Easter Island

As we continued on to avoid the worst of the storm that was passing through with two days of rough seas, we made it to Easter Island, known in the native language as Rapa Nui. This island belongs to Chile and is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world. The Moai of the island are the focus of the tourism. These are hundreds of enormous statues carved from solid volcanic basalt. After they were carved, they transported them to the coast and stood them upright with no modern equipment to help them. About 600 of these statues have been resurrected. All have similar features. The significance of the face and deep set eyes will probably never be known. Many are more than 18 feet tall and weigh several tons. Deceased ancestors were usually buried below the statues. There is a feeling of energy as you observe these wondrous works of art. .

Punta Arenas, Chile

The next day was a stroll around the city of Punta Arenas, referred to as the gateway to Antarctica. Prior to the completion of the Panama Canal, this was the supply port for ships taking the southern route from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. In the city center, vendors sell their local crafts out of little wagons.

Moreno Glacier

As we sailed to Punta Arenas we were informed of rough weather to the west, the direction we would be heading. So we extended our stay in this southern port of Chile. I was scheduled to do a fly-in landing at a research station in Antarctica but due to the windy conditions we were not able to go so this item will remain on my Bucket List for now. As an alternative, we were flown to Moreno Glacier in Argentina and spent the afternoon hiking for the best views of this 150 mile long sheet of ice.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia, Argentina is the southernmost city in the world, with a population of around 50,000. It is located on the southern coast of Tierra del Fuego and surrounded by mountains. For the first half of the 20^th century the city was centered on a prison for serious criminals where escape would have been impossible.

We celebrated Super Bowl Sunday onboard with a big party and short contests were played during the “commercial” time outs as we didn’t receive the transmissions of the commercials that are so entertaining. It was fun with such an exciting ending to the game. I thought of my friends back home that celebrate this event every year at Ed & Helen's house and toasted with a beer to everyone.

Antarctica

Antarctica – As my photos show, this pristine area include mountain peaks, small coastal areas and islands and actually is dryer than any desert in the world. When in there you can almost feel the moisture being sucked from your skin so it is very important to keep hydrated.

You can see the remoteness of the research station so there is nowhere for a ship of our size to be able to go ashore. For 3 days we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery with occasional penguins playing on icebergs.

Stanley, Falkland Islands

Stanley, Falkland Islands, was our stopping off point before getting into Antarctica. This area has thousands of penguins! They are not threatened by humans so it is very easy to get close to them.

With the British influence here, a pub lunch was just what many wanted including me and my Canadian friend, Cindy.