So, we’re off again — this time to focus on Patagonia. We are cruising on the same ship that we did our recent Northwest Passage cruise — Hurtigruten Expeditions. We will pick up the ship in Ushuaia, Argentina, the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina. It is the embarkation point for cruises to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and (by way of Cape Horn) the Patagonian Fjords. But to get to Ushuaia, we had to fly into Buenos Aires for a brief afternoon/evening stop and then off to Ushuaia on a charter flight. That all sounds quite smooth — we’ve done it before! But not so fast… We were actually departing from Puerto Vallarta with a connection in Dallas. We had about 1.5 hours so we figured we had it made. Sadly, we had nearly an hour ground delay in Dallas, and then had to clear Customs and run to another terminal to get to the gate for our flight to Buenos Aires. We were nearly the last ones on the flight. I immediately told the purser about the situation and expressed our concern about our bags making it. She assured me that being an international flight they would absolutely get the bags to us. My tracking app didn’t agree with her and as we left the gate, our bags decided they liked it just fine in Dallas. We immediately went to the Baggage Desk where we got an update — one of our two bags was now in Miami and the other remained in Dallas. As all flights to Ushuaia have to be completed by noon because of harsh crosswinds, there was serious doubt that our bags would make it. Given that we were wearing tropical clothes appropriate for Mexico and we were heading off for 2-week expedition cruise largely in polar conditions, the agent suggested that we head off and do a little shopping. So that’s how we spent our time in Buenos Aires — shopping. Our first stop was at the Columbia store and I think we made their year. They got us partially outfitted for the cold weather we were getting ready to face, but didn’t buy too much given that there was still a chance our bags could make it. From there we went to the underwear store, the socks store, and then the luggage store to put all our new worldly possessions in. After a long, sweaty afternoon shopping, we were happy to settle down for a nice dinner, some adult beverages, and an early night in bed.
Our luggage adventure continued into Friday, flying from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. It was a short night as we had to be at the airport by 5:00 am. We didn’t know what to expect when we landed as to whether the bags would be there. To make a long story short, one bag arrived in Ushuaia and the other didn’t until we were long gone. My bag made it; Deb’s didn’t. Because it was so late when we discovered whose bag ultimately arrived, we had an hour before the ship left port. We ran into town only to find the stores closed for siesta. Consequently, we were only able to buy Deb a few tee shirts, some gloves, etc. Since that time, she has visited the gift shop on the ship and has pieced together a makeshift wardrobe. Other passengers have also offered to share clothes. While we waited for the bags to arrive, we went on a tour that took us out of the city along Route 3 that terminates at Tierra del Fuego, known colloquially as The End of the World. We had been along this route before, but it is always beautiful as we passed through the Andes Fueguinos, through Garibaldi Pass and into the Carabajal Valley. We saw some amazing vistas and a wide variety of plant life. As it is moving into Autumn here, the leaves were already starting to change. This is such a beautiful part of the world. Early that evening, the ship departed and we were on our way.
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
