So before I turn to explaining the title, I will document that I am sitting, at last relatively relaxed, although NOT quite at peace with the world, in the Xpresso cafe, Ushuaia. Having been designated an alien, disallowed from embarking in the cruise, I have purchased a ticket on a “pinguine” tour on the bay at 2pm today, as some solace for missing out on the last 4 days! It’s overcast and drizzling, but who cares.

When it comes to nature tours, I am like the albatross of the Ancient Mariner, on a trip to port Lincoln a few years ago, I signed up for 2 “swim with…” adventures: seals and the next day, sharks (great white pointers) on both there were no seals or sharks to be seen! Zero, Zilch, nix, nought! The tour leaders were in despair. They were apologetic, indeed almost distraught..: then the anticipated, predictable “ in all my 32 years of leading these dives, this has NEVER happened before! Yeah tell me about it I think to myself. Or to paraphrase Oscar Wilde ..” To miss one animal swim , Mr Norton , may be regarded as a misfortune; to miss two looks like carelessness.” So if I don’t see a single penguin this afternoon, then as Allah would say “It is written “!

Given my bad karma on animal adventures, so it is with weather. On a memorable cycle holiday in New Zealand, we awoke to subzero temperatures, sleet and a biting howling wind. You can anticipate the tour leader’s apologetic excuse: “in my 18 years of organising cycle trips in NZ, I have never experienced this sort of weather… “ we were literally unable to make any forward motion when mounted! This in the days before e-bikes although I doubt that would have made any difference!

So it was that on the first 3 days of staying at Ushuaia, the weather was absolutely uncharacteristically superb! Cloudless blue sky, windless and a bright almost too glaring sun. The backroads leader gleefully exclaimed “ this is the best day of trekking I have had in my 2 years in Patagonia”. I say only 2 years as the Backroads tour guides are universally about 23 years old . It’s about time I had some good luck !