At the Hotel Los Nires, Ushuaia

Ushuaia is considered the southernmost city in the world, and it’s also a jumping-off point for Antarctic travel.  I spent a total of about 2 days there, killing time before and after my Antarctica trip.

One of the first things I noticed, after marveling at the expanse of snow capped mountains and water surrounding the cute but industrial-looking town, was the number of dogs roaming its streets.  Some of them seemed like strays, but a lot of them seemed to have loose relationships with local residents.  For instance, when I sidled up to one dog to take his picture, a tour booking agent standing nearby volunteered the dog’s name and said that he lived with her.  Perhaps most of these guys were part of a human family, and Ushuaia dogs just have a lot more freedom to roam than their US counterparts.

Don't call me a stray

Husky at port

For the most part, the dogs seemed healthy and happy.  I ran into a few joyously running around town, bent on some mysterious mission.  Others lazed around the port area ignoring the bustle of activity around them.  The streets were certainly spotless (not that I’d normally advocate dog sanitation crews).  I did notice, however, that many of the public trash cans were raised, and fashioned like cages.  Perhaps that was a concession to the snow and the wind of Tierra del Fuego as much as it was to keep the pups out of the garbage.

The good life