Monday, 10/21. A hike that passed a beautiful waterfall and series of rapids. Rainbow mist. I took it easy and didn’t get all the way to the end of the trail. Listened to the mountains (“The Hills are alive”, etc). Listened to a companion who also took it easy. Knew I enjoyed silence, but human nature being what it is, talked. Fun really. Movies, books, etc. Nice morning. Another box lunch that I passed on completely. Had a Powerbar.

Afternoon had a horseback ride. Scary-looking leader with a 12 inch knife behind his back. Rode through swamps and a small creek. Just beautiful surroundings.

Not a busy day, but a very satisfying one.

Sunday, 10/20. Departed hotel for a few more hours of driving to Torres del Paine NP. Stopped at a restaurant/souvenir shop for a bathroom break. We’ll return in a few days for shopping and lunch. Continued the drive to the first of two hikes. A little cold, but very windy. Saw Guanacos, some close up. Beautiful animals.

The Park’s main fame is three granite peaks that are very photogenic. Many photos. Walked through the remnants of a large fire that burned for months. Once started, hard to put out. They actively try to put them out because trees prevent wind-induced erosion. (The wind has been fierce and constant for the entire Chilean experience.)

Box lunch at a pretty waterfall with very greenish water. Hard to eat in the wind. Two very large sandwiches that I doubt anyone finished. Second hike was on another side of the three peaks. The hikes were both pretty and restful for me. Others trailed along behind the guide and probably learned a lot about flora and fauna. They also learned a lot about each other. Too much chatter for me. Not a complaint. The majority is always sane.

Hotel is exquisite. Gorgeous view. Not writing about meals much because I’m not eating much. A very good thing.

Saturday, 10/19. The title only tells the best of the day. There were other notable events.

We left early to go to Isle de Magdalena, an island of penguins. (And seagulls, though their presence was wholly inconsequential.) The penguins were the main act. Very, very cool. They ignored us completely. Sometimes noisy. Some seemed to pose for us. Extremely windy, which seems to be a theme of the trip.

Departed the ship in Punta Arenas, Chile. Clean and pretty. New accessory tour guide aptly named Maria (“They call the wind Maria”). Large statue of Magellan. After lunch departed north. Lots of birds. Martin is a birder, so we made several stops to see the birds. Very open countryside, without many trees. Cattle and sheep. Maria talked. And talked. A bit too intense for many, but I can’t say it wasn’t pertinent. Arrived in Puerto Natales, a one-night stay. Again, clean and pretty, along a sound that eventually connects to the Pacific, though it’s a complicated path.

In the past two days there has been a lot of unrest in Chile’s capital, Santiago. Its cause is a protest against an increase in metro prices, which has turned violent. There is a call to expand the purpose and scope of the protest as a sign of general dissatisfaction with their elected officials. Maria repeated some quotes that signify their lack of sensitivity to the people’s unrest. There was a protest brewing in Puerto Natales’s main square. The tradition is to bang pots with spoons. Police were patrolling at a discrete distance.

Great view, nice sunset, but the show of the day was the penguins.

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.

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.

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.