LalalaWonderland

The first time I ever traveled over seas was when I was 16 turning 17. My family and I took a trip to Argentina and, best of all...Antarctika. It was the most amazing time in my life. That whole holiday, everything from the high buildings and crazy traffic of Buenos Aries to the silent bay and gray skies of Ushaia to the open bright blue and clear white of Antarctika... it switched something inside me on and changed me.

It all started with a 9 hour trip across the Atlantic Ocean. My poor judgement made me watch movies for most of that time. At last my eyes were so tired and I couldn't stay up anymore. I had just put my head comfortably against the headrest when all the overhead lights went on again and the passangers around me woke up and started to move. Perfect timing.

Buenos Aries was like nothing I'd ever seen. I had never even been in a real city before it, so the beauty and absolute magnitude of it astonished me. I couldn't get enough of it. Not of the language, or the pretty buildings, or the huge trees. We stayed in an apartment for about 2 days and took a flight to Ushuaia. The flight was terrible. I don't know if its the norm to have the aircon dripping on you or the toilet to smell all the way from the back, but let't just say that it was a VERY long flight. Those 2 hours felt way longer than any nine. Ushuaia is the lowest 'city' on earth, or what I mean to say is that its the farthest from the equator. And, if you were wondering, its not really a city, not at all. The only reason for calling itself the "Most Southernly City" is because there exists a town EVEN MORE southernly...
The main street is lined with many tourist shops, although why anyone would travel all that way to pay $300 for sunglasses is beyond me. In between these there are many little cute restaurants. If you feel like eating good meat - and I mean REALLY good meat - look for the sheep roast in the restaurant windows. The name of the game is 'coldero' (did I spell that correctly?) and it means lamb, which they all serve differently, of course: some hand over a plate with neat cuts, others chop a leg onto your plate, or better yet, a serving-pot filled to the brim with all kinds of meats and sausige and...lamb. I'm from Africa, I am proud to say I know good meat. Let me tell ya, Argentina has THE BEST lamb I've ever tasted. It aint good to be a vegetarian here, the temptation's too high.

OK, so enough with the meat. Along main street there are also these cute little cafes and shops specialising in choklate. My favorite was this sweet national spread they make called Dolce deleche, which litterally means 'sweet milk'. One lady who sold me some told me not to eat it too fast, its too sweet. Did I listen? Not a chance! And I enjoyed every morsel of the jar, even under the critical eye of my mother, who shared the saleslady's view.

The weather in Ushuaia, when I was there, was very chilly. And we visited it in their Summer! Crazy, but that's what it was like. Cold. And wet. I strongly advise any one planning to go there to take sturdy and waterproof boots. They are priceless.
I loved the feel of the town. The long days and wet pavements. The mountains... The little ships on the mirrored sea, calm and mirrored. All of it, its special.
One peculiar thing about that place are the dogs. They don't stay on their lawns, oh no. They stand alongside you at the street corner, waiting for the light to change, and cross when you do.

We stayed in a little Bed and Breakfast, which was fine. It had one bedroom, but did have a kitchen. No view, but it was nice and close to the shores and the shops. It was quiet too. It probably didn't cost much and there are alot of this kind of occomidation. But if you really feel like splurging I'd reccomend is the Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel, situated on the drive up one of the mountains, overlooking the town and the harbour below. If you're wondering how the hell such a small town manages to keep a grande hotel (three to be exact), well, in the winter season many flock to Ushuaia for the skeeing. Even in Summer there was snow. It was the first time I'd ever touched snow. We went up a mountain with lifts and hiked some way up as well. The weather changed and we were almost caught in a storm. That was frightening.

For me, Ushuaia has great memories and I'm sure I go there everynight in my dreams. Its a spectacular place with great surroundings and history. Its definitly a destination of note, no matter its size!