USHUAIA

Ushuaia, pronounced oosh-shre-ya is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego - Land of Fire - a huge island at the southern tip of Argentina. It is closer to the South Pole at 2,480 miles than to the country's northern border with Bolivia. The last mountains of the Andean Cordillera rise above the city, with snow capped peaks well into Summer. Even though people say that Ushuaia today 'feels a bit like a frontier boom town with the heart of a rugged fishing village' the landscape and the sheer beauty of nature around the area is hard to match. Founded as a penal colony until Juan Peron dismantled it the city attracted Italian immigrants initially before capitalizing on ecologically sumptuous resources to develop a thriving tourism industry. Population has jumped from 7,000 to 70,000 the past decade in part due to the Government offer of tax benefits across the board such as no VAT to attract inhabitants. While taxes may be low it is expensive to live here as almost everything has to be shipped in from somewhere else. Ushuaia is the preferred gateway for expeditions due to her proximity to the South Pole. When we docked at the break of dawn there was a handful of trim looking, no nonsense Antarctica bound cruise boats along side, ready to row.

Even though shopping is never on my agenda it was fun to saunter down Avenida San Martin, Ushuaia's answer to Causeway Bay and what did we get, a mid afternoon traffic jam. We bought Ushuaia themed T-shirts for the twins at US$12 or HK$100 each, thank you very much. These margins will make Hong Kong retailers weep, one wonders how much goes to rent and staff wages?

The information sheet on board says ' ... a chaotic and contradictory urban landscape with luxury hotels next to housing projects, the weather worn pastel colors remind one that it was just a tiny fishing village snuggled at the end of the earth ...' which I disagree. It is unkind as the charm of a small town, fishing village or not, is all over town. I must declare, however, my dissent is made after a beautiful, sunny-blue-sky day of sightseeing, and a beautiful lunch of locally caught King Crabs.