And then – around Cape Horn! Not much to see, but we did it!
After a wonderful, relaxing day at sea, we arrived in Ushuaia where we took the Southernmost railway to the end of the world – Tierra del Fuego National Park (to Beagle Channel, named after Darwin’s expedition). We learned the history of how it was built by the inmates of the local penal colony. They even have a Post Office there where you can get your postcards stamped “End of the World”. It was very interesting seeing the different landscapes, unfortunately, it was misty and foggy, so we did not get a view of the mountains or the glacier.
Next stop – Punta Arenas. We had a very busy day starting with a drive to Plaza Muñoz Gamero in the centre of the city. It is surrounded by many baroque style mansions, and at the centre is a statue of Hernando de Magallanes. If you want to ensure that you return to this place in the future, you must rub the foot of the statue – of course we did! We also visited the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum, where we learned some of the history of the extinct Fuegian Indians. Our next stop was at a working sheep farm where we had an excellent traditional Chilean lunch including a ‘Pisco Sour’, and a sheep shearing demonstration. Dale was more enthralled with the antique outboards, motors and cars! Then we were off to Fuerte Bulnes in the Strait of Magellan Park – a replica of the wooden hilltop fort built to protect the first Chilean settlement in 1843. Not a lifestyle anyone would look forward to – we were there on a reasonably mild day and were still glad to get back on the bus after an hour visit. Very rudimentary and they had to walk 20 miles to get water – yikes! On our way back to the ship we stopped at the cemetery in town. Apparently, it is ranked in the top ten cemeteries of the world due in part to the care and maintenance of the prolific Cypress trees adorning the walkways. Some very interesting history – including the burial plot of the last of the Fuegian Indians. It is more of a shrine and people leave plaques to say thanks for the fulfillment of their prayers after rubbing the statue.
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