The local Cape Horn Patagonian beer was nice, but I’m no beer connoisseur, and it seemed only fitting to have beef. As a natural night owl, I like the Argentinian timetable with an afternoon siesta, dinner anytime after eight. Had dinner in the Hotel restaurant watching the sunset, at about nine pm, over Beagle Channel. It was blowing a gale, occasional clouds of wind blown fine dry dust meant I didn’t stay out long. The room was fine, with a lovely sheltered forest view, and once settled in I went for a short walk. Even at ground level the geography still had a strangely familiar Queenstown feel albeit ‘on sea’ rather than a lake. (It is on the shores of the Beagle Channel looking back at the airport, but the flight paths (due to mountains behind) mean no aircraft pass over it. Also known as “Onas”, these were the former dwellers of Tierra del Fuego. The word “Tolkeyen” stands for “to give away with one’s heart” in the Sel´knam tongue. On leaving the, slightly chaotic, terminal I was surprised how warm it was: 22°c and sunny! I was staying about 10 minutes drive out of town, 15 from the airport, at the Hotel Tolkeyen. The Ushuaia Airport Terminal architecture was cool, substantial timber frame construction. From the occasional gasps and applause on landing I suspect many on-board were not used to mountain flying. It was a bit bumpy, with a couple more dramatic lurches, for the last bit but not 'Wellington on a bad day' rough. The Ushuaia approach was oddly familiar similar to Queenstown swooping over mountains then turning to line up along Beagle Channel for a short runway protruding out into the sea. There was no meal service, just a drink and a tiny bag of trail mix, which became 'lunch'! Was caught out by that but the 30% phone battery I boarded with was just enough to feed the podcast habit for the flight. It was a new'ish Boeing 737-800 but had a poverty spec cabin no screens (at all, never mind seat-back) or even seat power. Its a 3 hour 20 min flight Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. I think my knowledge of British politics, admittedly mostly from 'The News Quiz', 'Now Show' & 'Have I got news for you', held up! An oddly familiar arrival Election, wish I’d made a note of the name (to follow up) but given the result doubt that worked out well. His stepson was running as a new candidate for Labour in the U.K. One knew a lot about NZ (especially our housing affordability problems) as worked on community housing in the UK, Europe with govt, councils & was representative to EU/UN. Wasn’t alone, killing time, and ended up chatting to a group of Brits heading to Ushuaia for trekking and fishing. After a bit of wandering I found a place to sit, on the floor against the wall. This was the older terminal rather than the new international one I arrived at. It proved to be a mistake as there was little in the way of food air-side, one overworked cafe, and the lounge was crowded with few seats free. I got the hotel shuttle to Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport reasonably early add to that efficient (again) airport processing and I was early to the (remote bus type) gate lounge.

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