Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires is the 9th largest city in the world. The ship will spend 2 nights and 3 days in port. Our first day was a cloudy, misty one. Our tour was to the Tigre Delta. We did a riverboat tour and it was very interesting. We took about an hours drive through many of the city's neighborhoods. We boarded our boat by climbing through another boat. The delta is murky, but supposedly clean water. There are many houses with docks along each side of the river. There is no other form of transportation, so there are water taxis, trash barges, and grocery boats. Each house was different, some grand and some not so grand. Kids were fishing and some were swimming.

Our evening was spent at a Tango show. We sat very close to the stage and could really enjoy the music and dancing. The costumes were fantastic and the dancers were wonderful. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures, so you must use your imagination. Today, Feb 19, we will be doing a city tour with a visit to the Evita museum.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Due to gale force winds we were not able to leave the ship in the Falkland Islands. The ship anchored and the tenders were dropped, but the Captain announced that the wind would be about Gale Force 8 by the time we needed to come back and he didn't want to jeopardize tendering. SO, no penguins for us. We were scheduled to see 3 types of penguins, but it was not to be.

Another day at sea and then we docked in Puerto Madryn. A small city around a bay. Our tour took us to the suburb of Gaiman. A long drive through a lot of desolate scenery and we were in a small town that was settled by the Welsh in the 1800's. We had a lovely tea with goodies and listened to a choir sing. It was a long way to go for this, but who knew?! The best part of the day was the weather. Warm and no humidity. Upon our return to the ship we had lunch on deck while we enjoyed the sun.

Elephant Island, Antarctica

We have left Antarctica and we are heading for the Falkland Islands. One more day at sea. It is foggy and rolling.

Paradise Bay, Antarctica

The most spectacular scenery we have ever seen. We saw whales and penguins and many birds. It happens so fast that it is hard to get a picture. It stays light until 10:00pm, so the scenery kept us dazzled until dark. We awoke to snow and ice on the pool deck.

Deception Island, Antarctica

We were very fortunate that our transit through the Drake Passage yesterday,was smooth. A rarity. Today around 9 a.m. we approached Deception Island. A horseshoe shaped island formed from a volcano.
Because the seas are so calm, the Captain has decided to head for our next port of Paradise Bay. The weather is very chilly, especially with the wind.

Ushuaia, Argentina

At 55 degrees south latitude, Ushuaians claim to live in the world's southernmost city. The town is rustic and natural, but some of the houses are painted in pastel colors to brighten things a bit. Winter temps drop well below zero and the sun rises only for a few hours a day. Summer can get warm.....50-60 F and there can be up to 20 hours of daylight.
We toured Tierra del Fuego National Park. Wildlife was scarce.....rabbits and birds and a few horses. The scenery is magnificent, with snow covered mountains and trees as far as the eye can see. We visited the post office at the end of the world or "Fin Del Mundo". A small building on a small dock at a lake. The postmaster sells stamps and postcards and is not too chatty, but willingly helps you choose your cards and he stamps them personally.
We departed an hour late....9 p.m. on our way to Antarctica. We have 5 days of cruising the White Continent before arriving at the Falkland Islands.

Punta Arenas, Chile

I ate something that didn't agree with me, so I did not do the tour with Mike. He left the ship about 8:30 a.m. and drove through the countryside to the Olga Teresa Estancia.
Estancia is Spanish for farm. The owners open their doors to a limited amount of tours and demonstrate how the farmers live and conquered the land. Chilean cowboys or Huasos, demonstrated their skills in rounding up a herd of sheep with their well trained horses and dogs. Then there was a sheep shearing demo. Afterward, Pisco Sours and lunch was served. Fresh lamb straight from the bar b q.