Feliz Navidad... and beyond! Dec 25-26, 2013

And a Merry Christmas to all from two happy wanderers in Punta Arenas, Chile.  Certainly this was not a traditional Christmas for us, tho we've had our share of nontraditional Christmases since we've been together (2001). Two separate years, while visiting son, Matt, we three rode our bikes on Southern California beach bike trails, and did w/o the "normal" holiday meal.  Or decorated tree! This year, however, was way over the top!

Our Pan de Pascua (Christmas bread), which is a typical Chilean cake traditionally eaten at Christmas. Similar to our fruitcake, but less so, and much tastier. Toasted and buttered, it was delicious.

After breakfast, we knew where we wanted to go.  On our way to Plaza de Armas, we encountered yesterday's messy leftovers.  The streets were empty, but the street vendors forgot to pick up their junk.

It didn't seem possible, but today was even windier than what we've known the past few days.  We wore our Tilly hats with the chin strap firmly fastened, or those hats would've flown to Argentina! Posing at Magellan Monument again, with four "guard" dogs.  Notice the black one in front?  He looks very comfortable!  Strange as it may seem to USA folks, many vendors were set up in the plaza w/ their wares for sale... on Christmas Day!  Care to guess why?

The Golden Princess - the same ship we left in Valparaiso - cruised into Punta Arenas this morning. She is on her way to Rio.  We knew she'd be in port today, and we figured we'd see some shipboard people at the plaza.  We did!  Our two Australian lady friends took the photo of us at the statue (above).  Look how big that ship looks parked in the Straight of Magellan!

 She was actually anchored way offshore and passengers were tendered ashore.

While we were milling around the plaza, church bells rang from the beautiful Cathedral of the Sacred Heart across the street.  We'd previously tried to see inside, but its gate was locked.  Today, while bells rang joyously, the gate was open wide, and we got our chance.

We like churches - any denomination (or flavor! as I am apt to say) - and being here today seemed special.  We'd talked about going to a church service, even Midnight Mass, but we were asleep early on Christmas eve.  Sitting in one of the rows behind the small white table, trying to surreptitiously take a picture or two, one of the assistant priests came out and beckoned everyone forward.  "Come, come," he said, sweeping his hands forward. Okay.  In our new seats, joined by others, the Mass procession began. Voilà!  We attended the Noon Christmas Mass (in Spanish, of course).  Didn't hurt us a bit!

Later, we wanted to eat a nice dinner out on Christmas Day, and were advised, though we pretty much knew, that the only restaurant open would be in the Hotel Dreams Casino - a fancy glass building (above) we'd been in before ... looking for a baño.  (They have new, modern bathrooms here, with toilet paper in each stall.  In South America, I've been caught literally with my pants around my ankles, and no toilet paper in sight.  The TP dispenser is located just inside the entrance of many baños.  Tear off what you need BEFORE entering the stall.  I usually had paper in a pocket... usually, but not always.)

 Anyway, Jimmy and I enjoyed a fine buffet at the casino restaurant.
Full tummies!

This stylish Meteorological Clock is a most-photographed icon at the dock.  Located next to Punta Arenas port facilities' main entrance, the cast iron clock not only shows time, but it's equipped with a barometer and hygrometer, providing meteorological information.  We are so lucky that Punta Arenas is compact enough to explore on foot.  We surely did, every day. We had a lovely Christmas day!

Interesting....

* * * * *

Dec. 26th.  Our five days in Punta Arenas are over, but before our flight to Santiago, we had time for lunch at La Luna, recommended by our ApartHotel host.  I wasn't sure what the heck I ordered, but it turned out to be a seafood chowder, the thought of which today, makes my mouth water!  La Luna was quite the place.  How about that table on the ceiling?

Again, we were the first to arrive, and soon the tables were full;
in the vein of, "if you build it, they will come."  

That afternoon (Dec. 26th), we boarded our LAN jet bound for Santiago.  We sat on the starboard side again, so we could hopefully see the Andes.  Punta Arenas was cold and windy, with spotty rain showers, every day, and Jimmy felt puny a few of the days we were here, and it looked like I was next, based on how sore my throat felt; nevertheless, we leave grateful to have experienced life at the end of the world.  We enjoyed it all!

The clouds didn't want to part as we flew over Torres del Paine (Andes), but I was able to catch glimpses of snow-capped peaks, and an ice-blue glacier at bottom/right in the last picture.  

Further north, snow-clad volcanoes dotted the scene below.

And then we began our descent to Santiago, capital of Chile.
Another whole chapter of adventure awaits.

Bring it on!

Christmas Eve in Punta Arenas, Chile, 12/24/13

What else would a person do on Christmas eve other than visit the Cementerio Municipal, the final resting place of many members of Punta Arenas' high society?  We dressed warmly, as usual, and prepared for spits of rain, as usual.  We read this account in a cruising guide:  "The inhospitable nature of its climate (cold all year round and often windy) is illustrated by the fact that more than 300 years elapsed between 1520 when Ferdinand Magellan sailed the strait that bears his name, and the establishment of Punta Arenas, the first successful settlement, in 1848."  Jimmy and I can attest to the cold and the wind...!

This mausoleum reads HRVATSKO.
The stately beauty on the right reads, MENENDEZ.

This proud edifice is for the Kusanovic family.

 

Amid the tall cypresses pruned into oblong shapes, the grand mausoleums of the elite stand beside the humbler plots of immigrants who came from as far away as Russia, Spain, Wales, and Croatia, mainly during the gold rush from 1880-1910.  Also buried here are the casualties of the Strait's many shipwrecks. The cemetery ranks right up there in tourist places to visit.  We were sort of surprised to see many East-Central European names on the markers, as we hadn't realized that Croatian immigration in Punta Arenas was crucial to development in the Magellan region and the city in particular. 

Not everybody was granted a grand mausoleum.

Sometimes what is available will have to do.  Many of these grave sites are old.

Monument to the Unknown Indian, which contains the body of an Ona found beside that of a Chilean man on Diego de Almagro Island in 1929.  The many miracles attributed to the Indian in the last part of the 20th century led to the transfer of the monument to a place in the cemetery with enough space to install a wall for the thank-you plaques and gifts of people whose wishes were granted.

Close up of the toe.

This is one-half of a line of crypts,
all individualized and maintained by loved ones of the deceased. 

But these two (above and below) creeped me out! One crypt gaping open as tho someone had already escaped, flown to another world, now beckoning you or me! The bricked-in crypt looks straight out of one of Poe's horrors!

 

Jimmy seems to be wearing a large green cap.

These cypresses had to be chopped to access the graves.

My favorite. Bicycle madness in the wind!

Caption?  I have a headache.  Or, I must have lost my head....

The End.

A conglomeration of Punta Arenas! 12/21-23,13

Our bedroom faced east, but we weren't sure what time was sunup, because the sun was always shining thru the blinds in our room when we awoke, and we're up early!  There have been some evenings when we'd look at a clock and wonder how it could be so late (after 10 pm), and then we realized it seemed earlier than it was because it was still light outside! With approx 16 hours of daylight in this austral summer spot, our internal clocks were off kilter.  Look at it this way, it gave us more daytime hours to roam!

One view from our bedroom windows.  Cemented-in Rio de las Minas (River of Mines) flows between the chain link fencing in foreground and background, into The Strait of Magellan.  Some water flowed while we were in town, but not much.  I imagine (since it's controlled) flooding could be a problem.  It was easy to find our place, if we were turned around by all the Avenidas -- all we had to do was follow the river!   

Cheerful-looking king-sized bed.  Very comfy!

Jimmy did his homework.  This is a Chilean 220V outlet; that's the current they use.  Our 120V electrical stuff definitely won't fit this outlet!  So ...

... Jimmy bought a global adapter from Brookstone before we left home w/ seven built-in plug configurations.  This is my hair dryer plug, with the adapter on.  Worked like a charm. The man is a wizard w/ electrics!

This robin look-a-like is an Austral Thrush (Turdus falcklandii).  It acted just like a robin, and it had a sweet, sweet voice, like all thrushes!

What a lovely front yard.  Look at the size and colors of the lupines.
Good job, homeowner!

Curious about this?  The city doesn't supply trash cans as know them in the states.  This is a Punta Arenas trash container.  Cutest one we saw.

Nothing dull about these places!

This is such a windy city that a permanent trash container would work best if it could be closed, like this one.  Certainly, we saw litter in the city, and most of the curbside trash containers had no tops.

So, we're walking along, as we do every day, and round a corner to see this in a window!  I nearly fainted.  Patagonia is known for both its beef and lamb.  On the way from the airport to town, we saw a large Standard Wool company, and wool products are a mainstay in stores.  Wool is a good insulator for a cold climate!  But ... no way was I going to eat this lamb!

Instead, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at this restaurant (no lamb).  Jimmy and I were the first customers, and we wondered if we'd be alone.  By the time we left, every table in every room was taken.  We learn a little each time we interact with Spanish-speaking people.  Today we learned that if you want what is advertised on the sign out front of the restaurant, you simply say, "menu."  Last time I was asked if I wanted the menu, I said, yes, and waited to be handed a menu.  It isn't "the daily special," it's simply menu.  Or just point!

We drink a lot of water, especially since we're out walking every day.  But restaurants in Central/South America do not automatically thump down a glass of water w/ ice in front of you, like we're used to in the states (how much of that precious water is wasted?).  If you want water in Chile, you buy it in a plastic bottle.  That kinda goes against the grain if you're trying to "reduce your carbon footprint."  We always carry our own water bottles, but - by gum! - we'd drink it and run out.  It's hard to carry around more than 12 ounces of water each, so we did the best we could to avoid using more plastic.  The tap water in our little ApartHotel was delicious.  When we'd come in, water first, shoes off second (sometimes the other way around).

Then, Jimmy announced that he had a terrible sore throat, and when we came in from exploring, he curled up on that comfy bed and slept for a while.  His nose is stopped up, too.  I asked him if he wanted to take a taxi or a bus to San Isidro Lighthouse the next day, but he said, no, he just didn't feel up to it. He must be sick! He'd go out of his way to visit a lighthouse!  OK, no problem.  We'll slip into our Easy Does It mode.

Penguins is Penguins, so sayeth Jimmy, Mon, 12/23/13

Yesterday we made excursion reservations with Solo Expediciones to tour Los Pinguinos National Monument in the Estrecho de Magallanes for this morning, Monday.  That would translate to visiting the huge Magellanic Penguin colony on Islas Magdalena and Marta in the Straight of Magellan.  We can disembark on Magdalena Island, but the zodiac can only circumnavigate Marta Island.  Numbers of penguins on Magdalena Island are in the 150,000 range. Wonder how it smells?

We arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 6:50 am and deliver us to Solo by 7 am.  So far so good.  But in our hearts we knew it wouldn't happen.  Wind is THE factor down here.  Many a mariner has despaired of the tempestuous winds in this latitude, many a vessel has been lost, and our trip to the Islands was a goner, as well.  We had rain in the night and Jimmy heard some pretty stiff wind gusts.  Not me; I had ear plugs in.  The sun was shining brightly when we got up at 6.  Though the trees were nearly bowled over, we suited up and showed up.  Our trip was canceled.  (I suspect this trip to the islands will be canceled all week due to high winds.)  Well, and anyway, in my haste to get out the door, I forgot the small pocket camera I always carry.  Phooey.  Good news:  Jimmy had the new GoPro.

Disappointed faces milled around at Solo, as we'd all looked forward to the outing.  However, another option was offered.  An overland trip to Seno Otway (Otway Sound) to see a smaller Magellanic Penguin colony would begin immediately.  We signed up.  Penguins is penguins, Jimmy said.  Two vans full took off for an approx hour's drive NW of Punta Arenas.

Taken from the moving van a few minutes out of town:

 you see bright sun, few clouds.

Not looking as good where we're headed (left).  The geese you can barely make out are called caiquen (Upland Goose or Magellan Goose) in Chile.  We saw a lot of them, inc plenty of youngsters.  Also spotted Patagonian mara, aka the Patagonian cavy, Patagonian hare or dillaby. They look like giant jackrabbits, tho we both saw a resemblance to kangaroos!  The wind was whipping across the Patagonian steppes.

When we emerged from the van, the cold wind took our breath away, and we faced a lengthy loop walk. Jimmy and I had dressed in many layers, inc long johns, T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, down vest (me), and wind breakers, gloves, hats, sox and closed shoes.  And I wore the soft, knitted cowl thingee I bought yesterday to keep my neck warm and protect my face.  We were as prepared as we could get.

Penguins (barely visible) at the water's edge had just hopped on land from the water (brrrr!!).  We made our way to a "blind," which served as minor wind protection... and then rain began pelting us... which turned to blowing sleet.  Mercifully, the icy rain was brief.  HAPPY SUMMER!  We were freezing, BUT, hey, isn't everything an adventure? 

The penguins don't look cold!

We do.

This is the kind of rain that turns on and five minutes later it's off, and then an hour later, it cranks up again.  So be it.  See those little Magellanic Penguins marching toward us?

We think they were off on an EXplore, as Pooh used to say.

A boardwalk kept humans on a path w/o disturbing the nesting penguins.  They nest in bushes or burrows.  Oh look, a rainbow.  And maybe a peek of sun?  Yes, sunshine!

These two lovebirds (being watched over by the guy behind them) were cooing and preening each other.  Penguins mate for life and return to this place where they were born only for the mating season.  No singles come with them.

These guys were amazing.  Braying like donkeys; never heard the likes.  I have it on video, what a sound.  The two in the center were playing leap-frog or... uh, one hopped on top of the other!  The penguin on the right has his head up and is hee-hawing to beat the band!! 

The biting wind never quit, but our group spent time here admiring the "cute" little penguins.  "Braying" penguins could be heard all over.  The flora looked alpine-like, tiny flowers and mosses; a tundra landscape.

Into the wind.  I look like the Michelin Woman. 

Signboards are really useful.  Hope you can read this one.  The Seno Otway Penguin Colony numbers around 8,000-10,000 birds.  This was quite an experience.  We wanted to see penguins whilst at the "bottom of the world," and so we did, we saw penguins, and plenty of 'em, up close!!