From Ushuaia it is possible to book on a boat trip to sail down the Beagle Channel. If you are lucky there will be some birds, maybe some sea lions and at the right time of the year maybe some penguins. We bought the tickets the day before and got there early for the big cast off. Best to bag the best seats for the best photos. Boarding hadn’t started yet so we went inside to keep warm, only to be met by what looked like a full doctor’s waiting room of middle aged Argentinian people drinking mate. No seats available, we perched ourselves in a handy position to be quick on the boat when the gate opened. Then a German tour group came in and formed their own orderly queue out of the door and along the jetty. It was as though they had done this before but who does this twice. At this point we saw the x ray machine and the sign demanding passports ( which we hadn’t brought). The stress levels rose. It was like being on a grid at a Grand Prix. After a few more minutes, a man in a smart uniform appeared from nowhere and blew a whistle and everyone piled in. No passport check, no x rays just a mad dash. Wish some great elbow work from Sarah we were first on our boat. Turned out everyone had a great seat and a great view.
