Friday, 10/18. Boated to a tree-lined shore, with a glacier in the background. Awesome image. Walked along the shore into the bay(?) to the glacier. Though the guide said it was a “boring” glacier, his words were almost immediately drowned out by a large chuck of ice collapsing into the water. It happened two more times. We were able to walk to within maybe 200 yards of the wall. Stunning.
There was an afternoon zodiac cruise scheduled along a glacier, but it was raining with fog. I passed. In spite of this blip on the cruise radar, everyone says we are having an incredibly lucky cruise. I don’t doubt it. Tomorrow, penguins.
Large-angle photo
Approaching the shore.
I love this image.
THis one too.
Looking out from the bay.
100 year old ice. It looks crystal clear, but there are impurities.
Thursday, 10/17. Rain off and on in the morning. Used the waterproof pants I bought at home and the raincoat I bought in Argentina. Boated to the mouth of a glacier. Hiked to a lookout spot. More nature talks. Too much chitchat for me, but because I’ve become more familiar with the others, I found it less irritating. More hot chocolate and scotch.
After lunch the captain brought the ship to within a few hundred yards of another glacier. A lot of calving. Very, very blue. Great time. Visited the bridge. Took a picture of the captain, who in turn insisted that I sit in the captain’s chair while he took the picture.
Getting a bit of a cold, so I’ve cut back on alcohol consumption.
The views continues to amaze. Saw one handmade sailboat and one rock with graffiti. Otherwise, no sign of humanity.
One of many waterfalls.
View from the bridge.
The Captain.
The Captain took the photo.
The nicest shipboard tour host. Likes to sing.
Bartender. Note snacks. Pringles. A bit disappointed, but I was fine with it.
Wednesday, 10/16. Impossibly beautiful day. Before breakfast we boated over to Cape Horn Monument and lighthouse. Photos will tell the story. Actually, the true Cape Horn is one island away. Lighthouse caretaker had two small children, who were (somehow) leaving the station today. Everyone said we were incredibly lucky with the perfect weather.
The weather was so good the captain decided to “Round the Horn”. So we traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific, via Drake’s Passage. (FYI, Sir Francis Drake never actually “rounded” the Horn. But when the legend becomes Truth, print the legend.)
Breakfast, then watching the fascinating views. Briefing about the three afternoon hiking options. I choose the middle level. Guided, with frequent stops for historical or nature talks. Our guide was late for a date, making it hard to keep up. I told him I would probably go back: he slowed down. It wasn’t a hard walk once he moderated his pace. Muddy. The view was marvelous. Upon our return, we were offered hot chocolate, with an optional addition of scotch. What did I choose? Duh.
Dinner was great. That our Trip Leader was on good terms with everyone was clearly an advantage. The open bar is a welcome inclusion. Absolutely perfect day. We had temporary wifi, which the crew took advantage of. The “Quiet Lounge” was full of crew at 11 PM. Clearly, one of the most memorable days of my life.
Boardwalk steps everywhere on the island.
Pelican Monument on the left, the real Cape Horn on the right.
The Pelican Monument, with a diminished me.
Cape Horn through the cone.
Our ship waiting for us.
Lots of instructions for getting on and off the Zodiacs. “Treat the passengers as idiots, because some are” approach.
As we rounded the Horn, I’m pointing out the obvious.
Tuesday, 10/15. Interesting departure from hotel. After loading baggage onto bus we were to walk a bit. But the bus was trapped in small-city traffic jam. Finally got everything loaded. Nice walk to the Falklands Memorial.
Lunch was preceded by a Q&A with an Argentinean veteran from the Falkland conflict. His worst moments were after the war. The country preferred to forget about the lost war, so the soldiers were forgotten. It’s now getting better. The spokesman said he was in communication with Vietnam Vets. He still harbors an expectation that the Falklands will someday be part of Argentina. I have my doubts. It’s interesting but not surprising that they maintain a slightly altered view of history, to ignore that Britain had a credible claim to the Islands. That real reality aside, the UK should accept reality and share them with Argentina.
Lunch was king crab, preceded by king crab soup. Excellent. Yoriko can only wish. LOL.
Drove to the Terra de Fuego National Park. Sad to say, it was pretty normal, except for the peat moss. I created excitement by falling and losing my cell phone. Leader found it. Only a few minutes lost, but it added some camaraderie to the day. Since I had no pride to begin with, nothing was lost.
Got to the ship just in time. It’s wonderful. Only a little over half-full. Free water bottle, free knapsack. Open bar! Octopus appetizer, followed by pork ribs.
Helped some folks find the Southern Cross.
Our ship.
An old tugboat which tried and failed to save a grounded ship. It’s now grounded, but a monument.
Monday, 10/14. Flight to Ushuaia. Passed a shantytown. Like a scene from a Ruined Earth movie. Very sad. Mostly immigrants.
Oddly, the temp in Buenos Aires this morning was the same as Ushuaia, 3,000 kms south. At the airport we passed a statue of Columbus (a gift from Italy). Argentines keep moving it around, swapping it out for a more famous person. Argentina also celebrates Columbus Day, but they too are finding something else to call it.
Slept through most of the 3.5 hour flight. (Argentina, turned 90 degrees, would reach from San Francisco to New York.) Descended through clouds. Then magic. The view of the Magellan Strait was magnificent. Crystal clear air. Blindingly white snow, dark ground, blue seas and skies. Worth the trip.
The town of Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. Or, “THE SOUTHERNMOST CITY IN THE WORLD!” They don’t want you to forget it. It’s exploded in size in the past two decades as government has made the region a tax-free zone for manufacturing. From 8,000 to 80,000. It shows a little, but the mountains are still spectacular. For lunch I had Beef and Chips. The cool thing was they didn’t ask how I wanted the beef. I’ve noticed in both Brazil and Argentina that they assume you want it medium rare, how God meant it to be. Homemade chips. I added sparkling wine, because, duh. Total cost, about $15.
There’s one main street. Most shops are interesting. Erred by entering a chocolate shop. The box I bought is a weight on my mind. I’m clearly an outlier because most people had winter coats, scarves, gloves, etc. and I had a short sleeve shirt and long sleeve wool shirt. Got my shopping done. The city has a bundle of monuments and memorials. Many are about the Argentines’ Antarctic explorers.
All 21 of us attended a home hosted dinner. Big house, wonderful family, who were friends with our Trip Leader. I made some balloons, printed some photos. Avoided situations that brought on my anxieties. Everyone had a great time. Evening sunset was phenomenal.
May be last post for five days. Boarding a ship tomorrow evening that prides itself in having no connectivity.
Just breathtaking.
How they cook lamb. 6 hours. There was a dog outside watching.
Lunch. A top ten meal.
Another reminder that grandmothers will continue to search for the 30,000 missing.
The battle for the Falklands (what they call Malvinas), isn’t over.
This is a valid example of the city’s architecture before it grew.
Very nice memorial of a ship obviously lost at sea.
Interesting monument. Not sure why it’s there.
From left, grandmother, daughter, mother, companions.
Sunday, 10/13. Clear skies. Walking/bus tour of the city. Martin, our Trip Leader, stopped frequently to share history. Pointed out the cathedral Pope Francis was in charge of. Flame honoring the Unknown Soldier. Saw the presidential HQ, not lived in. President has a nine square block residence 20km away. At a cafe listened to a filmmaker who documented an interview with his grandfather who played a role in their “Dirty War” of the 1970s. 30,000 people disappeared. Interesting. The work to identify bodies has made Argentines world renowned for the skillset.
Visited the Boca section, an odd place. Walked back through a massive 10 block market. Had a late lunch of breaded steak. Excellent.
Home hosted dinner was very interested. Two sisters, who had three other sisters. Terrific hosts, sharing lots of useful story.
Our Trip Leader with wife and son, plus one group companion.
Street art is back! Strangely missing in Brazil.
The balcony used by Eva Peron to speak to the people. Madonna acted the part on the same balcony. Locals displeased by that.
I’m not sure. Bored wait staff?
Boca district. Lots of statues. Lots of shops.
Catsup packs for my fries. WIth a helpful pair of scissors.
Home hosted dinner. Hosts are the two on the left, standing.
Saturday, 10/12. Ordered an Uber at 4 AM. First response was “nothing available”. Bit of fear. But seconds later a ride popped up. Good, fast, red-light ignoring ride to the airport.
Flight arrived in Buenos Aires at 10:08. We deplaned at 2:25. That’s not a typo. There was a deluge earlier in the day that closed the airport for departures. My flight was the last to arrive. Others were diverted. Before the normal passengers deplaned we were visited by an ambulance, then two police cars. One passenger apparently felt the airline was working against him personally. Arrived at hotel at 4:15. Thankfully I’d only flown from Rio. Others on the trip had 10+ hour flights before the wait times.
At hotel we got the Standard briefing (“Get along, accept changes, be on time”). The Trip Leader added his personal touch. I skipped the tango lessons to change cloths and prepare a laundry bag. Intro tour of the area. Great Italian dinner with excellent wine. So far my tour companions seem excellent. They tolerant me, which is the best I can hope for.
Friday, 10/11. There was almost a sunrise. But the sun didn’t appear until about 8. I’d realized that today is probably my last chance to sleep in for a while, so I did. Left at about 11.
The beach was busy, on a Friday! (Jumping ahead, it’s now 9 PM and there is a band playing. Good time to have a deaf ear.) I did a slow walk until 4. Visited Fort Copacabana, which has a fine army museum. Gorgeous view of the beach. Nicely placed cafe along the coastline.
Ipanema Beach is obviously newer and better arranged. Had a snack at a very nice beachfront cafe. The Cop’s aren’t as fancy.
There aren’t any cigarette butts around, but there are certainly a lot of butts in view. As advertised. Pick-up soccer ball bouncing circles are common too. I thought they were groups of friends, but realized that anyone walking down the beach could join in. (I Did Not Know: Three of the four football teams in Rio are also rowing clubs. I bought a “Clube de Regatas do Flamengo” cap.)
Allowed a guy to “shine” my rubber beach sandals. Persistent, and he spoke English. I had too much cash anyway. Even paid the musicians.
I’m glad I got one day of sunny weather here. It’s a different city with the sun out. I need an Uber at 4 AM. I’ve asked if that’s a problem and the reaction is “why would it be a problem?”.
Sugarloaf’s peak is ruined by the cablecar station.
The cablecar is very large. 11,000 lb capacity.
Excellent! The burger I had for supper was not so good.
One of two musician statues. The Beach is famous for concerts.
A replica of the Patron saint of Bolivia. The original is in Copacabana, Bolivia.
Thursday, 10/10. Full day tour. 20 people from various countries. Spanish and English. First was Christ the Redeemer statue. Just as we arrived at the final climb, the skies opened up. It stopped just as we were getting back on the bus. I noticed that it’s big. Beyond that, no impression.
The football stadium. Apparently, if you’re a big football fan, this stadium means a lot. There were several people visibly thrilled to get photos of the entrance, holding faux World Cup trophies. The carnival parade site. It’s a dedicated 1 km stretch with stands on both sides. Another huge deal that I couldn’t appreciate. The production of being a team in the parade is impressive. The Rose Parade it is not. The same steps I saw yesterday. I walked around the lower shopping area. The cathedral I saw yesterday. This time we entered. It is very very pretty. If only they could have made the outside less pedestrian.
Lunch. Fantastic. Salad buffet, then you sit while servers bring out a variety of meats on skewers. They slide pieces onto your plate or slice chunks off. So many carving knives flying around gave me pause. But it was all very good.
Sugarloaf Mountain. Look it up in Google, because I have no photos of it or its surroundings. Low clouds. The cable ways were fast. At some point the cable car just disappears into the clouds.
Not a spectacular day. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be mostly clear. I’m planning to walk the beach extensive, but my feet are pretty sore from the sidewalks. They are mostly made of broken tile pieces, meaning they aren’t smooth. But I’ll see.
Standard view.
Reflected in the rain.
People dress up in carnival outfits.
The parade route. Serious judging. There’s even a time goal for running the course.
Inside the upside down bucket.
Looking straight up.
The knife work is scary.
An automated popcorn machine! I want one.
The view on top of Sugarloaf Mountain.
Copacabana Palace (Hotel). The first hotel on the Beach (1923).
Wednesday, 10/9. Steady Rain, with a few gaps. 4 hour walking tour with one other. Excellent tour guide from Intrepid Urban Adventures. Couldn’t stop the rain though. Who can? Subway is better than some. Lines 1, 2, and 4. Line 3 is an urban legend. Center city would have been pretty except for the rain. Opera House was beautiful even in the rain. Old Tram to the top of one hill. View at the top would have been nice except for, well, you know. Artist studio/gift shop was excellent, though I feared dripping on the items. Another gift shop. There is style here that uniquely Brazilian. I liked it. (I am continuing to detect little English, but not the “attitude” that one senses in France. They just don’t learn it. That’s fine. But now that there is no $450 visa fee(!), they may start seeing more Americans.)
Tiny monkeys with long tails. (No birds; odd.) Snack of cheese bread and semi-solid fruit juice. Famous Selaron Steps, covered with tiles from around the world, is an impressive example of international unity. Hanshin Tigers have a tile, to illustrate how diverse the tiles are.
Returned to the Beach, had lunch of beef shish kabob and a glass of Caipirinha, made with their national whisky, Cachaça. Fruit additive is your choice. I had passion fruit. Returned to the room early to dry out. Stayed. No great interest in the nightlife. Beach cafes are still open after 10.
I was soaked for most of the day. My waterproof cork hat isn’t. My waterproof Columbia jacket also isn’t much. But my wetness might have been from sweat, though it wasn’t too hot. Today in the moment was less than wonderful, but in memory it’ll be excellent. Tomorrow I go on an 8 hour tour. On a bus thankfully. (As I type this, it’s pouring. Sigh.)
The beach at night.
The beach in the rain.
Subway has a genuine subterranean look.
Tram. Note the building on the right.
The building is a cathedral. I’m told it’s beautiful inside. Lots of stained glass.
Tiny monkeys. Looks like rats from the rear.
Here it is. A photo of me. I’m done for this adventure. The steps in back.
Tour guide and tour companion, from Poland. Her English put me to shame.
The steps’ creator. Begun in only 1990. A touch crazy, but in a good way.
