We flew to
Ushuaia in the very south of Argentina, in Tierra del
Fuego at ?Fin del Mondo? ? the end of the world! Here we boarded the
54 passenger, Russian ?Polar Pioneer? and sailed forth on a 19 day cruise
exploring the South Atlantic ? more specifically parts of the Falkland Islands,
South Georgia, the South Orkneys and South Shetlands, and finally the Antarctic
Peninsula.
The scenery was
magnificent ? words fail me! We have seen Penguins that we shall never forget,
big and small, young and old ? King, Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adélie, Magellanic,
Rock-hopper, Macaroni ? the sight and sounds are indelibly imprinted on our
memories?..as are the smells! We made
something in the order of 22 landings in Zodiacs, climbing past vast numbers of
Fur ? and Elephant Seals to get to the nesting places of immense Wandering
Albatross and courting, charming Light-mantled Sooty Albatross.
We visited the
places where Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men had been on that fateful
expedition with the ?Endurance? in 1914-17:- Elephant Island, as well as the bays in the north of South Georgia which formerly harboured the Norwegian
whaling and sealing stations. At Grytviken, most of the rusting remains of that
industry which bear witness to this gruesome trade have been removed. What still
stands, appropriately, is the restored and rededicated Norwegian timber church
from 1913; visitors are encouraged to ring the bells which sound most beautiful
and carry over the fjord. The scientists of the British Antarctic Survey station
nearby no doubt make use of the church.
We
Zodiac-cruised in Antarctic fjords among icebergs and the odd Humpback Whale.
The peace and quite were almost audible in this pristine wilderness. Visiting
both an Argentine and British scientific stations (posting cards in Port
Lockroy?s red mailbox ? might take months for them to be processed!), we reached
our most southern point at 64ْ 58? 336? S. When
returning to Ushuaia, we passed the ominous bastion of Cape
Horn.
Well, being in
that part of the world, we had decided to see some more of South America and
duly set out on a 19 day guided, birding trip of Chile, from south to north,
from Patagonia?s windswept steppes and the spectacular Andean mountains and
fjords, from Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine?s peaks to Puerto Montt?s
volcanic cones, to central Chile with Santiago, Valparaiso and an imposing
Cordilleran range. To the arid desert lands of Arica and heights of the north, interspersed by
oasis-like valleys; we even ascended to over 4.500 meters to reach the Altiplano
in search of birds. We saw all manner of ?aves?, Hummingbirds and geese, amazing
Magellanic Woodpeckers and Inca Terns, rare plovers and plunging Torrent Ducks,
and?the giant, Andean Condor!
