The final goodbyes are said early morning and we disembark from the Vavilov, our ship which has been home for the last 3 weeks. I have conflicting emotions of sadness at saying goodbye to my friends and the realisation that I’ve had the climax to my year long journey, excitement at starting my trip through Patagonia, (another stunning part of the world) my last organised trip of this journey and the beginnings of homesickness and a longing for seeing the people in my life back home, the people I refer to as my ‘Sydney Family’!
I am starting a journey through Patagonia, which will see me wind my way between Argentina and 
Chile a few times, as I make my way from Ushuaia to Santiago.
This journey is with a group called Tucan, and we will travel in an overland truck, in a very similar fashion to my travels through Africa, except that we only have about 3 days of camping on this trip!
I meet the new group which includes Andy, an Englishman who is our truck driver, Ally who is 
our Tour Leader and Sarah my new room mate from England. There are 12 of us in the group and in addition to Sarah, (right), I hang out with Katie a fellow Aussie from Manly, and Dave another Englishman.
We have 3 nights in Ushuaia and before I say goodbye to this southern most city in the world, I have a chance to do a bit of exploring. Funnily enough we start this journey with a tour of the Beagle Channel and we find ourselves back on the water, this time on a much smaller boat called Elisabetta. We see our fair share of wildlife including sea lions and admire the views of the snow capped mountains. 
On our last day in Ushuaia we visit the Tierra del Fuego National Park for a day of hiking. This park is at the edge of the Beagle Channel, at the border with Chile and was created to protect the Southern tip of the Andes.
The main island of this archipelago was inhabited more than 10,000 years ago by various tribal groups including the Yamana people who lived in harmony with the environment. Yesterday, we had visited the museum and seen the bark canoes they travelled in and learnt a little about their way of life. They hunted seal-lions and harvested molluscs for food.
Just as in many other parts of the world their disappearance has been linked 
with disease and with the coming of the early explorers. It is said the sealers poisoned the Yamana so they could have easy access to the sea-lion colonies. The literature I have obtained from the park head office tells me that “of the 3000 Yamanas living at the time of arrival of the Europeans, there were but 1000 ten years later (1890) and by 1910 there were but 100.”
We hike the coastal trail which leads us down to the water and through 
Sub Antarctic Beech Forest. Initially, the water views are shrouded in mist and we cant see very far. Toward lunch time though the mist lifts and the snow capped Andes mountains are revealed. The views are stunning and we see a crested ducks and other birds in the water. 
As we hike we come across a beach covered with mussels and barnacles, exposed as it is low tide. We realise why the Yamana people could easily survive off this land. A land which may appear hostile on the surface but as you explore deeper you realise it has a plentiful supply of food to offer! 
We hike about 8 km before we stop for lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the water. Its good 
to stretch my legs and get some exercise after so much time on the boat. While I find it tempting to go back, Dave persuades me to keep hiking after lunch. I am so glad I did. The weather clears up completely and we hike through some stunning countryside bathed in sunlight.
I am so glad to be outdoors and feel incredibly happy to be on land and back in the great outdoors doing what I love best – hiking! 
We pass by a beaver dam and learn that beavers, rabbits and musk rats were some of the exotic mammals that were introduced to this pristine wilderness for economic reasons. 
The stumps of dead trees that have resulted from the beavers, remind us of the dangers of introducing alien species to an environment not designed for them.
We walk for another 4km or so before we call it a day. We are picked up by our transfer vehicle and we go back for a hot shower and a quick nap before dinner. I am glad this leg of my journey will be an active one. Hopefully, I might lose the pounds I put on on, aboard the Vavilov! 
I'm the walkingest girl around. I like to work at it - really get my heart pounding. ~Amy Yasbeck
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