Andes Mountains of Chile across the Beagle Channel
Our tour today started with a hike of 6.5 km aong the shores of the Beagle Channel. First we had to stop at the park gates of Tierra de Fuego National Park to pay the 110 peso per person entrance fee.
Mountains of Chile across the Beagle Channel
We then hiked the Costera Trail which skirts the edge of the water. For the first half of the trail there were many small little beaches which the trail crossed. In between it was often a steep climb up and then back down through the native forest.
White orchid
We saw many kinds of plants, heard many but didn’t see any songbirds, and lots of small white orchids. We also saw two other kinds of orchids, one yellow and one green.
Andes Mountains of Chile across the Beagle Channel
After the hike we stopped for lunch, provided by the tour company. Antartur has a tent which they have set up semi-permanently in the park campground. We began visiting with a very interesting couple from New York — two physicians, a husband and wife. The wife was very interested in learning about all the different places we’ve travelled.
After lunch we donned dry pants, rubber boots, and very cumbersome lifejackets for our paddling tour down the Lapataia River. For us the paddling was too short. We were in groups of 8 in rubber rafts. The guides said it was paddling, not rafting, as we were doing no white water. They divided us into two boats, and ours had all of the older people. They put all the young people in the other boat, I assume thinking they were stronger paddlers. Boy were they wrong!
Part way through the trip our guide said in Spanish, “Let’s beat them,” at which point Enid and I, in the bow of the boat, dug in and showed what you really need to do to paddle. In about 100 metres we were 50 metres ahead of the other boat!
Enid paddling on the Lapataia River
Needless to say, the guide was impressed, and said something like “you really do know how to paddle.” Enid told the group that we have been paddling together for over 40 years. After making one portage around a bridge that was too low to get under, and a small rapids, we paddled on to the end of the highway. “The end of the world” it is the southernmost road on to which you can drive. The sign indicated that it was 17, 848 km to the other end of the road in Alaska.