Reaching Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world.
Ushuaia is the southernmost tip of South America, one of the most remote city of the world, although technically Puerto Williams is a bit further South (in Chile), but with only 2000 inhabitants, it does not get the title of "city" (Ushuaia has 82,000)...or this is what Argentina is claiming for Ushuaia to keep its marketing trophy. Ushuaia is hard to reach but during the peak season more and more ships departs from its harbor. The Jetty was actually extended since our first trip in 2012 and can now easily accomodate 6 cruise ships. Antarctica is becoming a very popular destination, with 300 ships pre-covid but now up to 500 ships depart during the peak season. The city is somewhat charming albeit its utilitarian design vibe; it feels like a basecamp with many gear shops, small coffees and food supplies. It's a mix of locals just living there, and tourists getting ready for the big adventure, but the feeling of being so remote from any civilization is great. And then there is this little bookstore I wanted to visit for a long time, it's called Boutique Del Libro and I could buy of couple of Antarctica maps and books on the topic that are hard to find elsewhere.
We make our way to The Commandant Charcot
It is quite an impressive ice-breaking ship, actually the only cruise ship existing in the world of that kind, to the point that some scientists even use it to reach out further south. It is almost brand new with an interior design by Vilmotte, and a restaurant powered by Alain Ducasse. The check-in is easy and then there is the nice ceremony of receiving your expedition jacket.
We are also lucky to have today next to us the sailing boat of Jean-Louis Etienne, Perseverance, all aluminium. It's also going for cruises in Antarctica, there are about 8 cabins. Check it online. This is quite a rare sight and JLE is one of the greatest French polar explorer !
The weather on the Drake Passage will apparently be better than average !
Crossing the Drake Passage can be a dreadful experience, those are the roughest seas in all existing oceans. But today with waves at only around 4 meters, we are told it should not be too rough for our first night on board as we cross thru those iconic waters. It's not the "Drake Lake" like we had in 2012 but looks like we will be spare the worst again this time.
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