Category: South America 2023

Our trip to South America in September-November, 2023

Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine

Blog post for Friday, October 20 2023

We did a lot today. We had breakfast at the hotel in Punta Arenas. About 9:30 we walked to the bus station and caught a bus to Puerto Natales. it was about a three hour ride through relatively flat grasslands. We saw guanacos and Duke saw rheas.

Bus station in Punta Arenas

In Puerto Natales we took a taxi to the rental car office. Our car wasn’t quite ready so we walked down the street and had lunch at a wonderful cozy restaurant called El Bote.

Restaurants El Bote
Bonnie and I each had seafood stew

When we returned to the rental car office our rental truck was ready and we loaded up. We stopped at a grocery store and got picnic food, wine, and beer.

Loading up our truck

Then we drove about an hour north to Torres del Paine. We are staying at a ranch or Estancia that is set in the middle of a vast valley. We can’t see any other signs of habiatation in any direction.

Our accommodations

We played cards and later ate dinner in a building separate from the cabin we are staying in. I loved the big fire pit in the room.

The dining room

Ventus Australis to Punta Arenas, Chile

Blog post for Thursday October 19 2023

This morning we had to be ready to disembark for Madelena Island at 6:45. Magdalena Island has a big colony of Magdalena penguins. Once we were on shore we made a walking loop to the lighthouse and back. We had penguins all around us.

A penguin on Magdalena island
Penguins on Magdelana Island
The lighthouse on Magdalena Island

When we got back to the ship we had breakfast then went to our cabin to pack. The Ventus Australis arrived in Punta Arenas about 11 am. We disembarked, walked to our hotel and checked in.

Magellan’s ship the Victoria

Our room wasn’t going to be ready until 2:30 so we took a cab to the Nao Victoria museum. They had full size replicas of Magellans ship and of Charles Darwin’s ship. The information about the explorers was very well written and informative and it was fun to climb all over the ships. They seem so very small.

Darwin’s ship The Beagle
On the Beagle

When we got back to Hotel Cabo de Hornos our rooms were ready. We played some cards and then had a nice dinner.

Dinner in Punta Arenas

Ventus Australis day 2

Note: We just finished our wonderful 5 day Patagonia Cruise on Ventus Australis. We had no internet access during the cruise so I am posting my blog entries for the last 5 days now.

Blog post for Monday October 16 2023

Our first shore excursion of the trip was supposed to be to Cape Horn Island, the southern tip of South America. Our disembarkation at Cape Horn Island was scheduled for 6:45. But the wind was blowing more than forty miles per hour and the landing would have been too dangerous so we just took pictures from the ship.

Cape Horn Island. It was too rough to land.
The Cape Horn Monument

Next we anchored in Wulaia Bay. We took the zodiac ashore and hiked to a lookout point.

In the Zodiac on our way ashore
The view of Wulaia Bay

The food on the Ventus Australis as wonderful.

Ribs
Desert

Ushuaia to Ventus Australis

Note: we just finished our wonderful 5 day Patagonian cruise on Ventus Australis. We had no internet access during the cruise so I am posting my blog entries for the last 5 days now.

Blog post for Sunday October 15, 2023

When we went to breakfast this morning we could see our ship the Ventus Australis from the window of the breakfast room.

Our Cruise ship from our hotel

Later we checked out of the hotel and walked to the Australis office where we checked in for the cruise and left our bags. We had about six hours to kill before we could board the ship at 6 pm

We visited the Maritime Museum of Ushuaia. Ushuaia was originally a prison colony. The museum is in the old prison.

Our Cruise ship from our hotel

We had a long lunch. Then we were going to go out on the dock to visit the Argentine navy training tall ship that happened to be I n town, but there was a long line and it was just too cold and windy.

At 6pm we got on board, listened to the welcome talk and had dinner. The ship left Ushuaia at about 7:30.

Getting ready to board Ventus Australis
Our room on Ventus Australis
The captain and crew welcome us.

Ventus Australis Day 4

Note: We just finished our wonderful 5 day Patagonia Cruise on Ventus Australis. We had no internet access during the cruise so I am posting my blog entries for the last 5 days now.

Blog post for Wednesday October 18 2023

This morning we landed on the beach and then walked around the glacial lake in front of the Aguila Glacier. It was a very nice walk and our expedition guide told us al about the flora

On the beach with Ventus Australis in the background
A short detour into the woods
I think our guide told us that this is called pig skin seaweed
Aguilar Glacier

After almost every excursion we are offered hot chocolate and if you want it, whiskey.

After the hike

This afternoon’s we took a boat tour to the Condor glacier it’s one of the prettiest glaciers that we have seen.

At the Condor glacier

After dinner we were talking with the Spaniards at the next table. They asked Duke about “Trum”. It took a while for Duke to translate, but he eventually realized they were talking about Trump. Duke told them what he thinks about Trump and they said they couldn’t figure out how such a wonderful country as the United States could have a president as stupid as Trump.

This evening was our last full day on the ship. They auctioned of the chart of our voyage to Cape Horn and held a drawing to give away the ships flag. We didn’t get either. After dinner one of the waiters sang and there was even a conga line!

The auction
Duke and I with our waiter