Day 11             Tue      11/18/08          Punta Arenas and Magellanic Penguins

We docked in Punta Arenas at about 7:30 and by 8:15 we were off the boat to meet our new tour guide Alicia. We first headed to the Magellanic Penguin colony at the Otway Peninsula. Not only were the penguins fascinating but there were lots of other birds along the way and at the colony. We saw two species of caracara, crested duck, Chiloe wigeon, Upland goose, black chested buzzard eagle, long tailed meadowlark, red knot, rhea and magellanic oystercatcher. At one point the road was blocked by a herd of cattle with gauchos on horseback and a small pack of dogs herding the cows. We got out, took some pictures and they moved on. At the colony we saw perhaps one hundred magellanic penguins. Some birds were guarding burrows containing newly hatched chick but most were walking to or from the ocean where they catch fish to feed themselves and the chicks. Unfortunately we were about a month too early to see the chicks out of the burrows. After the penguin colony we drove back to Punta Arenas for lunch. Alicia recommended a restaurant where we all had wonderful king crab lunches with some crisp Chilean white wine. After lunch we visited the Braun-Menendez Museum. Formerly the private residence of a very wealthy local family, the house was given to the city in 1985. We saw lots of turn of the century European furniture and decorations including original oil paintings by Picaso, in this case, Pablo’s father. The museum also contained several rooms of exhibits chronicling the local history. Next stop was the town square with a statue of Magellan and many crafts booths. Shortly after we arrived, about 20 fifth and sixth graders arrived with guitars, pan flutes and other instruments we did not recognize. After tuning up they sat at the base of the statue and played a few songs while other students walked through the crowd collecting donations. It was the perfect way to use the Chilean coins we had collected since Santiago. Alicia then took us to a very nice souvenir shop. Our visit to Punta Arenas concluded with a stop at the super market to stock up on water and wine for the Antarctic portion of our voyage.

Day 12             Wed     11/19/08          Beagle Channel

The excitement builds. We attended a briefing on landing procedures, safety, wildlife and do’s and don’ts  for our visit to Antarctica. The weather here is very variable so the key is flexibility. We were told with serious good humor that there were three questions we were not to ask. When will we get there?, How long can we stay? And What will the weather be like? The notional plan will be two landings per day for the five days in Antarctica waters. We will have 30-90 minutes ashore at each landing. The passengers are divided into six landing groups of 32 (4 boats with eight people each). Although Fram can hold about 300 passengers, there are only 179 aboard at the time so we will have access to more, different landing spots and have more time ashore. By the time the briefing was over we were all giddy with excitement even after the fantastic ten days we have already had. Just after lunch the Fram cruised up the Garibaldi Fjord to the face of the glacier of the same name. The views were stunning and the sunny 60 degree weather took the edge off of the gusty wind. Once out of the Garibaldi Fjord we continued eastward along the Beagle Channel into the area known as Glacier Avenue with numerous glaciers to our north. Most of the glaciers had country names, Espana, Romanche, Alemania, Francia, Italia and Holanda. Each was uniquely beautiful with different hues of iridescent blue ice. The sun stayed out and the temperature climbed to 70. At the Francia, now a hanging glacier hundreds of feet up the rock face, we were treated to a series of small ice avalanches. As we continued to watch, a huge ice block, several hundred feet across calved from the glacier face and came crashing down the mountainside to the spontaneous ooohs and aahs of the passengers assembled on the bow. As we were calming down from the glacier show, we spotted many birds close up; particularly southern fulmar and giant petrel. Dinner tonight was a Philippine buffet, prepared, not surprisingly, by the Pilipino dining room staff. King Crab, wonderful fish dishes and a small roasted pig (actually they said they used five pigs for this meal-no telling how they roasted a 100 pound pigs onboard the ship. The after dinner entertainment was a show put on by the crew. Lots of fun with good singers and traditional Pilipino folk dances. Their national folk dance is the one where two long sticks are held apart for two beats and snapped together on the third. Dancers hop between the sticks in time with the music, careful to have their feet clear when the sticks come together. After the crew danced for a while they invited passengers to join in. Sandy gave it a try and did pretty well. We expect her bruised ankle will heal before we go ashore in Antarctica (just kidding). Another performer was a juggler who has represented the Philippines in international juggling competitions. The show closed with a cute Chippendale dancer imitation.

Day 13             Thu      11/20/08          Cape Horn and the Drake Passage

Last night we learned, to our great surprise, that we would attempt a landing at Cape Horn Island if the weather held. At 55 degrees, 56 minutes south latitude, we would be at the southernmost tip of the Americas. We awoke as the ship maneuvered close to the island in calm seas. Our first shore excursion was exciting and very well organized. The boat crews and shore expeditions staff worked to get the first four boats filled and on their way quickly. We were in the second group and we were ashore through the slight swell by 8:30. The first challenge of our Cape Horn landing was climbing the ten flights of steps up the cliff face. We were rewarded with sweeping views of the Cape Horn lighthouse, albatross monument, Drake’s Passage to the south and the Fram in Lion’s Cove below. We wandered along the boardwalks taking photos and soaking in the experience. So many generations of mariners were and are in awe of this spot, noted for its fierce, unpredictable weather. We were incredibly fortunate to arrive when the weather was calm. The crew told us that they can usually only land here once in a season!!! Back on board we spent the rest of the morning in the observation lounge reviewing photos and journaling. The afternoon started with an hour on the foredeck watching birds. Once we cleared Cape Horn, the sky was filled with them. Delicate southern fulmars and flashy cape petrels competed for our attention with three different species of albatross (black-browed, gray-headed and huge royals with 12 foot wingspan) The rest of the afternoon was filled with lectures (geology and birds) and happy hour.