At
The Bottom Of The World
Ushuaia ~ by Mark McMahon
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embarked on this grand adventure just over four years ago. And yes, I finally
made it. I drove to the end of the world, Ushuaia, the southernmost city
on the planet. I was blessed with some fabulous photo opportunities toward
the end of my journey. Let me tell you about these before I describe actually
reaching my goal.
5:30 AM. SOUTHERN
ARGENTINA. I’m alive and awake! I would even go so far as to say alert.
Often you will find me smack in the middle of a good night’s sleep at this
hour. But there is something about the light here that excites me. It energizes
me.
In this part
of the world and at this time of the year you get more than your fair share
of sunlight. As I continue south the days will be even more exaggerated. |
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Ushuaia,
Argentina, the southern most city in the world
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For as long
as I can remember, I have always resisted going to bed. I have always liked
staying up late, as if I were going to miss out on something by going to
sleep. But there is another part of me that wishes I could get up and get
going at the crack of dawn. Obviously these two habits do not go hand in
hand.
But the sunlight
here naturally pushes your body in that direction. More light, more living!
Feels awesome for now. I imagine that my need for rest will catch up with
me. Perhaps if I lived here full time I’d just catch up in the winter when
the lighting is reversed…
But back to
my photo-ops, I am up early and I wanna get some photos of the flamingos
I saw along the road yesterday. I head out of my hotel and up the highway
that led me to this tiny seaside community. I am barely out of town when
come to the first lake. Actually it is more of a large pond and by no means
pristine. Signs of civilization are all around it, even in it. Lots of
power lines and partially submerged cement structures. But there on the
edge, partially obscured by some brush, is small group the long legged
freaks. Flamingos, looking quite comfortable surrounded by urban waste.
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I
pull over and cautiously approach the lake, taking photos through the brush.
Not knowing when they will get spooked and be gone, I snap photos continuously
as I look for a good vantage point. The brush obscures their view of me
and allows me to get very close. But my view is obscured also. I have to
find a way to get around or through the brush without frightening them.
My attempts yesterday taught me that they are very wary of human attention.
I have to be very sly.
A tree had
fallen through the brush and into the lake. If I can get over a fence,
through the brush and out onto the fallen tree I will be in perfect position.
Gently over the fence, slowly through the brush, I make it to the tree.
I ponder my situation and the downside potential. If I emerge from the
brush balancing on the fallen tree the flamingos will likely see me and
even worse, I could fall in the lake with my camera. But the upside?
Exotic creatures in the early morning glow . . .gotta go for it!
Baby steps.
Baby steps. Edging my way into place, trying not to think about the depth
of the water beneath me . . .Holy shit! I’m in position. I raise my camera
and CLICK! One shot and they are off to the far side of the lake. But I
got the shot! |
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THE NEXT DAY
OR SO would prove to be a continuation of a photographer’s fantasy. A few
hours later I was on a tour boat in search of penguins and a particular
brand of exotic dolphin. (Brand of dolphin? Can you tell I have a science
background?) Commerson’s Dolphin. Cephalorhynchus commersonii to be even
more specific. They are tiny critters by dolphin standards, only 4-5 feet
in length. But they are strikingly colored like a killer whale in stark
black and white.
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was a good day for dolphin watching. We were very fortunate to see and
interact with several groups. They were usually in groups of 4 or 5. Sometimes
in pairs. They would swim playfully underneath the boat darting out on
either side to blow water and air into the faces of the delighted tourists.
What a thrill. They were so playful and lightning fast, like birds underwater--and
sometimes above! They were a challenge when it came to taking photos because
they were so very quick and unpredictable. They would often leap completely
out of the water, but you never knew quite when or where.
On the highway
southbound the next morning I was treated to yet another gift from Mother
Nature. Guanaco are llama-type (how is that for scientific?) animals that
roam the plains in this part of the Argentina. They are a frequent site
along the highway. I stopped to get a shot of a group of three of them.
Unlike others I had focused on, these three seemed very interested in me.
They scampered to the top of small hill nearby and waited. They looked
at me and whistled. Something between a whistle and a screech. I whistled
back. |
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I approached
a few steps, they retreated the same distance. I backed up, they advanced.
They were teasing me, flirting with me. I was Eddie Murphy in Dr.Doolittle.
I was in the zone. I thought I had died and gone to photographer’s heaven.
THIS NEXT SECTION
WAS transcribed loosely from my pocket digital audio recorder. Some repetition
and a few expletives have been deleted.
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Old
fishing boat in Ushuaia
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Hello.
Ushuaia! The freakin’ end of the world!
Whooo!
Feeling
incredible. Incredibly alive! I had written recently about perhaps feeling
a bit anti-climactic or it even being depressing. And in fact I feel more
alive than I remember feeling in a long time. I don’t think it’s just reaching
the goal. I think it might be some personal growth and the energy of all
the light, maybe I’m just sleep deprived. It’s freakin’ gorgeous.
It’s incredible.
It’s 9 PM and almost broad daylight. I’m standing next to the Argentine
Naval Base surveying the waterfront area. Snowcapped peaks! Almost surrounded
by snowcapped peaks. In fact I am surrounded. There’s water, there’s a
channel, I think I’m looking across the Beagle Channel at some islands.
I’ll have to look at a map. I’m standing on the edge! Endings and new beginnings.
Wow! I’m standing on the edge overlooking the water. The whole of both
of the Americas are behind me. Endings and new beginnings. |
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Then I shut
off my recorder and continued walking along the waterfront. Almost immediately
I came to this giant slogan emblazoned on the cement, the words nearly
echoing my last recorded words. Pretty cool. USHUAIA, THE END OF THE WORLD,
THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING
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my mind I was flopping back and forth between my accomplishment and what
is next for me. I was thinking about what I’ve done and what I will do
when it hit me. This moment! The one in between ‘have done’ and ‘will do’!
That’s what I am feeling. Being alive right now. A metaphor for every moment
of my life. Celebrating life for it’s own sake.
I feel somehow
I have come full circle since I departed over four years ago—not much has
changed. The Kate Bush quote that inspired me back then still seems to
apply.
“Feels like
something good is gonna happen.” That’s the feeling, but the words
are not exactly accurate. More like “Something good IS happening. RIGHT
NOW.” (Sounds crazy but…) This moment is being born! There is no
place to go, there is nothing to do. This moment is all that is needed.
What a gift. A gift that I had all along.
I have been
reading a book entitled ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle. It certainly
seems to have rubbed off on me. |
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Back to earth
and the town of Ushuaia, the southernmost city on this earth. Tourism is
pretty darn well developed around its ‘southernmost’ claim to fame. It
is like a little mini-San-Francisco-Fisherman’s-Wharf, trinkets and t-shirts.
There are loads of national parks and abundant marine wildlife to see but
I wasn’t into it. I mostly hung out in the tourist traps with friends
and relaxed. The light, the mountains, the water, the boats. It is indeed
gorgeous.
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| Mark McMahon
is closing in on his goal: Tucson to Tierra del Fuego or Bust! His
lively adventures on the road are documented with photos and stories on
his webpage: www.filmtrips.com.
Visit the site and be sure to sign up for his email Adventure Alerts. |
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