GeorgeCharlie

Now, on to our tour. We had arranged for a tour with a local guide (Frederico) who has a nice Mercedes’s van. Although, we did not require it, his van is also wheelchair equipped. Frederico and his van. All tour operators have access to the pier, so Frederico was waiting for us as we came down the gangway and we were able to quickly get underway. We headed first to the “End of the World Post Office", hoping to get there before all the big tour buses. It is located in the Tierra Del Fuego National Park – well somewhat! You must pay an entry fee. Although US dollars are normally accepted in Ushuaia, the Park fee must be paid in pesos. The story about how this “Post Office” came about - is a book in itself.😉 Briefly, from what I can gather, is the guy who started it was a retired teacher from Buenos Aires, who settled on the Island of Redonda – about 2km from the shore – and took up a job at the post office, which closed in 1997. Then he decided to create a novelty post office, as far south in Argentina as possible, mainly as a "End of the World" tourist attraction. He thought this location would be a good place, as many tourists would go by it on the way to see the end of the Pan-American Highway, plus several hiking trails also started from this location. So, he set up his metal shed fake post office. Along came the authorities who told him he could not build in the park without permission. Then he decided, by stretching logic a bit, that they could not stop him from building over the water, which is what he did - along with creating his own micro-nation, the “Independent Republic of Redonda”. Of course, there has been a bureaucratic catfight ever since. Mainly, it seems they have decided he’s harmless enough – plus he attracts tourists – which are a significant contributor to the local economy. At the "End of the world post office” you can send a post-card and have a stamp put in your passport (please note: this is officially not allowed and may well invalidate your passport). A picture from the Internet showing someone’s official passport stamped with his unofficial logo stamp. In addition, he will sell you valid Argentine stamps for your postcard and accept them as mail, but to actually mail them, he must take them to a post office in Ushuaia – which may take a fairly long time – if ever! A sign on his pier. The front of the building.

At about noon on December 13th, we arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina, which is a very interesting area to visit. Ushuaia is located on the shores of the Beagle Channel, surrounded by the mountain range of the Martial Glacier, in the Bay of Ushuaia. Besides being an administrative center, it is a light industrial port and tourist hub. The dock is located adjacent to the middle of the town and most of the downtown area is reasonably easy to walk to. Although we did not visit it, we were told the main souvenir shops are located a few blocks from the pier at the Paseo de los Artesanos Enriqueta Gastelumendi (Artisan's fair of Ushuaia). (Internet picture) This promenade of nearly 50 brightly colored artisan stalls and workshops is the place to pick up a memento of your visit to the “end of the world.” Ceramics, paintings, leather goods, textiles, and paintings crafted by local artists are offered. The handcrafted woolen clothing sold here is some of the finest available in the region. (Internet picture) As a sidenote - I have heard of people trying to find souvenirs of Cape Horn - seeing Ushuaia is the closest port. Cape Horn is located in Chile, so you’ll not likely have much luck finding any in Argentina. And, I’d definitely suggest not asking for Falkland Islands souvenirs while you’re there either!!😡 The information we were given is that Ushuaia, in general, is very safe with regard to crime. You needn’t worry about your personal safety while visiting here. The locals are welcoming and friendly to visitors and rarely are there are reports of any inappropriate or criminal behavior. Our guide pointed out local residents feel very secure in that they have open yards at their homes and will leave items sitting outside without any concerns. Especially, in contrast with other cities in Argentina, where people have to barricade their homes from thieves. Poverty and unemployment are basically nonexistent, with many businesses always looking for workers. Ushuaia's industrial sector, led by the Grundig Renacer electronics factory, is among the largest in Patagonia, and helps give Ushuaia the highest average salaries in Argentina. Of course, living costs are also high because so much has to be imported, but in compensation it has very low tax rates, including duty-free shopping. With Argentina having a very self promoting attitude, they are always claiming Ushuaia is located at the “End of the World”, on the southern most tip of South America. Along with being the southernmost city in the world. In reality, Ushuaia is located at the Southern most part of Argentina, on the island of Tierra del Fuego, which in turn, is divided between Chile and Argentina. There are many more islands located further south within the same archipelago, but Argentina seems to not consider those islands as part of the world, as they are owned by Chile. The “southernmost” slogan is promoted by three communities in this area. First, is Punta Arenas (130,000), Chile, as being the southernmost city on mainland South America, then Ushuaia (80,000), Argentina, as the southernmost city, and finally, Puerto Williams (3,000), Chile, as the southernmost town. So, take your pick.

By the time you see it March, I would expect the water discharge will be much higher, as it is well into their summertime.

A quick video clip of one of the glaciers.

About an hour after we were to depart Punta Arenas, and while we were still at anchor, the Captain announced they had received an error message on the ship's condition and we would not be departing until they solved the problem. He also announced that heavy seas were expected during our overnight sailing and to "batten-down the hatches" as such, by making sure anything which may fall off tables/desks were safely stored and to be very careful when we were walking about the ship. After about 3 1/2 hours they managed to fix the problem and we got underway. Overnight we did not notice anything other then an odd rolling when passing through some swells. The weather the next day while cruising the Beagle Channel was much better then when we went through the Chilean Fjords a few days earlier. It was mainly scattered clouds so we managed to get great views of "Glacier Alley", which is a series of five glaciers—which are named Holanda, Italia, Francia, Alemania and Romanche. Our sailing through Glacier Alley was adjusted due to having to make up time because of our delay leaving Punta Arenas. We just cruised by each glacier at full speed (20+ kts). Heard a number of people complaining that the ship did not slow down while passing the glaciers, nor turn the ship so cabins on both side of the ship got to see the glaciers. Fortunately, our cabin was on the side where the glaciers were, so we could just sit in the comfort of our cabin and then quickly jump out on our veranda to take pictures. Cruising along at 20+ kts and 10C temperature is rather chilly!! Again, Jim McParland did a great presentation on the Beagle Channel and the glaciers.

Now some comments for the people who may not be aware of tragic situation regarding the Viking Polaris and why it was in Punta Arenas, Chile, rather then Ushuaia, Argentina, where it normally sailed from. First, some details about the Polaris. She is the second of Viking's Polar Class expedition ships, with a passenger capacity of 378 people. She received her name in a September 30, 2022 ceremony in Amsterdam and then set out on a 35-night voyage to Ushuaia, Argentina where she was to spend her maiden season in Antarctica, a destination for which she was designed. She arrived in Ushuaia in early November 2022 and then on November 28, the Viking Polaris deployed a Zodiac boat with six guests and one crew member near Damoy Point, Antarctica. On this trip a guest sustained a serious but non-life-threatening leg injury while on board the Zodiac and was taken to the medical center on the Viking Polaris. Following a detailed diagnosis by the ship's medical team, the decision was taken for the ship to immediately sail to Ushuaia so that the guest could receive additional medical care from a shore-based hospital. The following day, November 29th, while crossing infamous Drake Passage, the ship was hit by a massive "rouge wave" which did significant damage to some of the cabins. As reported "This wave hit it and came over and literally broke through windows and just washed into these rooms, and not only did it wash into the rooms, but it broke walls down, and once some walls went into the next room" The following day, it was revealed that Sheri Zhu, 62, died after she was struck by the broken glass from a shattered window. Zhu and her husband David, were from Houston, Texas. Four other people were also injured. An Internet picture showing the damaged windows. Subsequently, the Polaris was moved over to Punta Arenas for repairs and apparently later in December went back to Ushuaia to continue her Antarctic sailings.

Yes, we certainly agree with you. We currently have our name in for the 2024 Grand Africa, but are seriously questioning whether HAL will be up to expectations by then - especially in the areas of food and entertainment.

On the way back to Punta Arenas, we stopped at the Parque del Estrecho de Magallanes (Magellan Strait Park) entrance, where there is a fairly new Visitor Center. Park entrance gate and parking area. The Visitor Centre has a interactive museum, coffee shop and gift store. Although the gift store does not look like it has reopened, but the coffee shop was. Sign at the entrance to the complex. Some pictures from the museum. Including a room-spanning video presentation.

The most popular tour in Punta Arenas seemed to be the ferry/boat trip out to Magdalena Island. The largest penguin colonies of South Chile are on this island, including an estimated 60,000 breeding pairs of the Magellanic penguin. The people we talked to who went to the island, said they had a great time. We decided to go in the other direction and took the ship's tour to see Fort Bulnes. Fuerte Bulnes is a Chilean fort located by the Strait of Magellan, 62 km south of Punta Arenas. It was founded in 1843 on a rocky hill at Punta Santa Ana, and named after President Manuel Bulnes Prieto. The fort was built to further the president's colonization policies in Southern Chile and protect the Strait of Magellan. He directed construction to ward off claims by other nations. They arrived at Punta Santa Ana on September 21, 1843 and decided to construct a fort using mainly logs and dirt and grass 'bricks'. Although the president wanted to establish a town, the harsh weather prevented attracting a large and stable population. As a result, after six years, the local governor founded Punta Arenas in the Sandy Point area in 1848. Once people had migrated there, military forces abandoned and destroyed the fort. Between 1941 and 1943, the government directed the fort to be reconstructed as a historic monument. The replica includes the church, chaplain's quarters, jail, powder magazine, post office and stables. It was declared a national monument in 1968. Today, it is administered by a private company. It took about an hour to drive out to the fort. The small museum in one of the buildings is easily missed and very forgettable! After some 80 years, some of the building are showing deterioration. It was most obvious in the museum where extensive bracing has been installed to support the roof & walls. There is a short path over to a lookout by the shore. On the way you pass a small monument marking the location. Along with another monument at the lookout.

Our next port of call was Punta Arenas, Chile. It was another tender port. It was a short tender ride to the dock and the long blue building with the skylights is the terminal. The Viking Jupiter was also at anchor and the Viking Polaris was tied up at the dock. More about the Polaris later. Right outside the port gates is a vintage clock. This is not just a clock, but an entire weather station. They show not only the time, but also the pressure and humidity of the air. Made of cast iron. There is a fairly large souvenir store located at the gates, plus it's only 2, or 3 blocks to the main downtown shopping area.

The next two day were sea days. They were to be highlighted with the scenic cruising through the Chilean Fjords and Sarmiento Channel. The weather mainly consisted of low clouds, but on occasion, the clouds would lift and we'd get to see some of the scenery.

While on our tour we noticed long rows of split wood. Apparently, wood is still the main heating source for the area, as there is no petroleum based source available which is economically viable for residential use. Also noticed several subdivisions of what appeared to be new housing, which showed the regional economy must be doing very good - especially in light of the economy of Southern Chile as a whole. The regional economy focuses on the exploitation and processing of marine, mining, forestry, and animal resources. Aquaculture is also an important activity and the region contributes 80% of Chile's salmon output. An industrial park, devoted mainly to producing frozen and, to a lesser extent, canned, products has developed around Puerto Chacabuco, Puerto Aisén, and Puerto Cisnes. Mining based on deposits of zinc, gold, and silver, it is significant in regional exports. As is the production of yard timber, plywood, and panels for furniture, all which is mostly geared to export markets - along with beef cattle, sheep, and sheep's wool, part of which is exported.

About halfway between Puerto Chacabuco and Coyhaique, the capital city of Coyhaique Province and the Aysén Region of Chile, on the border of the Simpson River National Reserve is the waterfall of the Virgin (Cascada de Virgin) whose name derives from the grotto of the Virgin Mary that is next to it, and which is a place of pilgrimage for the inhabitants of the area. It is a double waterfall, not all that tall, but still very pretty.

The Bahia Acantilada tourist centre is about 10 km from Puerto Aisén. It is privately owned/operated, with restricted access to view the Fjord bay, which is considered one of the most beautiful bays in this area. It has bathrooms, BBQ areas and a little café. It is a day-use only facility that costs 2,000 -7,000 pesos for parking and access, and there is no overnight camping allowed. They do not allow people park on the side of the road nearby to take a photo, nor are you allowed to camp anywhere close by. The BBQ facilities. Views of the bay.

We then drove the short distance over to Puerto Aysén, crossing the Presidente Ibáñez Bridge, also known as the "golden gate" of Aysén. It is the longest suspension bridge (about 700 feet) in Chile and has been declared a National Monument in 2002. This sign is placed on top of a underground sewage treatment/storage tank, which created a rather unpleasant smell of - guess what? -Sewage!! Our stop there was the shortest of the tour. Before the great burnings of the Patagonian forests and the eruption of Mount Hudson volcano in 1991 Puerto Aisén was the main port in the Aisén Fjord, but the ashes and earth erosion decreased the navigability of Aisén River and the port had to be moved further to the coast where Puerto Chacabuco now stands. Apparently, the Great Chilean earthquake in 1960 also contributed to the closing of the Aysén port. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami (Spanish: Terremoto de Valdivia) on 22 May 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. The ashes and earth erosion from the volcano also created numerous backwater swamps. On our drive over to see the Bahia Acantilada bay, we crossed their historically famous "Rope Bridge". We normally think of rope being made out of natural or synthetic fibres, but in this case the "Rope" is what we would call wire rope, or cable. The suspension bridge has a wooden deck and is in need of constant and expensive repairs. As are their roads. As you will notice, it is a single-lane bridge when it comes to vehicular traffic.

No, we were there before the troubles started. We left Peru the day before the President got thrown in jail.

I know Jim McParland held several Stargazing sessions at The Retreat on deck 11, but I did not attend, so I do not know what accommodations were made to assist the viewing.

The next day we arrived in Puerto Chacabuco in the late morning (11am). We were part of a tour arranged by a fellow Cruise Critic member, which took us on a 4-hour tour of the local countryside. It was a tender port and tendering seemed to go fairly good. You can see our ship in the center background, behind the flags. Their cruise terminal appeared to be fairly new and in a nice compact design. There was Wi-Fi access to the Internet, although I heard a few comments about slow speed. There was free shuttle bus to the downtown area and a tented souvenir site not far from the dock. It seemed to be running about every 15 minutes. All the tour busses, both ship and private, picked up in the parking area right outside the terminal. Overall, a very organized and efficient operation. They also had some entertainment provided by dancers in the same parking area.

After another day at sea we arrived in Puerto Montt. This was a tender port and it was here where we encountered a common problem with private tours, which have the status of being at the time of taking the tour. That being, where someone will commit to taking the tour, and then not show up. The tour we were taking was priced with a minimum of 16 people paying to go on the tour. The tendering ashore went very well, with 14 people arriving at the tour pickup point well within the tour departure time, but we were missing one couple. The people waiting were willing to cover the cost of the missing couple, but not wanting to leave someone behind, we decided to wait until our guide determined he could not wait any longer to start the tour. After 45 minutes it was decided to leave.😠 On the way out of Puerto Montt we stopped at an outlook point overlooking the city. As you will notice, it was an overcast and drizzly day. This sign shows information with respect to Puerto Montt being Mile '0' on the Carretera Austral. The Carretera Austral (in English: Southern Way) is the name given to Chile's Route 7. The highway runs south for about 1,240 kilometers (770 mi) from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins, passing through rural Patagonia. Noticed a lot of the building are on the colourful side. On our way out to our first stop at Llanquihue Lake, we stopped to see some llamas and alpacas. Llanquihue Lake is a normally a picturesque location for seeing Osorno Volcano. What we saw - - and what it looks like on a clear day. (Internet picture) The lake has an area of about 330 sq mi (860 sq km) and is 22 mi (35 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide with depths of 5,000 ft (1,500 m). Osorno Volcano (Volcán Osorno) is a 2,652 m (8,701 ft) tall conical stratovolcano. Osorno is one of the most active volcanoes of the southern Chilean Andes, with 11 historical eruptions recorded between 1575 and 1869. We then drove over to the Vicente Perez Rosales Nation Park, which comprises some of the most sensational scenery in the Lakes Region: the emerald Todos Los Santos Lake, the thundering turquoise waters of the Petrohué Waterfalls and the imposing peaks of the area’s three main volcanoes (Osorno, Tronador and Puntiagudo). The Park is Chile's first national park and was established in 1926 in honor of its namesake Chilean politician and diplomat, Vicente Pérez Rosales. First stop in the park was at the Laguna Verde. Which in English is Green Lagoon. Its intense green color the product of algae that live in suspension. The required group picture! Then it was over to the nearby Todos Los Santos (Emerald) Lake. Then on the the main entrance to the park. Shop near the park entrance. This is where the Petrohue Rapids, or Falls, are located. Petrohué Waterfalls (Saltos del Petrohué) is a chute-type waterfall in the upper reaches of the Petrohué River and a short distance downstream from the source of this river: Todos Los Santos Lake. You can notice the water has a green tinge to it, similar as the lake did. Also the water is very clear and clean. You could also see part of the Osorno Volcano. It was reasonably crowded the day we were there. We then drove over to Petrohue, which is where most of the scenic tour boats sail from. This statue was located along the shoreline, not sure what it's suppose to represent. Then we headed back to Puerto Montt, with a stop in Puerto Varas for lunch. Puerto Varas was founded in 1853 by German settlers - with its a German heritage noticeable in the architecture and food. Our guide said it was a great place to find a refreshing drink – German beer, Chilean wine or maybe Chile’s pisco sour – and a good lunch. As we were there in early December, the restaurant we stopped at, and most other places, were all decked out for Christmas. Overlooking the town and lake is the Iglesia Sagrado Corazon de Jesus (Sacred Heart of Jesus Church), built between 1915 and 1918, made entirely of native woods and inspired by the church of Marienkirche, Black Forest in Germany. In 1992 it was declared a Historic Monument of Chile. Then it was back to the ship, after an enjoyable day visiting Chile's scenic Lake Region.

With a somewhat bohemian tinge to the city, there must be some mention of hippies!! Along with some more traditional graffiti. Philipp outside the store we stopped at the get something cold to drink. During our walk we saw a car come out of this building - up to that point we had not realized most of the painted area was actually a garage door. Philipp said such a painting could easily be done in a day by an experienced artist. We also went by an abandoned funicular. We had lunch a one of the typical small cafes. The driver dropped us off prior to our walk through area and was to pick us up after lunch to take us over to see Valparaiso's sister city Vina del Mar to see some of its highlights. Here again we encountered more of the struggles of the tourist operations trying to get back up to speed. First, Philipp had trouble getting ahold of the driver and then the driver had difficulties to trying to figure out where we were. We ended up having to walk a fair distance to where the driver was, as Philipp decided it was quicker that way, then have the driver keep getting lost the the maze of one-way streets. By then it was too late to see much in Vina del Mar and Philipp thought we would enjoy a drive through Casablanca wine region on the way back to the ship. And seeing we had expressed interest in visiting a winery, we could then stop at one and have a quick wine tasting. The drive through the valley was nice, as was the winery we stopped at. They had a pleasant shaded area for the wine tasting. It was all very satisfying for most of us. Regrettably, one thing left a bad taste, and that was we had a couple who did not drink alcohol, but still had to pay for the wine tasting.

After the fish market, we drove up into the old, hilly part of Valparaiso. The whole city of Valparaiso is just one big street art gallery, making it a very colourful city to drive, or walk through. The entire city is basically an open-air museum of colourful murals, mosaics, and homes. Street art has had an interesting evolution in Valparaiso. Graffiti became a regular form of protest under the oppressive regime of the dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s. At that time it was subversive and anonymous. Chile eventually became more democratic but the graffiti continued to thrive. The government finally decided to make it legal but with regulation. Artists are permitted to create what they wish whether it be to express social criticism or simply showcase their artistic vision as long as they contribute to the urban scene. There are competitions where the winner is given the equipment necessary to paint over the bricks or concrete. The result is that today Valparaiso street art is a bold and dramatic example of personal expression. It is different from other cities. Not so much in its style, but in its artists’ passion, respect, and backstory. Unlike the rest of Chile, where street art is illegal or restricted, the Valparaiso government almost encourages this freedom. As a result, Valparaiso is a vibrant, colourful city offering some of the world’s best street art. At the same time, many people are making a good living doing street art. Our guide mentioned that most of the street art is respected and is normally only damaged with graffiti, or painted over in a couple of cases. In this case the mural is being continually defaced with graffiti, as some people do not agree with the political statements of the owner. In this other case, the original art has deteriorated to the point of being an eyesore and now portions have received new artwork. We noticed a lot of street art includes an indigenous theme. This one had an interesting feature. If you look closely, you will notice the spelling of Valparaiso and the other flower pots, are actually old computer monitors. Some are murals of famous people. This one of the many which depicts Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet, diplomat, and politician who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Some become well known due to their uniqueness, such as this "Piano Staircase" - which, of course, is located on Beethoven Street. Some are done for advertising purposes, such as this one for tour company. Here are some others which we saw. Some are of a smaller size, as these at the entrance to a Hostal.

This video clip shows, even if you are a big fellow, it's easier to haul yourself over the rocks to get to the water, then trying to fight your way through the herd.

Our tour guide was Philipp with Puerto San Antonio Tours and we found him to be an excellent guide, with superb knowledge of the area. The first place he took us to was the Fish Market in Valparaiso, which is located at the Caleta Portales pier. Our initial impression of the fish market was that it was small when compared to other ones we have seen, such as the one we had recently visited in Manta, Ecuador. Well - I must say, we were in for a surprise, as this fish market has some special residents. Chilean (South American) Sea Lions, and lots of them - there for the scraps from the fish market. We walked through some of the area where they pull their boats ashore to get to the pier. We were not allowed to walk out on the pier any further then maybe twenty feet and when we looked over the edge of the pier, we were pleased to see several sea lions which were close by, including this cute one. Then we looked over the other side of the pier and were greeted with this sight!! I understand when seals haul themselves out of the water it is called a haul-out of seals – logical & simple! Some general pictures from the fish market. Of course – what’s a fish market without birds. Then as we were leaving the fish market, we came across this big fellow - who had his own reserved table. This short video clip includes the big fellow at his table.

The next morning (Dec 06th.) we arrived in San Antonio, which was the end of the first segment of our cruise. In an effort to get away from the normal chaos of disembarkation/embarkation, we had arranged for a full-day tour of Valparaiso and the sister city of Vina del Mar, along with a wine tasting stop at a vineyard in the Casablanca valley on the way back to the ship. We managed to get off the ship before the major part of the disembarkation started and get back after the embarkation crunch.🤠 We heard there were 1,000 people getting off and 1,100 getting on - along with 700 staying on board. Including in the people getting on, was a group of 50+ college students who were taking a course in Spirits Management in the bars during sea days. They did stand out due to their age difference from the normal HAL long-cruise passengers, but we found them to be a fairly quiet group. Also getting on was a large group (it was mentioned to be around 200) of French people The group apparently, included over 40 people from the same extended family. Of course, being French - they were not a quiet group!😉 A quick comment regarding the two segments. Overall, we found the second 14-day segment to be more interesting (port wise) then the first 17-day segment.

Noticed this person on the way back to the ship. Not sure what they're doing - likely panhandling. That evening, we had a 'last supper' for two couples who were leaving the ship in San Antonio the next day.