Ushuaia and Punta Arenas

Feb. 1^st and 2^nd

 2 days at sea, and yes the Captain was right on the money. 20 ft seas and very stormy. But it was full bore ahead so we could steam out of this mess and get to Ushuaia and calmer waters as fast as we could. Bruce put a patch on so he was ok. I didn’t put anything on and I was ok. Just a teensy bit nauseous when the ship pitched so far forward you felt like you were on a roller coaster.  The rough seas were not the problem for me though…..Even after dousing myself with Purell, washing my hands umpteen times a day while belting out the Happy Birthday song twice. ( I did kick it up a little with the variation that includes monkeys and looking like them, and my favorite childhood ditty…the Comet/ Vomit song, which as it so happens,  sings  in just about the same amount of time. Maybe not very appropriate, but it gave me a giggle.) Yep, the Noro virus came to pay me a visit. They lift the code and then it comes back again. I was lucky though and had a mild version, even though it didn’t feel like it.  2 days pretty much confined to my room. Very sick though, I can see why it could be worse on a person who is fragile. At least Bruce hasn’t come down with it yet. It seems that in every port so far, the ship has been sending at least 3 people home because of sickness or falling and breaking bones due to the rough seas.  Back to South America………

Feb. 3^rd

Ushuaia, Argentina

Arguably the southernmost city in the world.  Some say that Puerto Williams, on the Chilean island of Navarino, is actually further south, but has far fewer inhabitants, and some consider it a town and not a city. We sailed to Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel. Calm seas at last. Weather is about 45 with overcast skies and very windy. Still too weak to do an excursion, so Bruce went without me. He toured through Tierra del Fuego National Park which covers a large part of lower Argentina and Chile. He described it like the Mt. Hood National Forest but with smaller trees, many lakes and glaciers, and lots of rabbits.  He also saw the southernmost gas station, store, and restaurant.  I am really sorry I missed all this…seriously…. oh well.  Very beautiful country from what I can see from my stateroom window.  Slowly on the mend. On to Punta Arenas.

Feb. 4^th and 5^th

Punta Arenas, Chile

Chile’s southernmost city.  Located on the Straits of Magellan, this area takes its name from this Portuguese explorer. With wool, petroleum, and the fishing industry, this is Chile’s most prosperous region.  Have to tender into this port and I was still not quite up to a rough tender ride into town and had to miss another excursion.  Bruce took a tour to the highest point outside of town…..’Hiking in the Andean club’ was the name of the tour. Now you know why I just couldn’t get up enough energy to manage this excursion. Basically they rode up to a ski lift and took that to the top of the mountain and walked down. It was windy, cold, and snowing. The trail was muddy and one elderly woman fell and broke her ankle. She didn’t realize it until she got back on the ship.  Ever being the Paramedic, Bruce helped her down. She was lucky it wasn’t a big break. She is in a foot brace and can stay on the ship. We were supposed to depart that afternoon, but we had our first change of plans due to bad weather. We have to stay docked in port overnight and leave the next afternoon. The Captain informed us that a huge storm was brewing off the south Pacific coast, and if we left on schedule, we would be sailing smack dab into 40-50 ft swells, and hurricane force winds. He didn’t use those words exactly, but used something like we would be in dire consequences if we sailed tonight.  So ‘Safe Harbor’ it is. The next morning I finally felt good enough to go into the city. It was cold and windy but it felt so good to get off the ship. I can officially say that I set foot in Chile. The city is very walkable, has a nice central square, and even a casino. It was Sunday so most of the shops were closed, but we did get some shopping done. Finally getting my stamina back. Made a phone call to Ryan and got through, tried to call Eric but it kept on getting dropped…sorry Eric.  Before we left port that afternoon, the Captain informed us that the next 3 days were going to be very rough and to clear your dresser tops and put away anything that might break. Here we go again. Set sail and realized that it was Super Bowl Sunday. The game was going to be shown on ship through a satellite feed at 9 pm. So, started watching and there was absolutely no commercials being shown. Now, what’s Super Bowl without commercials? That’s the best part. So to bed it was. This was going to be the last restful sleep for the next 3 nights. Sailed out the Strait of Magellan and into the Pacific Ocean.

Sea days…..

The next 3 days at sea were very grueling. 20-30 ft swells and sustained winds up to 65 mph. We had to keep sailing north to try and stay on the top edge of the storm, and always sailing into the wind to minimize the rocking. The Captain had to change course 3 times.  Bruce wore his seasick patch and I decided not to risk wearing one, or taking anything. I didn’t get sick at all or feel the least bit nauseous.  I can really claim that I am a sailor, or a stubborn old salt is more like it.  It did not bother me at all. Actually, after what I had just gone through, I didn’t want to put anything else in my system that might throw it out of whack again. They blocked off all of the outside access doors to the pool and decks, dishes were sliding off of tables, and people were falling like crazy.  Who knows what was crashing, creaking, and moaning. The ship was never silent.  Listening to the ship and storm noises late at night made me think of old sailor stories. I literally heard moaning, singing, talking, chanting. All sorts of different sounds. Now I understand how these yarns might have come about. It was terrific, and maybe a little fanciful. Or maybe I was just going a little stir crazy. After 3 days of not being able to go outside I was going nuts….I just wanted to feel fresh air on my face, just for a few minutes. At the end of the 3^rd day they opened up the decks and I was the first one out there. The forth day we woke up to sunny skies and calmer seas……on to Easter Island and a revised itinerary due to an extra day in Punta Arenas. We will not be sailing past Pitcairn Island or New Caledonia. These were not scheduled port stops anyway…just sail bys, so we were happy. We were afraid that we had lost Easter Island, and we still might if the seas are rough. Just like the Falklands, we have to tender in and if it’s rough it’s a no go.

Shipboard Meanderings…...

We have been at sea for a total of 35 days, and have sailed 10997 nautical miles. A nautical mile is equal to 1.15 statute miles. It will take us 19 days to cross the Pacific Ocean with only 3 port stops before we dock in Sydney on the 25^th of Feb. For me, this will be the true challenge of coping with sea days. So far we have kept pretty busy. As long as the weather is nice and I can go outside, there is no problem. They keep you pretty active on the ship, and they have a fairly good library.  Most everyone we talk to love sea days, but I am still hesitant.  I have no idea what is going on in the world. The TV channels are limited and the news we do get is not very current. Surfing the internet is not an option, unless you want to pay lots of money and then again it’s not very reliable. I am not complaining mind you, so far this trip has been amazing and I am so glad we decided to do this. It is like we are on a different planet on this planet, only with the median age being 72….heard that fact today. I guess after 30 some days I am feeling a teensy bit homesick.  I admire the staff and crew. They are very patient. As for me I bite my tongue and think of drinking rum punches in Tahiti. I try to stay positive.  Now I understand why they gave a daily portion of rum to the crew and passengers way back in the day.  The gossip and complaining are getting tiresome.  For example….there was a catfight in the laundry room the other day.  One woman took some clothes out of a dryer and certain that they were hers proceeded to fold and iron them. The rightful owner then came in and asked her why she was folding her clothes. Well the first woman said no, you’re wrong, these are my clothes and the fight ensued. I heard later that the first woman insisted on keeping a pair of pants. Hope they fit her. Now wouldn’t you think that you would know your own clothes?  Makes me leery of washing my undies and nighties and leaving them unattended.  The most exciting thing happened to Bruce and I the other day. We got stuck in the elevator for 10 minutes and had to call for help. Yes, that was the highlight of the week. I was not amused at the time and was thankful to get out. I have never been stuck in an elevator…ever… and I don’t really want to do so again. The elevators talk to you here. After hearing ‘6th floor, Veranda Deck’ like a broken record I was getting ready to go into panic mode. Bruce, being the firefighter that he is, calmly finished his ice cream cone, called the front office and told them of our predicament. What else have we got to do anyway…….The weather is getting warmer and we are headed to Easter island and the South pacific. New adventures await…just hope they are off ship.