December 19, 2022, Monday: Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls

The Oosterdam cruised into the protected Port of Buenos Aires after an overnight cruise across the Río de La Plata. We were exceptionally excited to join today’s excursion as we would see one of the “Wonders of the World”: Iguazu Falls. Iguazu Falls is located deep in the jungle where Argentina and Brazil share the Iguazu River as a boundary.

We left the ship and traveled to the regional airport where we boarded a plane already sporting the national flag as Argentina won the World Cup yesterday. The team is expected to arrive at the international airport tonight which for us, fortunately, is located at least an hour outside of Buenos Aires. It’s going to be a wild celebration in Buenos Aires!

Our flight was uneventful, landing at the tiny, one strip Iguazu Airport where we joined a local guide. Our ride to the Iguazu Falls National Park entrance was magical as we traveled on a narrow road surrounded by clouds of yellow butterflies! We kept looking for the creatures on the yellow animal-crossing road signs but did not see any monkeys, big cats or the scary-looking Coatis, a long-nosed, raccoon-like critter.

Once we entered the park we walked to an open air train, boarded and watched the thick jungle growth pass by. Leaving the train, we began our walk on wide groomed paths and occasional metal foot bridges, walking to the Upper Circuit to give us spectacular views of the major falls created by the Iguazu River as it plunges 250 feet. 

There are around 200 falls in the system but the largest are in the narrow boundary between Brazil and Argentina. The Upper Circuit was about a mile long as was the Lower Circuit, giving us a different perspective of the Falls. The walk was particularly strenuous as day was hot and humid. We were fortunately given rest and refreshment breaks to revive us!

The daylight was receding so we knew that our time here was coming to an end. We walked back to a meeting area near a hotel within the National Park then over to a large restaurant where we enjoyed a fabulous smorgasbord of Argentinian foods, wines and sweets. There was an open grill where several types of meats were being cooked to perfection along with peppers, onions and potatoes. Well-fed and physically exhausted from the trek, we returned to the airport, flying back to Buenos Aires and avoiding the homecoming celebrations for the World Cup Champions. At least for the night! 

Back to the Oosterdam by midnight in time to set our luggage outside the door for disembarkation at 8am. The entire day was such an amazing experience!

December 20-22, 2022: Buenos Aires, Argentina on our own

We left the cocoon of the Oosterdam at 8:30 Tuesday morning, hearing people discussing issues with transferring to hotels and to the airport due to the closure of roads and the growing crowds of people entering the city to welcome home their World Cup Champions. We took a taxi and headed to the Hilton Hotel in a section of Buenos Aires known as Puerto Madero, not far from the iconic Obelisk, ground zero for the celebrations.

Fortunately, the Hilton had a room available (upgrade due to our earned “Diamond” status; thank you East-West Partners!). We settled in and started watching the coverage of the festivities.

Mary Margaret convinced Tom to walk towards the Obelisk and “experience the excitement” of this history making spectacle. Grudgingly, he complied but after several blocks and more craziness, we both decided enough was enough and headed back to the relative safety of the hotel. We signed up for a Buenos Aires tour through the hotel for the following day. By that time, the crowds should be gone.

The next morning, we joined a small group tour with Juliet as our guide. The weather has been spectacular: brilliant blue skies, breezy and warm. It is officially summer and schools are out until March.

Our first stop was the Plaza de Mayo, the political heart of Buenos Aires and where the “Pink House” is located. It is actually a mansion and where the government was located until the new center was built. 

We left the van and walked into the center of Plaza de Mayo for a quick history lesson and identification of the buildings surrounding the plaza. Juan and Evita Peron would greet the populous from the balcony of the Pink House, a scene made famous in a Hollywood movie staring Madonna. 

The equestrian monument in front of the Casa Rosada honors General Manuel Belgrano, one of Argentina’s Founding Fathers. We noticed stones surrounding the base of the monument, some in piles and seeming to be leaving messages. Juliet stated these were remembrance stones for those who had died from COVID-19. “There was no way to pay respects; no wakes, no funerals, no gatherings. This is a memorial to them”.

The monument in the middle of Plaza de May recognizes the 25th of May, 1810, when Argentina declared independence from Spain.

White Kerchiefs represent the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo

Around the circumference of the monument are white kerchiefs. These represent the mothers, sisters and wives of the missing during the dictatorship of General Videla, who headed the bloody, “Dirty War” where upwards of 22,000 citizens were “disappeared”. The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo would hold protests on a regular basis in hopes of drawing world-wide attention to their plight.

Walking to the other side of the plaza, away from Casa Rosada, we noticed a building draped in the Argentine flag. Juliet described this building as one of the oldest in Buenos Aires and is now a museum. Across the wide avenue from the Plaza is the Cathedral of Buenos and the former parish of Pope Francis. Juliet stated it really looks more like a theater than a cathedral. She directed us back to the van and onward to the neighborhood of San Telmo.

San Telmo had been an enclave of the very wealthy but now is more middle class with palatial homes becoming apartments and/or condos. It is an older section of the city that has kept its charming cobblestone streets. San Telmo is known for its large antique market every Sunday. We did not stop but continued on to La Boca, the birthplace of the Tango and a very colorful area.

We made a “necessity” stop and to take the opportunity to walk along Caminito Street, admiring the larger than life characters on balconies and hanging out of windows. These represent famous (or infamous) Argentinians and are as colorful as the walls of the buildings!

This La Boca enclave, known as the Caminito or “little path”, has changed from being one of the poorest immigrant areas to a gentrified, artsy one. Wood and sheet metal were the only building material available during the early 20th century but the tradition of using these materials and brightly colored paint remains. 

“La Boca” means the mouth of the river as the neighborhood was located near the mouth of the Rio de la Plata. Although the Caminito is more of a living museum now (very few people actually live here), most earn their living by offering to teach the Tango or sell handmade artwork and other crafts. Mary Margaret would have loved to have learned how to Tango but not enough time was allowed for this venture. We returned to the bus to explore more of Buenos Aires.

The tour took us past the wealthy enclave of Puerto Madero, a former bustling port but now an upscale neighborhood. There is an impressive footbridge, the Puente de la Mujer or “Woman’s Bridge”, crossing the small river. It was very familiar to us as the Hilton is located in this neighborhood! Juliet informed us that the bridge actually rotates to allow watercraft in and out of the port.

We were so curious about the apparent wealth of the city, at least the areas we had been driving through, yet the economic disaster that is apparent in Argentina. Juliet confirmed there is now 100% inflation. (That explains why there are no amounts written next to menu items). She went on to give a brief history of the economic downfall of Argentina.

It had, in the early years of its founding, been very wealthy having free trade which attracted businesses from all over Europe, the US and some in the Far East. Then came along Peron. “Half the people love him and half hate him for what he did”. What he and his government did was nationalize almost every business. It’s all fun and games when you’re spending someone else’s money! This led to foreign investors fleeing Argentina. The poor underclass began to get larger as did the welfare state. It only started under Perón but his disastrous political/economic policies were carried on by his successors. In the 1940s the downward spiral leveled off for a time but then accelerated decade after decade until there is the “non-working class” or people who are paid not to work grew to where it is today. Free health care and education are not what they had been. There is a small percentage of people being taxed at extremely high levels. Winning the World Cup may help temporarily boost the economy but disaster is looming as it seems to be for most of South America. We were both stunned at her open and honest summation!

Our tour continued to the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires: Palermo. Palermo is so large that it has neighborhoods within it. We drove on through the tree-lined streets, admiring the expansive older homes and parks. Most of the parks had a monument or two, some recognizing heroic figures and some modern sculptures. There was a beautiful flower sculpture, Floralis Genérica, that opens and closes, however Juliet indicated it is “under repair”. Many embassies are located here as well, most having taken over older mansions.

We drove on the 9th of July Ave, reported to be the widest in the world at 469-feet. It was certainly wide! We passed the English Tower, a building with the likeness of Eva Perón on the side, crafted out of steel. The Obelisk was just ahead where, just 24 hours ago, a massive crowd had gathered. Juliet stated the estimated crowd was nearly 5 million people! She stated the doors of the Obelisk were damaged with a few fans climbing to the top and hanging flags. We passed a crew fixing traffic poles as these had been bent with the weight of fans using them as scaffolding. 

Our last stop was the Recoleta neighborhood, known for its impressive cemetery. We stepped out into an older neighborhood before reaching the walled cemetery. There were amazing banyan trees around the area, one with a sculpture of a man holding up one of the limbs! As we were looking at it Tom noticed our fellow travelers from the Oosterdam: sisters Annette and Shelly from our Galápagos excursion. 

Juliet gave us a choice of either staying to tour the cemetery on our own or return to the hotel with the van. Initially we thought we would tour the cemetery and find Evita Perón’s grave. That is until we found out the entrance fee could only be paid by credit card. We had lots of pesos to get rid of and not a credit card on either of us! Ugh! So it was back to the hotel to regroup and retrieve our cards. Of all the sites we had seen, we were impressed with what we didn’t see: trash all over the streets. It was there previously but an army of street cleaners was out in force. 

We decided to return to the Recoleta neighborhood to tour the cemetery then have a leisurely late lunch before returning to the hotel. A taxi dropped us off at the entrance of Cementerio de la Recoleta and, after paying a small fee via credit card, in we went. Gorgeous! Avenue after avenue of stunning monuments to the dearly departed. 

We walked and walked hoping to find Evita’s grave. It was turning into a monumental task, pardon the pun. Finally, Mary Margaret turned to Wikipedia and discovered Evita’s full name: Maria Evita Duarte de Perón. We quickly located her grave off one of the main avenues.

Mission accomplished and off to lunch at Clark’s, a classic restaurant serving asada. Our 2-hour lunch blended into the late afternoon, assisted by delicious food and a bottle of Malbec. We hailed a cab and were back at the hotel by 6pm. A long but wonderful day. 

We cannot believe our adventure is nearly over. There is so much we experienced, beyond our wildest dreams! Discovering treasures nature offers in all regions of the southern hemisphere, including celestial sights. Events that occurred during the short 31 days we were away from home included Elon Musk taking over Twitter and revealing all sorts of interesting intrigue; the riots in Peru that left 200+ tourists stranded at Machu Picchu; the ousting of the Chilean president who was about to dissolve congress; and the ongoing issues in the US. That said, the USA, with all its contemporary problems, is still the best country in the world.

December 18, 2022, Sunday: Montevideo, Uruguay 

We had two wonderfully relaxing sea days before reaching Montevideo. On those days, we listened to lectures on the history of Montevideo, the fabulous Ignazu Falls, the importance of “fútbol” in Argentina as the World Cup Final approached and the celestial observations in the Southern Hemisphere. The weather is definitely getting warmer and our cruise is coming to an end in a few days. It’s time to pack away the sweaters and enjoy learning about our upcoming onshore excursions.

Jim McParland has been a wonderful lecturer, giving us a better understanding of the world’s natural formations and the wonders of the stars over us. We stood on our stateroom’s veranda at 10:30pm (sunset is 9:52pm!) to catch a glimpse of the Southern Cross. We had seen it before in our travels but it was still exciting to see it again under clear skies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There was less bothersome light from the ship on our veranda than on the Sky Deck during our previous leg of the cruise. “AB-C. Alpha Centauri, Beta Centauri; draw a line and you’re at the Cross”. Indeed we were! It was helpful that Tom’s navigational experience in the US Navy confirmed exactly what we were looking at in the glorious night sky.

The Oosterdam arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay, in the early morning hours under a bright blue sky. This city sits on Río de la Plata, reported to be the widest river in the world. The attraction of its natural harbor led to a change in foreign occupation over the centuries. First Spain, then Portugal, then England then back to Spain. It has a European influence and a broad mix of cultures making this an attractive, friendly city. We didn’t see the grinding poverty as we found in Ecuador, Peru and some regions of Chile.

We joined the “Best of Montevideo & Juanico Winery” tour (sponsored by Food and Wine Magazine) that highlighted the city and countryside. Our guide, Patricia, stated the country did not shut down during COVID so perhaps this is why their inflation rate is a little less than 9%. The vaccination rate is extremely high as well. Uruguay is a small country of 3.5 million people with nearly half of those living in and around Montevideo. There is a strong agricultural community responsible for growing/managing and exporting soy, wheat, lumber, dairy and wool. There are continued similarities with it’s Argentinian and Chilean neighbors: average wage is about $470, socialized medicine (failing), free education (failing) but a better unemployment rate.

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay, with wide avenues, numerous parks and buildings from the early 20th century. Our bus tour took us through downtown Montevideo, past the Plaza Independencia for our first photo stop.

We strolled by an impressive “L-shape” building, a massive statue honoring Artigas who helped Uruguay gain independence, and remnants of the Old Wall separating the “new” city from the old. The oldest theatre in Uruguay, the Teatro Solís, is a short walk from the Plaza.

Back on the bus we learned about the favorite daily ritual of many South Americans: drinking Maté (mah-tay). This tea-like beverage is served in a special cup and consumed through a steel straw that has fine holes in the bottom so as not to ingest the tea leaves. “One must not stir the tea leaves; it is an insult!”

We briefly stopped at a group of statues portraying early settlers driving oxen through the tough landscape to settle this land. 

Last stop was the impressive Parliament building before heading 25 miles north of the city to Juanico Winery.

Uruguay is positioned between two wine producing behemoths: Chile and Argentina. The wine industry in this area was established in 1745 through the Jesuits. Juanico is younger than this, starting a small operation in the late 1800s but becoming a large producer in the 1990s. 

There are 32 grape varieties grown here but one of the most rare is Tannat, the “forgotten grape”. Vines of tannat grapes arrived from France and thrived in the “refrigerator” of the region. The owner explained there is copious sunshine during the day but nights are cool. The diverse terroir allows for many grape varieties; Mary Margaret was very willing to get started!

We were treated to an exceptional lunch paired with 5 different wines (just a taste; they were not exceptional but drinkable) and a Tango show.

We had a brief period of time before boarding the bus to walk around the grounds. We were greeted by a friendly St. Bernard dog who was “just a puppy”, according to its handler. The dog accepted pets but wouldn’t pose for a photo and dashed away to play with another group. Juanico had a few enormous trees on the property as well as an interesting outside display of equipment commonly used for every stage of wine creation during the last century. Overall, it was great fun in a gorgeous location.

We arrived back in port, boarding the Oosterdam to join other passengers in our very last “sail away” party. We left Montevideo to cruise across the 140-mile stretch of the Río de la Plata to our last destination: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

December 15, 2022, Thursday: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

The Oosterdam sailed northeast from Cape Horn to the Falkland Islands, anchoring in a bay outside the port of Stanley, the world’s southernmost capital. Today we’ve joined an excursion to a King Penguin rookery at Volunteer Point. There is no tour guide but a rugged 4×4 drive over bumpy terrain to meet the “Kings”.

The Falkland Islands were claimed by the English in 1765 but were tossed back and forth amongst other countries before England regained control. It was an important base for ships hunting seals and whales back in the 17th through the early 20th centuries but today it is chiefly tourism and fishing making up the economy. There was a 6-month war in 1982 when an Argentine dictator decided to invade the Falkland Islands and claim them for Argentina. Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister of the UK at the time, would have none of it and sent in troops. The UK won and the Falkland Islands remain a British territory.

The tender dropped us off at the pier where we were divided into groups of 4 and introduced to our 4×4 drivers. Leroy was a seasoned off-road driver, enjoying motocross riding with his 7-year old son. He warned us that it would take an hour to reach Johnson Ranch where we would have a break before driving another hour to the rookery. Our convoy left the pier, traveled on a paved road before turning on to a gravel road for the remainder of the first leg of our adventure. It only got more challenging!

After our “necessary” stop at the remote Johnson Ranch, it was back into the 4×4 and very much “off road”. As the crow flies, the King Penguin rookery was about 8 miles away. Leroy told us there were helicopter flights available for a few people but they would “miss the adventure”. The convoy of eight 4x4s consisting of Land Rovers, Jeeps, Fords and Mitsubishis made a mucky trail through cow pastures, peat bogs, small ravines, sucking mud and challenging inclines with passengers hanging on for dear life! What had we gotten ourselves into?!

The landscape revealed a desolate beauty under blue skies with a few dark clouds in the distance. Despite one of the 4x4s needing to be pulled out of the mud, we all made it to the rookery in just over an hour. It felt good to haul ourselves out of the Land Rover. 

We were finally here and so were the penguins! Before entering the grounds, we had to dip the bottoms of our shoes into a solution that would disinfect any potentially harmful bacteria or virus that could infect the penguins. Our only admonition regarding our proximity to the penguins was that we needed to use the rope as a boundary as well as staying outside any rock circle that surrounded nesting penguins. Apparently the penguins did not get the memo as they were everywhere! We spent the next 2 hours stalking penguins!

We were on our own, heading to the beach area to see the Gentoo Penguins waddling on the white sands and then heading into the water to feed. We had passed a tuxedo of penguins walking up from the beach on the way to their rookery. On the roped-off side of the beach were the large King Penguins, standing tall at 3 feet and looking quite dignified as they walked up from the shore.

There are three penguin species at Volunteer Point: the Gentoo Penguins, the Magellanic Penguins and the King Penguins. The Gentoo and Magellanic are about the same size.

The Magellanic Penguins dig burrows where they build nests and raise their young.

We noticed quite a few burrows as we walked from the beach to the vast expanse of green grass where we observed an enormous group of noisy King Penguins on one side and the somewhat quieter Gentoo Penguins on the other side, keeping their distance respectfully. That said, Kings and Gentoos roamed around in pairs or sometimes in groups when coming from the beach. The Magellanics seem to keep to themselves, only straying from their burrows to feed in the ocean.

Mary Margaret cannot stop taking photos and videos! It was such a stunning location: expansive white sand, gorgeous turquoise ocean and black and white waddlers. Although we tried to stay away from the penguins they walked by us as if we weren’t of any importance.

The evening before reaching the Falklands, we decided to watch a movie in our stateroom before dinner: “Penguins” produced by Disney in 2019. It was delightful and now that these magnificent creatures were all around us in living color, we saw many of the mannerisms exhibited in the film/documentary, including stealing rocks from other’s nests in the Gentoo rookery, wooly King youngsters chasing their parent for food, and adult males yelling and chasing each other from a nest. Fun!

The weather was turning from a brilliant sunny day to dark and rainy. We ate our lunch, took another swirl around the grounds then it was back in the Land Rover and a return to the Johnson Ranch over the same terrain! Maybe we shouldn’t have had lunch?

After an hour of more jostling (an understatement), it was back to the gravel road after a brief stop at the ranch. Leroy made a couple of stops along the last hour of the drive so we could photograph a stone run, the rusty remains of an Argentinian helicopter shot down in 1982 and Boot Hill, where people who’ve decided to leave the Falklands forever leave a boot, or so the legend states.

A stone run is a unique geological feature on this island and can be seen everywhere. They appear to be rivers of boulders and involve ancient glacial activity, annual action of frost heaves and the rains that clean off the boulders. Mary Margaret recalled that her grandfather’s farm had an annual crop of stones that had to be cleared from the field before planting. This, however, is on a much larger scale! 

Leroy dropped us off near the pier and in close proximity to shopping. We could barely extract ourselves from the back of the Land Rover. It’s a good thing the Oosterdam has a hot tub and a spa! 

As we relaxed in the Crow’s Nest while the Oosterdam lifted her anchor to sail away, the captain came on the speaker to inform us there are penguins on the starboard side of the ship and that we were very fortunate with today’s weather. “Stanley is one of the most canceled cruise ports we have as the weather is quite unpredictable and rough making an anchorage unsafe”. It’s a good thing we didn’t know about it beforehand or it would have been something else to worry about! 

What an incredible experience we had today, despite the wild 4×4 ride or maybe because of it. How else could the penguin rookery be kept so pristine unless it was located at the edge of civilization? We feel so fortunate to have our health and sense of adventure.

December 14, 2022, Wednesday: Rounding Cape Horn

We had another early start in order to experience the Oosterdam navigating around Cape Horn. The day was picture perfect with sun already greeting us by 5am. We knew we were close to the Horn when we spotted the lighthouse or Main Station. The captain took the Oosterdam closer and closer, first with the starboard side having the view then slowly turning so the port side could catch a glimpse.

We sailed around the manned station and noticed a flag was now raised on the flagpole. A family lives there for a year before being replaced—a wise decision no doubt!

Photographs do not do this justice! The experience was awesome—we can now brag about “rounding the Horn”!

Onward to the Falkland Islands where we’ll spend time with the penguins. Can anything be more marvelous than sailing to remote locations in luxury and exploring the wonders found there? Truly spoiled (but we deserve it!)

December 13, 2022, Tuesday: Cruising the Beagle Channel & Glacier Alley on Our Way to Ushuaia, Argentina

What an extraordinary day! We started it very early as we had been notified that the Oosterdam would be within Glacier Alley by 6:15am. Well, it wasn’t quite that early as we had a nearly 3 hour delayed start the evening before due to a mechanical issue. The captain did attempt to make up time and the first glacier appeared about 7:30am. It was quite fortunate that we had a late start as the very beginning of our viewing was misty with one significant squall obliterating our view totally. Ugh! The visibility gradually improved until we were in brilliant sunshine and blue sky—spectacular!

There are 6 glaciers visible from Beagle Channel but we could spot more higher in the rugged mountains. Our Apple Maps came in handy when we used the satellite view, giving us a much broader picture of the ice sheet, snow fields and glaciers. 

Most of our viewing was on the ship’s port side so we camped out in the Lido, in the pool area, and occasionally dashing out on the small deck in front of the fitness center to get the “perfect shot”.

The cruise through this amazing section of the Beagle Channel lasted about 3 hours until we could see our next port in the distance: Ushuaia.

Ushuaia (oosh-why-ah) is the southernmost city in the world, with a population of 90,000. It is located on the “Big Island” of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The Oosterdam docked on the pier in the center of the city. We walked from the ship to explore this city and obtain Argentine pesos, a real adventure. 

In Argentina, there are 2 exchange rates. One is the “official” exchange rate ($1=170 pesos) and there is the “blue market” rate ($1=270-330 pesos). The inflation rate is incredibly high making us wonder how people can eek out a living. We went to the Tourist Information center and given instructions on where to get a “fair” exchange rate.

After about a 4 block walk, we found the Jupiter Exchange, went in and when attempted to exchange our $20 bills were told that we could only get a $1=240 peso rate. The ship’s onshore guide told us to accept nothing less than $1=270 pesos. Oh, yes, we could get $1=300 pesos if we had $100 bills. Back to the ship and to customer service where we exchanged our $20s for a $100 bill and back to the Jupiter Exchange. Now we were feeling extraordinarily wealthy with our 30,000 pesos!

We were scheduled for our “Train to the End of the World” excursion at 4:30pm so we walked around the main shopping area but, given our inability to use a credit card (that would be the $1=170 peso exchange rate), there wasn’t anything worth buying. Making our way back to the ship until our excursion, we experienced high winds on the pier that made walking nearly impossible. We just made it on to the ship when it started to pour, drenching the other passengers making their way back. We wondered if we should bother to go on the excursion!

When 4:15 arrived the weather had cleared and the sun was peeking out. It was still quite chilly at 43-degrees but less windy. On the bus and off to the end of the world!

Current events entered our excursion when we heard the ship’s horn blow at 4:35pm and car horns beep. The World Cup is being played and it was Argentina vs Croatia with Argentina making its first goal. Yay!

The weather was absolutely perfect for our drive on the gravel section of the Pan American Highway to the Tierra del Fuego National Park where we would board a steam-powered train. The history of this area was interesting in that was populated by prisoners from Buenos Aires, similar to Australia. It became a penal colony in the late 1880s and the prison was built (by the prisoners) in 1902. It had the reputation of being the worst prison in Argentina. It was closed in 1947 with a change in the political landscape. 

The train ride took us through a pristine landscape, along the meandering Pipo River. The U-shaped valleys were evidence of glacial formation and retreat, scraping hillsides and depositing gravel in moraines. We saw wild horses and flocks of Sheld-geese, traveled through heavily wooded areas and stopped a couple times to view a waterfall and beach. In the meantime, Argentina scored another 2 goals and triumphed over Croatia!

Our last stop before returning to port was the Ensenada Zaratiegui Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, a stunning location on the Beagle Channel looking south towards the Chilean Antarctic Province. There were a few trails and an area with informational posters on the history of the area. The wind was exceptionally strong so we didn’t remain outside the bus for any length of time, just enough to snap a few photos and read the posters.

This was one of the best days of so many on this cruise! The weather cooperated, we learned so much about this part of the world, enjoying the people and the largely unexplored land around us. Although it is summer, the temperature doesn’t rise much above 40 degrees with the ocean remaining a cool 50 degrees. Ushuaia is remote but is the port where 90% of excursions to Antartica begin.

We returned to the Oosterdam, noticing the increase in traffic and car horn honking but reached the ship in time for a late dinner, absorbing the events of the day.

December 12, 2022, Monday: Punta Arenas, Chile

We’re in the Strait of Magellan! The Oosterdam cruised into the bay on an overcast day, with a view of Punta Arenas hugging the shoreline at the bottom of a mountain range. The ship anchored for the duration of the visit making it necessary to use the tenders to go ashore. We joined a tour that would take us around this southernmost city in Chile, exploring its history and the pristine landscape of Patagonia.

Our guide, Manuel, told us that today was a wonderful summer day in Punta Arenas with a slight mist (rain) and high temperatures (50 degrees!). Our first stop was an overlook at Cerro de la Cruz to admire the Strait of Magellan and the city at our feet. The total population of the Patagonia Region is 160,000 with 130,000 living in Punta Arenas. The Patagonia Region begins at Puerto Chacabuco, a 3-day sail away, which gave us an idea on the size of the region and it’s relatively uninhabited state.

Magellan’s arrival was a watershed moment as he made his circumnavigation around the world in 1520. The region’s name is based on a myth that the native population were giants, and the Spanish named it, “The Land of Big Feet” as this was the title of a popular novel in Spain at the time. The Spaniards were not tall people so the natives were much taller than the average sailor, hence the name, Patagonia.

On the way to the public square, also “the windiest place in the city”, we learned more about the history and the arrival of priests to convert the “pagans”. Tierra del Fuego lay across the Strait and was named not for volcanic activity (there isn’t any) but for the multiple fires the natives had set along the coast. Manuel was a walking encyclopedia of facts on this area; it was difficult to write it all down! 

At the center of the Plaza de Armas Square was a large statue paying tribute to Magellan. Surrounding the square were large mansions built during the years before the Panama Canal opened as Punta Arenas was an important stop on the trade route. Unfortunately, due to recent civil unrest that affected all regions in Chile, graffiti marked many buildings and a statue of an early pioneer had been removed. Manuel stated this was a ridiculous consequence of people’s anger and that “you cannot change history”.

On the way to the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum we made a stop at the cemetery, a beautifully designed area with prestigious family monuments scattered around acres of land donated by the socialite, Sarah Braun, during the early 20th century. 

It also held a monument to native people who no longer live here having been either absorbed into the growing European community or evicted as so many had during the age of discovery. The statue representing a member of the Onas or Selknam people is viewed as a “god” with many plaques giving thanks for miracles that occurred after praying to him.

Our last stop was the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum where we could have spent several hours instead of the allotted 45 minutes. The first exhibit we paused in front of was about the discovery of the remains of the extinct animal, the Milodon, in a cave about 200 miles from Punta Arenas. It was well preserved with some hair and skin visible. 

On we ventured around this fascinating museum stopping at the following exhibits, where we: climbed into a replica of the Cave of Hands; discovered more information on Darwin’s ship, Beagle (both voyages); viewed impressive artifacts from Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic; and learned more about the four indigenous groups: Onas/Selknam, the Tehuelches/Aonikenk, the Yámanas/Yaganes and the Alacalufes. There were dioramas of the birds and animals indigenous to Patagonia as well as representations of the Yámanas people who reportedly did not wear animal fur covering but were always naked (hard to believe!). 

Most of what is known about native life comes from Alberto de Agostini, a Salesiano priest from Italy. He traveled to Patagonia in the early 20th century, living there from 1909 to the 1930s. By that time, the indigenous people had been exposed to Europeans so much of their culture was lost. Fr. Agostini filmed these people and also explored the Darwin Range as he had mountaineering experience. He also authored a few books which were displayed in the museum.

We decided to have lunch in Punta Arenas as Manuel raved about the seafood, especially king crab. He gave us a few recommendations and off we went to find La Luna Café on O’Higgins St. Success!

The “pancake” stuffed with king crabmeat and the king crab stew were both outstanding and lived up to its reputation. We washed it down with Shackleton’s Amber, a local craft brew.  La Luna also had excellent Wi-Fi making Mary Margaret’s delayed updates to Facebook very quick (she’s still updating from the Galápagos Islands!). As we were finishing our lunch, crowds began to form; clearly this was a local favorite!

We walked back to the Oosterdam, stopping briefly to pick up a hooded sweater for Mary Margaret to add to her “summer” wardrobe. We tendered back to the ship for a relaxing afternoon, away from the rainy weather. We are so excited to continue our cruise through the Patagonia archipelago, dipping down into the Beagle Channel to sail by the extraordinary glaciers.

December 10-11, 2022, Saturday and Sunday: Cruising the Chilean Fjords

The Oosterdam cruised through the narrow channels with the help of a Chilean pilot, on board the ship for the next 7 days. The impressive vista of the towering snow capped, rugged mountain range was somewhat dampened by the misty day, as is typical for this part of the world.

It is amazing to think the early explorers were able to find their way through this convoluted landscape. One answer is that the Spanish were searching for gold and the mythical City of the Caesars which they never found. They helped establish known shipping routes that had been heavily traveled in the past but less so today. Still, the pristine beauty of the area is certainly a treasure to the eye!

We did not see any wildlife on the shore, however were treated to a spectacular rainbow late evening. The sun doesn’t set until nearly 10pm, giving us lots of opportunities for observing this stunning scenery.

More of the same occurred the following day, cruising the Sarmiento Channel but less misty and much better viewing. This channel is one of the main channels in Patagonia and is named after the Spanish explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa who first sailed through in 1579. Although it was reported that we could see Magellanic penguins, elephant seals, dolphins and orcas, we only managed to see a dolphin while dining in the Main Dining Room.

We enjoyed “Dressy Night” before heading to our next port of call: Punta Arenas.

December 9, 2022, Friday: Puerto Chacabuco

It is nearly summer here in the southern hemisphere with decidedly longer days. The Oosterdam sailed through narrow island-strewn passages, cruising by salmon farms and snow capped mountains. There was plenty of fishing activity with dozens of small boats floating around the waters. Our dining room breakfast location allowed for scenic views as we cruised to Puerto Chacabuco. Before joining our shore excursion, we had to take a Covid test as did all passengers. Fortunately, we were negative and, so far, haven’t heard anything about any other passengers being affected.

We were tendered into the largest port of the Aisén Region, the “Gateway to Patagonia”. Puerto Chacabuco is very small with only 2,000 residence so identifying it as the “largest port” tells us this is a rather unpopulated area of the world. It appears to be a corporate town with salmon farming being the main industry. We joined our tour group that would take us on a 20 minute drive to the Parque Aiken del Sur, a regional park with virgin forests, a stunning waterfall and a large freshwater lake. We turned off the main road onto a smaller road that eventually turned into a gravel road where bridge construction was underway.

Once we reached the trail entrance, our group was divided into more manageable numbers and a new guide was introduced to us. This lively young woman with brilliant orange hair offered us rain ponchos which we gladly accepted despite having raincoats. We followed her along a well marked trail, passing by different species of trees and plants that were also marked as to species.

She had us stop at an information poster that gave a description of the animals found in this area. Unfortunately, we did not encounter any wildlife but appreciated the lush, green, and misty surroundings of this forest. 

Trees canopied the pathway in this virgin forest, making our overcast day appear near dusk it was so dark! We walked nearly a half mile before reaching the Barba del Viejo waterfall, a powerful testimony to the rainy climate and snow melt of the mountain snow pack. We heard the rushing water well before we came upon the falls.

We headed back to the main (gravel) road and walked up to our refreshment lodge overlooking Lago (lake) Riesco. Despite the overcast conditions, it was a beautiful location.

In the lodge, we were greeted with a roaring central fireplace, our choice of beverage (Pisco sours, red and white wine, water or Coke) and samples of regional favorites (chicken on skewers, empanadas, “cheese cream” on baguette, etc). A young couple performed a traditional dance and received a rousing round of applause from the group. 

Before heading back to the bus and Puerto Chacabuco, we walked another path to the shore of Lago Riesco. A perfect end to our first day in Patagonia

December 8, 2022, Thursday: Puerto Montt

We enjoyed a relaxing sea day, listening to lectures, playing mahjong and glamming up for “Dressy Night”. No longer any need for a tux or a gown these days! We arrived at Puerto Montt and joined on onshore excursion to see the explore the contrasts of this region compared to the arid central coast. It was abundantly clear that this region was different as we were greeted with misty rain and much cooler weather.

Jessica was an informative guide and gave us much more information not only on what we would see on the tour but what has happened to this region in the tumultuous social crisis of 2019. But first, we drove around our first of three areas covered on the tour: Puerto Montt. 

Puerto Montt is often referred to as the city of 4 hills as it climbs from the port to the Pan American Highway. Fishing is the primary industry and includes salmon farming. This area of Chile was settled by Germans, beginning in the 1850s. The older houses were built from the Alerce tree, similar to the Redwood found in California. It is resistant to wet weather and clearly ages well as seen in the remaining wooden homes. Alerce is now protected so new construction uses concrete and metal. We passed the Cathedral but it was behind a chain link fence. Jessica explained that the riots in 2019 had damaged many buildings, including the church. Our bus drove on, up to the Pan American Highway where we discussed the current events and unrest in Chile.

The problems creating the “Social Crisis” are poverty, poor education and health services as well as the underfunded pension system for the elderly. A worker’s average income is $300 per month; retirement pension is about $250. Oil and gas are unaffordable for home heating so wood is used as heating fuel. The people revolted in 2019, destroying property and protesting in the streets. We saw graffiti everywhere on every building, even homes. Jessica reports that there is a safety concern for people in Puerto Montt (pick pockets, shop lifting). The economic situation only worsened with Covid and the loss of tourism. A new constitution was drawn up but voted down by the people in May 2022 as it led to more socialism. Fortunately, our social studies lecture ended and we moved on to the next stop: Puerto Varas, the City of Roses.

Puerto Varas is situated on the shore of Lago Llanquihue, the second largest lake in Chile. Unfortunately, the misty day did not provide the spectacular, Mt. Fuji-like view of the Osorno volcano. The village square was decorated for Christmas and, as the name implies, there were roses everywhere! 

We took the opportunity to find the Daruma Café, order cappuccino and use the impressively fast Wi-Fi. The ship’s Wi-Fi continues to be aggravating in its speed and connectivity. Mary Margaret was able to quickly update her Facebook page but only with the Galápagos Islands information; we are far from there!

Onward to our last stop, the Bavarian appearing village of Fruitillar, also situated on Lago Llanquihue.

The bus drove us around the charming village with its large chalets, confirming this was a resort area and soon to be filled with “summer people”. We were dropped off at the Colonial Museum, a collection of buildings preserving the lifestyle of the early German immigrants. We enjoyed strolling in the gardens and hiking to the top of the hill to tour the largest home, noted for its use of Alerce wood. The museum also gave a history of the earliest, native inhabitants, the Mapuchins.

Archaeological discoveries revealed early inhabitants around 13,000 years ago, after the Ice Age. The Mapuche people were hunter-gatherers living at the foothills of the Andes, slowly immigrating to the coastal areas. The arrival of the Spanish and introduction to Christianity allowed for advances in agricultural development, domestication of animals and new technologies involving pottery and textiles. There is a movement by the Mapuchins to regain control over native lands, another element in the social unrest here in Chile.

After our tour, we walked to the shore and strolled around the busy street. Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and is being celebrated everywhere in this very Catholic country. We passed the Parroquia Inmaculada Concepcion where Mass was being held. The church was filled with parishioners of all ages so we were only able to take a quick peek inside.

We returned to the bus and found ourselves back in Puerto Montt, checking out the street craft market (needed pesos and not credit cards) before tendering back to the Oosterdam. While in the terminal awaiting the tender, Mary Margaret happened to see a vendor selling Lapis Lazuli, a stone endemic to the area. Earrings purchased (credit card!) and on to the tender. The skies partly cleared for our departure as we pulled anchor and began our cruise further south to Puerto Chacabuco, Patagonia.

December 6, 2022, Tuesday

The Oosterdam cruised into San Antonio, Chile, the main port of Chile but not the most historically significant port. Prior to the opening of the Panama Canal in 1915, Valparaíso was the main port as ships sailing from the north and the far east would meet with ships sailing from Europe and the south. Valparaíso was the port where the ships would load and unload, turning around and heading back to their home ports. After the Panama Canal opened, Valparaíso became a back water of sorts, as San Antonio became much more lucrative due to its proximity to Santiago, Chile’s capital.

We joined a shore excursion that would take us from the coast into the wine region of Casablanca and to Valparaíso, learning about Chile’s historical past, the religious influence of the Catholic Church and the prosperous wine region.

Oliver, our guide, is of German heritage, his family moving back and forth from northern Germany to Valparaíso over 3 generations. He grew up in Germany but moved to Santiago, Chile to learn Spanish and ended up staying after meeting his wife. He is in his early 50s and teaches in a tech school. 

As the bus drove 1 1/2 hours to Valparaíso, he gave us facts and figures on climate (a Mediterranean climate with only 29 days of rain on average), population (Santiago, the capital, has 6 million inhabitants, Valparaíso has 300,000 and Chile has 18 million total), Chile’s exports (80% of wine produced, grapes, salmon, copper and lithium) and the earthquake activity (“tremors” every 2 months but most Chileans believe that anything under 5.0 on the scale are “tremors”!

Our bus drove through the Casablanca Valley, named after a small white church where a miracle reportedly occurred. In fact, the government will close down the 4 lane highway beginning December 7 as thousands of pilgrims will be walking the road to the church to celebrate the Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception on December 8. Catholicism is very strong in Chile. We had already observed several people walking on the highway towards Casablanca.

The modern day popularity of Casablanca is the vineyards and the dry, aromatic wine produced here. Oliver explained that most Chileans drink beer but if they have a BBQ or other spicy food, they may drink red wine but this is not typical. Most of the wine produced is exported with 95% of that being white wine. The sunny, dry but cool conditions here create wine that is drier and higher in alcohol than the typical wine regions of the world. Wine production is relatively new here as no one considered the climate as able to produce wine. The “endemic” red wine is Carmenere, a grape variety that had disappeared from France when the phylloxera wiped out many of the vineyards. It was rediscovered and has become the wine of Chile.

We finally reached Valparaíso and stopped on a steep hill to walk down to the Maritime Museum after admiring the view of the bay from an overlook. 

The museum was mainly dedicated to Captain Arturo Chacon, a young war hero, who urged his soldiers to fight on for independence no matter what happened to him. Unfortunately, Captain Chacon died 30 minutes after the battle began but his men carried out his wishes and won the battle on May 21, 1879.

Included in the museum’s courtyard was the cage used to rescue trapped miners from a collapsed tunnel where they had spent 69 days underground. This amazing event occurred in October of 2010 and captivated the world. The San Jose gold and copper mine sustained a collapse on August 5, 2010, burying miners 2300 feet underground. All 33 miners were rescued using this contraption. What an amazing feat! In the same courtyard stood a large wooden masthead of a condor, the symbol of Chile.

Back on the bus and down to Sotomayer Square where we learned about the various government buildings and the public sport of tax evasion. There seemed to be street vendors everywhere we went, especially concentrated in public squares. Oliver explained the vendors were able to make a living and not pay any taxes. Street vendors are responsible for 30% of the economy! 

Our final stop was for lunch at Restaurant Cerro Alegra. The bus parked on an incline and this time we walked up the street that seemed to be at a 45-degree incline! San Francisco looks like rolling farm land compared to this city!

We reached a funicular that took us, 8 at a time, up to the next street. It reminded us of our stay in Lisbon, Portugal with its steep streets and outdoor elevators.

We climbed a few more stairs and into the restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of seared tuna, twice baked potatoes with a fresh goat cheese, olive and lettuce salad. All accompanied by a glass of wine. Mary Margaret had the Misiones de Rengo Camenere and Tom had the aromatic Sauvignon Blanc, both from the Casablanca Valley.

It was a perfect end to the day. We learned so much about the history of this area, from the Vapuchies, a pre-Colombian tribe, to the growth of Valparaíso from the pre-Panama Canal era to today’s struggle with politics and the economy. We rode back to the Port of San Antonio and boarded the Oosterdam, looking forward to a sea day before reaching our next adventure.