Tuesday 3rd February
Today we were scenic cruising, that is not getting off anywhere. It was nice to get up when we wanted, have a leisurely breakfast and chill out. The sun was shining and the sky brilliant blue. Me thinks we have been amazingly lucky with the weather so far. Lets cross our fingers that it will continue.
The scenery is amazing. It reminded me of Norway, but without houses, people and fishing boats. Everywhere you can see the results of the glaciers onto the rocks, every so often in the distance peaks covered in snow slowly pass by. A batch of about ten small seals frolicked around not far from the boat, and brown albatross follow in our wake.
At about 9.00 am we passed through the Messier Canal, and a naturalist gives us commentary on desk. At 12.15 we missed the Fjordo Iceberg, how I dont know, we must have gone off somewhere for a while. We will probably see loads more.
Then at about 1.00 we saw the Tempanos Glacier ahead. It was simply stunning, and we got closer and closer. The ship manuvoured into the fjord, and turned on a penny, so we could see the glacier from all side. It wqs quiet beautiful, and I couldn’t believe how blue and large it was. We stayed on deck for about an hour before heading out again.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the back of the ship outside on deck, taking in the sun and watching the fjords pass us by just perfect.
A great dinner, a glass of wine and then we went to the entertainment. Tonight was a lady from Uruaguay who played the electronic harp. She was brilliant, jazzy, south american, salsary music. Really enjoyed it.
Wednesday 4th February
We awoke to cloudy skies, but expected as the weather forecast said so yesterday. The landscape was very much the same as yesterday, but today felt very brooding today in the grey mist. Occasionally you would get the glimpse of a snow capped mountain, but difficult to see through the low cloud. We saw a few seals leaping around, but that was about it.
Towards lunchtime it started to rain, and you could see how bleak things could get here. You would pass huge huge hills that looked glassy from being polished by glaciers. Little islands everywhere with scrubby bushes, the only greenery that could hang on to life. We saw a fishing boat at one point. You wondered where on earth it had come from, so far from any life.
Then through the mist we saw an upturned hull sticking out of the water, backside up. Still red and misty, it was sunk in 1966, A reminder on just how dangerous these waters are.
About three o’clock we slowed right down as the passage was so shallow, only about one metre below the keel.
As the murky clouds dissipated, the sun came out and sky turned blue. We started to sail through the narrow straights of Magellan, and the wind blew up. A hooley Small islands on every side and amazing skies.
As we turned out into open water we passed an island with a lonely house and lighthouse. Surely now managed remotely, it must have beena lonely place when first built.
We ate in Le Cirque restaurant tonight, very rich, had to walk around the deck three times afterwards.
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