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Created on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 22:17
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The ship left the port of Ushuaia, Argentina half an hour before midnight on the 15th of February bound for the port of Punta Arenas, Chile. We were the last cruise ship to leave the port as two other cruise ships, the Bremen and Fram had left Ushuaia earlier in the evening and both were heading towards the Antarctica. Antarctica is the fifth largest of Earths seven continents. It surrounds the South Pole and is the southernmost, coldest, iciest, driest, windiest and most remote continent. I havent gone there yet but who knows someday I will be working on one of those cruise ships or expedition ships visiting this southernmost region of the world. Anyway, my tolerance to cold has improved significantly and isnt that bad anymore. Well, that was after I was exposed to the wintry season of Europe particularly of that in UK, Germany, Amsterdam and Belgium. Temperature in the Antarctic region is extremely cold of course, so ships heaters and winter jackets should prove very useful in this part of the globe.
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We are not heading down to the South Pole anyway and as a matter of fact, the ship is presently traversing the length of the stunning Chilean fjords heading upwards to Punta Arenas, our first port in Chile. With almost no wind at all, the sea is very smooth and displaying a mirror-like surface reflecting the blue sky and the cliffs shadow. Above photo is my very first sighting of a glacier. This is the accumulated ice mass at Glacier Avenue along the 240 kilometers or 130 nautical miles long Beagle Channel. The ship passed by this panoramic landscape of snow covering the valley between cliffs and steep slopes just in time when the sun was about to sit. Not everyone aboard were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this scenery but just few of the passengers and crew who were on the ships open decks. Since it was dinner time and the ships show for the night has started, so most probably majority were at the restaurants and bars, lounges or at the theater enjoying the show. Me too would have missed this scenery if not for the Chilean pilot onboard who told me earlier (during my navigational watch) about the exact time of passing this so called Glacier Avenue.
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The weather during the second day of the cruise along the Chilean fjords was even more fantastic - the sky was so blue with sort of feather-like thin clouds below it. Expected time to be at the Agostini Fjords was 11:30AM and so it was. Passing the Agostini Fjords was the highlight of the cruise since the area offers more prominent glacier formation. Upon reaching the spot, the ship made one magnificent stop and was drifting freely for about an hour before continuing its passage. The photo above and the top most photo is the Agostini Fjords and its glaciers. So marvelous isnt it? Later in the afternoon, the ship passed the narrowest channel of the passage known as Canal Gabriel. As the ship approached from the distance, it seems we were heading to a dead end of the road. Finally, the ship passed the narrowest channel and is now heading to the port of Punta Arenas, Chile. We will be there tomorrow at 8AM on the 18th of February and I might be going ashore. Well thats only my plan at this moment but Ill see what would be the weather for tomorrow. Weather forecast for Punta Arenas seems not favorable.
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Travel // 
