Thanksgiving in the United States brings families together to celebrate and gather in each other’s presence. It is often accompanied by at least one large meal of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and topped off with pumpkin pie for dessert. Often, a good football game or two is part of the day. While the traditional meals and activities may vary, for most it is a day of reflection and catching up with family and friends who may have not seen each other for years.
On board National Geographic Explorer our newfound family also had much to be thankful for, even though we are not all from the United States. To start with, we are safe and sound and secure to the dock in Ushuaia, after crossing the Drake Passage a bit early to avoid a massive low pressure system that we enjoyed (or not) just a tiny taste of. Our early arrival allowed us the opportunity this morning to venture out from the port of Ushuaia and into the mountains which surround us.
We wound through the Andes by motorcoach to Garibaldi Pass to the east of town as a gentle snowfall filled the air with big, fat, and wet flakes. A white Thanksgiving! Stopping for a traditional Argentine asado lunch at Las Cotorras, we were treated to a winter wonderland, even though it is almost the end of spring and the beginning of summer here in the southern hemisphere! Fires blazed inside the restaurant as we enjoyed roasted lamb, chicken, and sausages, topped off with a scrumptious flan for dessert.
Do not fret for us dear reader! We did get out traditional Thanksgiving Day meal at dinner time, consisting of turkey and all the fixings, even Swedish-made pumpkin pie! The only thing missing was the football, but being in Argentina we got to watch what the world considers to be football, called soccer by North Americans, on television at the asado lunch!
