I’m going through more than 500 pictures now, so this will take time. Once we left Ushuaia we boarded the Stella Australis.
This is what the ship looks like on the water. Only this company, which owns two ships is allowed to do expedition tours within the Beagle channel. This may have been the sister ship, we were at the same glacier at the same time.
Our first stop was Cape Horn. Later we were told that we were very lucky. Our captain was an experienced captain who fills in from time to time. Our regular Captain never would have stopped at Cape Horn with the awful conditions there. But he did. It was cold, raining and very very windy. This tiny rock at the end of the world has a monument, a lighthouse and a chapel. The next three pictures are those I took from within the chapel looking out. Honestly, if Joel didn’t hold onto me I probably would have blown over.
I have no idea who this is, fellow traveler on our boat. Look at his hair. The wind may have been 60 knots, it was ferocious.
Look at that flag! I bet they have to replace it every few days. I am actually glad that we were able to experience Cape Horn like this. Yes they do have calm days, but this blustering wind it what the Cape is known for.
We all made it back safely and visited the bridge. I love maps and navigating. What is so fascinating is that they still use basic tools to navigate. They even have a Sexton, which in a pinch they will use.
This is how we’d go on excursions. Many layers of clothes, seeing how cold the winter on the Beagle Channel is. Then put on the life vest. We met two lovely Israeli couples. Here we are with Sari. They went on to Easter Island. Of course, Israelis get to every corner of the world.
How cute is Joel?
Twice a day, we’d be loaded onto these zodiac and taken ashore.
visiting one of the many glaciers
Our whole group on two zodiacs.
Hiking past one of the few structures this far south in Patagonia. Wualia Bay. Darwin was here.
And the view from above. It is summer time down here. Which is why it’s so green. I can’t imagine winter here. It is so cold. This tip of South America is the furthest south, except from Antarctica which is just a block of ice. So the winds howl across the globe with nothing to stop them. And it is cold!! Beautiful and cold.
Next up, glaciers.
Leah