Flying in to the world´s southernmost city, we were treated to amazing views from the airplane... and once in the airport realized that we were surrounded by tourists... everyone dressed in their convertible pants and fleece with hiking boots. We fit right in, other than the American accents - most of Ushuaia´s visitors were European.We took a quick cab to the Hosteria America to be warmly greeted by a muy guapo Gaston (Heather´s favorite host of the trip) and led to our most luxurious room yet - 3 twin beds, cable TV, and our own bathroom complete with shower, toilet and bidet!
Although we arrived in the evening, it was still bright outside, not getting dark until 10pm. We walked down the hill through a public park to find a delicious meal at Bodegon Fuego (Gaston´s recommendation). It was warm and golden inside and full of happy, cozy conversation. After our meal of milanesa in BA, we decided to treat ourselves to lamb, cod, two desserts, and a bottle of wine.
The next day, our trekking group Canal Fun, picked us up for a day of exploring Tierra del Fuego. As we drove over the mountains (Ushuaia is the only Argentinian town located west of the Andes), our guide, Carlos, shared with us his impressive knowledge of the social, political, and natural history of the region. Carlos was raised in Ushuaia, studied law in Buenos Aires where he lived for 8 years, and then decided to return to his home city. His love and pride for Ushuaia is contagious - to the point that we began scheming about how we would buy a summer home here at the end of the world. On the van ride, Carlos introduced us to mate (ma-tay), the national drink of Argentina. The dried leaves of yerba mate are steeped in hot water and the drink is sipped through a special metal straw, a bombilla... it tastes much like a strong green tea and it is a social custom to share mate with friends.
We began our trek paddling with about 20 people in two inflatable kayaks to the Beagle Channel. The views were spectacular... 
We paddled for about an hour and then docked on land to board a larger boat where a fantastic lunch, including wine, cheese, and olives, was served as we motored to the penguin colony.
After a gorgeous hike around Gable Island, we motored back to the van and returned to Ushuaia.
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