Rounding Cape Horn

 We were all set for our great Ushuaia tours – Richard was going to ride a horse along the Beagle channel while I was to take a End of the World scenic train to Ensenada Bay. Suddenly, the Captain announced that he had “Bad News” - even though there is no Covid now aboard Jupiter, the local Argentinian authorities would not allow anyone off our ship. He further reported that we would be denied entry to the next stop, Puerto Madryn, where we were to snorkel with the sea lions and visit Peninsula Vales Wildlife Sanctuary.

Cape Horn, 550 Miles from Antarctica 

We could hear the frustration in the Captain's voice. We are disappointed, but it is not Viking's fault. These little places at the end of Chile and Argentina do not have facilities to care for their residents if infected from cruise passengers. Even though none of us on board are sick, we have had breakthrough Covid cases resulting in passengers being removed from our ship. Since it probably takes 5-10 days for new cases to appear, the authorities cannot be certain we won't infect their people. However, our cabin air is filtered, everyone is wearing masks, we are tested daily. I am not sure what else Viking can do! I just hope Viking can survive this Pandemic. It is such a lovely ship with caring crew and a fantastic experience while aboard.

Ushuaia to Cape Horn

December 30 6 AM

45 F , West Wind 28 mph gusting to 36 mph

550 miles from Antarctica, Sailing South to Cape Horn

Lynn and Larry - On March 11, 2002, bundled up like a teddy bear against the near-freezing temperatures and a 50-knot southerly wind, I walked into the Capitan del Puerto's office at Puerto Williams to see a weather fax printout. It showed a potential three- or four-day high-pressure gap between this storm and the next two lows bunched together 800 miles to the west. If we could arrange port clearance, buy final provisions, and sail the 90 miles out through the Canal Beagle and back to our inbound track, we'd  find southeast winds in which to round the Horn.

“Got to go tomorrow at first light,” Larry said as we computed the tides. “In fact, I'd like to leave at 0400, before the tide turns.”

March 13, 2002, 1600: Cape Horn aft of the starboard beam...

Excerpt from Cape Horn to Starboard, Cruising World, October 2002 by Lynn Pardey

We departed Ushuaia about 7 PM having been delayed by high winds for about three hours to pleasantly cruise down the Beagle Channel out into the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Turning West , we awoke to lovely weather for navigating around Cape Horn. This is very fortunate as this is known as treacherous waters and sailors throughout the centuries have viewed this rounding with caution and a little fear.

The Explorers Lounge at the bow of the ship affords amazing views and service. We parked ourselves here while we chatted with fellow passengers, pinching ourselves that we are so fortunate to have this unique experience. We were startled to see a faint rainbow over the rocky islands and of course, we had a photo to mark this occasion.

We approached the Cape Horn Lighthouse on Isla Hornios from the East for photo ops and then turned North to circumnavigate the island to pass the Horn from the West. Having rounded the horn, we have each earned the right to wear a gold earring in the left ear and rest one foot on the table! So much different for our rounding the horn in the Viking Jupiter than Lynn and Larry's passage in their little wooden sailboat, I felt that we have cheated. Well, not really!

We Circumnavigated Isla Hornos to Round the Horn West to East

Leaving Ushuaia

Pilot Boat Retrieving Port Pilot

Beagle Channel Toast

Beagle Channel White Caps

Beagle Channel Penguins 

The White Cliffs of Beagle 

Approaching  Cape Horn from the East

Cape Horn Rainbow to Starboard

Cape Horn Lighthouse Ahead

Cape Horn Lighthouse

Rounding Cape Horn West to East

Cape Horn Astern

On the Way to Ushuaia

 December 28, 2021

Punta Arenas to Ushuaia Looking North

On the Way to Ushuaia From Our Balcony 9:15 PM

On the Way to Ushuaia from Our Balcony 9:30 PM

On the Way to Ushuaia from Our Balcony  

Ushuaia from Bow 6 AM

Ushuaia from Bow 6 AM

8 AM - The Captain announced that the other cruise ships at the dock have COVID cases aboard so they are quarantined. We are hoping that since we are COVID free (We Hope!),  we will be allowed ashore. 

We were deigned shore leave. To bad because the weather cleared in the afternoon.

 

Punta Arenas - Quarantine

 We docked at Punta Arenas, ironically founded as a penal colony by Chile in 1848, early this  beautiful and partly cloudy morning. The bad part: the ship is quarantined. All tours have been cancelled. Two COVID positive testing passengers are disembarking. The good part: we are quarantined on the beautiful Viking Jupiter.

Amalia Glacier to Punta Arenas Looking East

Sunrise: 5:18 AM  Sunset 10:13 PM

Temperature at 10 AM  48 F

Every day each of us complete a short Viking health check on our in-cabin TV and check our temperature using one of the facial recognition temperature check stations on the boat.  

Of course daily PCR testing continues. We have tested Negative before our flight, at the Santiago airport, and five times aboard the Jupiter.  

We also complete mandatory on-line Chilean health checks each day. The long list list off questions to which we answer No is:

Sudden & Complete Loss of Smell

Sudden & Complete Loss of Taste

Cough

Nasal Congestion

Difficulty Breathing

Heavy Breathing

Sore Throat

Muscle Pain

Fatigue and Weakness

Chest Pain

Chills

Diarrhea

Nausea and Vomiting

Headache

Tested for Cause since last update

This is by far the most comprehensive list of health survey questions we have encountered. Only a few questions comprise most surveys. 

Last night fellow passengers told us that one couple was refused entry into Chile because their PCR tests were taken 79 hours before their final flight departed for Chile outside the 72 hour limit. 

12:30 PM - The captain announced our ship is now COVID free; we are sailing for Ushuaia, Argentina where we hope to have more time to explore than originally planned.

Punta Arenas from Our Balcony

Port Side Deck 2 Walking Track, 4 Times Around =1 Mile

Starboard Side - Along Side NSF Research Ship

Viking Cruise South America - Day 5 and Day 6

Days 5 and 6 are "At Sea" as our beautiful ship cruises down the coastline which is filled with magnificent fiords.  We woke up early to sweeping views of the Darwin Channel.  Later we checked out a photography workshop complete with tips on enhancing our shots.  There are many interesting lectures about Chilean culture, too.  In the evenings, there is entertainment in the Star Theater.  We heard a fabulous 'straight from Broadway' act with singing and fantastic acoustic guitar playing by Matt & Lainie.  We also enjoyed a guest entertainer Dennis Daye who played many instruments - fabulous piano, trumpet, wooden flute, etc.

The highlight was the Almalia Glacier that skirts the northern rise of the Reclus volcano.  This ice flow journeyed here millennia ago from the heights of the Andes and is one of the world's largest continuous ice fields, known as the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.  

 then attended a Port Talk on our next destination, Punta Arenas.  Tonight we tried Manfredi's a specialty Italian restaurant.  Wow, the food was sumptuous!  

Puerto Montt to Amalia Galcier Looking East

Amalia Glacier Looking East

Cruising Through the Chilean Fiords,  Sea Lions Near Channel Marker 

Heading to Amelia Glacier

Rain Off and On, Rainbow

Richard & Joanne

Amalia Glacier

Viking Cruise South America - Day 4 - Christmas Day

 

Merry Christmas from Puerto Varas

Day Four, Christmas Day, we awoke in Cabin 3092 to find ourselves in a beautiful bay harbor near the town Puerto Montt. After listening beautiful Christmas music from our Sacred Heart Church in Punta Gorda via You Tube, we dashed off to Mamsen's near the Explorer Lounge at the bow of the ship for a delicious Norwegian waffle breakfast. Yum!

 

Breakfast Waffle at Mamsen's 

We disembarked at the quaint Puerto Montt by boarding a Viking tender on a sunny and mild morning, the temperature in the low 70's, just a Perfect Day. 

This land was populated by Germans who came here in 1854. Cute homes, rolling hills, green trees, flowers and 40 freshwater lakes dot the terrain in this region, one of 15 that makes up Chile. There are over 2000 volcanoes in Chile, of which 50 are active. We were about to walk on one!

Photo Stop to Pose with Osorno Volcano

Our bus rolled along the Pan American Highway and local roads through forests and fields to the snow capped Osorno Volcano reaching 8700 feet into the blue sky. At the base of the volcano, our bus negotiated steep switchbacks to bring us half way to the summit. 

My new friend posed me alongside of a wooden Chilean snowman. It is summer here, the opposite of our northern hemisphere seasons. Of course, this is lovely skiing area in their winter months. We hiked a cinder surfaced trail, snapping lots of photos along the way.

  

On the Volcano

Panorama from Osorno Volcano

Hiking on Osorno Volcano

Back on the bus, we wound our way down to the Petrohue Falls at Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. 

Petrohue Falls

At Puerto Varas, once a port city on Lake Llanquihue, we enjoyed a lunch of regional pumpkin soup, piskos (national lemon lime drink), delicious salmon and a German coffee cake with custard and raspberries. We were seated with our Idaho friends, Diana and Larry, and had a great time chatting up observations about the cruise, etc. Wandering along the waterfront, we enjoyed the sight of volcanos rising beyond the far shore of the deep blue lake's waters. 

Lunch in Puerto Varas

Fisheye View from Puerto Varas

Osorno Volcano Across Laguna Llanquihue 

Flower Along Waterfront at Puerto Varas

Viking Jupiter Anchored at Puerto Montt

Links 

Osorno Volcano  Petrohue Waterfalls  Llanquihue_Lake

Puerto Varas   Puerto Varas - Forbes   Puerto Varas - Chile Travel 

Valpariso to Puerto Montt - Looking East

Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas on Lago Llanquihue,  Petrohue Falls & Osorno Valcano

Osorno Volcano

Lago Llanquihue from Osorno Volcano

View of Snow Capped Peak from Trail