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Surprising and Sunny Santiago

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It was disappointing that the trip up the Chilean fjords did not meet our expectations but one cannot control the weather. We were warned previously that this was an expedition discovery tour and we would always be at the beck and call of the weather. We got ambushed in Puerto Natales by the wind and rain and were not able to make the return tender trip to the ship by the appointed hour and 120 of us were stranded and had to spend and extra seven hour stint on land before the winds decided to let up. Then because we had missed the high tide sailing time we were forced to wait in the region until early the next morning. The ramifications were such that we had to abandon plans to visit two of the stops on the itinerary but fortunately a third port was added. The weather continued to be overcast and wet so unfortunately what I was anticipating as being a highlight of sailing the fjords became an exercise of doing a lot of reading and waiting for the sun to appear. The add on...

Patagonia......No Words to Describe

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The Gods have been with us on our arrival into Puerto Natales, gateway to Patagonia. Our guide Enrique tells us he rarely experiences days like today. He has just returned from a four day camping trip and rarely saw the sun and never saw the mountain peaks. The name of the National Park is Torres del Paine and the scenery is simply stunning. The reflexes of my shutter finger aren´t quick enough as the views keeps changing and my neck keeps turning. Unbelievable no matter where you look. Mountains, valleys, snow capped and barren peaks. Turquoise rivers and lakes as well as the yellow grasses of the pampas feed the continual flow of the dirt roads, sheep and cattle herds. The area is also known for the unrelenting winds and oh my, I´ve never experienced winds like this. Not cold at 11 celsius but I´m thankful for my woolies and wind proof jacket. This is a backpackers paradise and the holy grail of walkers and hikers alike. No point wasting my time trying to describe this bucket list d...

Let’s Chile Out

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I was’t too disappointed to miss out on going ashore at Cape Horn, but the reality was that the seas were too rough to make a safe landing and apparently only 50% of the ships which actually want to make the landing are successful. We are starting our sail north through the Straits of Magellon and the fjords of Chile. Initially the fjords are wide and the snow capped mountains of Patagonia surround the ship on all sides. It is nothing short of breathtaking. As the weather is sunny but extremely windy, and the water is reasonably calm, we take the opportunity to install ourselves in comfortable chairs in the observation lounge and watch the world sail by. We rarely see any other shipping and never saw any signs of human habitation. The occasional tern will soar above, hanging onto the air flow not needing to flap it´s wings. Two pilots have joined the ship for the two day journey to the next port of Puerto Natales. Their work is cut out for them as these fjords weave back and forth and...

MS Fram

MS Fram
Home Away From Home

Another Adventure

Another Adventure
On the Prowl

Iceberg

Iceberg
OOhh Iceberg Ahead!!

Penguins

Penguins
Quick March

Patagonia

Patagonia
Chill Out

Patagonia

Patagonia
Hiking Anyone?