Author: Marty Luster

We disembarked from Via Australis at Punta Arenas overlooking the Straits of Magellan, explored the town and then proceeded by bus to Puerto Natales. The next morning we began our two day exploration of Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most remote and beautiful places I can imagine.

The fjords, glaciers, islands and passages of southern Chile stir up all kinds of emotions. These were the waters explored by Magellan and by Robert Fitz Roy aboard the Beagle. Charles Darwin went ashore and explored Wulaia Bay and in 1895 Joshua Slocum, having sailed from Boston on the Spray, had a few very nervous days in this area when he encountered a less than friendly welcome by the indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego. However, that did not stop him from completing the first solo circumnavigation of the world.

It is hard to describe the glaciers of this region. The U shaped valleys and massive moraines give testimony to the awesome power of these slowly moving rivers of compressed ice. Some of the glaciers we saw are receding in size and mass at an accelerated rate due to climate change. Others, with larger and higher snow collection areas, are stable or growing.

Although the wind was stiff during most of our voyage, the Via Australis rarely rolled, pitched or yawed. I felt significant motion only once, when we rounded Brecknock Peninsula at the southwest extremity of Tierra del Fuego, where the protected waters of the fjords and inland passages briefly meet the open Pacific.

I hope this short video gives you a sense of what this portion of our trip was like. Come with us as we not only explore and discover the power and beauty of nature, but also get to spend some time among the 140,000 penguin inhabitants of Magdelana Island.

Here is the third installment of our South American journey.

Early in the morning of December 16 our expedition cruise ship, the VIA Australis reached, 55 degrees 56′ South latitude, the southern tip of South America. From our cabin we had our first glimpse of Cape Horn and we were soon on deck hoping to hear if the weather conditions would permit a landing. After a bit of a wait we were told to don our warm and waterproof layers and jackets, gloves and hats. It was a go!

This was our first boarding of the Zodiacs that would ferry us to and from Cape Horn and 6 other excursions in the Chilean fjords over the next few days. We had a cold, windy and wet trip to the tiny landing area on Cape Horn and then proceeded to climb 157 steps up the sheer face of the Cape to a more or less level boardwalk that took us to the summit. It was a typical day on Cape Horn: cold, windy, cloudy, sunny, rainy, snowy and dry, all within one hour. We visited the various monuments on the summit, witnessed the wind damaged massive wing sculpture, met the new resident Argentine Navy caretaker and stopped by the windblown chapel.

Having read about Cape Horn all my life, this visit was a must on my bucket list. Because of the harsh and changeable weather, only 40% of visitors get to land on the Cape, We were lucky and very happy to have stood upon this unique piece of the earth.

Here is the second installment of the video record of our recent OAT trip to South America. The earlier segment is posted at
https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/?s=easter+island

From Santiago, Chile, where art adorns the subway, to Buenos Aires, with its contrast of old and new and its lively political climate, to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world and jumping off point for Tierra del Fuego National Park, we embraced this portion of our trip as a prelude to the great adventure of visiting Cape Horn and and the Chilean fjords.

The wind in Patagonia is constant and strong. This is in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.

May the winds bring you all good health and happiness in the new year.

Here is the first video of our recent adventure in South America. The trip was run by Overseas Adventure Travel (Boston).

After flying from Boston to Miami to Santiago, we hopped 2.300 miles over the Pacific to Easter Island. Best known for its massive sculpted heads (moai) created between 1200 AD and 1600 AD, the island is an enchanting place. It is heaven for archaeologists, anthropologists and geologists.

We have returned to glorious Gloucester after traveling 23,676 miles from home to Santiago, Easter Island, Tierra del Fuego and a large part of southern Patagonia as well as Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls. It was an extraordinary adventure and an outstanding learning experience. I plan to put together several short photo/video posts featuring the highlights of this trip which I will post here on GMG.

For today, here is a portrait of a gentleman of Basque heritage who operates a small cantina on the lonely road between Torres del Paine National Park (Chile) and El Calafate in Santa Cruz Provence, Argentina. This location struck me because of the ‘aloneness’ of the setting, the gentleness of the proprietor and his family, and the stark beauty of the steppes.

On the Argentine – Brazilion border, this is one of over 200 magnificent waterfalls cooperatively protected by the two nations. The falls are surrounded by thick rainforest, with both temperatures and humidity often in the nineties . It is a fascinating place, but not the most comfortable I have ever hiked in.

At 54 degrees S, Ushuaia Argentina is the southernmost city in the world. This view of the city faces south, toward Cape Horn,from across the Beagle Channel.

Tomorrow our little expedition embarks on a small ship to cruise the Straits of Magellan,Beagle Channel and other fjords of Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn.We will have no internet access (now there’s a REAL adventure) so I will be unable to post for about 5 days.

It’s 9:51  PM and still very bright outside so I guess I’ll just have to grab a beer and wait for bedtime.

Marty

a good political demonstration. This one in the main square of Buenos Aires turned out to be quite large. It was in support of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina.

Santiago to Buenos Aires.

Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.
Andy Goldsworthy