Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia

Hi again folks
We now have some reception - not, apparently, enough to upload photos. A shame as we have been treated to some lovely sights. As we waited to board the cruise we visited the naval museum in Punta arenas and discovered that 62% of chile is in Antarctica! The Chileans were the party that rescued Shackleton and his crew from their near disaster and we also learnt that before the dats of GPS, Kate used the log system that had been in use for hundreds of years as the standard for measuring the distance travelled in a boat- in the old days they literally threw a log over the stern - it was on a rope. Cath threw a metal instrument but it had the same ability by the way it swivelled in the water to indicate distance.
After boarding we settled in our luxury cabins and the next day set off in zodiacs past sea lions and icebergs to look at the amazing variety of flora that flourishes here despite the cold- from hardened lichens to delicate rainforest ecosystems. Unfortunately the Canadian beaver was introduced and with no predators it has decimated the forest in parts (there is a culling program). Having no predators it's skin is less oily from lack of stress so it's fur is no good for using in clothing! To get rid of the beavers they introduced weasels which have no interest in beavers ( I thought that was a uniquely Australian thing to do) and then they introduced minxes- Hayley you have to look up these three animals. (Use Tierra del Fuego and the animal name in your keyword search). We then chugged off to see penguins and cormorants at close hand-amazing to watch them - cormorants - building their nest- the male passing bits stolen from another nest to the female who is sitting in it with the chicks. All were quite happily oblivious to us. The teenage Magellanic penguins (Hayley what is their other name?) have their own beach having been expelled from the nests. They are waiting for the next current that may send them to the pacific or the Atlantic - it's a lucky dip for them.
There were a number of tribes in the area - the most amazing were the Yamana  who lived naked- they covered themselves with seal fat. The women dived with their children for sea shells, they owned the canoe and managed the fires. Can't imagine how babies survived a day.
We were lucky enough to see a glacier and heard it 'calving' - bits breaking off - like a tree falling - but didn't see it calving.
We are now in Ushuaia enjoying their fine summer weather - sleeting/ snowing intermittently. We
Went to a divine seafood restaurant - which needs to be transplanted to Sydney - pleasant service,  magnificent food and wine.
Head off to buenes aires this afternoon