Tuesday, December 29, 2009: Ushuaia, Argentina

Today, the team will get to experience more of Tierra del Fuego with a long hike to Laguna Esmeralda. The team will encounter beautiful beech forests, groves, open plains with spongy red peat moss, valleys, and will eventually arrive at Laguna Esmeralda - a deep green lake - surrounded by the spectacular peaks of Sierra Alvear.

The team will also encounter huge beaver ponds and beaver dams here - as well as a lot of recently gnawed trees and logs! Strangely (and famously) Canadian beavers were introduced to Tierra del Fuego in the 1930's in the hope that a fur industry might emerge. However, the climate didn't prove appropriate for these little invaders and the venture never succeeded. Today, without any natural predators, beavers are all over Tierra del Fuego, and local residents have a real love-hate relationship with these pesky and determined rodents - something that proud Canadians sometimes have trouble comprehending!

After the hike, the team will return to the Hotel to freshen up before dinner. Naturalist Olle Carlsson and Polar Historian David Fletcher will lead the first Antarctic workshops of the expedition after dinner.

Tomorrow - our Expedition Ship arrives in port - and we set-sail for Antarctica!

I really don't know where to begin! Today, like every day since I flew out of Melbourne Airport has been so packed with activities that I don't feel I have time to give any of them justice. The trip from Miami down to Santiago and from there to Ushuaia was a blur. I was surprised how quickly the flights went, aided in part by the incredible media system LAN Airways sees fit to provide, even to coach! Once in Ushuaia, I was dumbstruck by the sight of the Andes, previously viewed only in textbooks and through a veil of clouds. The city of Ushuaia itself drew some of my attention, with its colorful and impossibly shaped buildings. As our tour bus climbed through the streets towards our hotel, I attempted to catch the eye of one of the real Argentines staring back at us through the tinted windows. One of our seemingly endless groups of outdoorsy female guides filled us in on the surrounding sights, and the history of this area of Tierra del Fuego. Apparently, only a few decades ago Ushuaia was, for all intents and purposes, a village, home to approx. 3,000. Today it houses close to 70,000 thanks to the burgeoning Antarctic tourism and research which fuels its economy. I wondered a little about how the inhabitants of Ushuaia perceive the unprecedented level of interest in this area of the world.

From the hotel, the view of Beagle Bay is spectacular, overlooking the winding streets and twinkling lights of Ushuaia along with the mountains which cloak it on all sides. Our meals here have been interesting, distinctively Argentine and a far cry from the Big Mac I indulged in prior to our departure from Florida. My favorite so far has been the authentic chicken and beef empanadas we were served as an appetizer on our first night. Aside from culinary quirks, our experience in Ushuaia has been mainly dedicated to exploring the incredible beauty of the ever-changing natural landscape as well as beginning to get to know one another before we embark on our journey. After a quick icebreaker (pun intended) on the morning after our arrival, we spent the afternoon climbing to the timber line of one of the glaciers still intact in this part of the world. It was most certainly not an easy climb considering I have spent the better part of the last few weeks alternating between lounging on my sofa and by the ocean, but I did make it! At our high point we could see the glacier in plain view and small chunks of snow had begun to lodge themselves in my hair and skin. The view was absolutely exhilarating and I almost forget about the dull throbbing in my feet and hips. After such a good time, we decided to do it all over again today! In all fairness though, despite my somewhat epic blisters, the day-long hike through a bog (all too familiar territory) and forest to arrive at the aptly named Laguna Esmeralda was incredible. The sun shone forth, the birdies sang (or rather the condors swooped overhead) and we travelers sat and warmed ourselves. The few, the brave were bold enough to actually make their way into the freezing waters as I sat smugly in the shade, comfortably in my multiple fleeces. I was happy to get my boots muddied a second time and I came back feeling a bit better about the prospect of more physical exertion in the name of mind-blowing beauty in Antarctica over the next ten days. I've very much enjoyed meeting the other adventurers, not to mention bonding over 12 hour flights and dinner conversations ranging from the meaning of objectivity to Palestine to the dangers of crystal meth. I hope to learn much more from and about these people over the next few weeks, but I already know Students on Ice couldn't have picked a better group.

I've been a bit surprised by how much my life as an America teenager has influenced me, to the point that I feel truly bereft without the comforts of my texting and Facebook. I think it will be good for me to go cold turkey for a while and I'll hopefully return as a better adjusted person because of it, but I also would like to finish up by letting my friends and family know how much I miss and care for them and that they are often in my thoughts and will be over the coming days. Adios!

- Mary Clare O'Donnell, Participant

It has been an adventure already and we haven't even reached Antarctica yet!  Flying to Miami, Florida, USA was a long trip. I was actually stopped by airport security in the Syracuse Hancock International Airport for having containers of liquid over 3 fl. oz. That was not a good start to the expedition, but after that incident, everything has been running smoothly. I met the rest of the expedition crew in Miami. I was a little apprehensive at first, but now I am comfortable around everyone. The students are some of brightest of our generation and the staff is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. Right now we are in Ushuaia, Argentina and it is beautiful here!  The Andes Mountains are absolutely breathtaking and the culture here is amazing.  We have already been on a hike up a mountain and today we are going to Laguna Esmeralda! The whole crew is taking off to Antarctica on Wednesday December 30, 2009 and the excitement is high! I want to thank everyone for making this trip possible as I am already having one of the best experiences of my life with Students on Ice!

- Seth Peng, Participant


Hey everyone, so we're in Argentina now and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I knew I was really going to like this town when I stepped out of my airplane and into this really quaint airport in Ushuaia. The ceilings were completely wood and it just felt really welcoming and comfortable. After we grabbed our luggage, we took the bus to our hotel in Ushuaia which is located on the top of a mountain. As we drove through the town I noticed how small and simple everything was. The houses are all packed together and in some cases really worn down; but with the landscape of the mountains and the water, the place looked gorgeous. Driving up the mountains was really scary for me because I'm so afraid of heights, but it was worth it because our hotel had the most amazing view. Out the windows in the front you can see the water and the boats at the port and out the back windows you can see the giant mountain ranges. I don't know how big the mountains are compared to other ranges in the world because I haven't seen a lot of mountains, but they are definitely breathtaking. Our first day was basically completed with our arrival in Ushuaia, the only other thing that we did was eat dinner before passing out.

Our second day in Ushuaia was jam packed. We woke up, (too early for anyone to wake up after traveling so much the day before), and ate breakfast and then we played some games and got too know each other better. We got to find out a lot about our staff who are all really interesting people. I never knew you could accomplish as much as these people, I feel like I'll never know their whole stories, but I would love to find out everything that they've accomplished. Later, we split into two groups and my group was the first one to go on the hike.

During this hike, we really got to see the mountains up close and I realized that the weather in Argentina can change in a heartbeat. On the way up the mountain I was sweating, when we were at the end of our hike it was snowing, and on our way down it started raining. Wow, the weather down here is crazy! And the snow, was not like the snow in America, it came down in "dip-and-dot" shapes and clung to our clothes. This whole hiking experience was really fun though and it gave us a preview of what our hike tomorrow would be like.

But, of course it was nothing like the day before. The hiking that came on the third day of Ushuaia could be classified as a whole different kind of hiking. We got rubber boots before we began our hike which was really helpful because instantly I got my foot stuck in mud. This happened about five or six times before I mastered the art of hiking, or at least didn't fall anymore. We had a really nice picnic at the end of our hike at the Laguna Esmeralda. It was so pretty and I didn't want to leave, but then I got really cold and it started to rain, so I didn't object as much to the idea of heading back to the hotel. At the end of the hike my ankles had blisters, my socks were soaking wet, and my clothes were filthy, but the whole experience was worth it and I want to go on another hike like that so badly. Well, I got to go now, we're having gonna have a meeting in a couple minutes.

- Jessica Dancer, Participant

Another great day with SOI!  We just got back; wet, tired and happy from a fantastic hike to La Laguna Esmeralda . This hike took us through peat bogs, a magical forest (that made me wonder if we would see Gollum, Frodo or Bilbo wandering through), and up a small mountain pass to the gorgeous Laguna Esmeralda . The lake is a milky green colour due to the fine particles from glacial silt. The glacier has receded quite a bit from the lake but was still beautiful to look at from below. We were really lucky with the weather as there were low lying clouds and mist surrounding us, particularly where we paused to take photos of the lovely stream winding its way through the valley. By the time we got to the lake the sun had popped out and we enjoyed our lunch in the bright sunshine, looking over the lake. Some extremely brave students stripped down to their bathing suits and jumped into the freezing cold water (some even went in more than once!!!). We had a quick explanation from Fred about the lake and then we packed up to head back down. Just as we got started the clouds filled in and opened up, drenching most of us on the trip back. 

Walking through the peat bog was a challenge, fun but exhausting! Right off the bat people were getting stuck, coming out of their boots or needing assistance to get unstuck. Some fell in, particularly on the way back when they were really tired and when everything was so slippery from the rain. The sound of the boots coming out of the mud was pretty cool...kind of a "thwock" sound. Very neat sound! Maybe not for the people who kept getting stuck, but still a great sound.  

All that fresh air and exercise...I think we'll all have another great sleep tonight.  One more day in Ushuaia...tomorrow we board the ship!  Yippee!

- Marion Woodman, Participant

Eighty plungers. That's what today's trip up to Laguna Esmeralda vaguely sounded like. After an early morning wakeup at 7:00 and breakfast a half-hour later, we all boarded a bus which took us into the city and past. A half-hour later we were all looking up at a small cabin seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We got rain boots and a packaged lunch, and then we were off!

The plunger noises began quickly, when the first people got sucked into mud. I was one of them.  Mud is deceiving; you can never be sure where it is only ankle deep and where it can engulf your entire leg. It may look like stable moss or even a rock, but nooo. Mud. The first part of our 5-hour trip was a bog, where the primary obstacle was that dear, old mud. Dirty, wet, and cold as it was, this section was certainly entertaining. Then came the uphill battle... literally. I can't tell you the altitude of the mountain we were climbing or the slope at which we took it on, but goodness, it was tough.  he mud didn't stop when the forests began, and now branches were also in the way. But nothing was even close to the slope of that mountain. Though I was freezing in the cabin, I was HOT on the way up to the laguna. With a plentiful stumbles, we made it to Laguna Esmeralda. I'm sure the views on the way up were stunning, and it's a pity I was too focused on my feet and surrounding mud. However, when we had a chance to relax.... stunning. We climbed so far yet we were in a valley, surrounded by ice-capped mountains and still amazingly dense forests. And, in front of us, was a light turquoise lagoon. Everything was so clean and, therefore, intimidating as we were all covered in disgusting mud. The... surprise!!  One person ran into the water.  hen another.  hen some more. In total, maybe ten people went into the water. Was I tempted to join them? Honestly, just slightly. I mean, it is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience but I was just so cold and tired already that I didn't even want to waste the effort of changing and wading in there. Perhaps I'll regret it when I get back. Maybe I already do.

We ate our packed lunch of two sandwiches, an apple, a cookie, and a granola bar (Chewy! Reminds me of home) as people slowly arrived. Random thought: Caramel seems to be really popular here as every dessert has it and even pre-packaged cookies are filled with it, delicious. 

Anyway, after a brief lecture of the formation of the lagoon, we began the descent. I was walking with a few people in the front yet not close enough to the leaders to see them at all times. Surprise, surprise, we went the wrong way. It's difficult to get lost, so we turned a few times and made it back on trail. It was hilarious when we looked behind us and found that the remainder of the groups all followed our severely elongated and unnecessarily time-consuming path. I did the dumbest thing when I decided to take a shortcut through a stream instead of walking through muddy paths. I was not aware of the depth of the stream which reached my knee. My boots reached only my mid-thigh.  oops. So my boots were wet. I'll see the effects of that tomorrow: sick or not? Oh, and it was also snowing at this time. Going down was easier energy-consuming-wise, yet seemed so much more dangerous. One slip and you could slide a few feet. But we made it, all in one piece (I think).

We're at the hotel now, tired and probably dirty but definitely satisfied with what we did this morning. We have piles of muddy clothing ready for the non-existent laundry, which we all MIGHT get to hand-washing soon. So, what did we do today in summary? We hiked about 7 miles to Lagoon Esmeralda... and survived!  Bye guys.   

- Aleksandra Makowska, Participant

Ushuaia, Argentina is the last stop before we board the MV Ushuaia and sail across the Drake passage to Antarctica. It is a beautiful small city filled to the brim with beautiful wooden houses and countless stray dogs. The abundant forests surrounding the city are dense with trees called Beech trees. These trees grow in dense clumps and are hard to walk between if there is not a clear cut path. The houses as well as the shops in this town are all made of this tree. When we exited the airport (which was also made of Beech) we were awestruck by the mountainous view. From the airport, we could also see the hotel that we would be staying at, the Hotel del Glaciar, nestled upon a hill. Between us and the hotel, the Beagle Channel glistened peacefully.

After a brief bus ride, we had arrived at the hotel. On the first night, everyone was so tired that there was not much time for socializing (bedtime was at 10). When we awoke at 7:30 the next day, we prepared for a hike up Martial Glacier. The glacier is deteriorating and has receded very far up the hill. After a steep walk up a wide dirt path we arrived at the glacier. There was not much wildlife, but some un-biting mosquitoes and some nameless birds flew around us when we reached the top. In reality, the top was still miles up, but it was very mountainous and eventually became a sheer rock face. We did make it to the end of the trail though. There was a gentle stream flowing down the mountain from which the city of Ushuaia gets its potable water.  Research shows that Ushuaia has about 20 years of freshwater left from the glacier and, after that, they will have to find somewhere else to drink from. After we had descended the trail and the path had ended, we had to walk down the road a mile or two back to the hotel (as we had done on the way up). The drivers here in Argentina are aggressive, like those in a big city in the states.  hey do not always obey the speed limit and sometimes watch for the stop signs.

After a quick 7 hours of sleep, we awoke the today to hear that we would be hiking to Laguna Esmeralda, a muddy hike that included much trudging and pulling of the boots. Many people got stuck in the mud repeatedly and needed to be assisted. I personally never got stuck but the record thought the group was a total of nine time during the hike. It was very worthwhile. When we reached the lagoon, many brave travelers took a dip in its icy waters.  The group estimated that the water must have been around 40-50 F degrees.

It was a beautiful trip with a terrific view of the Andes Mountains.  I'm not sure what’s in store for us tomorrow, but I'm sure it will be invigorating. 

- Alex Brewer, Participant

A totally mudluscious day!  Just as Ireland has the 40 shades of green, the hike to Laguna Esmeralda seems to have 40 shades of mud!  Gingerbread mix, sponge cake, rich chocolate pudding, and Lindt’s dark chocolate…this bog is truly nature’s bakery!  Lots of laughter and shrieks, slipping adventurers, boots stuck in mud…quite the trek but well worth it once we reached the gorgeous green waters of the majestic lake!   rudging down from Esmeralda, I watched my steps carefully, marveling at how well I had done not to have been sucked into the murky, oozing, mud. Ah, but alas, no one should ever be too confident….splat! I moved, but my boots obviously weren’t aware of this, thus resulting in my first mud bath!

- Maggie Hoagland, Participant

Hi all!!!! I hope things are transitioning as smoothly as they are down here. It’s been an amazing journey thus far. It all began with a call from Reina notifying me that my flight had been cancelled. I received a brand new schedule and was headed to the lovely south at 9 am December 26th. I met up with three of the loveliest young ladies and had my first trial of "Good Karma," as Geoff would say. An enlightening 33 hours later I arrived to Ushuaia. It was a nutty trip to say the least but I'm here now, safe and sound having the time of my life.

We arrived Sunday and had a small seminar with Geoff reviewing the basics of the expedition and rules. Yesterday, we woke up at 7:30 am had a filling breakfast and began our eventful day. We played several icebreakers, and met up with our "Pods and Pod Leaders," hiked a glacier, and had speed dates with all of the staff members. It was an interesting day to say the least.

If you thought it got that much more uninteresting than you are mistaken, today was definitely a memorable day for most of us.

We woke up at 7 am and parted to Laguna Esmeralda soon after. We hiked up what felt to be a never-ending trail that 5 miles later led us to this breathtaking Lagoon. It was freezing out but we had some courageous expeditioners run into the water for a dip. There were mud puddles everywhere and it was nerve-racking because we all kept thinking we would slip down the steep mountain. I remained clean for the majority of the trip until I reached the end. I fell into a mud puddle that was thigh high and all of the muddy water just seeped into my fisherman boots. I was not so thrilled to learn that I still had quite some time left before I would arrive at my final destination, the cabin. Towards the end of the hike our mountain guide, Edgardo and I began to converse. He later realized I spoke both Spanish and English fluently; I gradually evolved into his translator. It was a great experience and I'm sore all around. I also learned that in about 20- 30 years, Ushuaians will have to find a new fresh water source because the Glacier (which provides them with all of their water and we hiked :]) will soon melt. I'm grateful to live in such an abundant planet; I hope to preserve it and all of its beauty. I already started by taking 10 minute showers and drinking out of my aluminum water bottle. Nicoya, te hubiera encantado subir asta arriba en las montanias ayer. Mayimbe, la comida es excellente no deharias de comer casi todo contiene carne. AGL,you would have loved the journaling session we had yesterday. Tota, wouldn't you like to be here? ;D I miss you all and hope to see you soon.

- Petra Arlene Ovalles, Participant

I finally made it to the southernmost city of the world, Ushuaia, Argentina! After long and hectic plane rides from San Jose, CA, to getting lost in the Dallas airport, arriving at the Miami airport and going through the most intense security check thus far, then taking the longest airplane ride to Santiago, Chile, which was 12 hours! I was sleep deprived for the whole plane ride. After arriving at the airport in Chile, we got sniffed by a dog in search for any food, dairy, animals, plants, or veterinary medicine - the dog was amazingly trained. We left Santiago, Chile and took a plane ride to Punta Arenas, Chile. Finally, after 2 straight days flying and feeling immensely tired, we arrived here, in Ushuaia, Argentina. It's an amazing little city with great aesthetic beauty! We are staying at the Hotel del Glacier, which sounds super fancy when you say it! It's an awesome hotel with glaciers right behind the hotel! It's nice to wake up and see mountains and glaciers in the morning.

All of the students are friendly, interesting and great people doing great things in their hometowns. The diversity is amazing, there are students from the United States, Canada, China, Israel, Palestine, Taiwan, and Portugal. The staff is also composed of great people from Swedan, England, Canada, and more but I can't recall at this moment. Yesterday, we went hiking up to the mountains to the glaciers and I touched real snow for the first time! It was amazing! By the way, this town gets their water source from the glacier. I took lots and lots of pictures! The only problem about this place is that the sun goes down at around 11pm, which isn't so nice because I feel like I don't get to sleep as much as I would like to. It's only been 3 days and I'm already having the best experience of my life! I can't wait to depart to Antarctica tomorrow morning! I shall go get ready now; we're going hiking at Laguna Esmeralda.

- Sandra Lobato, Participant

This morning started just like any other day would, besides the fact that we woke up with roommates in a small hotel room in Ushuaia and had to rush to make it to breakfast. Breakfast, once again, was a buffet filled with mostly grains of all sorts for pastries to cookie and almost everything in between. After we were done indulging in all sorts of breakfast pastries, we hurried up the stairs to get anything and everything that we may need on our hike.

Yesterday we participated in a small hike, as it was only to the top of a small mountain. After disembarking our buses from our forty minute ride, we arrived in front of a small forest which led directly to a small hut. We entered the hut, surprised as the smell of fresh wood attacked our noses; our eyes were trying to focus on the local people who were trying to fit us in the best sized boot, as we were told it would only make our journey easier. After collecting our boots, we grabbed our lunches, water bottles and all our energy, as we started towards the path which would lead us up to "La Laguna Esmeralda". The path started normally as we came across the usual rocks, the expected grasses and of course the fresh cold water. As I continued on the path, taking pictures and letting people who were in a rush pass me, I started to hear screams, neither of pain nor joy, but of surprise and disgust. Returning the favor to the people who had just passed me, I sped forward and listened closer I started to hear the sound of a large suction cup being ripped from a wet surface over and over again. I was now sprinting blindly towards the sounds that were pinching at my ears and suddenly I felt myself sink, not into water, but into think black mud. The mud swam right into my boot and I was suddenly and hopelessly stuck as the earth and I became one. I looked around awkwardly seeing if anyone else had seen my mistake; nobody was paying attention to me, they were all occupied own identical situation. After three and one half miles of slipping and sliding in cold wet earth we finally got to the Lagoon were we would be eating our lunch and relaxing for the next few hours. Most of the people were brave enough to swim in the freezing cold water, although it was only for a few seconds. We picked up our trash and started our journey back which we thought would be easier than the getting to the amazing site, but like most days in Ushuaia the weather suddenly took a U-turn as it started to sleet. Three and a half more miles in the sleet cancelled out the lunch which we had just eaten.

- Santiago Sanchez, Participant

Stay Tuned for Further Updates!