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FEB 11TH, 2023

DOCKED IN THE PORT CITY OF CHACABUCO. TOOK A CAB TO DRIVE US AROUND THE BEAUTIFUL CHILEAN PATAGONIA LANDSCAPE. THE CAB DRIVER'S NIECE ACCOMPANIED US. SHE WAS OUR GUIDE AND INTERPRETER. VISITED THE OLD MAN'S BEARD WATERFUL. WALKED AROUD THE BEAUTIFUL SIMPSON RIVER AND VISITED THE SMALL TOWN OF AYSEN.

FEB 12TH AND 13TH, 2023

NAVIGATING THE CHILEAN FJORDS.

 CRUISED FOR TWO DAYS, ADMIRING THE ICY BLUE OF MASSIVE GLACIERS AND THE JAGGED PEAKS OF SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS. WE WERE TOLD ONE OF THE MASSIVE GLACIERS HAS BEEN REDUCED TO HALF THE SIZE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. THEY BLAMED IT ON THE WARMING OF THE PLANET.

FEB 14TH, 2023

DOCKED IN THE PORT CITY OF PUNTA ARENAS. THIS CITY THRIVED SINCE IT BECAME THE LAUNCHING CITY FOR SHIPS GOING TO THE ANTARTIC. STOPPED BY PLAZA DE ARMAS, THE NAME USUALLY GIVEN TO THE MAIN SQUARE IN SOUTH AMERICA. VISITED A WONDERFUL MUSEUM DEVOTED TO THE REGION'S NATURAL HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY. STOPPED BY A CEMETERY, THE GRAVESITE OF THE LAST OF THE LOCAL ONA INDIANS

FEB 15TH, 2023

DOCKED IN THE PORT CITY OF USHUAIA. HERE YOU CAN TAKE A TRAIN AND TRAVEL THE SAME RAILWAY THAT CARRIED PRISONERS WHEN THERE WAS A PENAL COLONY OUT HERE. WENT INSIDE THE TERRA DEL FUEGO NATIONAL PARK, CALLED THE END OF THE WORLD, SINCE THE SOUTHERMOST PART OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD. TOOK A LONG WALK ADMIRING THE BEAUTY OF NATURE, AMONGST RIVERS, LAKES AND INCREDIBLE FLORA AND FAUNA.

FEB 17TH TO THE 20TH, 2023

NAVIGATING AROUND ANTARTICA.

SPENT A FEW DAYS NAVIGATING THE VASTNESS OF ANTARCTICA. FOR MANY PASSENGERS, THIS WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. WE WITNESSED WHALES, SEALS AND PEGUINS. WE ENCOUNTERED SOME SMALLERS VESSELS THAT ARE CALLED EXPEDITION VESSELS. THEY TEND TO GO DEEPER AND SPEND MORE DAYS EXPLORING THIS BEAUTIFUL WILDERNESS.

FEB 21ST, 2023

DOCKED IN PORT STANLEY.

VISITED THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD MUSEUM CELEBRATING THE LONG MARITIME, CULTURAL AND NATURAL HISTORY OF THE 700 ISLAND FALKLAND ARCHIPELAGO. IT HAS A POPULATION OF ONLY 2,500. KNOWN FOR SHEEP AND MANY SPECIES OF PENGUINS.VISITED THE 1982 LIBERATION MEMORIAL DEFENDING THE FALKLAND AGAINST THE ARGENTINIAN INVATION, WHERE THEY ALSO HAD A BUST OF MARGRET THATCHER 

FEB 24TH, 2023

DOCKED IN PUNTA DEL ESTE.  

VACATIONERS COME TO THIS PENINSULA TO ENJOY ITS BEAUTIFUL BEACHES. WE VISITED THE ARCHITECTURALLY UNFORGETTABLE CASAPUEBLO, THE LIFELONG BUILDING PROJECT OF THE ARTIST WHO HATED STARIGHT LINES. ADMIRED “THE HAND”, AN ICONIC CONCRETE SCULPTURE OF A GIANT HAND WITH JUST ITS FINGERTIPS EMERGING FROM THE SAND. VISITED ITS FAMOUS 150 FT HIGH LIGHTHOUSE BUILT IN 1860 FROM VOLCANIC ASHES FROM ITALY AND GLASS FROM FRANCE.

FEB 25TH AND 26TH, 2023

DOCKED IN BUENOS AIRES.  

STARTED BY VISITING PLAZA DE MAYO, WHERE EVITA ADDRESSED THE CROWDS FROM THE CASA ROSADA BALCONY. IN THE PLAZA ALSO STANDS A PYRAMID OBELISK CELEBRATING THE 1810 INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN. NEARBY WE VISITED THE GLORIOUSLY FRESCOED METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL. LATER WE STROLLED ALONG THE WORLD FAMOUS RECOLETA CEMETERY, A GRAND PLACE TO BE BURIED. IN THE EVENING THE CRUISE INVITED US TO GREAT DINNER AND TANGO SHOW.

FEB 27TH, 2023

DOCKED IN MONTEVIDEO.  

VISITED ZABALDA SQUARE, NAMED AFTER MONTEVIDEO’S FOUNDER, AND ANCHORED BY A FINE EQUESTRIAN MONUMENT TO THIS SPANISH SOLDIER WHO HELPED KEEP THE PORTUGUESE AND PIRATES AT BAY IN THE 1700S. URUGUAY GAINED THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN IN 1828. PRESENTLY HAS A POPULATION OF 3.5 MILLION. URAGUAY IS RANKED FIRST IN THE AMERICAS FOR DEMOCRACY, AND FIRST IN LATIN AMERICA FOR PEACE, LOW IN CORRUPTION AND HAS AN E-GOVERNMENT.

MARCH 2ND, 2023

DOCKED IN SANTOS.   

DROVE OVER AN HOUR TO THE SAO PAULO , A BUSTLING CITY AND THE CAPITAL OF BRAZIL. VISITED THE BEAUTIFUL SAO PAULO CATHEDRAL. STOPPED BY THE IPIRANGA MONUMENT, ERECTED 1922 T0 COMMEMORATE BRAZIL’S INDEPENDENCE FROM PORTUGAL. STROLLED THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN FRONT OF THE PAULISTA MUSEUM. HEADED BACK TO SANTOS WHERE PELE STARTED HIS SOCCER LIFE AND IS BURIED IN A UNIQUE SIX STORY MAUSOLEUM.WALKED AROUND GONZAGA BEACH, A LONG CRESCENT OF WHITE SAND, CONSIDERED THE LONGEST (3.3 MILES) GARDEN BEACH IN THE WORLD.

MARCH 3RD, 2023

DOCKED IN RIO DE JANEIRO.  

HEADED TO THE FAMOUS SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN, A GRANITE 1200FT HIGH CONICAL MOUNTAIN. RODE THE FIRST CABLE CAR TO THE TOP OF URCA MOUNTAIN. THEN TOOK THE SECOND CABLE CAR TO SUGARLOAF’S SUMMIT WITH A BREATHTAKING VIEW OF COPACABANA BEACH AND THE HARBORS NEARBY. NEXT WE RODE A COG TRAIN UP TO THE TOP OF THE CORCOVADO MOUNTAIN TO REACH THE BASE OF THE FAMOUS CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE. WE SPENT THE NEXT DAY RELAXING ON IPANEMA BEACH.