Running to the end of the world...

Well... sort of I guess...

During the past couple of weeks I have been spending my time in the south of Argentina. Ushuaia, Calafate, el Chaltén and Puerto Madryn. Along with some trekking and relaxing, I also managed to go running a couple of times. Here are the facts:

Run #1

Location: Ushuaia

Distance: 7 km

Weather: 5 degrees and rain/hail, and wind

Clothing: Long sleeved shirt, hooded sweater, thick socks, and shorts.

Description: Seeing as the port of Ushuaia was closed that morning and we were going on a boat trip, I decided to go for a run. I actually enjoy running when the weather is really bad: it makes it feel more hardcore. It might not have been the quickest of runs, but it will probably be the most southern run I have ever been on. In Ushuaia there are arrows in all the town showing which way is south. I ran until I was stopped by a military airbase.

Scenery: Mountains, Beagle Canal, Military ships and wind.

Wildlife: Some birds

Run #2

Location: El Calafate

Distance: 8 km
Weather: 15 degrees, partly cloudy, windy, and sunset

Clothing: Short sleeved shirt, shorts

Description: About 4 km away from our hostel I could see a hotel on a cliff by the lake and I thought: the sunset from there must be amazing. Without knowing how to get there I started running according to some directions I got from the girl at the hostel. I ran across an old airfield, jumped over a stream, got chased by some wild dogs, but finally arrived just in time to see the sunset. Forrest Gump said something like: "I didn't know where the heaven began and the earth ended." Now I know what he meant.

Scenery: Lago Argentino, Cerro Calafate, sunset, Pedrito Moreno Glacier.
Wildlife: Dogs, hares, and a hawk.

Run #3

Location: Puerto Madryn
Distance: 16 km (with water breaks)

Weather: 35 degrees, no clouds, and no wind

Clothing: Only enough to protect me from the sun + backpack with water
Description: Since renting a bike was 35 peso, I decided to go running to the sand dunes about 8 km south of the city. It was a good thing I had a 2 litre water bottle with me, because without it I would not have gotten half as far. When I arrived I found my own little beach sheltered by the cliffs and the dunes. I took a (well deserved) 20 minute break to go swim in the crystal clear water.

Scenery: The Atlantic Ocean, beaches, sand dunes, cliffs
Wildlife: Patagonian desert rats, black headed swans, king coromorants, flamingos, jellyfish, crabs and lizards.

Run #4

Location: Buenos Aires

Distance: 7 km
Weather: too hot
Clothing: t-shirt and shorts

Description: Having sat in a bus for almost 20 hours my legs were dying to go for a run. Unfortunately, being back in BsAs, the run was 2 laps around the lake. On the way over there I cut my leg on a wire used by roadworkers to set up a new sidewalk. No way near the same experience as in the other runs.

Scenery: Lagos de Palermo, Avenida del Libertador, Hipodromo de Palermo

Wildlife: Dogs and road workers

(More pictures of my trip will come later.)