Hello/Goodbye Ushuaia. . . . . . . . . .

Ushuaia, Argentina

March 8, 2018 

50F - Showers

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to actually revisit Ushuaia, Argentina!

First time was in January 2013. Paula and I were heading to Antarctica and, as in 

most Polar expeditions going south, embarked our ship here in Ushuaia. 

With an overnight to gather the passengers and crew, we had time to wander

 the streets, eat in a local cafe where I enjoyed the best veggie quiche ever, and 

do a little jewelry shopping at the local craft market.

Flying in over the awesome Patagonian landscape, the return was like a homecoming,

and I was so excited to know Bob was going to share the experience of visiting the

 southernmost city in the world! 

A bus transported us into town. . . . . . . the only difference being the colorful swathes

 of lupins were missing this time as the autumn season was about to begin so, sadly, 

flowers were few.

A bustling port with steep streets and jumbled buildings, the jumping off point for

 Antarctic trips, capital of Tierra del Fuego province, nestled between the snow-capped

 Martial mountain range and the famed Beagle Channel.

We enjoyed the all too brief visit - but our ship was waiting. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . and we sailed away at sunset, through the Beagle Channel, catching the

 evening tide, ready for the promised adventure.

Next time: Welcome aboard and sailing to Chile.

To the ends of the earth . . . . . . . . . . .

Buenos Aires, Argentina: 

March 6-8, 2018

First stop when heading south to reach the embarkation point 

for most ships sailing to the end of the world.

After joining our friends form California, Paula, Kim, and Rob at the Dallas

airport, we met up with the majority of our soon to be 105 'new best friends/shipmates' 

here in the vibrant Argentinian capital - home of TANGO - and a city I

 visited back in 2013 HERE on the way to Antarctica.  

Paula and I were thrilled to see two familiar British couples among the crowd, we all

 met on another Noble Caledonia ship 5 years ago when we went to Japan and

 Kamchatka, Russia. 

In Buenos Aires nothing seemed to have changed. . . . . . a huge bustling city

 of contrasts, from screaming colors and tango music of barrio San Telmo, to

 the quiet neutrals in the Recoleta Cemetery.

~ Floralis Generica ~

Designed and paid for by Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano, the Floralis Generica, 

a giant silver flower, has been a striking city landmark since it opened in 2002. 

The enormous metal flower blooms anew each day in a pool of water next to the

 National Museum of Fine Arts, revealing four long stamens inside.

No one goes to Recoleta cemetery without a visit to Evita’s grave. By Recoleta

 standards, however, it is quite nondescript. Three years after former First Lady Perón

 died of cancer in 1952, her body was removed by the Argentine military in the wake

 of a coup that deposed her husband, President Juan Perón. 

The body then went on a transatlantic odyssey for nearly twenty years before

 finally being returned to the Duarte family mausoleum in Recoleta Cemetery.

 She now lies in a crypt five meters underground, heavily fortified to ensure that

 no one can disturb the remains of Argentina’s most beloved and

 controversial First Lady.

I have hundreds of pix from sunny, hot Buenos Aires but no way to share

 them all - so here's Bob checking the time and telling me it's time to get back on

 the bus, so that's it for now!

Next time I'll show you our quick stop in Ushuaia where the Hebridean Sky was 

awaiting to welcome us and sail away to the actual bottom of the world!

We arrived home on Friday after the 8 hour flight from Santiago, Chile

to Miami, then another 2 hours to Raleigh. Greeted by sunshine but very 

chilly temperatures - apparently March was quite fierce whilst we were gone - 

I was glad for my own bed. . . . . .and silly things such as my coffee mug, pillow,

and our tweeting pair of Carolina wrens on the front porch.

Early in the trip (and I'm still suffering) I did come down with the dreaded 'bug' 

which seems ever-present these days when flying and spending time in close

 quarters on ships etc.  No matter how hard one tries with hand sanitizer, germs

 are spread, and I still have to say those European colds/chest infections always

 hit me hard when I travel, seeming to be much more intense than our run 

of the mill American upper respiratory bugs!

Anyway, we did have a wonderful time on this latest expedition trip - and 

gradually I'll share all the amazing days at sea as we cruised the Chilean

fjords, met lovely people, saw places few have the privilege of visiting - for

 lack of that always fabulous rubber Zodiac boat - and were just thrilled by water, 

mountains, glaciers, wildlife, rainbows and stars.

Hello from Argentina. . . . . . . . .

Made it to Buenos Aires without any hitches thankfully. . . . . .but it was tiring,

 around 14 hours total traveling. We are still wide awake though and will be off to

 dinner at 7 pm (early for BA where 10 pm is more the locals time to dine. . . and

 then dance tango!  

View from our hotel room includes Torre Monumental, formerly prior to the

 1982 Falklands War named Torre de los Ingleses (Tower of the English).

 It was a gift from the local British community to the city in commemoration of the

 centennial of the May Revolution of 1810. The tower is Palladian style, decorated

 with symbols of the British Empire, featuring the thistle of Scotland, the English rose,

 the Welsh dragon and the Irish shamrock.

Tomorrow we head out - two bus loads of mostly Brits - on a 4 hour

 sightseeing tour of this huge city of around 3 million people + a million more

 who come to work in the city daily, and known as the Paris of South America.

Hope to get more photos to share before flying further south to

 Ushuaia to embark our ship on Thursday.

Have a great evening.

. . . . . . and the winner is. . . . .

. . . . . . . . blog friend LOREE who lives on the Mediterranean island of MALTA, 

a place where they never see snow-covered landscapes such as I'll view

 on this upcoming trip!

Congratulations Lorree - you were one of several commenters who guessed

Argentina and Chile, the two countries we'll be visiting on this expedition

cruise in March. Tossed those names in Bob's hat and he drew your entry this

 morning as we drank our first coffee, bleary-eyed and still in our pjs, haha!

Loree, please e-mail me your mailing address later and I'll be on the lookout

 for a little memento to send along from one of those two countries.

 Loree, a long time blogger, has just started a beautiful new

 blog titled - Sincerely Loree - this year. 

I'm sure you will love it. She's an excellent writer, shares great photos as well as

 the amazing history of her small island country which I visited last year.

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

MS Hebridean Sky

Once again, Noble Caledonia will be transporting us, along with friends Paula,

 Kim and Rob, on this expedition to South America. 

The cruise is titled Patagonia & the Chilean Fjords - an Exploration of the Land of

 Fire & Ice from Ushuaia to Valparaiso.

Our ship will be MS Hebridean Sky, sailing to another of the wilder places on our planet.

 This rugged, hauntingly beautiful land of windswept pampas, hanging glaciers,

and tall mountain peaks, where wildlife abounds, will definitely be fascinating.

Thanks to all who left a comment. . . . . . .sorry you couldn't all win!

Anyone out there who's already visited this area and wants to add their stories

here would be welcome. . . . . . meanwhile I'm starting to choose warm/waterproof

 clothing to layer for the cold Zodiac rides ashore, along with something lighter 

to kick up my heels when trying to tango during our stop-over in Buenos Aires

 on the way south! 

Recalling the past ------ special travel stories remembered.

On this day just two years ago I embarked the 

M/S Expedition and sailed away from Ushuaia, Argentina,

southernmost city in the world, on my exciting journey and trip

of a lifetime, to Antarctica.

Never did I expect to travel to all seven continents.

All have provided special memories . . . . . . this one 

was the most amazing. 

If you were following me back then you might recall the awesome

beauty I was able to photograph in the Southern Ocean. With landings 

including the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and on the Antarctic 

Peninsula, we followed the great British explorer Sir. Ernest Shackleton's 

incredible January 1915 journey on his doomed ship Endurance and, as I write, 

the 100th anniversary is probably being celebrated at the bottom of the world.

If you missed those posts, are interested in this area, would like to see more 

of the incredible wildlife, or are planning to visit Antarctica some day - you won't 

be sorry I assure you - take a look.

If you need tips/info for an expedition trip I'll be happy to assist if I can. 

You can visit those old posts by starting here.