Puerto Montt, last port of call

Happy Valentine’s Day, all!

Today finds us at Puerto Montt, Chile. This village markes the offical end of the Lake District of Southern Chile. Although founded in 1853, it wasn’t until 1912, when it was connected by rail, that it became the contact point for the rest of the south. It has been known for years as “the end of the line,” whether traveling by railway, dirt road or highway. For the most part, it remains so to the present day. Puerto Mont is also the starting point for the many tourists that arrive to visit the famous Lake Llanquihue to the north (we didn’t go there), one of the most visited sites in all of Chile.

The Lake District’s unofficial boundary is the Bio Bio River. South of the river, earth and water form a series of blue lakes that reflect ice capped volcanoes and ancient trees. The Andes tower above it all, and leave no question why Mapuche fought Inca and Spaniard to defend it. The district is named for its 12 largest glacially carved lakes, but it also has dozens of smaller lakes as well. Rivers and streams link to some of Chile’s richest freshwater fishing grounds. Six volcanoes line the district’s center, with Villarica, it’s highest, reaching more than 9000 feet in height. To the east there are four passes leading across the Andes into Argentina.

Puerto Montt is the region’s capital and largest city. It is the terminus for the railway and continental portion of the Pan American highway, which is a series of national scenic highways that stretch more than 16,000 miles from Alaska to the southern tip of Chiloe Island. The city itself was founded on February 12, 1853, after government-sponsored immigration from Germany that began in 1848 populated the region and integrated it politically to the rest of the country. It was named after Manuel Montt, President of Chile, Puerto Montt has a large German community, as the colonists first arrived in 1852. With a presence of about 130,000 people, their influence is seen in the architecture within the city. The redwood cathedral built on the main plaza is the oldest building in the town, dating to 1856.

The facade of Puerto Montt is quite appealing, especially from the sea. Unfortunately, when you arrive in town, you are overwhelmed by a sense of oldness, tiredness, and disrepair. The newer, consumer focused buildings are modern and bright, but the historic architecture is in disrepair, and a shadow of what they must have been earlier in time. Blessedly, the most breathtaking part of the view - the Andes mountains, some of which you can see above, is unmarred from this distance, and unaffected by any air pollution. As we walked along the jetty front, there was an exercise park which was actively being used by many people, a number of statue parks that were overcome by graffiti, and a railway memorial consisting of a steam engine and caboose, along with a mock train station. We spent two hours walking around the city, but were glad to make our way back to the ship.

One more day at sea, and then we disembark, headed to Machu Picchu. I’m relatively positive we will be off line those days, so do not expect to hear from us until we arrive in Houston on the 22nd!

It's flippin' cold here, Mr. Bigglesworth!

It is now 1:11 pm, and the temperature has risen to 51 degrees - finally - after being in the freezing fjords. Wayne expressed his feeling of chill hatred in the cabin, wearing his Patagonia jacket as we go through the Patagonian Fjords to Puerto Montt.

Our first part of the two days of cruising was up the Strait of Magellan as we were leaving Punta Arenas. The strait comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego. The waterway is the most important natural passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans, but is considered a difficult route to navigate because of the unpredictable winds and currents and the narrowness of the passage. The strait is about 350 miles long and about 1.2 miles wide at its narrowest point.

There is also a Coastal and Marine Protected Area (the Francisco Coloane region) which serves as a sanctuary for Humpback whales.

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor in service to the Spanish king, became the first European to navigate the strait in 1520, during his global circumnavigation voyage. Because Magellan’s ships entered it on November 1st, All Saints’ Day, it was originally named Estrecho de Todos los Santos (Strait of All Saints). Later, the Spanish kin changed the name in honor of Magellan. Other early explorers included Francis Drake, Phillip Parker King, and FitzRoy of the HMS Beagle.

Chile took possession of the channel in 1843, with the first settlement at Fuerte Bulnes, in a forested zone on the north side of the strait. This was abandoned, and in 1848, the city of Punta Arenas was founded where the Magellanic forests met the Patagonian plains.

Until the Panama Canal opened in 1914, the strait was the main route for steam ships traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It was considered the only safe way to move between these oceans, as the Drake Passage was notorious for turbulent and unpredictable weather.

Much of what has been presented at our Mac classes for the last two days has been pretty much old hat for the two of us, so we’ve taken to amusing ourselves onboard ship. I have continued with my morning exercise classes, along with “Boot Camp,” which has been effective enough to make me want to take classes when we get back to Hawaii. Sue has been there with me for that all the way. There has also been a mixology class, a Puerto Montt discussion, and trivia. Mom would make a killing here. And I have personally subsidized the pay of almost every technician in the spa -- I love to get pampered. I have decided that since we have a spa about 1 mile down the road from our house, I am going to book a facial and massage on the second Sunday of each month. I shouldn’t wait a year between treatments! It has made for a very relaxing 2 days.

We’ve finished our Mac classes for the day, and are planning on lazing around a bit today. I’ve assembled a bunch of post cards that will be uploaded and mailed when we hit Puerto Montt and better wifi tomorrow. In another hour, I will head up to the gym for my last Boot Camp session and a little extra cardio. I saw the menu for dinner tonight, and I think I need to have a few negative calories to appreciate it fully!

Tomorrow is Puerto Montt, then one final day at sea, and then, alas, the cruise is at an end. We will head to Cuzco, hike Machu Picchu, and then it is all over and done. I am not looking forward to ending the vacation, but there are three little (figuratively) kitties waiting at home, and we are looking forward to seeing Darien before she heads to Costa Rica.

Has anybody seen the penguins yet?

Punta Arenas, located at the southern tip of the Chilean mainland, is Magallanes Province’s largest city. Amusingly enough, it also lays claim to the title of the world’s southernmost city. It overlooks the Strait of Magellan, and commands the historic route and local prosperity has risen and fallen with the trade that has passed through it.

It has a broad cultural mix, from English sheep ranchers to Portugese sailors. The city flourished during the California Gold Rush, when it became a haven for steamers rounding the cape. Although the Panama Canal dampened traffic, the port achieved renewed prosperity as an early 20th century Chilean wool and mutton center.

This aside, former traveling cruisers, travel guides, and even shipboard staff recommended going outside of the city for the day. The city itself is rundown, tired almost, and has virtually no unique shops or tourist attractions. We had already planned for this before hearing reviews, and booked a trip to Antarctica, which was advertised as hit or miss. For us, it was a miss.

Instead of heading to Antarctica, the cruise ship put us on board a plane to head 275 miles north to Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, a preserve for the primordial ecosystem that characterizes southern Chile. Tall granite pillars, some of which rise more than 8500 feet, tower above Patagonian steppes before dropping into a deep valley filled with lakes, creeks, rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, forests, and many unusual plant and animal species. It has been designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, with guanaco, Chilean deer, nandue, flamingos, condors, black necked swans, llamas, fox, hares, and an occasional puma. There are more than 200 plant varieties that thrive within the microclimate housed within the valley’s walls.

Our group (which included Steve Wozniak, his wife Jan, Leo Laporte, and other Mac geeks) was fairly resilient - we rebounded and were determined to enjoy the park, which was absolutely breathtaking! Unfortunately, our tour guide was determined to make us miserable! She continued to harp on the fact that we weren’t in Antarctica, complained about how difficult it was to learn two different scripts for the two possible trips (oh, by the way, she read the script verbatim across the 7 1/2 hour bus ride from the airport! AUGH!), would have the bus driver slam on the brakes and back the bus up in reverse (hello, loud beeping noise, please scare away all the critters we were backing up to look at), and seemed generally uncomfortable with silence. After the first hour, we watched Leo bang his forehead into the seat back in front of him, asking over and over “Do we really have this for another 7 hours?”

That aside, we had quite a bit of levity within the park. We got out and were able to do a bit of walking, although not much, and stopped at the one local tourist shop, where we saw the news that Mubarak had agreed to step down. Amen! Truly, the sights were spectacular, and it seems like a place you could go back to very easily - there are over 200 km of trails to hike, and you could easily spend a week there hiking. There are also 5 hotels within the park, and a number of park camping buildings along the trails.

When we returned, we were treated to a bit of a sanctimonious lecture about what it takes to prepare an ecosystem for 40 extra visitors, and it just went on and on. Having had the great fortune of being to Midway, and seeing a similar type of ecosystem closed off to large groups, and maintaining small visitor footprint because of the impact of preparation activities, I had to disagree with her there. We were glad to leave her behind, and were pleased with the park, but I’d have to say avoid Punta Arenas if you can!

All that aside, Wayne and I are planning on making a trip down to Antarctica in the future on one of the exploration vessels, possibly even the National Geographic explorer, to spend five days down in the area, and having ample opportunity to make shore landings via zodiac boats. One day, we will see the penguins!!

Penguins!

We have been following the route of Charles Darwin and the Beagle on this cruise, with today following suit. Today we disembarked at Port Stanley, part of the Falkland Islands. When he arrived here, Darwin wrote about the unusual flora, marine mammals, and birds, some species of which have since become extinct. There are several breeds of penguins here, including Magellanic, rockhopper, macaroni, Gentoo and King Penguins, and there are black browed albatross (look surprisingly like Laysan albatross) on the outer islands.

The Falklands are in the South Atlantic Ocean, 300 miles east of Argentine Patagonia and 500 miles north of Cape Horn. The islands have a total land area about the size of the state of Connecticut, and Port Stanley, its capital, is where about 2/3 of the Falkland population resides. Over the centuries, the islands have changed hands many times and have been the source of fierce battles between countries wanting control. Most recently, in April 1982, Stanley was occupied by Argentine troops for about ten weeks during the Falklands War. The Argentines renamed the town Puerto Argentino, and although Spanish names for places in the Falklands were historically accepted as alternatives, this one is considered to be extremely offensive by many islanders, demanding as it does that the city is Argentine. It has however gained some support in Spanish-speaking countries, though its acceptance is far from unanimous. Stanley suffered considerable damage during the war, from both the Argentine occupation and the British naval shelling of the town, which killed three civilians. After the British secured the high ground around the town the Argentines surrendered with no fighting in the town itself. The beaches and land around it were heavily mined and some areas remain marked minefields.Since the Falklands War, Stanley has benefited from the growth of the fishing and tourism industries in the Islands. Stanley itself has developed greatly in that time, with the building of a large amount of residential housing, particularly to the east of the town center. Stanley is now more than a third bigger than it was in 1982.

The islands are separated into two administrative clusters, East Falkland (Isla Soledad) and West Falkland (Gran Malvina). The local homes as we came into Port Stanley had extremely colorful roofs, in direct contrast to the very gray weather. They also serve a navigational function for sailors. It was quite chilly, and windy, which is how it is most days here.

We arrived at the capital off of a dinghy, and made our way into the visitors center. From there, we took of on the 4 mile trek to Gypsy Cove, home to Magellanic penguins and other ducks and birds. The first 2 1/2 miles that we went on were pleasant, a paved road, and some marshy land. We passed by the southernmost Anglican church in the world, government house, and a cemetery (along with a number of pubs!). But then we made it to the 2/3 point, the sunken Lady Elizabeth, and we returned to very rough road for the last 1 1/2 miles. That was when my previously irritating blisters turned into very irritating blisters!

As you round the curve to go towards the Bay, there is a pretty steep uphill, roughly a 200 foot climb, and then it is down to the Cove. As we were entering the initial uphill, we passed a couple who mentioned that they had not seen any penguins. Depressing! But we soldiered on. When we got there, a very kind tour guide offered us a ride back into town, which I snatched up immediately!

We walked along the pathway, and got to see penguins on the beach, and then some more very close to us on the path. Fantastic! These penguins are only here in the summer months, hatching chicks and getting them ready to migrate. I didn’t notice any little furry chicks, but Ivan and Sue, who went on a different trip, did see the babies. I’ll have to steal some of their pictures!

Back to town, we passed by the home of a man who protests whaling, displaying the bones of many different species in his yard. He also had a reindeer leashed to his front porch! We got to see the hospital as well, and the guide pointed out the green roofed buildings, and mentioned that the occupants there were “waiting for God,” meaning senior citizens! Lunch was at the Globe Tavern, where we had their “world famous” fish and chips (it has been reviewed in the NY Times!). Have to say, the fish left something to be desired, but it was indeed English cuisine. Most interesting were the tap (it’s a transformed saxophone) and the light anti-tank weapons on the walls...

 Quotes from Darwin, as he and The Beagle passed by: “On March 1st, 1833, and again on March 16th, 1834, the Beagle anchored in Berkeley Sound, in East Falkland Island...After the possession of these miserable islands had been contested by France, Spain, and England, they were left uninhabited. The government of Buenos Ayres then sold them to a private individual, but likewise used them, as old Spain had done before, for a penal settlement. England claimed her right and seized them. The Englishmen who was left in charge of the flag was consequently murdered...The theatre is worthy of the scenes acted on it. An undulating land, with a desolate and wretched aspect, is everywhere covered by a peaty soil and wiry grass, of one monotonous brown colour. Here and there a peak or ridge of grey quartz rock breaks through the smooth surface. Every one has heard of the climate of these regions; it may be compared to that which is experienced at the height of between one and two thousand feet, on the mountains of North Wales; having however less sunshine and less frost, but more wind and rain (Darwin, C., The Voyage of the Beagle, pp. 202-203).”

Dinner was a formal night, with Sue and Ivan, and then off to do some work. Tomorrow we head down towards Cape Horn, as we wind our way to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.

Cape Horn bound

Another day at sea, headed past the Falklands towards Cape Horn. Cape Horn was navigated by a Portuguese Mariner under Spanish employ, Ferdinand Magellan. He went through the Cape by navigating a passage through a complicated series of channels that was then thought to be the most southerly point of the continent. Drake and others followed through the Pacific Ocean, but it was Le Maire and the Schouten brothers of the Netherlands/Dutch East India Company who organized an expedition consisting of two small ships and first sailed around the Cape. The Cape has frequent storms, strong currents, and icebergs (which we have yet to see!) that make passage hazardous at times. It is expected that we will navigate around the Cape at around 8:30 pm ship’s time -- I’m writing this at 2 pm. I’m excited!

Cape Horn was originally given the Dutch name "Kaap Hoorn", in honor of the Dutch city of Hoorn; in a typical example of false friends, the Hoorn became known in English as "Cape Horn", and in Spanish as "Cabo de Hornos" (which literally means "Cape of Ovens"). It is commonly known to English-speaking sailors as The Horn. The cape lies within Chilean territorial waters, and the Chilean Navy maintains a station on Hoorn Island, consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse. A short distance from the main station is a memorial, including a large sculpture featuring the silhouette of an albatross, in honor of the sailors who died while attempting to "round the Horn".

When Magellan reached South America in 1520, he named Patagonia for the local tradition of wearing bulky protective shoes (patagones = big feet). Further south, believing smoke from native campfires to be evidence of smoldering volcanoes (of which there are none!), he named the countryside Tierra del Huma (land of smoke), which eventually became Tierra del Fuego (land of fire).

Darwin took off on the HMS Beagle as the official naturalist in 1831, after which he would publish Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle (1840). The crew attempted several times, unsuccessfully, to round Cape Horn, but the Beagle continued to be pushed backwards. They finally rounded South America by navigating through that which is now known as The Beagle Canal, passing through Argentinian waters, near Ushuaia (which is our port tomorrow), up into Chilean waters. In fact, the mountains to the east of the Beagle Canal are now known as the Darwin Mountains, which run almost all the way down to the Tierra Del Fuego National Park.

Many people look at the Hardy Peninsula, on the southernmost portion of Tierra Del Fuego, as the “true” Cape Horn, but it is actually the False Cape Horn. The true Cape Horn is on Horn Island, further south.

Tomorrow is Ushuaia, and preparation for our trip to Antarctica, which requires the decontamination of all items of clothing and personal belongings which will touch the continent. We are hoping that the pilots will be able to land at King George Island Friday, for that is our limiting factor. If they cannot, there is an alternative plan for the day. Keep your fingers crossed for us!