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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Antarctica, Aerolineas Argentina To Ushuaia

 

Unable to get on an earlier flight, thanks to Senorita Delago, I search the waiting area and find one of the few electrical outlets in the waiting area. I must charge up my Acer Netbook.

 

SAM 029 Traveling the globe, I have few different ones so I can keep powered up.

 

 

 

It sure would be nice if someday all the world's electrical outlets would just get along. Is that to much for a “King” to ask?

 

 

SAM 047 What time does the 14:30 flight for Ushuaia depart?

 

Apparently, it is not at 14:30. However, today it is understandable since the airport is running at full capacity due to construction at Buenos Aires other airport.

Having been delayed slightly on my original flight inbound to Buenos Aires, I am patient as I wait for my next flight outbound.

My flight to Ushuaia is a direct flight but will first make a stop in El Carafete, Argentina. This flight is on a Boeing 737 and I end up with seat 24F. It is a window seat on the last row of the right side of the aircraft.

 

SAM 046 We are taken by bus to a remote area where we board the airplane using stairs.

 

 

 

 

 

SAM 048 I am glad to see the pilot getting his windshield washed. I would not his vision obscured while he is flying us to Ushuaia.

 

 

Finding my way to 24F I discover I will not have to worry about a seat neighbor making a bed. I will have the whole row to myself.

 

 

 

SAM 051 Aerolineas Argentina Flight 1872

 

 

Departing Buenos Aires I get a view of the city as the airplane turns and climbs it's way towards El Carafete.

 

SAM 052 Pushing the recline button, I rest my head against a side panel and I am soon asleep. I hope the two and a half hour flight time will go by quickly.

 

 

 

 

SAM 056H2O Reptile

 

 

I wake up to some interesting scenery below us, a watery snake stretching for miles and miles between rolling brown hills.

 

SAM 057 In the distance snow capped mountains tell me the landscape is changing as we make our descent for El Carafete.

 

 

 

A short stop and every window seat especially the ones on the right side of the airplane becomes “Something Special In The Air” as we make our initial departure from El Carafete.

 

SAM 064 Passengers ignore the seat belt sign as they move side to side from window to window to get sparkling views of the scenery below.

 

 

 

 

CAN 075 El Carafete Departure View

 

 

CAN 081 Jagged mountain peaks blanketed with patches of snow.

 

 

 

 

 

CAN 079 A river covered with glacier ice

 

 

 

CAN 078 The views are so awesome that there is no blaring announcements for us to sit down.

 

 

 

I think the flight attendants are so use to passengers getting up during this departure that they leave us alone to soak all in.

 

 

 

CAN 086 Ushuaia Arrival

 

 

It's about an hour and twenty minute flight from El Carafete to Ushuaia that rewards us with more gorgeous views as we make our arrival descent. With a bright blue sky and scattered puffy white clouds, our flight is so close to the mountains that I feel like I can reach out and touch them.

 

CAN 090 What started as a dream a few years ago is now one step closer to reality as Aerolineas Argentina Flight 1872 touches down.

 

 

It has taken me almost 18 hours to get here since I left Miami. Stepping outside the airport, smelling the fresh air brought to me on a cold wind and taking in the splendid scenery, I know my journey here has already been worthwhile.

 

 

SAM 065 Outside Malvinas Argentina International Airport, Ushuaia

 

2 comments:

Erin said...

Glad to see you arrived safely in Ushuaia; saw the note on Fodor's that you're sailing in 3 hours, so you may be on the water already. Have a tremendous adventure!

(We had to skip El Calafate due to time limitations; it is still high on my list to visit and go out to the Perito Moreno Glacier.)

DMBTraveler said...

Just back from trip ... Wow, Spectular, Almost Beyond Words. Let the blogging begin!