Alyeska 2007

Alyeska 2008: El Fin de Mundo

We are at the end of the world!!! Early this morning, we woke to a beautiful sunrise at Cape Horn. Sea conditions here are infamous - rough, brutal waters which have claimed many boats and lives over time. Our approach to Cape Horn was spectacular. Not only did we get to enjoy the sunrise, but sea conditions were idyllic. It was very cold and windy, but conditions were so favorable that the Captain circumnavigated Cape Horn island for us. Rounding Cape Horn is every mariner's dream, so we are proud to say that we have now completed that passage!

Alyeska 2008: More Ushuaia

While on our tour, we also saw the South American custom of barbecuing meat in the open air. David got the photos but unfortunately didn't get to sample the meat (Lamb). We are definitely putting this on our "to do" list for Buenos Aries. The sign post at the Ushuaia harbor indicates our distance from Buenos Aries, and the "3" marker is noting the Pan American Highway. The second sign sums up our adventure today - fortunately it was sunny and we very much enjoyed our trip to the end of the world!

Alyeska 2008: Ushuaia

We have now crossed over into Argentina and its port city of Ushuaia, the southernmost city on earth! Once again, we were treated to a beautiful cruise through Beagle Channel with its glaciers, mountains, and natural beauty. The entire city sits at the base of the Martial mountains which gives the landscape a backdrop of snow covered peaks, dense forest, and sparkling seas, very reminiscent of Sitka, Alaska. We took a bus tour up into the mountains and visited the only ski resort in the area. One of the activities they offer in the winter is dog sledding, and we visited the kennel where the dogs are raised and trained. It really did remind us of Alaska with all the Huskies around.

Alyeska 2008: Municipal Cemetery

While in Punta Arenas, we visited the municipal cemetery, final resting place to a worldwide assortment of people. There are the remains of the wealthy founders of the city alongside the explorers and adventurers of long ago, as well as the tomb of an unknown Indian. I absolutely love to visit old cemeteries and photograph the collage of markers, monuments, and remembrances. It is said that you can tell a lot about a culture by how they treat their dead, and in this cemetery, you can see that they truly honor the lives represented here. Even the most insignificant plots were tended with loving care, many with gardens planted atop the plots.

Alyeska 2008: Punta Arenas

Today we are in Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in Chile and the capital of the Magallenes Province, named for Ferdinand Magellan, the Spanish explorer who first discovered this part of the world in 1520. The main square in town is home to a large bronze monument to his honor. It is filled with tourists, vendors, and locals, and on the day we were there, participants of a Patagonia Iron Man triathlon. We enjoyed a beautiful day of sunny warm weather, which we understand is quite unusual here, even in summer. As you can see, we were glad to be off the ship and touring this beautiful part of the world.

Alyeska 2008: Our Location

February 14, 2008

Here's a map that the staff prepared to show us where we are going (we're just showing the lower portion because it is the most interesting). As you can see, the area of Southern Chile and Argentina consists of many small islands and intricate passages, just perfect for cruising. As we said, this reminds us very much of Alaska. The second map shows the Pan American Highway which runs continuously from Alaska to the southern tip of South America. Several of our tours have traveled this road. Our current location is approximately 11,000 miles from Alaska!

Alyeska 2008: Glacier Cruising

February 11, 2008

For the next two days we are "scenic cruising" through the Southwestern coastal islands of Chile, the beginning of the area known as Patagonia. The landscape is strikingly similar to Alaska. Tall mountains give way to fiords and inlets and endless small islands that create an "inside passage" route for the ship. Along this area are numerous glaciers and this morning we approached Amalia Glacier for an up close look. While we were admiring the glacier, two Dahl porpoise swam alongside the ship, reminding us again of Alaska. The weather is very blustery here - cold, rainy, and windy. In fact, we had hurricane force winds during the night, and our next stop, Punta Arenas, is noted as one of the windiest cities on earth. This is all very pretty but honestly, we think Alaska is much grander !

Alyeska 2008: Inner Child

On the way back from our volcano tour, we stopped at a local alpaca farm for lunch. We were served the Chilean delicacy of farm raised salmon - imagine our horror! Salmon farming is the number one industry in this part of Chile and employs nearly the entire town of Puerto Montt. David refused to eat it and instead bonded with the farm animals. After playing with the animals, he furthered embraced his inner child by trying out the swing set. Not a bad spot - overlooking the volcano - to stretch your legs!

Alyeska 2008: Puerto Monnt

February 9, 2008

Our first port of call is the Chilean town of Puerto Montt. This area is known as the gateway to the Chilean lake district and home to several volcanoes. We took the tour to Lake Llanquihue (lan-kee-way) which is the largest natural lake in Chile. The scenic drive included a stop at the Petrohue River falls and a trek up to the ski resort that is located 3000 feet up the side of the Osorno volcano. Unfortunately the clouds were out and obscured our view of the top of the volcano, which we're told looks like Japan's Mt. Fuji. The bus ride up the side of the volcano was especially thrilling as we wound our way around narrow, twisting, hairpin turns to make it to the top. Needless to say we were happy to get back down as well. The photos show some of the switchbacks we navigated as well as the beautiful view out over the lake to the volcano.

Alyeska 2008: Star Princess

February 7, 2008

After three wonderful days in Valparaiso, we boarded our ship this afternoon for our journey around South America. We are sailing on the Star Princess, a 951 ft., 16 deck behemoth of a ship. There are approximately 2500 passengers aboard, serviced by a crew of 1100. Our stateroom is very nice with a balcony to watch the world go by. We even have a walk in closet and tub in our bathroom. Much better than the days of old when a stateroom was about the size of a broom closet. This is David's first cruise in 18 years so he is especially impressed. Our itinerary will take us around the southern tip of South America, visiting the area of Patagonia and the Chilean Ice Fields and includes the passage around Cape Horn. We will be aboard for twelve days, completing our journey in Buenos Aries. We're looking forward to exploring this area and comparing it to Alaska. Much of the landscape is similar - glaciers, mountains, sea animals, etc. - and they are also noted for their king crab. David is excited to do the research on the comparison of who has the better king crab!