How many things will go pear shaped?: The road to the end of the world...

...is a just and true road, for a road to the end of the world...

So perchance whilst buying cigarettes ($1.80 a pack here - there goes Trip Objective #1), we espied a sign in a car rental place advising of two days car hire, one way to Ushuaia from El Calafate for only 600 pesos! Bargain! The bus is 540 each, and a road trip to the end of the world was booked (although we had to sweat out the non turn-up of a group that had reserved it first).

Ushuaia, the end of the permanently populated earth, road trip, only 900 km, two days, cheap, awesome!

And it has been awesome, except for about 180km thru Chilean Tierra del Fuego which is the worst, scariest, no, terrifying road I've ever driven on. It is unsealed, and seemingly deliberately paved with marbles. I truly suspect that Chile does this deliberately knowing that Argentinos need to drive over it to get to their bottom province. Dust like you wouldn't believe, and no wind (this is Tierra del Feugo isn't it? One of the windiest places on earth?), yet dust hangs over the road for 500 meters from the car in front. Wanted to take a picture but we were too shitscared to reach for a camera...

Arrived rio grande 7pm, no pre arranged accommodation (had believed we might do the whole trip in a day, but 4 border/customs stops, and that fucking Chilean road put an end to that. Only hostel in lonely planet for this place has shut down, so with the help of the local cops and parking chicks, have found ourselves at fawlty towers, Tierra del Feugo style. Still, as BA'd a hotel it as, it still beats some of the hostels, I've stayed in.

Got up and drove to Ushuaia, and arrived here about midday. Plan was to use the car for the remainder of the day, but the people here drive like lunatics, and I was happy to return it in one piece.

Tierra del Fuego is magnificent. Firstly, there are trees here. In all of Patagonia, east of about 10 miles from the mountains, there are no trees. I mean NO trees. Not a single one in millions of square miles. For someone from western Europe, I can see how the enormous skies and miles of nothing may have a kind of beauty, but as an Australian I've seen plenty of empty.

The top of TdF is lucy much of Patagonia, but the bottom half is magnificent. I plan to spend four-five days here I think, and look for a boat heading north up the Chile coast. I have found one that is going that way, and am in discussions with the skipper, but the boat is in Puerto Madryn which would mean backtracking for me, and not reaching Santiago until mid may, meaning a flight to London for Rickey's wedding and having to leave central America and Peru, chile, etc to later. This skipper does have friends here though so I have a local contact which will be good. Still considering it. There is also another (faster) boat already here in Puerto Williams, and I'm trying to contact the skipper to see what his plans and dates are. Regardless, it is a beautiful spot and great hostel and am happy to pass some time here. Actually very hot and sweaty walking around town this afternoon, yet 5 days ago it snowed here. Weird.

Hasta,

The little Chevy that could...