Chile

We often reference “the end of the world, “ but this week, Doris and Diana actually went there! Our ship made port at Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern most city in the world at 55 degrees latitude south. We took a shore excursion through part of Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago surrounded by the South Atlantic Ocean.  One of our stops was at the very end of the Panamerican Highway that stretches from Fairbanks, Alaska to the tip of South America. “Highway” may be a little misleading, as it is a single lane gravel road at this end. The scenery is breathtaking and our weather has been perfect. As we cruised through the Beagle Channel we saw several major glaciers and the snow capped tops of the Andes brilliant against the blue sky. Even the Chilean pilot on board said this was very rare weather.

We spent some time in the Strait of Magellan and the easternmost part of the Pacific Ocean last night and this morning. Our itinerary called for us to visit Punta Arenas, Chile, however due to strikes, the port has been blockaded. There is a dispute between the Chilean government and the people over subsidies to gas. So, our captain is taking us to a tiny village further north called Puerto Chacabuco. That will be the port of call for Wednesday.