USHUAIA

Fri eve, 22 Feb 08, Buenos Aires

USHUAIA

We disembarked at Ushuaia,
A city for some too quiet.
I was thinking like,
If I find a gift I like,
‘Twill be OK to buy it.

Ushuaia is a German word meaning “bay that penetrates to the west.” The city is surrounded by beautiful mountains. We had a little tour, then an opportunity to poke around town for 45 minutes. Ushuaia has about 65,000 to 70,000 residents, was founded in 1884. It has a huge beaver problem – 75,000 enormous beavers, brought in for fur but produced poor fur because it is not as cold as in Alaska. A simple house in Ushuaia would cost $150,000, a price that would buy “a palace” in Buenos Aires. A very minimal apartment rents for $300 a month. Ushuaia was the jumping off point last year for 250,000 Antarctic tourists. The Yamanas were the tribe who lived in the area. Ushuaia has a huge housing shortage problem, and young adults can’t find independent housing, thus can’t move away from parents and become independent.

:-)

Bernie