Punta Arenas - A Chilly Experience!!

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Did you see what I did with the title of this entry?? 'A chilly (Chile!) experience. Because we're in Chile and today we will be cold!!

Question: When can an unpleasant experience be very pleasant?

Answer: When we visited Ottway penguin colony in Punta Arenas!!

Our journey began at 6:30am with breakfast in our cabin. Despite the first serving being stated as between 06:30-07:00, I stated 06:30. I also wrote 1 boiled egg and 2 toasts, as this was not an option on the pre printed breakfast request forms. The breakfast arrived exactly at 06:30 together with requested egg AND toast.

We met in the Princess Theatre at 7am and were given our tour sticker. Within 5 minutes we were heading for the tender. Yes, Punta Arenas is the 2^nd of our 3 tender ports.

The weather was at this point partly cloudy. The sun was trying to break through. The temperature was 7°C. the wind was force 6 – strong breeze. Strong breeze or not, we had taken no chances. Roisin and I had 4 layers of clothing on. I felt like the Michellin Man!!

10 minutes later the tender had dropped us off at the jetty where we passed through the customs hall, bags x-rayed and then straight on to the waiting motor coach.

Andrea, our guide, gave us a potted history, geography and social economic state of Punta Arenas and Southern Patagonia.

Punta Arenas was founded as late as 1848 as a tiny penal colony but it's discovery was much earlier in 1520 by Ferdinand Magellan. By accident his ship was ‘blown' through the strait that bears his name by a series of gales. He managed to navigate his way from the Atlantic Ocean. He was so grateful to see calmer waters that he also gave it a name you may be familiar with – the Pacific!! Punta Arenas lies on the Magellan Strait.

When Magellan stopped off to have a ‘mooch' around, the area was already populated by a native Indian race. They were naturally tall to start with but Magellan noticed huge footprints and thought he was dealing with giants. It turns out that the Indian tribe used the hide from the Alpaca to cover their feet making impressions at least twice the size of a normal footprint. From then on, the area was known as Pat-a-gon-ia; The Land of the Big Feet!!!

Across from Punta Arenas, you can see the island known as Tierra del Fuego. This is the same view that Magellan had almost 500 years earlier. The indigenous people who populated this island didn't leave much to the imagination when wearing clothes. A loincloth for both the men and women was the order of the day. In order to keep warm they lit huge fires. It probably would have been easier to invent clothing!! Nevertheless, it was the smoke from these huge fires that Magellan saw. He thus named the island Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire)

Punta Arena means Sandy Point and is considered the largest southernmost city on the South America continent.

The journey to the Penguin colony took about 1 hour 20 minutes. The first 25 minutes on tarmacked road then for almost an hour on a dirt track.

On leaving the coach, the wind had picked up to a Force 9/10 – strong gale. It was ferocious. The temperature was still recorded at 7°C but with the wind chill must have been sub zero.

The route to the colony is split in to 2 sections. The first section is the beach where the male and females take turns in swimming to search for food. The second is a few hundred metres in land where the penguin families have made their burrows.

There are 17 species of penguin. Ottway Sound is populated by thousands of Magellanic Penguins (probably named after you-know-who). They return to this bay every October to mate. The eggs hatch around the end of November and by March the young chicks have been taught how to swim and hunt then it's a case of ‘On yer bike. It's time to fend for yourself!!'

The path to the colony was via a series of boardwalks. However, these proved uneven in places so great care was taken not to make a fool of yourself. The path to the beach is about 1km and the land is flat and barren. Shades or green and brown carpet as far as the eye can see as the bracken and moss weave their way across the landscape.

Despite having more layers than the earths crust, it was still ‘bloody cold!!' You would think the Penguins would have figured this out my now! If it was me, I'd rather migrate to Benidorm or Barbados. More sun, less wind…and the ale's cheaper as well!!!

Despite the weather being an unpleasant experience, penguins have something that can melt away the coldest heart and warm up the coldest body emitting an all over glow of warmth and well-being!! Natures answer to Porridge Oats or Ready Break!!!

From our first day on board the Star Princess, we had to complete an affidavit. This is a declaration to say you have not brought any fruit, nuts, meat or other foodstuffs ashore. This must be kept on your person at all time for inspection if requested and will be collected before departure from Chile.

We had now progressed the 500m to watch the penguins move around their nests. As I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket, the precious piece of paper I have had about my person for the last 5 days took off like an exocet missile, carried by the gale force wind and landed less than a metre from a penguin. He or she (apparently there are no distinguishing marks that determine males from females) immediately picked it up and scuttled in to a nearby burrow.

I just stood there while Roisin laughed. I was trying to picture what the next 36-72 hours in a police cell would feel like. ‘At least I'd be out this bloody wind,' I thought. I shrugged my shoulders and headed back toward the waiting coach. Roisin continued laughing for the next 10 minutes!!!

For those of us who wanted to stay in the town, the guide dropped us off at (wait for it…) Plaza de Armas.

There were stalls selling the usual overpriced tat dotted around the square. They only set up shop when there is a cruise ship in town.

Just off from the square is the local tax office. (see photo). I couldn't help notice many splotches of paint adorning the façade of the tax office. I asked the tour guide why all the paint (although I'd half guessed already!!). She said: ‘It demonstrates the popularity of a certain tax office. The less paint thrown at the tax office, the more popular the office or, in Punta Arena's case, the taxes are so high that the people can't afford the paint!!!'

The Streets of Punta Arenas use a grid system so it is easy to get around and difficult to get lost. There are not many high building more than 2 or 3 stories. We headed to the municipal cemetery. We don't make a habit of visiting local cemeteries at every opportunity but this is arguably the most spectacular necropolis is South America.

When we entered the grounds we were confronted with row up on row of bizarre sepulchres. The grounds are a fantastic jumble of tombs and architectural styles and the avenues are lined with perfectly topiaried (is that a word??) fir trees.

I took Roisin's photo next to a large tomb that stood out for it's vivid red surface. I thought I'd never say ‘Hey, Roisin. Go and stand next to that grave and I'll take your photo!!' And they say romance is dead….(there's another joke in there somewhere. Feel free to make up your own punch line!!) This blog has now officially become interactive!!!

Back in the port terminal we headed back to the customs shed where my worst fear was realised. A Chilean official was collecting the food declaration. Roisin handed hers in and then it was my turn. I could just say I'd lost but no I had to do a ‘George Washington ‘I cannot tell a lie' and blurted out, ‘A penguin ate it!!!' A few laughs came from down the line. I turned round and said: ‘No, honest., it really did'

The official spoke no English but beckoned me to move to one side. Another officer approached and I thought, ‘OK. This is it. I've seem Midnight Express!!' The officer, who spoke passable English, once again asked for this document. When I explained he showed no surprise or any other emotion but just produced a blank document and politely asked me to complete and sign it!

The tender back to the ship was an ordeal. The winds had really picked up. I noticed when the tender pulled up along side the jetty at it took 4 crew to pull on the tether line to ensure the boat was secure.

On our way back to the Ship, the tender was tossed, pitched and rolled. It battled hard against a head wind. One of the crew could see a few passengers discomfort and, now I don't know if his thought was doing the right thing, but said in a nonchalant manner: ‘Don't worry! If we capsize, you'll freeze to death before you drown!!!' This didn't appease the situation. What I couldn't comprehend is that we are always told that tenders will not operate in rough weather as the passenger's safety is paramount. How rough does it have to be???!

Safely back on board and Capt. McBain made his afternoon address. He stressed the importance of personal hygiene. Wash hands regularly. He went on to say that there have been a few reported and confirmed cases or Gastro Enteritis or more commonly known as… (please say ‘the shits', please say the ‘shits')… Gastric flu and measures will be taken to contain any such increase.

This was borne out by the steps taken in Horizon Court. All the staff wore plastic gloves. Cutlery and crockery were handed to you. Usually the food is self-service but not any more. Even if you wanted to take a banana from the fruit bowl it would be handed to you by a crewmember. The drinks stations were cordoned off and operated by a member of staff. It is refreshing to see such incidents being taken seriously and anyone who was prepared to argue the inconvenience should be taken out and keelhauled. (but that's just my opinion). I am happy to say I have not heard one voice of distain.

No sooner had the Captain signed off than ‘bing-bong…this is the Captain again…'

It turns out that there was a medical emergency and the ship had been delayed for 45 minutes. Wow! It's all go today!!!

Roisin looked over the balcony to see 6 crewmembers struggling to get a stretcher in to one of the tenders. We have no idea what had happened but I'm sure we'll find out. To fall ill abroad is stressful enough but as remote as we are, I hope they have good travel insurance!!! (oh, and I hope the person makes a full and speedy recovery!!!)

We have struck up a good rapport with the know-it-alls. We didn't want to seem like we were hanging on so yesterday afternoon we played our own game and scored 15, the same as the know it alls. Unfortunately neither of us won but if we had pooled our answers we would have been victorious by 1 point. I think we have earned our wings. They now seem genuinely happy that we are part of the same team, which is more than I can say for the rest of the participants!!!

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