Day 15 – Returning to Cerro Sombrero

After one last farewell picture of this lovely alpine town of Ushuaia, Argentina, today our eyes turn back to somewhat familiar territory. Our route today is the reverse of two days ago, leading us back to the flat plains so typical of Patagonia. We are also returning to Chile, and this is our last border crossing. We have crossed between Chile and Argentina six times. Each time, one has to adjust to different currency, different coins, but fortunately the same language. This crossing has also required us to change our clocks yet again, since Chile began daylight savings time in mid-March, so we now gain one hour’s driving time.

We returned in mid-afternoon to the seemingly middle-of-nowhere town of Cerro Sombrero. This is not the middle of nowhere, though, but rather the middle of Tierra del Fuego, and the focal point of the Chilean oil and gas industry. A short walk up a slight hill from our hotel revealed a town of possibly 350-400 houses, as well as several monuments to oil and gas workers, as well as a very interesting, somewhat disused, outdoor chessboard, with chess pieces made of steel fittings from oil and gas wells and pipes. A very interesting insight into the mentality of this isolated town. Similar to the way that the steel industry was ever-present in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I live, the oil and gas industry's presence here is pervasive, reminding us that were it not for this fossil fuel, the town of Cerro Sombrero very likely would not exist.

We also encountered 2 other Brazilian motorcyclists here in our hotel who are traveling down the same road that we have just traveled. They relished the opportunity to get some tips about road conditions and weather from us before they set out on their way in the morning.

All in all this was a low-key day, and as palpable as our anticipation was when we first arrived at this solitary Fuegian outpost, I sense our spirits falling ever so slightly as we approach the end of our journey. Our travels tomorrow will take us to Punta Arenas, Chile, and there we will have a final dinner together as a group, to share our memories, and then the next day we will all disperse in different directions, and to pursue our own individual travels.

Hasta pronto,
- Bob