Blog

Yesterday we visited the doctor and got our certificates saying we are in good health to paddle. In the afternoon, we drove down the coast to Cabo San Pablo, over 100km south of Rio Grande. It was a lovely trip, driving the last 45km on a dirt road, through estancias (farms) and countryside with low hills and lots of trees. We saw lots of guanaco, birds of prey, the pretty bandurria ( black-faced Ibis), and crested caracara. Monica spotted a beaver and we saw what may have been a condor soaring over the hills in the distance.

Once we arrived, we walked down to the impressive shipwreck of the Desdemona & explored inside, keeping a close eye on the incoming tide. We also walked up to the Cabo through pretty low trees. On the cape, the trees were all bent to the south east, showing us that we are paddling this coast in the right direction!!

San Pablo is almost the last place with road access on the NE coast. The road continues down the coast for another 40km or so then we will be on our own for about 200km until Bahia Buen Successo on the East coast, where there is an Armada post ! It’s another 100km or so until we reach a road again. We will only attempt this inaccessible section if we are both feeling well, and Barry´s wrist is feeling strong. Thanks to Marcelo and Carlos for the photos.

One of the reasons I wanted to kayak around Tierra del Fuego was to challenge myself. I never imagined that the challenge would be ¨not kayaking¨. In January we paddled 4 days, less than I would paddle at home. In February we have yet to hit the water.  

I have found the inactivity more challenging than the paddling, including kayaking 25 miles across the entrance to the Magellan Straits at night. I suppose I should be pleased that I have got what I wanted!  I certainly think that I grow as a person when I meet and overcome difficulties, and we never know what shape those difficulties will take.

There are positives in everything.  We are getting to know Monica and Marcelo, who are wonderful people and have helped us in so many ways. This is our 17th day staying in their house – how many people would welcome strangers so warmly and unselfishly? We are well rested, well fed, warm & dry & we laugh alot. We have experienced things and met people we would never have known if we were kayaking every day.

We had intended to start paddling this week but on Monday Barry´s wrist was still sore at times. Now it is feeling a lot better and we hope to start kayaking early next week. There are a few things the navy require us to do before we can get on the water.  2 days before we start paddling we have to visit a doctor to get a new medical certificate to say that we are in good health to paddle ( we will do that tomorrow). We also need to tell them exactly when we will drive 2.5 hours north to where we left the water. The navy will be driving there with us to inspect our kit and make sure we have everything that they require. We hope to drive there on Monday afternoon, have everything inspected, and paddle as soon as conditions are good.

At times over the last 17 days I have felt very sad in case we are not able to complete this paddle this year. Today I feel much more positive, not just becuase I am optimistic that we will be able to continue but also because I realise that I am lucky to be in Tierra del Fuego at all. I have a good life with the opportunity to chase my dreams. To kayak and camp in wild & challenging places makes me feel deliciously alive and I really value doing what makes me feel good.  But this time off the water has also reminded me to keep things in perspective. My kayaking adventures are a selfish pleasure & not a given right. If some of my dreams are hard to achieve then I will be a better person for it. As they say, s**t happens!

 Wow! I can see why so many people want to visit Ushuaia. It´s marketed as the “city at the end of the world” and its in an incredibly beautiful setting with snowy peaks rising up around it in all directions. Photos don´t do it justice (well, mine dont anyway!), the scale of the peaks is quite overwhelming and the contrasting flatness of the Beagle Channel somehow adds to the power of the place. We had a great weekend, being tourists, looking around the shops, eating out, driving around and walking up towards the glacier behind the city. We also met up with Carlos again and met some friends of his and Monica & Marcelo´s. We briefly called in at the 2 kayak clubs in Ushuaia and met a few of the local paddlers. Now we are back in Rio Grande. We have had 12 days off paddling and tomorrow Barry will try having a paddle here to see how his wrist feels.  

 The weather is unusually calm in Rio Grande at the moment, this is the 3rd day without much wind. Yesterday we took the opportunity to walk up to Cabo Domingo, the large cape 10 km north of Rio Grande. It a lovely spot and we could get a good view of the coast we will be paddling along. I think  it´s very similar along the whole of the east coast, long stretches of beach, intersperced with cliffs. There is always some surf, even after 2 good weather days, but it is sometimes small.

Today, we drive south to spend the weekend in Ushuaia…  billed as the city at the end of the world! We are looking forward to it!