The Most Southerly Place In The World? Argentina and Chile

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As I finished up in my last report we were about to sail around Cape Horn. Well what an experience, it made the Bay of Biscay seem very tame. Wind was howling and blowing, had to cross what is known as the Roaring 40's and were they roaring! Ship was doing the tango, foxtrot and quickstep all in one go and not only that was listing heavily to one side which meant on board you had to walk leaning in the opposite direction. Anyhow we managed eventually to get to our next port of call which was Ushuaia in Argentina.

Ushuaia claims to be the most southerly place in the world, a claim disputed by the Chilean settlement of Puerto Williams.The city has a population of some 45,000 and is on the north side of the Beagle Channel. This part of Argentina has up to 17 hours of daylight in the summer but only seven hours in mid winter.

We decided to visit what they call the Hidden Lake but obviously not that well hidden as we managed to find it quite easily. Very pretty and attractive although not much else. On our way back we stopped off at a Husky camp and although was worth the stop, the huskies themselves made quite a racket. Also was amazed at the vast amount of lupines growing there, made for a pretty spectacular sight. We left Ushuaia mid afternoon and cruised along the Beagle Channel. In case you were not aware, the channel joins the South Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific and is owned jointly by Argentina and Chile. Got some spectacular sights along the way of the vast range of mountains and glaciers.

Next morning we arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile. Punta Arenas in English means sandy point and is the southern most city on the South American mainland. It more or less languished until oil was discovered nearby in the 1940's and with the subsequent improvement in roads, it has recovered its previous status as an important commercial centre as well as a popular destination for tourists interested in exploring the "Uttermost Realm". Climate adds to the regions rather baleful aspect. During the austral summer, the wind blows incessantly, occasionally reaching gale force, some 110 miles per hour. During the winter, snow covers most of the region and roads become virtually impassable.

We decided to take a trip to see the Penguin Colony, obviously a must whilst you are in this part of the world. Was a very enjoyable trip but not much to say as to me, one penguin looks very much like the rest but I am sure you will enjoy looking at the pictures.

This evening we will be leaving to make our way further up the coast of Chile and, hopefully, getting into a warmer climate as I am getting tired of these near zero temperatures. Will be nice to see the sun again. Will be at sea until Wednesday 6th Feb passing many more Glaciers so will report again then.

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Comments

[JT]

Penguins
Dont often see penguins wearing sunglasses. Mind you they do look well