After breakfast we boarded the bus and visited La Recoleta Cemetery, where the graves of many famous people, most importantly, Eva Peron, are located. It is listed as one of the 10 most beautiful cemeteries in the world.
It is 14 acres and is laid out like city blocks. You have to be very rich to be buried in this cemetery. Some of the mausoleums were beautiful, but some have fallen to disrepair. There are 4691 vaults in all.
I believe you have to pay a tax to the government to reside in the vault and if you can no longer pay, you must remove the body or bodies of your loved ones and find another place for them to lie in peace.
The queue for Eva Peron’s grave was long but it moved quickly since everyone just took a quick picture and moved on.
After visiting the cemetery, we took a boat ride along the Parana Delta, where the Parana River empties into the Rio de la Plata on its way into the Atlantic.
Traditional houses are on stilts, and those along with old mansions and rowing clubs are surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation. Some people live there permanently but others just use the houses for a weekend getaway.
There is a school boat that picks up kids along the delta and takes them to the school and there is a garbage barge that comes by to pick up the trash. There also is a boat that comes by periodically for the people to purchase fresh water, cola, snacks, propane, and beer.
The water is not drinkable along the delta and people purchase fresh water in bottles to drink. For bathing, the residents pump the water from the delta up to cisterns on top of their homes and let the sediment sink to the bottom, and then they can use the water for everything except drinking.
Some homes have electricity, but they don’t have sewers. Instead, they dig a very deep hole on their property for the solid waste.
Some of the homes were beautiful with lush greenery while others were falling down. We saw a lot of people swimming in the muddy water.
After our boat ride, we went for the farewell luncheon at a steak house. We were served empanadas, salad, French fries, and a huge steak and Malbec wine. It was all very good.
For dinner Allan and I shared a mini pizza of mozzarella, onions, and oregano. It’s not NYC pizza!
Tonight, those who were not doing the post trip caught planes for home. Tomorrow, we’ll catch a flight to Iquazo Falls.
We had a leisurely morning and then it was off to hear a speaker who was a soldier in the Malvinos War. He spoke of how he wanted to play soccer and be a pro but his parents wouldn’t let him, so he joined the army instead.
He was ill prepared for the rigors of war and only trained for about three months before he was put on the front line. He saw his friends killed and he saw operations being done in horrible conditions.
The war was won by the British and when the Argentinian soldiers returned, they were not welcomed back since people were disgusted that the soldiers had lost the war.
He has a hard time after returning. No job and no support. People had not heard of post traumatic stress, so he often had nightmares about the bombs and the killings. He thought of suicide.
He met a woman, got married, and I believe now has three children. He gives talks all around to apprise people of that war and what it meant.
We had lunch of crab soup and then enjoyed king crab legs. I actually like lobster better.
After lunch we went to the airport for our flight to Buenos Aires.
We were going to try Argentinian pizza but since the flight was delayed, we didn’t get in till late and I just couldn’t face pizza. We tumbled into bed and slept the night.
We had a quick breakfast on the ship, and after saying goodbye to the wait staff, we left for a tour of Ushuaia. Before we left the ship, we had our passports stamped with the ship’s stamp as well as the stamp of Cape Horn.
Ushuaia is a resort town in Argentina. It’s located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and it is the southernmost city of the world, nicknamed the “End of the World.” It is bordered by the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel. It’s the gateway to Antarctica for expedition cruise ships and it is the city we departed from when we went to Antarctica.
We went around the city, stopping at a few key places as our local guide explained the history, etc. We stopped at the memorial to the men from Argentina who were killed in the Malvinas War, better known as the Falkland Islands war which began in April 2, 1982. The British captured some 11,400 Argentine prisoners during the war, all of whom were released afterward. Argentina announced that about 650 lives had been lost and the memorial lists all of their names. Britain won that war because the Argentinian troops were woefully unprepared.
We had lunch with a local family. Delicious lentil stew! Their home is absolutely beautiful with artifacts from all over the world. Gabby was such a welcoming hostess and she shared her story about her husband and daughters and her mother. Her daughters are ice skating medalists.
She talked about the economy in Argentina and about the inflation which is out of control.
It was a wonderful afternoon and a pleasure to meet her. This is what makes OAT so special. You meet with local people and have the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about their lives, etc. Nothing is ever off limits.
Gabby made a delicious appetizer as well as the lentil stew and a 2 milk cake and brownies, which Allan enjoyed. We all said we’d love the recipes and Jon told us they were all in the booklet that we were given at the beginning of the trip. What a great idea to be able to bring the cuisines home to enjoy!
We checked into our hotel and we have a suite with kitchenette, king bed, and sitting area, and it all overlooks the water. Wish we could stay a few more days.
Carnival is going on tonight so many of the restaurants were closed. We found a pizza place although hardly anyone was in it which is usually not a good sign. But it started to rain and we didn’t want to get caught in a downpour, so we went in. The mozzarella was very creamy, and that was the only good thing. The rest of the pizza was blah. Thick crust…and why do they think Americano pizza should have bacon and sunny side up eggs on it????? Yuck!!!!
We have a busy day tomorrow as we will be flying back to Buenos Aires.
Below are pics from the past few days.. as well as from today, since I finally have internet again.
We woke up to a rocking and rolling ship. I should have changed my scopolamine patch last night, because I was really seasick this morning. I put on a new patch and hoped for the best.
We left before breakfast to go to Cape Horn. Many times, the two boats in this fleet, cannot take the zodiacs to Cape Horn since the waves are always too rough. One couple on the ship said that they’ve been here three times before and never landed on shore because of the rough waters, so we were pretty lucky.
Even though I was feeling muy mal, we decided to go. I thought the fresh air might help as we cruised to the Cape in the zodiac.
I did feel better, until we approached the landing and I saw the steps going up to the top where we would see the lighthouse, a monument, and a chapel.
I knew there were over four hundred steps to climb to the top, and I was ok with that. What I didn’t realize… the steps went straight up with wooden handrails and you were pretty much exposed to the height. Remember…I don’t do well with height!
I did it… We got to the top. I was feeling a bit pukey, but fortunately I kept it under control.
After we saw everything and took pictures, we were one of the first ones to make our way back down the stairs to the zodiac.
After the brief ride back to the ship, we had to navigate getting out of the zodiac which was not easy since the waves were crashing and the ship was going up and down. But we did it and lived to tell the tale.
It was time for breakfast but I wasn’t hungry so I just had tea and toast. Everyone was very concerned about me and kept asking how I was doing which was very sweet of them.
After breakfast we watched the true documentary film “Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure” which told of his heroic effort to save his expedition team after they were stranded for almost two years on Antarctica. It is a story of determination and courage.
We had lunch and Allan and I decided to pass up the afternoon hike. We took a nap instead.
We met our friends for drinks before dinner. Everyone said they were so happy I was feeling better because when they saw me this morning, I was as white as a sheet!
While we were enjoying drinks, the crew auctioned off the map that the captain used during the trip to plot our journey. They started the bidding at $100 and eventually $1500 was the closing bid. The money will be divided among the crew.
Dinner was delicious…tuna and scallops and I finally felt like eating!
We met with our friends for an after dinner drink and then off to bed.
We were able to sleep in again and had a lovely breakfast. Then, we went to a presentation on Tierra del Fuego.
In 1984, a dispute broke out concerning the border of the Beagle Channel and where the border was that separated Chile from Argentina. The dispute was eventually solved. Both countries now have land in Antarctica but the land can only be used for scientific proposes. Many scientific stations are set up on Antarctica manned by many countries of the world.
How did indigenous people come to Patagonia? One theory is the people from Africa crossed the Behring strait and then they went down thru North America into South America.
When Magellan arrived in Patagonia, he thought the inhabitants were giants. They weren’t. They were maybe 6 feet tall, but since Europeans were much shorter, Magellan perceived them as giants.
Magellan coined the name Patagonia. One theory – the people had big feet… And presumably that is the word Patagonia in Spanish. Another theory is, he was reading a book in which the name of one of the characters was Patagonia.
In the 1800’s, Captain Fitz Roy visited the area on the H.M.S. Beagle. The second time he arrived, he came with Darwin. Darwin was not happy with the indigenous people and felt they were inferior. I was very surprised to learn that about Darwin. We always were taught what a great man he was as well as a naturalist. Seemed odd he didn’t like the indigenous people.
The first photo of indigenous people was taken by Father de Augustini who lived between 1883-1960. He became friends with them.
The Manekenk were a small group in the southern areas. Most in the group did not wear clothes. They covered their bodies with fat and they also drank the fat. The fat is what kept them warm so they didn’t need clothing. Also, if it rained, or if they needed to jump in the water to get a fish, their clothing would be soaked so they opted out of wearing anything.
They transported fire in their canoes and each individual family rode in the canoe. The man was in front harpooning for food. The woman rowed in the back and in the middle of the canoe, the children were keeping the fire alive.
During the Gold Rush, the indigenous people died because of diseases brought by the Europeans. The Europeans had started missions, and now the indigenous people were no longer out in the open in nature, but now were confined in small places and susceptible to illness.
Also, sadly, many indigenous people were killed by land owners, just because they were there. Some indigenous people were put in human zoos, and that was only 100 years ago.
The talk was very interesting and very eye-opening.
After the talk, we visited the bridge and learned how the captain and crew navigate the ship. Two people are always at the helm day and night.
We saw the flags that the crew would use to communicate with other ships, however, nowadays, the communication is done mostly electronically.
After lunch, we boarded the zodiacs to go to Pia Glacier, and we were able to see where the glacier flows from the Darwin mountains into the sea. We hiked up along flat stones and just kept going up and up. By the time we got to the top, I was really frightened since it was very high and there was a sheer drop on both sides. I don’t like heights and seeing some of the people standing so close to the age made me crazy. But the view was magnificent and I guess all in all it was worth the hike. We saw and heard the glacier calf many times.
After we returned to the ship, we went up to deck 5 to stake out chairs for our group to see Glacier Alley. Jon told us what side to sit on for the best view and the glaciers that we passed were majestic and beautiful.
Global warming is contributing to the rapid melting if the glaciers which adds significantly to the rise of the sea level. We are very lucky to be viewing them because they might not be around in years to come.
The wait staff passed appetizers out while we sailed thru the alley and I drank a delicious dark beer.
Then it was dinner time but I didn’t feel very hungry since we had so many appetizers.
Early to bed because we have to get up at 5am to get into the zodiacs to tour Cape Horn.
In the morning we had breakfast but I wasn’t very hungry. We got into our gear and off we went in the zodiacs for our hike.
Our local guide was wonderful and he talked about all of the flora that was all around Ainsworth Bay. It was very interesting and so beautiful. He said nothing is poisonous on the island and he showed us Indian bread which are mushrooms that are edible. They make a delicious salad.
There was a lot of mud but we managed pretty well with our hiking poles. The scenery was breathtaking.
And then, we went back in a zodiac, had our feet hosed off, and we were given a nice hot toddy.
Then off for lunch. All the meals will be on the ship. I didn’t want anything on the menu and neither did Allan, so we both ordered a salad which was delicious.
Around 4:15 we boarded the zodiacs again and went to Tuckers Islets to view the Magellanic penguins and the cormorants.
We had a port lecture on glaciers which was very interesting and then it was off to dinner.
After dinner we went to the top deck to watch as we cruised through the narrowest part of the Magellan Strait. Some folks went out to see the southern cross, but Allan and I had seen that in the Outback in Australia so we didn’t go out.
We sat with friends at the bar for awhile and then it was to bed. We had to put everything in our room on the floor because they said the water would get rough during the night.
It was a great day and we welcomed the night for a good night’s sleep.
We walked around Punta Natales this morning which is a quaint little fishing town. Then we boarded the bus and arrived in Punta Arenas, a port overlooking the Strait of Magellan. Our local guide took us on a brief walk around the town. I went to a drugstore and found the face suntan stick that our guide in Easter Island showed us. We had seen it in Argentina, but they wanted $42 for it. Today in Chile, it was only $18 so I picked up a few sticks for friends who had wanted them and also for myself.
We boarded the ship and immediately went to deck 5 for a welcome drink and appetizers, then watched a safety film, followed by a port talk telling us what to expect for the next day.
The ship is really very nice with places to sit with friends and a well stocked bar. We can’t drink the water that comes out of the tap in the bathroom, but they gave us beautiful metal water bottles and on each floor there is a filtered water dispenser. They also gave us wet landing bags that we can keep our phone etc in while on the zodiac so the items don’t get wet.
We found out what to expect on each of the landings tomorrow and Allan and I opted for the easier one. The harder hike involved very steep inclines, a rapid hiking pace, lots of mud, and no information would be imparted about the surrounding area where you would be hiking. Didn’t sound like fun. The easier hike would be at a slower pace and time would be taken to talk about the flora and fauna.
The afternoon would involve seeing penquins from the zodiac, but we would not be going ashore.
We went to dinner, and our OAT group will be sitting together at four tables for six. They served cerviche octopus for an appetizer which I wasn’t excited about, but the main course of hake was delicious.
At the end of dinner, one of the staff announced that someone was celebrating a birthday and the lights dimmed and she told everyone to sing happy birthday as a big cake came out with candles, and was presented to Allan for his special day. Our guide Jon had arranged the whole thing and everyone enjoyed a piece of birthday cake and shook Allan’s hand.
About eight of us went to the bar and had a lot of laughs as we had a few drinks and continued to celebrate Allan’s bday. Lots of fun.
Accommodations: Ventus Austral Had a great night’s sleep and slept in for a change. The hotel is really lovely.
We had to sign a disclaimer before boarding the ship because we won’t be around any medical facilities for a few days.
Walked all along the water this morning. It’s a really lovely day. We had a delicious fish lunch at the hotel and then we boarded the bus for the four hour drive to the ship.
We arrived at the port and will be boarding soon. I have internet now so I’m posting and if I still have on the ship I’ll add more photos then.
Where’s a lawyer when you need one??
The Hotel
Me on the horse yesterday
Allan on his horse yesterday
Our ship is the blue and white one next to the big ship.
After breakfast we had our very last hike in beautiful Patagonia. The day dawned sunny and I was able to catch the sunrise as it swept across the mountain tops, painting then a gorgeous shade of pink.
We went on a pretty amazing hike with the mountains in the background. It was up steep inclines over rocks buried in the narrow path, thick roots and thorny bushes, and then we hiked down again. When we got to the top, the wind was howling and once again, I could hardly keep myself from blowing over. Those Patagonia winds are fierce.
But the views were spectacular and it was an invigorating morning and worth the effort.
We had a box lunch on the bus as we made our way to a ranch, to horseback ride and enjoy a lamb BBQ dinner.
En route, we watched a gaucho and his dogs round up his sheep to get them into another grazing field. It was really cool to see a real live gaucho doing what they do best.
We arrived at the Pingo Salvaje Ranch, which reminded everyone of the show Yellowstone! The gauchos and gauchas greeted us on horseback waving welcome flags and we immediately went with them to be fitted for our riding helmets.
We were divided into groups… Those who could ride a horse and those who were newbies. Even though Allan and I have been on horses before, we decided to go with the newbie group.
My horse was called Chapteen and he was a tad headstrong. I told him I was the mother of four boys and I wasn’t going to take any crap from him… But alas, he didn’t give a flying fig.
We were given a few instructions…how to get the horse moving by making kissing sounds and whacking the house in the flank with the stirrup, how to get him to go left or right, and most importantly…how to stop!
Off we all went in a line and we had to keep our horses at least 4 feet from the back of the horse in front of us. My horse did pretty well with that, but he insisted on occasionally plunging his head into the grass to pull out a tuft to munch on. I almost flew over his neck when he first grabbed the grass…and he practically dislocated my shoulder as I tried to keep him from doing that. To no avail!
One of the horses in front of me actually kicked his back legs out to keep the horse behind him away. He also tried to kick one of the gaucho’s horse as the gaucho went along side of him. Yikes!!!
And then… We were riding our horses along side the water, when one of the horses decided to just lie down…with one of the riders on him. Just like a camel! Holy cow! I’m so glad it wasn’t my horse. (Although I did say to my horse in a menacing voice…”Don’t even THINK about trying that stunt!!” Whether he heard? I’ll never know.) The gauchos had to ride over to the horse who was down and finally, they were able to get him up and back on the trail.
The ride was beautiful. The scenery stunning. At one point we had to ride down a steep hill, cross over water and rocks, and then clamber up the other side. When I saw that… I was like… You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!!!!! But my horse did it with a little urging from me and all was fine.
When we returned to the corral and got off our horses, one of the ladies in our group who didn’t ride a horse asked me how it was. I said “It ranked right up there with root canal!” She burst out laughing hysterically and said “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all trip!” (I’ll be here all week folks!!)
So even though my horse was a little headstrong, at least I can say…I rode a horse in the countryside of Patagonia in Chile. What an amazing experience!
We watched a gaucho demonstrate his prowess with his dogs as they rounded up sheep and then we walked to where the lamb was cooking. We watched the gaucho carve up the meat and it smelled delicious!
We went back to the house and the manager of the ranch told us how the ranch is run. She said the owners of the ranch have 500 cattle that are used for beef and right now, the cattle were about 3 miles away grazing. The cattle stay there until May when they are then brought back to the valley for the winter until August.
The horses stay at the ranch but during the slow season they are allowed to run free… No bridles, saddles, or horseshoes. When they come back after a few months, they know they have to settle down and get back to work – either herding the sheep with the dogs or giving trail rides for the guests of the ranch.
Then it was time to enjoy dinner and what a feast it was. The lamb was tender and meaty and we all enjoyed the entire meal.
We bid our goodbyes to the ranch-hands and drove to Puerto Natales to spend the night. The hotel is beautiful and our view is stunning.
Tomorrow we can sleep late and then we will have lunch at the hotel. Afterwards, we drive the four hours to Punta Arenas to embark on our ship. Punta Arenas is a port overlooking the Strait of Magellan.
So this may be the last post for awhile since there is no Wifi on the ship and I don’t think I will get cellular service. I will continue to write each day, and I will post whenever I get WiFi again.
Sunrise this morning
Along the hiking trail
Our last day in Torres del Paine… Hiking the beautiful countryside.
