An expedition to the end of the world:
Tierra del Fuego

Meeting new friends...
            
The year 1999 was particularly nervous.  In the midst of the excitement of the "Millennium Bug", many people were looking for exotic or mystical places to spend New Year's Eve. We wanted to travel, but the inns and hotels were full or with exorbitant prices. Plane tickets were out of the question. It was then that Neco (in memoriam), a friend from Rio Grande do Sul, sent an e-mail that said: "For those of you who like Indian programs, this is a good opportunity".
            
Little did he know that we would accept the idea on the spot. Well, another gaucho from Porto Alegre, Ricardo Möeller, was preparing an expedition to Ushuaia, exactly to spend New Year's Eve at the "end of the world". We got in touch and were excited about the idea.
            
We had never traveled with so many people. And the expedition would consist of more than a dozen cars. Some from the South, others from São Paulo, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro.  We started to keep in touch, exchange information, and arrange how the expedition would be, all over the internet. Finally, the initial meeting would be on the beach of Atlântida (RS), on December 23. And the departure, on the 24th, from Porto Alegre.
            
We left São Paulo on the 22nd, towards Lajes (SC), where we would spend the night and meet some people who would also go to Atlântida. On the way, a little problem with an allergic reaction.
 
With a prescription from the homeopathic doctor in hand, the remedy was manipulated and administered. But in the middle of the night, we had to run to a health center. The problem worsened and Vera almost had a glottis closure. After taking an injectable pump of adrenaline, anti-allergy, corticosteroids, and who knows what else, the worst is over. At dawn, the swelling of the tongue decreased, although the chin was still a little swollen, but we continued to Atlantis. It was time to meet the new friends.
 
We participated in the welcome dinner, chatted and the group returned to Porto Alegre. We decided to stay there. We were very tired from the trip and the sleepless night. The next day, we went to Porto Alegre, from where we would leave in a convoy heading south.
 
It was Christmas Eve and everyone was excited about the trip. We left, in unbearable heat, for Santana do Livramento/Rivera, right on the border with Uruguay.
 
What divided the two countries, Brazil and Uruguay, was an avenue. On one side, Santana do Livramento (Brazil). On the other side, Rivera (Uruguay). As a result, some cars circulate to and fro, without customs and immigration. But when the police approach the driver to check the documentation and discover that he is illegal, the price of the fine is high. They usually charge "bribes" and payment of fees to regularize the vehicle. Therefore, we decided to advance the border procedures, to avoid problems the next day.
            
Then, with great difficulty, the group found a restaurant that was willing to make an "arroz de carreteiro" and we celebrated Christmas. It was a pleasant, relaxed night and served to strengthen friendships.
            
The idea was to cross Uruguay and sleep in Azul, already in Argentina. Everything was ready, cars were fueled, the train was formed and we left. At the front, Ricardo, who organized the expedition, was testing a Nissan Frontier. In the end, there was a Toyota, which was the "Fecha Porteira". He was responsible for always, in any situation, closing the train. We were all equipped with radios. As the cars were of different brands and performances, the radio was a very efficient way of communication. Everyone was always in sight of each other, to help in any emergency. When we entered a city or junction, we only made the turn if the car behind was in the "look". This way, we prevented the train from dispersing or anyone getting lost.
            
In Uruguay, it was mandatory to use low beams during the day. The driver of one of the cars was distracted and turned on the auxiliary headlight. He was stopped by the policeman who asked for the documentation of the car and the driver. He put the documents in his pocket and gave the "bite" of 60 dollars (that's right, dollars). He only returned the documents after payment. From that moment on, we decided to walk even closer and be warned by radio, whenever someone was stopped by a policeman. With other cars nearby, it would be more difficult to request an unofficial contribution from the lawmen. Of the law?!?!
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A long road to the "End of the World"
            
Our arrival in the small town of Azul, Argentina, was very funny. We crossed the entire city center to get to the campsite. As it was Christmas, the streets and squares were busy. The passage of the convoy, with all the cars stickered, drew a lot of attention and aroused the curiosity of the residents. We were followed by motorcycles, and people running next to us. They wanted to know if it was some kind of competition or action, probably Christmas. The rush after the cars only dissipated when we arrived at the city campsite.
            
As it got dark around eleven at night, we drove for a long time. There were approximately one thousand kilometers, during all seven days, in the almost five thousand kilometers from Porto Alegre to Ushuaia. With that, when we arrived at the campsite, it was a shower, a quick meal, and sleep, dead tired. That's because, although we always woke up very early, until all the cars were ready to leave it took a long time.
            
It was a hard routine. We went to Bahia Blanca, Puerto Madryn, we went to meet the penguin trees, with more than four hundred thousand penguins, in the Valdez Peninsula and Punta Tombo, where thousands of penguins go to mate at this time of year. Males make their burrows and females choose their mates. We also saw the sea lions. We just didn't see the Orcas and the dolphins.
 
On the way back to the campsite, a scare! One of the cars, a Land Rover Defender 90, overturned. Its two occupants were unharmed, but the scare was too great. The roof of the car was destroyed. The car was overturned and taken to a sheltered place. Then he was transported to São Paulo and the couple had to return home. That was the last day for them. In order not to let the mood drop, the gauchos decided to do what they know how to do well, a barbecue. After all, the car ran out, but, fortunately, the consequences were not the worst.
 
After the scare of the previous day, we got to know a little more about the region and headed towards Comodoro Rivadávia, already entering the Patagonian desert.
            
The wind was very strong and constant. It even destabilized the car. If someone needed to pee on the road it was impossible, because of the wind. Unless he didn't mind getting all wet. From Comodoro Rivadávia we went to Rio Gallegos, already much closer to Ushuaia.
            
There, we entered Chile. We had to cross the Strait of Magellan by ferry. Just to remember, this strait is a natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. After the crossing, we returned to Argentina. It was a little tense to drive next to a minefield, still a remnant of "misunderstandings" between Argentina and Chile. From there we went to Rio Grande and accelerated to reach our destination.
            
The anxiety and excitement increased with each kilometer. The climate showed signs of the proximity of the "End of the World". Some points of the road had ice on the shoulder, heavy clouds covered the sky and the cold and biting wind prevented the car from performing well. Finally, when we saw the city, Cosme Kim, a Korean who was on the expedition, shouted over the radio: "Quadrabunda". This was the way he found to say that it was a relief to arrive. After all, we were all "square ass". And, this was the affectionate name that our expedition was baptized. And some of us, who are friends to this day, call each other "quadrabundas".
 
Finally, around eleven in the evening of December 30, we entered Ushuaia. After those seven tiring days, driving about 5 thousand km and sleeping little, we concluded that we were 6,500 km from our house.
            
And this was also the first day, since we left Porto Alegre, that we were able to set up camp calmly, celebrate and rest, without the worry of having to wake up early and "kick-off". We were already in Ushuaia, at the "End of the World".
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The false turn of the century without the "Millennium Bug"
            
We woke up unhurriedly, on our first day in Ushuaia. We went to see the city. We walked through the shopping center and went to the supermarket. We had to stock our pantry. And also prepare our New Year's Eve party. We took the opportunity to refuel the car and do some minor maintenance such as changing oil and filters.
            
Ushuaia is a small city, but very charming. The colorful buildings have, in their architecture, English influence. The city was born from a prison. It is said that the prisoners, transferred to that place, were forced to help in its construction. Over time, some of the families of the prisoners, as a way to facilitate visitation, moved to the city. To survive, they started a small business. And so, the city grew. After serving their sentences, some prisoners, especially political prisoners, decided to remain in Ushuaia.
            
At the end of the afternoon, we returned to the campsite, met friends and also another convoy of Brazilians. And there together, we celebrated New Year's Eve, with lots of partying, gifts, hugs, and promises. At midnight, we went to the highest point of the city, to see the fireworks display and greet the entrance of the New Year, the year 2000.
            
And the celebrations didn't end anytime soon. For three days we enjoyed the city and the region. We went to Lake Lapataia, the last piece of dry land on our continent before Antarctica. We climbed the icy mountain Martial Glacier, visited the Beagle Channel, a focus of friction between Argentines and Chileans, visited the Maritime Museum, the End of the World Prison, and saw the damage that beavers were doing to the trees in the region at that time.
            
Beavers had been imported as a way of trying to achieve an ecological balance. But they later discovered that they had no natural predators. They reproduced uncontrollably and the result was a great imbalance in the region. Some areas devastated by these rodents looked like abandoned fields of some clandestine sawmill.
            
After many walks and rest, the car in order, it was time to leave the "Ciudad del Fin del Mundo",heading north. We returned to the Gallegos River and crossed, again, the Strait of Magellan, entering and leaving Chile. We passed, again, next to the minefield. From there we went to Cerro Castillo and then Torres del Paine, both in Chilean Patagonia. 
            
We were entering the Carretera Austral. The Carretera Austral was a gravel road, which were round, smooth stones forming a trail, which made the trip very dangerous. The problem was that these stones, because they were very smooth, slipped too much. When the car left this rail, there was a serious risk of overturning. On the other hand, there was no point in driving slowly. The road had many "chops" and the slower the more the car jumped. Care and experience were needed.
            
The further we drove north, the more the landscape changed. We were in the middle of the Andes, with a lush forest. We often zigzag between Chile and Argentina.
            
Finally, the adventures continued. We arrived in Torres del Paine, known for its high mountains, blue icebergs, and prairies. The three granite towers and horn-shaped peaks, Cuernos del Paine, are one of its attractions.
 
Thus, we rode on gravel roads, also along Ruta 40, on a monotonous straight with the remains of crashed and overturned cars that drew our attention to the dangers of that desert. We crossed a bridge that started and ended in the middle of the river. And the expedition didn't stop, we continued in Train, getting to know each other, having fun, and always wanting to speed up more and more...
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A perfect rafting...
            
Our next stop was in El Calafate. It is there that the Los Glaciares National Park is located, and the fantastic Perito Moreno glacier, which impresses with its dimensions. From afar we can see the wall of blue ice. It is possible to walk on the glacier wearing boots with special nail soles and observe its immensity from the inside. Or, if you prefer, you can watch head-on and expect it to detach large chunks of the glacier, weighing tons, making a thunderous noise, and causing large waves. It's a sensational sight. It is one of the wonders of the world.
            
From there, we completed another stage to El Chaltén. The wind was very strong and camping was not an easy task. Some tents were damaged, although they were prepared for hostile weather. We took a walk to the base of Fitz Roy. Climbing the mountain requires technique and experience because, despite not being very high (3,375 meters), compared to other mountains, the climate is treacherous, which has already cost many lives of climbers. But, it is, above all, a beautiful mountain. We admired it for some time and returned. We also visited Lago del Desierto, which looked more like a painting. Then, we continued crossing, several times, the borders between Argentina and Chile, passing through Coihaique until we reached Vila Amengual, a small town of a hundred or so inhabitants, lost right in the middle of the Andes.
            
The wooden houses, colored by hydrangeas, made it a cozy setting. We asked permission to camp on a soccer field. The residents kindly offered their houses for us to use the bathroom. They were very polite and helpful people. At night, sitting, and drinking wine, we concluded that we were no longer just a group of people who traveled together. We were more than a group of friends, we were a family.
            
The next day, we went to Futaleufu, a city with a good structure of hotels, camping, and restaurants. There, we were divided. Some people, including us, decided to stay in the city to go rafting. Other people decided to go on to Bariloche.
            
We do not regret it. We signed a term of responsibility because the route of the river was 3-4 of difficulty. We already had some experience in rafting. So we didn't worry and went downstream.
            
The sky was a beautiful blue color. The scenery, inside that river, was stunning. The agitation of the waters and their noise, caused by the strong currents, contrasted with the calm waters that came later. We observed what was around, very high stones, which protected that piece of paradise. And, a silence, which allowed us to hear our thoughts. Unspeakable! It was such a good feeling that we wish that adventure had never ended...
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And so began our Alaska Expedition 2001...
            
We left Futaleufu and joined the rest of the group in Bariloche. But not before passing by Villa La Angostura, one of the most beautiful villages in Argentine Patagonia. Villa La Angostura is surrounded by lakes, mountains, valleys, and woods, in an exuberant nature.
            
The departure from Bariloche left us impressed, with so much beauty. And from there, we headed towards the Osorno Volcano, in the Andean Lakes region, in Chile. But first, we stopped in Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas. We took the opportunity to buy a lot of fruit and smoked salmon, before heading to a campsite, at the foot of the volcano.
            
On the day we arrived, the clouds were low, which prevented the view we wanted so much. We were hoping that the next day would be good weather. In the evening, we had an authentic "Bib Party", with food and drink at will. Each one wanted to show their culinary skills. Helinho had already made a delicious galinhada on New Year's Eve. Now it was time to taste the delights to come.
            
As it was very cold, the burning fireplace gave off a strong smell of smoke. Since we couldn't sleep with that smell, we decided to sleep in the car. In the morning, we almost had a heart attack. We were woken up with everyone running out of the house, agitated. We thought the volcano was erupting since it was still active. We find it hard to understand. The weather was wide open and beautiful, and we had to be quick to go up before it changed.
            
The snow at the top of the volcano glistened in the sun. We left, quickly. We went by car to a certain point, but the terrain was porous, with loose stones, which almost caused us an accident. The car slipped and almost overturned. We parked and went up.
            
The Osorno Volcano is well known by climbers, including for its resemblance to Mount Fuji, on the island of Honshu, Japan. As we climbed, we saw the crosses placed in honor of the climbers who died trying to climb the mountain in winter. There are many crevasses and with the snow, they are covered.
            
Suddenly, the weather changed and a dense fog approached. We lost our way back. It was necessary for the friends who were at the base to honk their horns to guide us back. We don't know whose idea it was, but thank God we managed to orient ourselves and return safe and sound.
            
From there, it was time to take the way back home. We return to Villa La Angostura and Bariloche. Then we accelerated towards Brazil. We went straight to Uruguay, crossed the border with Argentina, and, finally, we were in Santana do Livramento.
            
We were greeted with a party on the beach of Atlantis once again. And from there we returned to São Paulo, after 15,000km. We were happy and ready to follow what we advocated while we were in Ushuaia: "Now that we know the 'End of the World', we need to know the 'Top of the World'. Let's go to Alaska!"
            
We let friends know. But no one paid the slightest attention to what we said at that moment. But, we take it seriously. The following year, we set out on a new expedition towards Alaska. And so began our Alaska Expedition 2001...