Upon entering the national park we head downhill continuing on the road and passing through some amazing scenery - around each corner is a photo opportunity, after stopping five times in the space of as many minutes we decide that only the truly wonderful will be worthy of photographing otherwise this trip would end up taking us a very very long time indeed! A couple of points of note however. The first was the moment when we finished the first leg of our descent down to the end of the road. Up to this point we had been in the treeline so we could not truly appreciate the beauty of the surroundings but as we finished our descent and turned a corner the trees receeded. This was a moment that is difficult to put into words. We all spontaneously applied the brakes and broke into smiles. All around us was mountains and we were sitting in the middle of a lush green valley with a large clear water lake in the centre, a river running from the lake down inevitably towards the sea. It is one of the most instantly calming places I have ever been and I think the other guys share my sentiments. If it were possible I think I´d actually be content to build a house there and just sit! The second point of note relating to the fauna of the park - that fauna being Beavers. The reality of a Beaver dam is a site to behold..... as we rounded a corner we saw a lagoon that must have been at least 100 metres across, when we approached closer something didn´t look quite right - the water appeared to be hovering a metre or so above it´s normal level. It was at this point that we realised we were looking at a Beaver dam, and not just any Dam - the Hoover Dam of the Beaver world. There are some photos in the gallery of this and it truly is a site to behold. We didn´t get to see any beavers though because apparently they tend not to venture out until early evening..... but even the Dam is well worth it.
So we arrived at the Fin Del Mundo........... and had some lunch. We then fitted our cycle computers and after a couple of photo opportunities in front of another "Fin Del Mundo Sign" at the start line we set off..........
On our way back we stopped off at the most southern post office in the world and get our Passports stamped at the "Fin del mundo" (No we aren´t above a bit of shameless tourism now and then
We also dipped our toes into the Beagle Channel. Yes. It was cold. Yes. We are slaves to the photo opportunity. Yes. We are idiots. The next time my feet hit sea however will be the Carribean - and who will be the idiot then? Okay probably still me but I digress.... The trip back to the hostel for our last night in Ushuaia went well and we have spent the rest of the day preparing for the next few months on the road. Here´s to hoping that they all go as well as today did.
I´m off to bed now because it´s gone 1 in the morning here and I´m meant to be cycling at 9am tomorrow.
hasta luego!
