from the Train
station from downtown.  (By the way, the train is also called
the Convict Train, as the old train was used to transport wood
for the convict prison from the forest nearby.)

INSTEAD, take the chair lift--called Aerosilla.  The taxi to
the lift costs 6 Pesos each way, but the 10-minute 1200-meter
(one-way) lift to the glacier is spectacular and well worth it,
also the harbor view.  You can trek for as long as you want after
you get off the lift.  They will call a taxi for you when
done.

  b= There is also a cable-chair that takes you up to the
Cerro Martial mountains, from where you can trek for about
1.5 hours to the glacier nearby.  I will do this tomorrow,
BUT skip the walk to the glacier, as a tour to the Moreno
Glacier is part of my next destination (El Calafate). 
Besides, it is very windy here and cold--not that I expect
the next destination to be much warmer.

  c= Beyond these you can arrange a boat rides along parts
of the Beagle Channel, more south, even to the Antarctica. 
I seem to be the only English-speaking tourist here.

  d= There are several museums in the city. I visited the
most recommended: Museum Territorial--also known as Museum
at the End of the World--where they will even stamp your
passport.

  e=   In Ushuaia, eat filet steak at Cafe de la Esquira at
601 San Martin St., the lively main street there.  The place
is loaded with locals and you will get a good feel for the
pulse of Tierra del Fuego.


2. ANTARCTICA.  All ships sail from Ushuaia.  There are 2
types: cruise ships and ice-breaker ferries.  The trip with
either lasts about 10 days. The former are twice as
expensive as the latter and do perhaps 3 stops on islands,
whereas the latter make 3 stops a day, I am told.  The
price is listed as US$3,000 with the ferries, but March
thru May you can get a 25% discount, and you might get even
cheaper fares by bargaining with different ships.  Some
fares also include transport from USA, stay in Buenos
Aires, Ushuaia, etc. which you might be able to do better
on your own.  Get more details at:
http://tierradelfuego.org.ar/

SUGGESTION. I intend to take instead the 4-day ferry (with
car) thru the inner passage from Bellingham to Skagway and
Alaska this year which for me is sufficient.  It is 2/3rd
cheaper, better organized, you can see icebergs up close,
and have your car with you too for that price.  (So it is
1/3rd cheaper without the car, if you are coming from
outside of USA.)