Ravi Raahi

  Tierra del Fuego National Park   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram The Tierra del Fuego (literally, the Land of Fire), National Park, ‘ Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego’ is the southernmost national park in Argentina. It is a short distance from Ushuaia and can be easily reached by private vehicle or bus. Pretty much every travel agency and hotel in town will be able to arrange half day and full day trips to the park. The park is very beautiful, and is rich in flora and fauna. There are also several hiking trails, but if you go as part of a tour group, you most probably will not be able to go hiking. Lago Roca (lake Roca) is partly in Chile and Argentina, and a part of this lake is in the park and is known as lake Acigami, which means ‘ basket or elongated bag’ in the now-extinct Yámana (Yagán) language that was spoken by the indigenous people of the region. Inside the park is also the end point of Ruta no. 3 (Argentinian Route no. 3) that starts in Bue...

  Tren del Fin del Mundo Train at the End of the World, Tierra del Fuego National Park   November 2022 by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram One of the fun activities to indulge in in the Tierra del Fuego National Park is riding the Tren del Fin del Mundo, literally the ‘Train at the End of the World’! It is the southernmost passenger train in the world with parts of the line inside the park and outside. You can start at the railway station outside the park and end in the station inside, the other way, or even take the round trip! A century or so ago, Ushuaia was a penal colony and lawbreakers were imprisoned here. The railway line was longer than it is today, and the train was basically for freight, mostly to ferry the logs of the trees that were felled in what is today the National Park. And it goes without saying that those incarcerated felled the trees and transported the logs using the train. Today, the train runs for 7 km or so, and is entirely for tourists. The sign to t...