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In Punta Arenas I had the private shore excursion for those in my Ensemble Travel group. (My agency, findacruisedeal.com belongs to the Ensemble Travel Group.) After touring the cemetery and the manion of the Mendendez family, we went to a family ranch for lunch and a sheep-shearing demonstation. If my friends Russ and Charlotte are reading this, I think the sheep's name is baaaaaabara.
In one photo shown, there is a view across the Straight of Magellan to Tierra del Fuego. In another photo you will see the toe of a statue...the tradition here is to rub the toe to have your wish come true. That's why it appears shinier than the rest of the statue.
Between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas we transited the Beagle Channel and the Straight of Magellan. Along the way we saw great scenery including waterfalls and glaciers.
Today we were in Ushuaia, Argentina. It is known as the "Southernmost City" or "The City at the End of the World". I went on a hiking trek today in the national park. The mud was so think they provided us with boots. It was a beautiful hike. Among the photos you can see dams built by some of the thousands of beavers that live in this area.
This was my first New Year at sea. I've wanted to do this ever since I entered the travel business and started findacruisedeal.com 14 years ago. But usually I'm tied up watching USC at a BCS game. The Trojans "off" year allowed me to have my first New Year at Sea. New Year's Eve also represented my 27th anniversary without a drink. The ship did a fantastic job with the balloons, celebration and festivities. I'm pictured here with some new friends. Also shown are the captain of the ship, the cruise director and one of the passengers during the countdown.
During our last day in Antarctica, a group of scientists from one of the USA research centers, Palmer Station, came on board to make a presentation and answer questions. They were quite young but very smart and very talented. Some of their funding came from the stimulus fund. FINALLY something worthwhile from the stimulus bill... but I won't get too political here.
I love Alaska and would lead a group there every year if I had enough clients who wanted to join me each time. The best way I can describe Antarctica is Alaska on steroids. It is a remarkable place and I could not stop taking photos. Penguins here…whales over there…an iceberg floating by beyond. Here are some more photos from day number two of our journey. This is an area known as "Iceberg Alley".
