We have seen the last of the south Atlantic ocean, ventured to the far side of Cape Horn, where the rough seas of the previous day had, at last, settled down, and docked, finally, at the southern-most city of Ushuaia, Argentina, where the summers are cool, the winds blow, and the rain falls like stair-rods. We were very lucky today. Although cloudy, there was an abundance of blue sky and temperatures, a most respectable 18 degrees Celsius at times.
I had been invited to join a private tour of the nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park, far from all of it. A huge percentage of it is inaccessible mountain countryside. But there are numerous hikes and trails through the most amazing and dramatic landscapes. We were also taken around the world’s most southern city, including an abandoned airport, with its terminal buildings still largely intact. During tonight and tomorrow, we shall continue west towards the Pacific Ocean. (I have written a further paragraph later in this blog.)
We should have been cruising by Cape Horn tomorrow instead of yesterday. The weather forecast must have caused the Captain to take the opportunity to cruise by Cape Horn at a time the sea was far less turbulent. Now, I gather, we shall continue towards the Magellan Straits, our next port of call being Punta Arenas, Chile. The views from my balcony stateroom are magnificent right now, but difficult to portray in photographs. Being so far from home does feel a little strange; the last time I felt something similar was back in August 1969 when I spent my first night in North America in a high rise hotel in Montreal. If I found myself stranded out here for whatever reason, I might find myself here for a long time.
(See earlier paragraph.) I am rather pleased that a couple, Richard and Barbara, from the south of England hire a local guide with car who will show them around the port of call for up to six hours. Jo and I completed the party of four, the cost of the guide and transport being split four ways. These are good trips which take in far more than a shore excursion by coach, and generally work out much cheaper. The driver/guide is very knowledgeable, as are all the tour guides. I had cancelled the train trip, but could have still ridden the “Train to the End of the World” if I had still wished to. Taking photographs and videos was more than sufficient; we got to hike along the loveliest of scenic and lakeside trails.
I have travelled extensively in the last almost three years. No matter how remote an interesting place happens to be, there are always crowds of tourists! The End, or Edge of the World is no exception, and perhaps it’s a good thing the cruise ships call almost daily during the season, maintaining the local economy, just as in Alaska.
I can’t wait to start including photographs, again, in my blogs. Even so, it would still be extremely difficult to portray the magnificence I have experienced today.
David: 19.30 hrs 21st February 2020.
20.20 hrs We departed from Ishuaia sometime after 18.00 hrs. Our journey this evening would take us through one of the most scenic waterways I have had the pleasure of travelling through, the Magellan Straits, with its undulating scenery of forested craggy hills and mountains, cascading to the water’s edge, where very occasionally a resort or settlement had been established. My call at Ushuaia brought to mind street scenes in Alaska; there seemed to be similarities. I never imagined that I would ever travel so widely post retirement. This is beyond wonderful. Thanks for reading, David. (Ammended slightly, 08.34 hrs 22/2/20)
David's Cruise 