Category: Antarctica to Alaska

Friday, 11 January 2019 El Calafate, Argentina 300km, 3hr drive to El Calafate. Friend emailed to say the last time she was in El Calafate she nearly got blown off her feet such was the strength of the wind. She’s not wrong. I nearly lose a car door when wind slammed it open with such… Read more

Thursday, 10 January 2019 Rio Gallegos, Argentina Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Gunfire at 0200hrs. Or is it fireworks? Or is it a car backfiring? Either way, it’s enough to wake Touring Taurean from his already disturbed sleep. Had been woken at 0100hrs by people talking outside my window. Windows are paper thin. You… Read more

Wednesday, 9 January 2019 Ushuaia, Argentina Off to the airport to pick up hire car from Hertz, to drive 2,200km to Bariloche over the next week. All the forms are signed. Time to pay. Credit card declined when he inserts card. Credit card declined again when he does it manually. Credit card declined when he… Read more

Tuesday, 8 January 2019 Ushuaia, Argentina Not so much the Land of Fire, more the Land of Chucking it Down with Rain. Dismal day. Dismal view from cabin window. Ushuaia port. No more cruising now. This is where I start heading north for good. Fond farewells to Table 8. We’ve only known each other four… Read more

Monday, 7 January 2019 Wulaia Bay, Tierra del Fuego, Chile We’d been warned that it was going to be very choppy again in the night as we approached Cape Horn. Early start at 0600hrs. Peek through the curtains as the sun is rising above mirror like glassy water. Dead calm. Blue sky. Sod it. They’ve… Read more

Sunday, 6 January 2019 Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego, Chile Bang. Pause. Bang. Pause. Bang. Pause. What. The. Is. That. Bang. Pause. Rhythmically. Investigate. It’s 0400hrs. We’re going around the Brecknock Peninsula. It’s very choppy. Not as choppy as the Bransfield Strait though. Bang. Pause. It’s in my room. Finally. It’s the door of the… Read more

Saturday, 5 January 2019 Tuckers Island, Tierra del Fuego, Chile Set my alarm last night. In the middle of the Magellan Strait still have a phone signal. But. Whilst setting alarm, the clock time fast forwarded an hour. Oh flip. That can’t be right. It can only be an Argentine signal and that’s certainly not… Read more

Friday, 4 January 2019 Magellan Strait, Chile A dose of manflu the past couple of days has been rectified by a large Drambuie and Beechams. Do not try that at home kids! Feeling fresh as a daisy now and its bettered by a WhatsApp and an email. My young(ish) German female friend is querying why… Read more

Thursday, 3 January 2019 Punta Arenas, Chile Day of rest. Do nothing. Catch up on blog. You lucky people. Do have a nightcap though in the Shackleton Bar in Restaurant Jose Nogueira. Sara Braun’s old palatial mansion where Shackleton shacked up after his exploits. Every polar explorer should have a Clavo Oxidado (sure you’ll work… Read more

Wednesday, 2 January 2019 Punta Arenas, Chile Final breakfast on board and then when flight is confirmed as having taken off from Punta Arenas, we board the Zodiacs for the final time. Sad. Very Sad. Land at Bellinghausen. “Welcom to Russia!”, says Nigel, our guide. It’s a fine line between Chile and Russia. An hour’s… Read more