Travels

I’m sitting in the restaurant/bar of the Cap Polonio hotel drinking a cold Beagle Red. On Wednesday we arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina, a city that considers itself Fin del Mundo—at the end of the earth. For the end of the earth, the beer is pretty good, as is the Argentinian Malbec wine and the seafood. Still, Ushuaia is the closest city to Antarctica and the jumping-off place for many of those who are bound for “The Ice”.

Although the Kapitan Khlebnikov hasn’t arrived in port yet, we expect to board it the day after tomorrow for our own trip to the White Continent.

While I should have lots more to tell you about when we return to Ushuaia in a couple of week’s time, I thought I might catch up a little on the latter part of our trip to the southwestern US. It seems strange to be sitting here in Tierra del Fuego in early spring surrounded by snow-capped mountains when only a couple of weeks ago we were in Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level—the lowest point in the western hemisphere—with the temperature in the high 30’s.

But before we get to Death Valley (and Joshua Tree), I must report that my North American acculturation is now complete—I’ve been to Disneyland.

You may remember that we were in Palm Springs, California where Cathy was having a get-together with some old friends from high school. One evening the ladies told me they were going to take me on a road trip the next day, that we needed to start early, and that it wouldn’t be too strenuous although I should wear walking shoes. O.K.—maybe the zoo, or a trip to the local winery.

The next morning Sheena forgot herself, and said we’d better get going if we were going to get to what I heard to be “Squash Mountain” on time. Hmm, Squash Mountain, were we going to a farmer’s market?

We headed west. We passed by the windmills. I still didn’t know where we were going. We started getting closer to Los Angeles. Were we going to L.A.? Then the penny dropped. We were going to Disneyland. I hadn’t any more thought of going to Disneyland than I would have thought of driving from Palm Springs to Churchill to see polar bears.

And Disneyland was, well, rather small. Kid-sized really. I guess that’s the point, but it surprised me. We did go on Splash Mountain as well as on some other rides including the Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Star Wars rides.

We also saw young Padawans being trained by a Jedi Knight. When a very convincing Darth Vader arrived to challenge the young Padawans, he hissed at a trainee, “You have controlled your fear, NOW RELEASE YOUR ANGER!” The four-year-old, three-foot-tall Padawan was anything but a study in anger as he gently tapped Darth Vader’s about the knees with his plastic light sabre.

While I won’t be rushing back to Disneyland anytime soon, it was an interesting experience if for no other reason that Disneyland, and the Disney characters, are such an important part of western popular culture. In any event, I really don’t look that good in Mickey Mouse ears.

The Ladies at Disneyland.

If Disneyland was surprising, Joshua Tree National Park may have been even more so. Located so close to Los Angeles that the park’s air quality is often rated as “unhealthy”, the park is nonetheless a very large expanse of desert wilderness with far more Joshua trees than people. We were even lucky enough to see, and photograph, a band of Desert Bighorn Sheep. In several previous trips to desert country we had looked and looked for the elusive sheep, but not seen a thing. And yet here they were, a couple of hours drive from one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the US.

Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park.

Desert Bighorn.

The Mojave Desert was a surprise in a different way. It was cold and rainy, and the arroyos filled with water that washed mud and debris over the roads in many places.

Flooding in the Mojave Desert.

On the day we left the Mojave the rain stopped, and sky cleared up. One advantage of all the rain was that the 600-foot-high Kelso Dunes were firm and easy to climb. We climbed to the top and were presented with a panoramic view of the Mojave Desert as it spread out far below us.

Cathy Climbing the Kelso Dunes.

The rain had also stopped in Death Valley by the time we got there, and although a number of backcountry roads were closed because of mud and washouts, the valley was getting back to its normal state of being hot and dry. We spent one full day there, and did several short walks and hikes but, by mid-afternoon, it was too hot to walk anymore. Stopping by the Visitor’s Centre we were amused by the spectacle of two Park Rangers trying to wrangle a scorpion into a Folger’s coffee can. Unfortunately, the scorpion was in a corner, and the coffee can was round. When we left, the scorpion seemed to have the upper hand. Had there not been so many visitors watching, I suspect the Rangers might have used different, more aggressive tactics. I doubt there is a shortage of scorpions in Death Valley.

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley.

Death Valley Sand Dunes.

Death Valley.

From Death Valley, at an elevation of around sea level, we climbed to the high desert of Nevada. As we drove over the 6000-7000 foot passes we could see that new snow had fallen on the surrounding peaks. On a high pass in Montana snow still lay in the shadows beside the road. We were driving back towards winter. After almost six months of sunshine and heat, we shivered a little at the thought of snow and cold. And now we find ourselves in the austral spring, and on our way to Antarctica.