Round the Horn - and back – Part 2

We were a little late arriving in Ushuaia due to strong winds which would prevent the ship from berthing.

The QM2 had dragged her anchor before we arrived, an interesting day for her captain. On the harbour wall there is a large banner which reads “Ushuaia, the end of the world but the beginning of everything”.

8.15am next morning off again to Tierra De Fuego National Park and a catamaran trip in the Beagle Channel, excellent mountain scenery and on the way back we had a close-up look at sea lions and many cormorants.  The cormorants look like penguins from a distance as they have a white front, whereas ours are all black. The National Park is Argentina’s first coastal park. It was home to the Yamana tribe who lived in camps above the beaches. They hunted sea lions and collected mussels as their main diet. With the arrival of the Europeans in 1880 the tribe became almost extinct, down to barely 100 in 1910. They were hunted by explorers and many died of disease. We had a good lunch on board the catamaran, and then back to Ushuaia. The Yamana Indians named the city which means “Bay looking to the setting sun”. The main street has plenty of good shops including a very up- market photographers where we able to purchase a photo of Air France Concorde over flying Ushuaia. Very impressed with Ushuaia we sailed at 5pm, 139 miles to Cape Horn.

Feb 4th 7.30 am we circumnavigated Cape Horn – not a wave in sight – thought of asking for a refund on the sea sick pills, wind force 3. Took plenty of pictures to prove there were no waves – so glad we came. The rest of the day we were in the Beagle Channel, so close to the many glaciers, our cameras worked overtime.

Feb 5th 8.00am arrived Punta Arenas, Chile. Punta Arenas was a refuelling station before the Panama Canal was opened. It lies at the foot of the Andes on the western shores of the Strait of Magellan, founded in 1848 as a military garrison and penal colony. The wool boom of the 19th century made Punta Arenas wealthy, hence many fine mansions built by the sheep barons. At 12.30 we were off on a trip to Otway Sound and penguin reserve. We had a 40 mile drive across undulating land with low shrubs to camouflage an animal (guanacos) which resembles a llama also Rheas, the South American ostrich. At Otway Sound we walked for about 1.5 miles to see a substantial colony of Magellan Penguins, they have a striped front unlike the ones we saw on the Falklands. They bury their eggs in sandy burrows and under shrubs, they return every year to this spot between October and March. The male sits on the eggs for 15 days whilst the female is away feeding; he then goes off for 15 days, a total of 45 days elapse before hatching. There was an excellent hide so we could watch their antics in the water. We then had the hike back to the coach and all on board to sail at 5 pm.

Feb 6/7th two days cruising the Chilean Fjords, 1,104 miles to Isla de Chiloe; Perfect scenery. Captain thought he was home in Norway, temperature 13 deg C. Quite a lot of floating ice. Tender sent out to collect a large piece of ice. Whisky on the rocks all round, courtesy of Fred Olsen – getting to like this trip more and more.

Feb 8th 11 am we anchor off Isla de Chiloe. By 11.15 am we were tendered ashore for our tour. Our destination is the ferry boat terminal at Dalcahue where we boarded a ferry to cross over to the island of Quinchao. Many of the houses stretch out into the estuaries and lagoons; they are on stilts all brightly painted. We drive for 10 miles to Achao where we given a good lunch and entertained by local school children who were so pleased that many of our party joined them in the local folk dancing. The boys wore large soft felt hats and the girls in colourful headscarves. School is compulsory from six to seventeen, then university; they have state and private schools. After lunch we walked into the village which was built in 1730. Temperature has now climbed to 23 deg C. back to the ferry. Before being tendered to the boat Fred Olsen had set up a cold drinks stand on the quay which was much appreciated. All on board and we set sail for Puerto Montt at 6 pm, 116 miles.

Feb 9th 8 am arrive in Puerto Montt. 8.30 am off on tour of the lake district of which Puerto Montt is the capital. Puerto Montt was founded in 1853, inhabited by Mapuche Indians. Germans first established a colony here and were given free land, timber, a cow plus free citizenship. After a two hour drive we reached Lago Esmeralda or Emerald Lake so called because of its translucent green water. We boarded a catamaran for an hours navigation of the lake with the snow-capped Osorno Volcano always in the background, plenty to photograph even the landing stage was very photogenic. Back on the coach and off to visit Petrohue Falls – not very impressed but the colours were good. On to lunch at a very good restaurant with large grounds on the edge of a lake with the volcano always there. Plenty of Alpacas posing for the visitor and roaming free also Rhea chicks. Off again and a quick visit to Puerto Varas a very attractive lakeside port and one of Southern Chile’s major tourist spots. There were a few brave souls in the water which is very cold.  All on board at 5 pm., and we set sail Valparaiso 637 miles.

(to be continued)

Frank & Esme Webb