Clear in AM, bucketing down later.
Another sea day and of course we were up and drinking coffee at 5.00 AM. The reason was that we were advised that there would be some good viewing and photo opportunities early in the morning as we sailed to the foot of a tidal glacier.
We got our hearty breakfast and took it to the room and had it on the balcony as we did not want to miss the scenery outside our balcony. Next we bundled up in toques and parkas, including gloves and headed up to the top outside deck to get a clear view of where we were heading.
The wind up there was unbelievable, it was literally life threatening. We hovered behind a glass screen for some time before venturing out into the unprotected front rail while I tried to photograph something to capture the severity of the wind.
We stayed up top for about two hours getting some good shots and the weather was just about perfect. The ship pivoted and headed back down the same route and resumed its journey to Puntas Arenas where we arrive tomorrow and have a tour.
Another sea day and of course we were up and drinking coffee at 5.00 AM. The reason was that we were advised that there would be some good viewing and photo opportunities early in the morning as we sailed to the foot of a tidal glacier.
We got our hearty breakfast and took it to the room and had it on the balcony as we did not want to miss the scenery outside our balcony. Next we bundled up in toques and parkas, including gloves and headed up to the top outside deck to get a clear view of where we were heading.
The wind up there was unbelievable, it was literally life threatening. We hovered behind a glass screen for some time before venturing out into the unprotected front rail while I tried to photograph something to capture the severity of the wind.
We stayed up top for about two hours getting some good shots and the weather was just about perfect. The ship pivoted and headed back down the same route and resumed its journey to Puntas Arenas where we arrive tomorrow and have a tour.
Soon the weather changed and what blue sky we had disappeared. By noon is was torrential rain and everybody seemed to want to eat at the same time, it was a bit of a zoo in the buffet but we found a very amieable couple to chat with.
After both the glacier viewing and lunch we had a nap, or at least I had a nap. Fellette puzzled or read.
There was only one lecture today, on the subject of latitude, very interesting.
Today and tonight we will be in some interesting channels and straits, always with mountains within a few hundred yards or so of the ship.
Some familiar names on the map today:
Vancouver Inside Passage. [Vancouver was a junior officer on Captain Cooks's ship and they named things after the officers or names that suited them at the time of discovery and for map making reasons.]
Magellan Strait, Wellington Island, Zealous Island, Byron Island etc. You can almost tell the nationality of the namer of those places by the names used. Most are Spanish or Portuguese of course.
The weather was only fit for being outside for a limited time today, and by some good fortune it was while the ship was approaching and at the Brujo Glacier, where the captain diverted the ship for us in hope of decent viewing. It was almost a miracle that the weather was perfect for that short time.
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Jim is hopeful that Gail will be joining us on tour tomorrow. She apparently feels ok now and wants to take full advantage of her recovery time, and contagious time, so is staying confined until tomorrow. Apparently there are a number of crew and passengers confined to quarters due to illness. They also have an attendant at the entrance to each eating facility to ensure that your hands are sanitized before entering.
Up on deck, into the wind as we approached the glacier. It was almost life threatening up there, you had to hold on or risk being blown over, or away.
Where the snout of the glacier breaks off into bergie-bits to drift off. These are not ice-bergs, we are not into the ice yet, that is a few days off yet. Believe it or not, that glacier snout is three miles away!!! Hard to believe but it was measured by the ship.
Notice the blue hue to the ice, that is because all the oxygen has been squeezed out of the compacted snow and ice.
We two. I think some of my lost weight is going back on, not sure. Those Canada Ticket parkas were the perfect item this morning, once we got to learn how to keep the hood on in the wind!
Amazing mountain tops. I know not how they get that way yet.
We had coffee and fruit in the Neptune Lounge later, a sanctuary.
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