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...

  Ushusia – the Southernmost City in the World November 2022 by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram Search for the ‘Southernmost City in The World’ and the chances are that you will find Ushuaia in Argentina. The phrase is probably most used to attract tourists. Sometime around the turn of the last century, Chile declared Puerto Williams, slightly south of Ushuaia and with a population of less than 3000, as a ‘City’. Ushuaia’s permanent residents easily number 20 times more, and more importantly, Ushuaia has the proper infrastructure to be a real city, while Puerto Williams is mostly a naval base plus a few streets and fewer hotels. Thus, Ushuaia may be more deserving to wear that ‘crown’, if there were one! But southernmost city or not, there’s no denying that Ushuaia is really set in a lovely location, sandwiched between the Martial Glacier to the north and the Beagle Channel to the south! This photo essay aims to show you around! Ushuaia as seen from the helicopter (more of this in the...

  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...

  Salta Gateway to Northern Argentina   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram Salta is a city in the north of Argentina and also capital of the Salta province. The city is huge; it seems half of the entire population of the province lives here, and so no wonder that it does seem crowded. Colonial vestiges can be see throughout. Salta is the starting point for day trips and also for multi-day tours of northern Argentina, which itself is a beautiful part of the country. The landscape surrounding the city is filled with campos, valles, arroyos, quebradas and more, and is very different from what you will find down south in the Tierra del Fuego! There is actually much more to Salta than you will see here; this post intends to just give you a feel for some parts of the city. A view around Plaza 9 de Julio, the City Square. A statue of General Juan Antonio Álvarez de Arenales in the middle of the plaza. He fought in many wars, and was later Governor of Salta prov...

  Helicopter ride in Ushuaia   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram A nice, even if expensive, activity that one can indulge in in Ushuaia is to take a helicopter ride. There are several travel agents who can arrange this for you. A few firms run the helicopter rides, which start from the heliport near the old airport. Pick one that suits you! Before starting, the agency screens a safety video about the dos and don’ts, answers your questions if any, and you are in the air! Rides typically last half an hour. You fly over the city, across meadows, streams and lakes, and land in the Andes. After a few minutes, and a toast of champagne (Coca-Cola for the likes of me!), you return to the starting point. The company that I went with (Heliushuaia) even arranged a pickup from the hotel, and dropped me off after the activity. Here, we see a helicopter in its parking space, ready for liftoff! Rise and shine! Ushuaia from the air! Can you spot any landmarks from my ear...