Are we Close to Patagonia?

I made lot's of conversation in my multiple flights down to Argentina, commiserating with all my peers on American Airlines who had also been screwed into missing connecting flights out of Dallas. Upon learning my destination, people eagerly inquired if I'd be fitting a journey to Patagonia into my itinerary.

Probably not, I cheerfully answered every time. When I finally arrived in Ushuaia and asked Maggie how close we were to Patagonia, they informed me that we were, in fact, already there.

Argentina is split into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires, which is also the federal capital. Ushuaia is the southern most city informed the country, and resides in the Tierra del Fuego province. Ushuaia is only a graceful 700 miles from the shores of Antarctica, which is why so many restaurants, activities, and tours in the city are tagged with 'el fin de mundo', the end of the world. That translations represents about 30% of the spanish that I know, so bless Maggie for ordering every meal for me and translating every encounter.

Our first few days in Ushuaia included a goofy train ride through Tierra del Fuego National Park and a boat trip out to sea lions and penguins. Maggie also graciously educated me in the Argentinian ritual of Yerba Mate, a deeply social tradition. Mate is usually enjoyed in groups of friends. Everywhere we went there were people carrying their Yerba kits, heavy with Stanley thermoses. We enjoyed lots of Mate in Ushuaia, and while plenty of people continued to drink it in Buenos Aires, I couldn't imagine having such a hot beverage in the heat.