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| Map of where we’ve traveled over these past many days in the Chilean and Magellan Straits. |
“Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising”
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| Note the snow-covered pointed peak |
Of course, we were disappointed to be unable to post the stunning photos we’ve taken in this remote part of the world. Since we’re far from satellites, the signal is so weak. We can barely write the post, let alone post photos.
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| Snow-covered mountains left us all in awe of the scenes before our eyes. |
After considering several “workarounds,” we’re now able to post with photos and have since gone back to yesterday’s post, adding the images we’d earmarked for that post.
Now, at almost 1:00 pm Friday, December 15th, we’re back in business and able to post correctly. It’s a huge relief! We were both concerned and frustrated being unable to complete the posts, not only for the disappointment in being unable to stay in touch with all of our readers but also for the fact we’d get behind with backlogged photos and stories.
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| We imagined how exciting it would be to be on a small boat maneuvering through the fiords. |
As of today, we’ll be caught up. Early this morning, we disembarked the ship to visit one of the most exciting ports of call during this cruise, Ushuaia, Argentina. Knowing we’ll be returning to Ushuaia in 39 days to board the Antarctica cruise made being here today all the more exciting.
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| The fiords create their own weather system, which was constantly changing. |
Tomorrow, we’ll share the Ushuaia photos. Still, today, we feel it’s important to share the pictures and story of the great passage we made through the Chilean and Magellan Straits, one of the most memorable scenery experiences in our five years of world travel.
With the utmost awe and wonder, for days, our eyes were constantly peeled out the windows and decks (albeit in bitter cold), taking in every fantastic scene of the remote and untarnished area of the world, Patagonia, as shown in the above map.
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| A patch of blue sky at a distance. |
There was no port of call stops. There were no shops, no restaurants, and no trinkets to buy. There was only the finite remoteness of a land we can only imagine, as neither of us had ever witnessed anywhere in the world.
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| Many of the rock formations have a grayish cast. |
I feel breathless in attempting to describe this lonely place near the “end of the world” where one snow-covered mountain and glacier after another caught or attention, leaving us in a state of utter wonder over the magic of the world around us.
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| We sailed over hundreds of miles (KM) through the Chilean Fiords and The Strait(s) of Magellan. The views are breathtaking! |
Our photos cannot do it justice. How does one take a fascinating image of a glacier or mountain when “up close and personal” as we were hour after hour? We sailed through it all morning until dark which didn’t come until almost 11:00 pm each night.
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| Each snow-covered mountain is more beautiful than the next. Photos don’t do it justice. |
A few photos we previously posted of the two of us were indeed taken outdoors around 10:00 pm. The air is cold and fresh. We saw no evidence of human intervention, no trash, no debris, no remnants of human life in any form.
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| Gorgeous glaciers. |
We observed a variety of seabirds, but there was little visible wildlife. However, we anticipated hidden within the rugged terrain, therein may live a vast array of wildlife we may never see.
We’d heard snippets of the Chilean Fiords and the Strait of Magellan. Also, we’ve seen similar settings in other parts of the world, for example, the “sounds” in New Zealand. We’ve anticipated the Norwegian fiords and others. But, no way can we conceive of those being more shocked than that which our eye beheld over these past days at sea.
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| A glacier in the straits. |
Thus, dear readers, with a bit of trepidation, we share today’s photos, knowing full well that there’s no way our amateur photos can depict what our eyes beheld. Know that…within our heartfelt words expressed here…it was astounding. We’ll never forget.
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| This photo was taken through the glass window in the dining room resulting in the blue tint. |
In a mere eight days, we’ll disembark this ship, the Celebrity Infinity, for a month in Buenos Aires, a vast difference from our time aboard the ship, but surely we’ll enjoy it in an entirely different manner.
Be well. Be happy.
Photo from one year ago today, December 15, 2016:
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| This pretty horse caught our attention as we drove through the countryside in Penguin, Tasmania. For more photos, please click here. |