http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Chile , Magallanes , Punta Arenas en-us Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:56:48 BST Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:56:48 BST Onboard the Via Australis we went through breathtaking scenic 4 days from Punta Arenas through the Cordillera de Darwin Parque Nacional Alberto de Agostini the Beagle Channel Cape Horn and finally Ushuaia.The Captain welcomed us onboard with a cocktail Pisco Sour and we were explained the full program for the four days.Our first landing was on the island Alberto de Agostini where we had the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-276673.html And we arriving to our second highlight of our trip... After 5 days hiking in Torres del Paine we made it all the way down to Punta Arenas where we are ready to embark on our cruise Via Australis to travel via the Cordillera de Darwin the Beagle Channel the Cape Horn to arrive at Ushuaia. It's our first cruise so we are totally unexperienced not sure what to expect but totally excited I e http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-276357.html Hola Amigos Today in my house in the lost Patagonia after a trip of nearly four days and 3500 kms I am in my house with temperatures between 7 and 0 C but happy to be here with my wife and kids and sad that the adventure has ended for me it was the best adventure in a moto of my life and with a group of Kiwis was a lesson of life but I have to wait to write the fe http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-276341.html Superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results.Thus said Sir Ernest Shackleton leader of the Imperial TransAntarctic expedition of 1914 better known as the Endurance expedition and star of one of history's most stirring tales of triumph over extreme hardship. There have been umpteen books written about the Endurance expedition but it's a story that never pales in the tellin http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-273251.html I think towards the start of our South American blog I made a comment about how cities here feel the same as cities anywhere else in Canada America or Australia... and that there was not much of a so called third world or developing country feel about it. Both those descriptions are strange ones though which I am never entirely comfortable using. I was talking mainly of Chile and particularly http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-270599.html Day 170Sandy Point' Punta Arenas is not so sandySo I could have done with not getting up ridiculously early this morning but then I could have done with a hot shower as well and so I forced myself out of bed at seven to have breakfast and then walk into town to try and arrange a bus to Punta Arenas later in the day. Unfortunately all the early buses were full but I did manage to get a tick http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-266549.html I am so behind again.....it always happens after a spell of being good about keeping up to date...so here we go again.Punta Arenas is in the very southern tip of Chile. We crossed from Argentina to there to fly back to Santiago avoid the very long bus trip back up north. So on a rainy Sunday evening we pulled into what looked like a very drab city. Thankfully there was a lady there looking fo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-266445.html La versione italiana segue quella ingleseWe left Argentina and are heading down south close to the end of the world or Tierra Del Fuego. This part of the world is shared by both Argentina and Chile.DAY 14Woke early and caught our bus from El Calafate to Punta Arenas Edge of the Sands via Puerto Natales Port of Christmas.We arrived in Puerto Natales at 2.00pm and managed by luck and blessings http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-262466.html So today i was up at 6.30 am to get the 7 am bus and wanted to make sure i got it and missed breakfast need not have botered to rush as it was not quick heading off and it turned out of all the bus companys i picked the wrong one as bus sur pullman pick up everything and a chicken.Eevntually i got to zona franco in Punta and this is the duty free area although with tax off south america is way m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-255545.html Punta Arenas is almost in the end of the world. We went to see penguins sea lions and sea elephants. The main problem with this plan was the unpredictable weather. The animals are on two islands which are between the pacific and Atlantic ocean and thus the waves are somewhat unpredictable and could cause problems in reaching the islands.Luckly we ended up with great weather tfu tfu tfu bli emuno http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-253761.html This time an original and exciting way to get from Puerto Williams to Punta Arenas. A 36 hours boattrip on a container ship. There was only place for 20 persons on the ship and there were no beds only a cabine with seats who were very uncomfortable. The first night I didn't sleep at all but I didn't care because I was already on deck at 5 am in the morning to shoot my sunrise pictures. Amazi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-249342.html Getting down to Patagonia I quickly discovered is not the easiest of things to do. For one thing there aren't any roads south through Chile. The furthest south you can go by road in Chile is the Carretera Austral which stops someway north of here. When I started looking at my options for coming here they all seemed to be either expensive flying take a long time by bus through Argentina o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-246570.html Lentoni lahti papereissa luki etta kentalla pitaa olla tuntia ennen. Tilasin Transferkyydin samalta firmalta jolla olin tullut kentaltakin. Ensiksi ilmoitettiin etta minut haettaisiin klo 11.15. Aamulla selvisi etta hakuaika onkin valilla 11.20 11.40 ja aloin jo huolestua ehdinko ajoissa kentalle tai tuleeko kyyti ollenkaan. Kavin jo kysymassa hostellin tyontekijalta kannattaisiko minun til http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-246247.html Herasin puoli seitsemalta. Kavin katsomassa Venusta ja Jupiteria jotka nakyivat viela haaleasti vaalealla taivaalla ja palasin sankyyn. Nukuin kymmeneen asti. Nyt aamiaispoydassa oli kaksi saksalaista ja kaksi sveitsilaista ja keskustelukielena oli saksa.Olin harkinnut pyoran vuokraamista taksi paivaksi mutta kun ulkona kavi kova tuuli luovuin heti ajatuksesta. Kavin kahdessa museossa jotka oli http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-245593.html Mon 21108Well we got back earlier than I thought from Torres del Paines Blue Towers so I did some laundry and will try to get a post in before dinner. The show last night was better than we thought so we didnrsquot have to walk out. It was almost hard to believe it was the same man but he was at least watchable this time. The singer was as good as the first time. The group of entertainerrs http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-245301.html We have been very busy hiking at the End of the World then making our way to Chili to do an 8 day trek at Torres Del Paine then checking out the glaciers near El Calafate in Argentina. Now we are trying to work our way north. Here is the rest of Ushuaia......LUshuaia was one of our favorite stops yet. We really enjoyed the day hike as well as the over all atmosphere of the town. We met a lot of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-244985.html Lento saapui Punta Arenasiin klo 24. Kentalta oli kateva kimppataksikyyti hostelliin 3000 pesolla siis noin 5 euroa. Ensimmainen matkustaja vietiin satamaalueelle laivaan. Portista paastiin sisaan kun han naytti kulkulupaansa. Kyydissa oli pari paikallista ja nelja brasilialaista. Jatin tavarat hotelliin ja kavin kadun toisella puolella ravintolassa syomassa munakkaan ja juomassa oluen.Aamiaisp http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-244825.html As we left Ushuaia to get the bus back across Tierra del Fuego to Punta Arenas in Chile I had the time to think about how much time it had taken us to get to the end of the world. Turns out to be about 120 hours of time on buses not counting side trips. Five overnight trips so far. No idea how many thousands of kilometres. Anyway we had a fairly long day from Ushuaia to Chile very rainy and mist http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-242808.html After a short bus trip we were at Punta Arenas about as far south as you can go on land in Chile and over 8000 miles away from home. After here it is the sea and then the Antarctic. We arrived in rain and after walking around the whole town with our packs on trying to find a decent and reasonably priced hostel we ended up at the hostel nearest the bus station. At least we got some exerciseWe ha http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-242774.html My last update left us on our way to Valdivia a small town by the river. There was a colourful fish market right by the river where a family of sealions get fed with the scraps. We also went to the Kunstmann German brewery for a few beers I had Sauerkraut for dinner. Wonderful. There was a bierfest in town where we watched horse jumping bizarrely enough a competition of men cutting logs http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-242744.html Lost my previous post 'One Week to Departure' but no biggie.Michiko and I are leaving LV at 200PM today and flying to DFW where we catch an overnight flight to Santiago. Pumped up and ready to go.Super Bowl Sunday.See ya soonbruce michiko http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-242396.html Punta Arenas is home to a robust contingent of the Chilean armed services it is where rescue missions to and from Antarctica operate the last such one was the retrieval in early December of passengers from the Canadian vessel Explorer that had tried conclusions with an iceberg in the Antarctic.It sits at the foot of Southern Patagonia within a setting of scenic vistas an expansive sky beari http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-241837.html We made it to Chile The only major difference between Patagonia in Argentina and Chile is that the cost of everything in Chile is about twice as much. Im glad we made the choice to spend a majority of our vacation in Argentina. Our first stop in Chile was Puerto Natles. It is a small town that is popular because it is the easiest entrance point to Torres del Paine National Park. We didnt k http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-238767.html The penguins were really fun. Right now the babies are losing their downy brown feathers steadily being replaced by their adult black feathers. What I found exciting and cute is when one of the adult bird decides it wants to take a dip in the ocean. The penquin just begins walking down a predetermined path until it reach his goal . . . waddling all the way It was also funny when there was a grou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-236786.html Hi EverybodyIt is summer in South America but as far south as we are it is still cool windy and often rainy. After leaving Ushuaia Argentina we cruised through the Beagle Channel. We passed through the Southern Ice Fields which contain 48 glaciers. Many were more spectacular to me than the Alaskan glaciers. Glaciers form more rapidly in this part of the world than in Antarctica where the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-236748.html Punta Arenas was the furtherest we got to the end of the world. There's more further south... but no more time for us to explore it. Punta Arenas is the world's southern most city after Ushuaia further south in Argentina and is the capital of Chilean Patagonia. Its a departure point for Antartica... but we'll be saving that trip for a much later date It seemed to us that one of the main thi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-235345.html Hi everyoneHow very exciting to finally be here in Punta Arenas so far south in the the country of Chile and so near the bottom of the planet. I never dreamt in my wildest imagination I would travel to Patagonia of all placesSo far Bobert and I had a wonderful early dinner with the most generous waiter. He was so attentive and genuinely excited to share the best food Patagonia Chile has to off http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-233563.html Strangely it was great biding my daughter goodbye at Cape Town airport. She let me know that she actually enjoys me doing these wild expeditions. The ultimate thumbs up from my little 'boss'.After three long flights and 24 hours I have arrived at Puenta Arenas in the southern tip of Chile where I will be meeting up with the company organising the flights and logistics onto Antartica. The plan is t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-230687.html HelloHow are y'all doing I have so much to say here. First of all Where's Christmas Somehow the hot summer weather and lack of familiar christmas carols and being away from home keeps me from feeling like christmas is coming. Maybe when it gets here I'll feel it. Anyway though I'm going to miss all of you very much.a good part of this blog is in photo captions so check those out too. I'm not http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-228131.html So did you do the WI dont know what this phrase is in Spanish although I should know it in every language. Torres Del Paine Towers of Pain for obvious reasons is a National Park here in Chile and is known to be one of the most beautiful in the world. The Wis a 34 day hike around the towers past glaciers snow capped mountain ranges and through an ever changing landscape. The peppermi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-225799.html