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Our trip to Ushuaia took us through a patchwork schedule of flights and waiting-lounges. All the while, we felt the constant threat of catching COVID, and for most of the journey, we hid under a self-imposed dress of plastic and surgical masks.
But, at the Southern-Most City of the World, we were greeted with the welcoming sight of an endless ocean overlooked by snowcapped ranges and colourful seaside buildings. Ushuaia is a well-travelled hub for explorers… And also tourists. Its unique location makes it the best place to set off for the Antarctic continent or check off an item on the bucket list. One surprise for both Justin and I was seeing world-renowned logos present even here in a place that seems too far from the rest of the world.
After a day of excursions into the city, we met up with other members of the 2041 Expedition in what felt like a true commencement to our journey. It was then I allowed the joy to overtake me: after months of love, support, encouragement and dedication from our team members, supporters, and mentors - we finally made it. It made me extremely humbled and determined to make the most of the trip.
The next day, together with the group, we hiked the Cerro Alarken Natural Reserve, a beautiful expanse of native flora, forest, and fauna surrounding the natural ranges. We also ascended to see the Martial Glacier with a great view of the Beagle channel - a sight foreshadowing our near future encounter with the more enormous glaciers in the Antarctic. And finally, we concluded the day with an event of beach cleaning, hoping to make minor repairs on the years of environmental littering scattered across the beach.
This was only Day 1 of our journey, more retellings to come!
我們經歷了交錯的航班與長時間的候機過後，終於到達烏斯懷亞。旅程當中，疫情陰霾一直籠罩於心頭，我們只得將自己深藏在口罩之下。
然而，這世界最南端的城市溫柔迎接我們，更以絕美景色相待。飽覽雪山風光，盡賞海旁多彩建築，一切俯瞰著無盡海洋 —— 烏斯懷亞不愧探險勝地，堪稱旅遊佳境！所在地之獨特，使其成為南極旅程必經之路，更是遺願清單必備之選。其中我和Justin感到驚喜之處，莫過於在這遠離他國的城市，仍能見到世界知名的標誌。
我們遊覽城市一天後便與2041探險隊成員見面，旅程由此才真正開始。就在那刻，我喜悅無比：幸得團隊成員、支持者和導師數月的愛、支持、鼓勵和付出，我們終於做到了！懷著謙卑與喜悅，我決心從旅程中好好學習，日後方能充分發揮所學。
翌日，我們與團隊一起徒步遊覽了 Cerro Alarken 自然保育區。一大片美麗的原生植物群、森林和動物群圍繞著山脈，令人慨嘆自然的美。我們更攀上馬蒂亞勒山脈，俯瞰比格爾海峽的壯麗景色 —— 彷彿預示著我們不久後將飽覽的南極大冰川。最後我們清潔海灘，希望能略盡綿力改善污染問題，並以此活動作為當天收結。
以上只是首日旅程的故事，我們期待與大家分享更多經歷！
