October 29 – November 3, 2023

The night of October 29, 2023, we sailed through an inlet that opened into the Pacific Ocean. They warned us that it could be rough, and sure enough, it was! That, however, was only a taste of what was to come.

As always, our meals on the small cruise ship, the Ventus Australis, were amazing. Wonderful, inventive and creative choices every meal. I rarely could eat everything put in front of me. Thankfully, we were getting lots of good exercise on our excursions.

I decided to take a rest day on October 30 while Kathy ventured out to Wulaia Bay where she observed the history and lifestyle of the nomadic Yaghan people who first populated the area.

That night, the Australis turned towards Cape Horn, the southernmost point in South America. It is less than 600 miles from Antarctica. The seas were really rough throughout the night–“Rockin’ and a-Rollin’!” There were times I was not sure I could keep from rolling off the bed. We were cruising right where the Atlantic and the Pacific meet at the bottom of the world. We were scheduled for a 6 AM zodiac ride to the lighthouse on the island; however, the sea’s turbulence did not permit it, so we were content to cruise around the Horn and receive a document from the captain stating we had reached the “End of the World.” As the Australis turned towards Ushuaia, Argentina, the seas calmed and the trip, while beautiful with clear blue waters and snow-covered mountains on every side, was uneventful.

The next morning, we bid our fine cruise ship good-bye and moved into our hotel in Ushuaia, the largest city in Patagonia, with about 80,000 people. The setting of the city is awesome. Forests extended from our hotel right up to the snow of the peaks behind us. Below us was the ocean. We spent most of the day touring the beautiful Tierra del Fuego National Park filled with lakes, forests and mountains.

The next morning we boarded a plane for our trip back to Buenos Aires where our journey began. Our hotel was awesome and the evening enchanting. It was tango night! Our theatre restaurant was iconic and atmospheric. It harkened back to the 1940’s/50’s. I thought our meals had been beyond excellent the entire trip, but this one was a level beyond. Everything Argentina is known for was on a plate in front of us, and Argentinian wines flowed freely. I savored every bite! Then the show started. Wow! Tango tunes roared from the band and the tango dancers danced away. Suddenly, a soloist appeared and sang popular tango tunes from over the years. The crowd from around the world really got into it. I very much appreciated the pan pipe and flute band, playing “gaucho” music. But the gaucho dancer took the breath away as he swung leather ropes with wooden balls attached to the end and whirled them around with the balls hitting the floor in time with the music all the while he danced and flipped and cartwheeled. The tribute to Eva Peron (“Evita”), the beloved wife of dictator Juan Peron, was moving. Images of her and the 100’s of thousands who flocked to her wherever she went filled the screen. A soloist sang–quite excellently–“Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.” We thoroughly enjoyed the hour and a half program. The next morning, November 2, we spent time with our fellow travelers at our lovely hotel before heading to the airport for our overnight trip home, arriving safely on November 3. How blessed we were to experience the majesty of God’s creation in a place I really did not know much about. Southern South America, a place known as Patagonia–who knew what wanders it held? Thankful, thankful we are, and blessed!