Our trip plan was to fly from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas, Chile, stay for one night and then the fly to Ushuaia, Argentina. There were would stay for two days before boarding the M/N Via Australis (austral means southern) for a 4 day cruise of glaciers, penguins and the ultimate prize, Cape Horn. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Punta Arenas we were walking bent over. Punta Arenas is strategically located on the Straits of Magellan. It is a smallish, prosperous, industry-based city that just happens to be on the road to Cape Horn. They do a brisk – I mean that both in wind and $$ - business in international tourism from December to February. The rest of the year they act as Chile’s southern-most producer of gas as well as supplier of services and goods to points even further south including Antarctica. Docked in the city were military supply ships readying goods for transit to the South Pole.
Small boat harbor in Ushuaia. Note the boats are not on buoys.
We marvelled at how they did not break anchor - at least while we were there.
The wind did not relent in Ushuaia, it increased. Where Punta Arena hints at international tourism, Ushuaia reigns. Ushuaia is on the Beagle Canal in Argentina. Unlike cities in Chile it is not laid out around a central plaza. The theme in Ushuaia is tourist trap albeit with a European feel to it. The streets run parallel to the water front which helps to soften the strength of the wind coming off the Canal. As you rise up into the city, the first three to four streets are packed with tourist shops, restaurants, banks, and street vendors. Beyond that, were the regular folks live, are more restaurants, some hotels, and great views of the Canal. Situated at the base of a mountain Ushuaia even has its own glacier.
Work boats making way in rough seas off Isla Aguirre as we were approaching open ocean.
Rough seas and terrific vistas from the deck of the cruise ship.
We boarded the cruise boat in the evening after two days of sightseeing in Ushuaia. But the port was closed due to high winds, so we went to bed in our cozy cabins next to the dock. Thus set the tone for the rest of the trip: high winds, high seas, rain, mist, fog. We did not make it to Cape Horn. The winds were 95 miles per hour at the Cape. For this we forgave the captain his good judgment but we could not reconcile our disappointment. There were side trips to a calving glacier and to Isla Magdalena where a colony of 80,000!!! penguins live.
But always the eternally blowing wind dogged us.
But always the eternally blowing wind dogged us.
The M/N Via Australis holding anchor in high wind at the Isla Magdelina.
No comments:
Post a Comment