Train Travel & Other Adventures ~ No.5

So the last part of my recent foreign train adventures were in the south of Argentina, in Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. This was the most expensive train of the trip and it doesn't really go anywhere, it's just a tourist attraction because it's called El Tren Del Fin Del Mundo (translated as the Train at the end of the World).

After eagerly scanning my Lonely Planet (of the whole of South America - that is one beasty book!) and realising my plan to travel the continent by train was not going to happen, as there aren't really any, this was added to my list of 'trains that don't really go anywhere but I want to go on anyway!'

Patagonia was one of the top places to travel when I made my vague list of where I wanted to travel to and it certainly was stunning. Although Ushuaia is miles away from anywhere, and really inconvenient to get to, I really wanted to go as it is pretty much the furthest south you can get without being in the sea or going to the South Pole. As I didn't have much room left in my passport for visa stamps (it would have been 1. exit Argentina, 2. Arrive Chile, 3. Leave Chile, 4. Arrive Argentina - repeat on the way back) and 12 hours by dodgy road, I found flights from Rio Gallegos for not much more than the bus ticket, and it was only an hour and a half flight.

Ushuaia was equally stunning and had the most snow I'd ever seen! As we travelled south, I kept getting really excited that there was loads of snow, and then in the next place there would be more...and then in Ushuaia MASSES!!!

As there was so much snow, we went Husky dog sledging in one of the ski resorts and as it was so quiet there, I got to drive the sledge! So exciting! But back to trains...So we caught the Tren del Fin del Mundo which used to be the prison train and take the prisoners out to cut firewood in the forests to the train journey was a bit of a tour like that. When we got to the Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) national park, most people caught the train straight back again, or headed to one of the lodges for a leisurely lunch. But me and Livia had other ideas and so we went hiking...in deep snow...with more falling...

I have to say that it was not the best idea we've ever had, as we couldn't see the path, so kept getting lost and disorientated, and we got soaking wet as the snow was so thick and deep, but it was beautiful, and very peaceful. We saw seals playing in a frozen lake, and then had a picnic - very appropriate for this time of year!

So that completes my recent train travelling adventures. Although I am off to Malaysia in a few weeks time so may have more adventures to come.