Puntas Arenas, Chile

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We proceeded to the Faulklands Islands after a day´s sailing. These islands were well worth visiting, although most unfortunately Anna was still in poor health so I proceeded by tender boat to the island alone. Stanley is a quaint little English style town. Some say there was four seasons in one day when we were there, but I would suggest more like four shades of Winter - sleet, snow, rain and always wind. Around 4c I think. I visited two war memorials, for the Brits-Argentine conflict (1982) and the little known Brits-German conflict of WWI. The Faulklands are a bleak land but have there own beauty. It´s a very isolated life they lead. I also visited the very interesting Brittania House museum and a colony of magellan penguins at nearby Gypsy Cove. Finished the day with an ale in a Brit-atmosphere pub with some of the British Army based there. There are only 3000 ´kelpers´(islanders) and 1500 army to protect them!

We then had a full day at sea and arrived at Cape Horn at 2pm the following day. It was overcast but extremely calm seas, only 3 metres when 12 are not unusual. The Captain said we were extremely fortunate as this is only a once in two months occurrence. Got some good pics of the Cape and the Chilean outpost before setting sail for Ushuaia.

Next morning we woke up in Ushuaia, Argentina. Anna slowly recovering but it is BITTERLY cold and SNOWING, so she does not venture out. I checked out this city at the end of the world. It is a very spectacular location, reminiscent of Switzerland or NZ at their best. Saw a very interesting museum on the indigenous people that once lived here. That afternoon I took the world´s most southerly railway to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Saw a great gaucho folk show on the way back to the ship. The only disappointment is not being able to share it with Anna, but her health must come first. After leaving Ushuaia we saw six spectacular glaciers from our ship, each named after countries that made up the crew of those who discovered them. Meanwhile I have been enjoying reading ´Rounding the Horn´by Dallas Murphy. This book is full of history on this intriguing part of the world.

Today we arrived in Puntas Arenas early this morning. Anna has braved the cold - it is a ´tropical´18c but still a high wind chill factor. She is enjoying being on land after about 7 days on the ship! We had a seafood lunch, some chilean wine and looked at two museums that are preserved homes from the glory days when this town, on the Straits of Magellan, was the main route from Atlantic to Pacific (pre Panama Canal days).

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