The end of the world and back up

I had heard that visiting Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world, was an amazing experience but I had no idea how absolutely beautiful the landscapes would be.
Our trip down to Ushuaia was kind of a nightmare because stupid Argentinas Aerolinas cancelled our flight without telling us. We therefore spent an extra day in Buenos Aires which meant one less day in Ushuaia.
I don't think my body was prepared for the shocking weather change, from 70 degrees to about 35 degrees. I didn't even pack a heavy coat for the trip! Luckily almost everywhere was heated.
We spent the first afternoon in Ushuaia planning out the rest of our stay. Our days were jammed packed with activities such as a boat ride through the Beagle Channel that afforded stunning views of the snowcapped mountains. We also took a scenic flight out to the glaciers and through the mountains. The pilot actually let Dave fly the plane for a few minutes. (Dave then proceeded to talk/brag about his flying of the plane and how he was practically a pilot now for the rest of the day) The views were so spectacular and being up in the air, able to see out for miles, (because of the fantastic sunny weather we had the entire time we were there) you really got the feeling that this was the end of the line.
I wish I could more accurately describe the beauty. It's something I don't even think my pictures do justice.
Our last full day in Ushuaia we went on 4x4 trip through the forest and out to a peninsula for an amazing traditional Argentine BBQ. The driver of the 4x4 was kind of a lunatic and at one point put the land rover in cruise control, got out and went to the back window and pretended to push the car with his pinky. While it was really funny, I was definitely worrying the whole time but we were going to crash into a tree. While the guy was a lunatic, he had done the trip enough times to know what he was doing, so we were fine.
For lunch we sat in a little shelter on a pebble beach and ate some of the best sausage and steak I have ever had in my life. The company was great too and it was a great end to an amazing journey to the end of the world.
After a week stay in Bariloche, the northern border of Patagonia, and a very teary goodbye to Dave I took a bus boat combo across the border and entered Chile. The trip took the entire day but had such breathtaking scenery that time just flew by.
Chile far exceeded my expectations. I only allowed a bit over 2 weeks to tour the country and upon departing realized I could have easily spent a month there. The land space, just like Argentina, is so diverse. It has everything from desert to glaciers and to top it off an amazing wine country.
After a full day dedicated to planning, responding to emails and uploading millions of pics, I was off the next morning to the Chilean wine country. I only visited one winery, but was very pleased with my choice. I visited the Balduzzi winery in the Maule Valley. Balduzzi produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and a 'Late Harvest' blend that if I had unlimited space in my backpack, I would have loaded up with.
I found an excellent hostel in Santiago, and for the next few days explored the city. To be honest there wasn't much to see in Santiago, but it was so nice to be back in a big city. Even though all major cities are different there is something so comforting and familiar about large cities. I almost find it a relief to make it to one.
On Saturday I began a crazy trip up the coast of Chile with 14 other locos in a somewhat small bus with a final destination of the salt flats on the Bolivian border.