January 7th NCL Star cruise to Antarctica , Argentina and Chile with a 10 day stay photo travelogue

[scubacruiserx2]

  Setting out for Perito Moreno glacier about 48 miles away we were doing things different this trip - no lunch box .

 

 

 

1st Overlook of the glacier and both cameras of the same close up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had decided to try the dining there and we were not alone , parking was a bear .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Lunch is served 

 

 

Squash Soup

 

 

Lentil stew . We didn't see any beans but lots of Lentils

 

 

 

 

We asked for a little pepper - lost in translation ?

 

 

 

The ladies wash rooms were off limits so we shared 

Edited February 18 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 Perhaps our favorite Glacier ,Perito Moreno because of it's beautiful blue color , accessibility and it is advancing unlike most glaciers in the world .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perito_Moreno_Glacier

 

 

 

Should we use the stairs or the ramp ? The stairs are faster , good exercise and get you closer .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did I say accessible ? We have been there in 2013 , 2019 and 2024 and this lift for the Handicapped has never worked when we were there .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

 A close up of the glacier

 

 

 

 

Water moving from lake to lake

 

 

 

 

 

The ramp down

 

 

 

Edited February 19 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 The glacier is 200' tall , 3 miles wide and about 19 miles long

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 3 story boat approaching the glacier

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

 Well our Covid is long gone but I think that my camera caught it . Well it is 12 years old and  experiencing a number of issues so we agreed on a new one . In with new and out with the old .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

  Leaving the walkways in front of the glacier

 

 

 

Blossom of the Chilean Fire tree also called Notro

 

 

Moss on a limb under the canopy

 

 

The Parking lot

 

 

 

One last look before going up

 

 

The 1st view from the parking lot

 

 

All of the walkways have signs asking people not to climb on the fence but El Nino did it anyway with mom's encouragement for a photo while big sister watches .

 

 

 

The Parking lot

 

 

 

Puerto Bajo de las Sombras

 

 

View from the Mirador

 

 

 In this aerial map  you can see the glacier  and where it makes contact with the land . The ice dam had broken and in the videos you can see the water from the Canal de los Tempanos slowly moving into the Brazo Rico . They are all fed from the larger Lago Argentino to the North .

https://www.google.com/maps/@-50.4401176,-72.9841115,15473m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

 

 

 

Edited February 19 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 On our trip back to El Calafate from the glacier , we stopped at an area near the entrance to the park . It has restrooms and a place to eat near the river if you bring your own food . There are funny bushes that look like a ball that grow in the trees 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The river

 

 

 

Funny rocks on the trip back

 

 

 

 

Bird Sanctuary at El Calafate . This is the first time that I have uploaded a video on CC without using Youtube .

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

 Returning from the glacier to El Calafate thru the lens of a different camera .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenticular Clouds ?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

 So what was the single biggest thing that we disliked about this cruise to Antarctica on NCL and our stay in Patagonia ? 

 Well the most obvious is the cost , the time and it being inconvenient . But the worse thing for us is the weather . Not there , but here . We hate leaving the good weather here this time of the year . When I woke up this morning it was 49 F in Punta Arenas , 48 F in Ushuaia and 47 F here where we live . The difference ? It will get to 68 F here today but the humidity is 98 %  

  It's funny that when my FIL came to visit us one January from Michigan , he complained about it being cold and said that he would never come back in January .

 Pat and I used to work together at a place that made artificial Kidneys . She worked a 12 hour day shift and I worked a 12 hour night shift . There were some Russian people that worked with me and when we stepped outside for a smoke break one night they complained about the cold ! One of the ladies said that she had never been so cold  !   🤪

  I had never been to Russia before or I would have quoted her the Russian Proverb . There is no bad weather , only bad clothing .

Edited February 20 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 On our last night in El Calafate we went back to Bocanada instead of Pura Vida . This was our favorite place to eat there . This time we had Curry and Pad Thai in addition to Sushi . As we left the Hotel to go to dinner we saw a rainbow in front of the hotel .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was better than what we ate on the Star .

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312851-d13004531-Reviews-Bocanada-El_Calafate_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html

 

Edited February 20 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

  We had slept in a couple of hours and ate a later breakfast and it was busy . We had overheard some English speaking people who were upset that their flights had been canceled on Wednesday and they had to spend another night because of a labor strike . We had seen a gathering at a park when we had rented the car and we remembered that our guide told us that there would be a strike in Buenos Aries on Wednesday because a lot of the Trade Union people didn't like the new President of the country . We filled our gas tank before we left on our trip to El Chalten the night before because the stations wasn't busy and there are no gas stations in the 3 hour trip . 

  I guess we should call them service stations since , in a Back to the Future moment , the attendant filled the tank and cleaned the windows .

So with full stomachs and a full tank we set out East toward the airport . We turned North on the famous Route 40 , think Route 66 in the US . It runs 3,100 miles North and South .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Route_40_(Argentina)

 

 

 

We would first pass Lago Argentino before crossing the  Rio La Leona which links North to Lake Viedma where we would turn left and head West to the town .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

  At our first viewpoint of El Calafate it didn't look too promising

 

 

 

We did see varied wild life

 

 

 

 

 

We were hoping that it would not try this stunt that we saw the last time we were there

 

 

 

As we had seen the results of a big fail this time

 

[Huntingdon1701]

Great picture of the Southern Caracara!

 

Did you have a preferred spot on the ship for viewing outside? Was it too cold for Spice?

[scubacruiserx2]

14 minutes ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

Great picture of the Southern Caracara!

 

Did you have a preferred spot on the ship for viewing outside? Was it too cold for Spice?

 

 Thank you well spotted ! Our favorite spot was the cabin as it had a forward and a Starboard balcony . Our normal preferred spot is aft , out of the wind so Spice was a good spot also . Here's our video of the cabin.

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

   We must be getting close  to El Chal'ten now

 

 

 

 The turn marker at 23 , head West old man .

 

 

 

Entering the town on a cold, windy , rainy day 

 

 

 

 The strike had a far reach . The gas line was an hour long but the locals got a short cut .

 

 

 

  It had been 4 hours since leaving El Calafate so we stopped at the Tourist Reception for a map and to wash our hands . No maps , but I got lucky and got the handicapped stall .

 

 

 

 In many countries unlike the US , cruise and airline industry , people don't acknowledge the ADA by giving front row seats .

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990

[scubacruiserx2]

  When we checked into our hotel they were as nice as they could be with warm cookies and helping us with our bags , but refusing a tip .

 

 

 

The shower

 

 

The tub 

 

 

They even had a drinking fountain for our service dog , which we don't have .

 

 

 The view

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We were told that we had a free dinner at the hotel so we made it for the next night . The first night we wanted to go the place where we ate the last time that we were there .

 

 

It's small inside and it's 2 stories with the wash rooms up a steep stairway .

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the soup of the day and someone else had Gunaco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berry Cheesecake and a sugar tower

 

 

Edited February 21 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

  After dinner and a nice warm bath in the bubble tub we sat down to relax and check out the e mail and the weather . It was still raining a little but the wind was fierce . And yet we opened windows a bit . They tilt open at the top a bit but slammed shut . So a square box of dental tape wedged the window open . It sounded like a hurricane was coming , just like the last time we were here in 2019 - not long before Covid hit .

[scubacruiserx2]

   Before breakfast the sun out and we took the cameras for a ride .

 

 

 

It looks like the mushrooms were sprouting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we were watching the lenticular clouds we were being watched

 

 

 

 

You can hear how windy it is . It's always windy in Patagonia .

 

 

 

Mount Fitzroy ( the Captain of the Beagle )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Some photos from my Sony pocket camera . I use it for food , panoramas and video mostly .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Fitzroy . What I thought were shadows at a distance were just greenery . It's over 11,000 feet tall !

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitz_Roy

 

 

No gas lines at the only station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 A Canon with a telephoto

 

 

 

Edited February 23 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 In this photo you can see our Hotel . It's the red one set on a hill . Here's a video of the ride up the hill . I can't imagine having to walk up the hill with luggage 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 23 by scubacruiserx2

[valemart_1]

3 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 In this photo you can see our Hotel . It's the red one set on a hill . Here's a video of the ride up the hill . I can't imagine having to walk up the hill with luggage 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I´ve been following your trip avidly! We´ll be on the Star´s TA departing Rio April 10^th  and I just popped in to learn a bit more about the ship, but I got hooked! Especially because we went to Antarctica last February on Celebrity Infinity but the weather was cloudy, misty and bitterly cold in Paradise Bay and we missed the Falklands (yet again! third time for me…). So I particularly enjoyed all your photos and descriptions enormously – I read all 20 pages in two days. Your penguin pics are amazing!

We live in Argentina´s lake district and have done three 6,600 Km road trips to the “deep south”: typically Chaltén, Calafate, Torres del Paine, Punta Arenas and Ushuaia plus side trips, but you´ve managed to see in a short time all that we´ve seen taking all the time in the world! Your wonderful photographic record brought back fond memories...

As an Argentine I felt embarrassed when I read about your luggage being opened and when you had to go out and buy a new suitcase, but you have the right attitude: not to let that affect you and spoil your day.

Thank you for sharing your trip with us, and best wishes to you both on your travels!

Madeleine

[scubacruiserx2]

9 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

 

I´ve been following your trip avidly! We´ll be on the Star´s TA departing Rio April 10^th  and I just popped in to learn a bit more about the ship, but I got hooked! Especially because we went to Antarctica last February on Celebrity Infinity but the weather was cloudy, misty and bitterly cold in Paradise Bay and we missed the Falklands (yet again! third time for me…). So I particularly enjoyed all your photos and descriptions enormously – I read all 20 pages in two days. Your penguin pics are amazing!

We live in Argentina´s lake district and have done three 6,600 Km road trips to the “deep south”: typically Chaltén, Calafate, Torres del Paine, Punta Arenas and Ushuaia plus side trips, but you´ve managed to see in a short time all that we´ve seen taking all the time in the world! Your wonderful photographic record brought back fond memories...

As an Argentine I felt embarrassed when I read about your luggage being opened and when you had to go out and buy a new suitcase, but you have the right attitude: not to let that affect you and spoil your day.

Thank you for sharing your trip with us, and best wishes to you both on your travels!

Madeleine

 

  Thank you Madeleine for you kind words and we're glad that you enjoy the photos and hope that you will enjoy the Star and your trip . If you have any questions please don't be afraid to ask .

We hope that you will enjoy your TA cruise . 

  We are sorry that you didn't have good weather and that's why we recommend a longer visit to Antarctica . Our first visit was 4 days and had 2 good and 2 not so good plus the trip to Patagonia first , before the cruise which we liked better  

  Our 3 favorite cruises over the years have been the 22 day Santiago to BA with 4 days in Antarctica and 9 in Patagonia . The Baltic from London including Russia , but not with the current President . We have friends there and none of them approve of the invasion of the Ukraine . We try not to allow the bad behavior of a couple of rotten eggs spoil most of the good people but it's hard when he is the leader . We have had some here in our country that we didn't much care for .  Lastly , a Transatlantic on the Eclipse from my home town of Miami to London . We did stay in Russia with a visa but Medvedev was in office . We really liked London and and had a great tour in Lisbon . We would recommend Inside Lisbon there if you've never been .https://insidelisbon.com/

  The account of our TA and London / Russia stay was our most successful thread with 380 K views before CC closed it to further replies . But it and the photos can still be seen here .

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24 by scubacruiserx2