After two days of sailing the channels and fjords of Chile, including the Straits of Magellan (you know what? I actually think I DO remember putting the Straits on a map in 6^th grade). The few photos I took obviously can’t do justice but just know that it was what surrounded us both days, all day. Didn’t even feel bad taking time out to play mahjong.  

Last night I couldn’t sleep.  Finally got up at 1:30 a.m. and decided to step out onto the balcony. Didn’t know how dark it would be as it was still light at 10:30 p.m.  I was surprised that we had ported already and I didn’t realize it, testament to how the sailing was smooth yesterday.  There were a few smaller boats with lights in the near distance and over to the left I could see the lights of the city. We will again be tendering in so we are not snuggled up to the dock.    We have this cabin on the very back of the ship and I looked down to see seagulls just floating in the water. They were so white they looked like stars against the inky black water.  Occasionally one would squawk or fly but otherwise they looked like they were sleeping.  I then turned my attention to the skies. There were so many more stars visible than in San Clemente, despite the port lights.

Thanks to Stephen Stills, it was a magical moment that otherwise might have been mundane.  “When you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you’ll understand now why you came this way”  – the lyric that stretched our northern hemisphere imaginations so many years ago in our youth had enchanted us all.    I looked up to see an unfamiliar constellation, so I googled it and revved up my star app and sure enough, there it was right above me.   It was a chilly night but I only had my robe and bare feet and it just didn’t matter.  I was alone with the Southern Cross and some resting seagulls.  Bliss.

Today we head out to see penguins and snoop around Puenta Arenas, our last stop in Chile….

This was our first experience hoping that our independent tour would not be a disaster. We met at the appointed time outside the port terminal with about twenty others and the bus started to drive away without anyone on board.  Al was desperately trying to get someone to explain that we all were the tour, finally someone was able to tell us that the bus was not allowed to pick us up there so we had to walk to the other end of the terminal, no big deal.  Our driver did not speak a lick of English but did have a list of names so we all were checked in except four people who were not on the Al Sondag organized tour (he actually took over this job from someone else who decided to cancel their cruise and wishes he hadn’t).  We waited awhile and then left them behind.

Started to leave them behind, I should say.  It was a very nice tour bus but the driver couldn’t get the door to close using the auto button.  He had to call someone to tell him the secret was to turn the bus off and then turn it on again.  (note: we had the same trouble when we got to the other end and the door wouldn’t open).  Then he drove past the lonely pier where other buses were parked but no boats were in sight that would take us to Magdalena Island. Then he stopped and made a phone call.  Then we went back to the pier. Fortunately we had enough time that we still made the one boat that would take us out. Things went swimmingly after that. It was a 45 minute ride, good company, and when we got off the boat there were the penguins.  It is a national reserve and there was a roped off trail.  Everywhere we looked were carved out burrows, with a penguin and chicks standing nearby.  It kills me that I can’t get a photo to you but I will continue to try when we are not in open sea as we are today.  Nesting on the same island were seagulls and dang those chicks were just as adorable. The seagulls are nasty buggers though.  There were lots of dead soldiers around and not because they were attacking the penguins but they were attacking their own chicks.  Every once in a while there’d be a commotion and you could see a mass of feathers and squawking – I mostly saw chicks fighting back and saying “not today, bitch” and scooting away. However, it was clear by the battlefield not all were so lucky.  

Back on the boat and a stop offshore at Marta Island where 1,000+ South American sea lions were causing a ruckus with youngsters and females and big honking 700 pound males – like the kind you see on TV where they look huge slugs and you wonder why they never developed legs instead of having to haul their asses around on the rocks and sands.  They fight and sound like elephants and toss each other around like tiddlywinks.  

We did get back to our ship on time.  Before I have to tell the story of the next day, I would like to say that we have traveled all over the world and have never had a problem with independent tours. People worry that you won’t make it back to the ship on time, and if you take the cruise excursion they will wait for you.  We have found it is worth the risk.  The cruise tours are twice the cost, twice as many people and just no fun at all. Worst case scenario is you have to catch a puddle jumper and meet the cruise at the next port.  

I’m going to try to upload at least one photo of a penguin….