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| We had a whale of a good time in Punta Arenas! |
It took two days to cruise from Puerto Chacabuco to Punta Arenas. Most of the journey was through the calm and very scenic Chilean fjords. Along the way we passed the Amalia Glacier, which is located in the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park (Chile has 42 National Parks). This large, tidewater glacier covers over 60 square miles, making it one of the country’s largest.
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| Great scenery in the Chilean fjords! |
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| The Amalia Glacier! |
Punta Arenas, which has a population of just over 125,000, serves as the capital city of Chile’s southernmost region. Because of its location, Punta Arenas has a long history of being a vital port city for ships passing around Cape Horn. Its importance was significantly diminished by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. At that time, a visionary business woman named Sara Braun was credited with encouraging the diversification of the economy to include agriculture (sheep and cattle). Today Punta Arenas, like most of the country of Chile, has a diverse and thriving economy. Tourism in the region continues to grow as Punta Arenas serves as a starting point for Antartica adventures.
We enjoyed roaming around the city, even taking time out for us both to get our hair cut. During our time roaming around we experienced all types of weather, ranging from sunny blue skis to thick clouds, a bit of rain, a little sleet and a steady wind that made the mid-forty degree temperature feel a little chilly…..no pun intended.
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| Haircut Day……Beth’s is a little more complicated than mine! |
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| Sara Braun Palace |
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| The cemetery is known for its large, family crypts and is a popular tourist attraction that’s worth visiting. Sara Braun’s final resting place is in the cemetery which is named after her. This is not her crypt. |
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| Plaza de Armas. Many Chilean towns have a city square named the same thing! It looked like everyone was rubbing the foot of the statue located there. We assumed it was for good luck so we rubbed it as well. |
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| We found the Oosterdam! |
Tomorrow we head a bit further south, and will leave Chile behind. We will be docking in Ushuaia, Argentina for a few hours before heading further south to Antartica!
To reach Antartica we’ll be crossing the Drake Passage, which at times is known as the Drake Lake because the water is as calm as a lake. Other times it’s known to produce the “Drake Shake”! Right now it looks pretty good, but we’ve been warned it can change quickly and often. We will keep you posted!!
