Hanging Out in Uhusaia, Argentina

I made it to the bottom of the world safely, yesterday, and spent the night at Antarctica Hostel. When traveling and at home, I don't mind spending obscene amounts of money for food and alcohol, but not for a bed. I could have stayed in a $150 per night room in an average hotel by myself or in a $20 per night room in a hostel with 5 other guests. I opted for the hostel. But hostels are not for everybody and from what I've noticed Americans tend to shy away from them.

Most Americans have tremendous boundaries. Hostels violate those boundaries. For example, while sleeping, other guests, enter and exist the room. Guest use a common kitchen and dishes. Guests hangout together in the common room. American like their private space and don't like others violating it. I'd say about twenty years ago, even I hated staying in hostels, but as I get older and more familiar with traveling and group living, I enjoy them more.

Today, I switched over to the $150 a night hotel because it is included in the price of the trip and it is where the other passengers are staying. I haven't met the group yet but I will tonight. However, I did overhear a passenger from a previous group who just returned to from Antarctica.

Overall, he was very positive about his trip and the crew on the boat. He did say that towards the end of the trip (26 days) people tempers were starting to overheat, and that the average age of the passengers on his trip was 53 years old. And clearly from what I'm observing the Antarctica trip is really oriented towards old people, mostly because of the expense and limited activity. Off ship activities are limited to hiking, wildlife and bird watching, and in my case, kayaking (I paid extra to get his option), but there are only 10 kayaks on the ship. Very few people kayak.

Moreover, from what I'm hearing around town here, the enjoyment level of an Antarctica trips is largely predicated on weather conditions. One woman told me that she went on a similar trip to mine two years ago and loved it. The weather was beautiful. A year later, a friend of hers participated on the same trip last year and hated it. The weather was horrible. Supposedly the weather changes rapidly in and around the Antarctica. It's very difficult to control for and predict.