Junaid's blog

Rainbow Mountain Vinnicuna

2024-04-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

Up early, the van rolled around and picked me up from in front of the airbnb. The journey took place in a large van. A brief stop for a basic breakfast and then on to a dirt road that kept climbing past scenic villages.

The road was muddy in spots and we almost got stuck at one point.

Everybody got off and the driver was able to get the van going. After a long drive, we pulled in to a large level parking area. Elevation 5000m or 16000ft. Lots of vendors, tour groups, horses for rent, ATVs etc. were milling around. The group was given a few minutes to practice riding ATVs and then it was off to the races.

We proceeded single file up a switchbacking dirt track. While it was lot easier than walking, care neded to be taken to keep the ATV under control and pointed in the right direction. Finally we came to the viewpoint. You could definitely feel the altitude. The guides had supplemental oxygen with them just in case. Altitude-sickness medication was also available. It was a magnificent vista with the rainbow colored mountain front-and-center as advertised. A mixture of clouds and sunshine.

Mt. Asungate (~21000 ft) towered on the other side, festooned with glaciers. This was probably the highest altitude I had ever been in my life and it made me nervous.

After the obligatory pictures the group headed down. The girl ahead of me lost control and her ATV went off the trail and the ATV literally somersaulted a couple of times down the steep hillside before coming to a stop. We all stopped and watched in horror. The guide and the girl's companion rushed down to the upturned ATV. I had a sickening feeling that she might have snapped her neck. Thankfully she seemed ok for the most part. The guide put her on the backseat of a double person ATV. We returned to the parking lot, sorted out the ATVs and helmets. Several vendors were selling touristy knicknacks. Some unsavory-looking alpaca meat stew was also on offer. We were soon on our way down. Journey back was a lot quieter and uneventful. Fetched up in Cusco pretty late.All in all, a great way to end the trip.

Machu Picchu and Huchuy Picchu

2024-04-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

Up at the crack of dawn to take a taxi to the train station. The Inca Rail train was comfortable but there was no room to stow backpacks.

I had to leave my large duffle in the locker at the station and just take everything in a small pack. The train left promptly at 6:40am. The train journey was amazing with stunning views of river, lush forest and mountains. The morning sun was catching the tops of the mountains as we trundled along the true right side of the river. The views of the surrounding mountains were spectacular and well worth the price of the ticket. The train deposited the passengers in Aguas Calientes (aka Mach Picchu Pueblo). The train station exit was very confusing and led past a maze of stalls selling the usual touristy junk. Somehow I managed to get out and find a coffee shop. Fortified by a caramel macchiato and queso croissant, I found the hotel where I was staying and parked my excess baggage at the reception. Found the office and enquired about tickets for circuit 2. The lady said there was some availability for tomorrow and told me to come back in the afternoon. She also noted my passport number. The circuit 2 is the most popular circuit as it goes to the guard hut, which supposedly has the most iconic Machu Picchu view.

This circuit was booked solid when I made my reservation on-line. Took the bus to Machu Picchu. Nice ride with views of the green mountains and valleys flistening in the sun. A few hard-core hikers were walking the road. The check-in went smoothly with timed entry slots. Place was crowded, but not to the point of overflowing. I was on circuit 4 with a side hike to Huchuy Picchu, a small mountain overlooking the enire Machu Picchu complex. The ruins were fascinating, but frankly I found Ollantaytambo to be pretty close in impressiveness. The selfie-taking instagram crowd was a bit too much at times here. Weather was nice with clouds and sun after some initial rain. I slowly made my way to the Huchuy trailhead, wandering past various temples and viewpoints along the way. There is a gate at the trail leading to Huchuy Picchu and Huwayna Picchu hikes. It was open and unmanned so I assumed I was clear and stopped to eat a snack. However a few yards down the trail there was another guard shack with a guy checking permits. He begrudgingly let me pass even though I was a little late due to the afore-mentioned snack break. The trail was insanely steep, hot and humid to boot. Almost felt like a scramble at times. Very few places to sit or take a break until one reached a switchback. I sat on a rock but was startled to find a large and dangerous-looking millipede crawling right next to me. Very few bugs otherwise despite the hot and jungly nature of the place. The trail continued its relentless climb and soon I was on top admiring a birds-eye view of Machu Picchu.

I doubt the guard hut view would have been any better. I was glad I had not signed up for the bigger hike because this was plenty tough for me. I had the top all to myself, one of the advantages of coming late. However, I was soon joined by the guard from earlier who told me to pack it up and head down as it was closing time. He graciously took some pics of me at the top and then we headed down.

I was very glad to have the hiking poles to slow my descent.

The guy closed and locked the gate behind me. I took my time on the way out and completed the circuit. Each circuit has some attractions that are only on that circuit and I was pretty satisfied with circuit 4. After taking the bus back to town I decided against getting the ticket for cicuit 2 for the next day. I was "ruined out" and felt I had seen enough. Had some Mexican food and made my way to the hotel. It was a pretty basic room but it did the job. Unfortunately there was a motion-activated light in the hallway that kept turning on and off all night long.

Sacred Valley

2024-04-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

Up early to meet the taxi guy who was waiting at the door. Grabbed some breakfast in the main square of Ollantaytambo before heading to the cirular terraced sinkholes of Maracay. The road was the same familiar one past the skyhotel and the pan chuta vendors. The terraces were impressive and there were some nice views as the road climbed out of the valley. I spent an hour or so wandering along the rim but didn't think it was worth going all the way down. Then it was onwards along a dirt road to Chinchero. The road ran along wheat and barley fields with great views of the mountains across the valley.

There was a brief stop at some artisinal place where the local women sell hand-crafted hats and stuff made from alpaca wool.

The clouds were building throughout the day and the skies opened up just as the taxi pulled up to the church area. I think the taxi guy thought I was going to skip the church, but I just put on the rain jacket and went up the steep hill in pouring rain. The 3900m altitude of Chinchero was definitely noticeable as I paused frequently and and sucked air in big gasps. The water channel in the middle of the cobbled street was gushing with a torrent of rain water run off. Mercifully the rain eased off by the time I got to the church.

The big grassy square was occupied by multiple women selling their wares. They had covered them with tarps but started uncovering them as the rain tapered off completetely. By the time I had checked out the dimly lit and depressing church, the women were aggressively marketing their wares. I ran their gauntlet and headed down. On the way back the last stop was the salt flats of Salineras. It requird a 20 soles ticket that was not covered by the boleto turistica. The salt flats were interesting. It was amazing to see the sacks of salt stacked high in a covered shed and see the small trickle of salty water that had produced all this salt.

Ollantaytambo Inca Ruins

2024-04-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

Walked over to the ruins after a slow start. The place was still relatively uncrowded as I started the climb up the staired terraces. Views were great in every direction. There were old granaries' inca ruins across the river valley. The terraces proided nice level resting spots to pause and admire the views. Eventually I made it up to the upper wall where the Inca craftsmanship was at its best.

Huge rocks had been fitted together to make strong walls without any mortar or cement or iron implements.

The temple of the sun was the best example of this stone work.

This was one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish invaders. The trail continued to a river after I got down.

Farewell to Buenos Aires

2023-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Last day in Argentina. Up around 9am and spent some time packing. Walked past the infantry base along a nice tree-lined pathway to a nearby Starbucks. This Starbucks was inside a large shopping mall (Jumbo) right next to the city mosque.

Took an Uber to Boca stadium (La Bombanera). The driver was very friendly and pointed out many landmarks, including the famous cemetery in Recolleta that was Evita's resting place. I had forgotten all about it but now regretted not seeing it. Boca was thronged with soccer fans of every stripe. This area (Camanito) was more touristy than any other part of Buenos Aires. Colorful buildings and gift shops lined the streets. This was a totally different side of the city compared to the historic center or trendy Palermo area. A little bit more run-down once you got away from the tourist area. Spent the afternoon wandering the tourist-clogged streets, the riverfront and lunch (a very decent burger).

Took another Uber to the Recolleta cemetery but it was closed already. Apparently there is a solar-powered flower sculpture nearby but I didn't feel like walking anymore in the heat. Instead I spent some time walking in the park outside the cemetery.

It felt sad saying good-bye to this bustling pretty city but I guess all good things eventually have to come to an end. Back to the airbnb for final packing and then off to the airport.

Montevideo to Buenos Aires

2023-12-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

Up early on a Sunday morning. Heated up the left-over pizza and had it on the balcony overlooking the deserted street below. The helpful airbnb/hostel guys hauled my luggage down the stairs and refused to accept any tips. A few stressful moments as the Uber ride vanished at the last minute, only to be replaced by another driver. Thankfully this guy drove fast down the deserted streets, and made it to Tres Cruces bus station with just a few minutes to spare. The COT bus left at 1130 sharp and got to Colonia in about 3 hours. Rented another golf cart from Thrifty (Thrifty stored my luggage) and spent the afternoon wandering the town looking for a decent mocha, but unfortunately did not find any. Apart from Starbucks nobody here knows that there is such a thing as a mocha. Did find the lighthouse I had missed the first time.

After a pleasant afternoon in Colonia, boarded the Buquebus ferry and left Uruguay at 7pm. This ferry was a lot bigger and they checked your luggage like an airplane. This was great as I was tired of hauling my heavy duffle. Ran into a couple from Montana that were on the Antarctica cruise. Apparently you can book a day trip for dirt cheap, would have saved a lot of hassle had I known about it. The Argentine immigration took a long time. Had a bit of trouble checking into the airbnb with an easter egg hunt for keys in lock boxes and door codes, but finally made it in by 10pm. Walked to a nearby place called Taco Box and had some really good tacos. I was struck by how lively the street scene in Buenos Aires was compared to Montevideo. People were still out and about at midnight and restaurants were full.

Montevideo, Uruguay

2023-12-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

Gave up on any plans to go to Punta del Este and decided to spend the day in Montevideo. Moved to a nicer airbnb near the heart of the city. This was a really cool restored house close to Plaza Independencia. Interesting decor and kind of like a hostel, but with private rooms and bathrooms. Checked out Plaza Independencia, had lunch at a shawarma place and then walked down to the waterfront (Rambla). Prices for food in Uruguay were much higher than Argentina, basically same as the US. The muddy brown water of Rio de Plata was not particularly inviting but a few kids were splashing in the waves next to a non-descript beach. Montevideo looked pretty plane jane compared to Buenos Aires. Went back to Tres Cruces and bought ferry ticket for Buqubus and COT bus to Colonia for tomorrow.

Took an uber to Playa Docitos, supposedly one of the nicer beaches. It was definitely nice, with a chocolate sea breaking on a brown sandy beach. Wind was brisk and the Peligro flags were flying. Nice wide promenade and bike path next to the beach and a few kite boarders playing on the water. Very few people walking on the sandy beach.

Had dinner at a pizza place next to the waterfront. Blew a bunch of Uruguayan cash as I didn't see anything worth buying. Despite it being the weekend there was very little hustle and bustle. Most of the shops were closed and the city looked deserted.

Colonia, Uruguay

2023-12-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

Caught the morning ferry to Colonia. The Uruguayan immigration was handled before you even got on the ferry. The Colonia Express ferry left from the south docks past some industrial-looking waterfront. An hour of speeding acoss the muddy Rio de la Plata and we arrived in Colonia. Wasted a couple of hours figuring out buses and rental cars. The exchange rate was another rude awakening. Things were much more expensive here. Booked a bus ticket to Montevideo and stashed the luggage at a nearby place. Rented a golf cart from Thrifty and explored the historic old town. It was definitely very scenic. Cobbled streets, flowering bushes and waterfront views, pretty much as quaint as it gets.

After exploring the town for a couple of hours, grabbed some empanadas and rushed back to the bus station. The bus was a massive double-decker with AC going full blast. The drive was along scenic but flat heavily agricultural countryside. I was glad I didn't rent a car, it would have been a long boring drive. The bus got to Montevideo around 9pm. The bus station (Tres Cruces) was also a bustling mall. Given the uncertainty of my plans, I ended up getting a last minute airbnb which was in a somewhat sketchy part of town. Pretty much found the place and crashed.

Ushuaia to Buenos Aires

2023-12-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Up early for disembarkation day. Breakfast was a little somber. It was sad saying goodbye to the staff who had done such a great job taking care of the passengers. Especially in some pretty challenging conditions during the return. After breakfast they loaded us onto buses and it was off to the airport to catch the flight back to Buenos Aires. The flight was around noon. I regretted not spending more time in Ushuaia, it seemed like a cool little town. The Fly Bondi charter plane was pretty run-down, clearly hadn't been cleaned in a while. However it got us back in Buenos Aires by afternoon. Didn't do much in the evening, still recuperating from the Drake Passage. Went to a nearby mall in Palermo (Alto Palermo) and bought a ferry ticket to Colonia for the next day.

Drake Passage Reveals Its True Colors

2023-12-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

Conditions continued to get worse after midnight. By 2am the ship was rolling so heavily that it was hard to stay on the bed. I could see the foaming waves and they looked pretty damn close to the 6th deck. Getting out of bed to go to the bathroom was a perilous endeavor that needed to be timed with the rolls. Best strategy was to lie spread-eagle in bed, maximizing contact surface area and friction with the bed. I also devised a lee cloth arrangement by tucking the covers under myself to reduce the rolling. Around 3am the heel angle became so substantial that the ship altered course westward to point the bow more into the waves. The captain had slowed the ship speed to 1-2 knots, essentially heaving to in sailing parlance. This decreased the rolling, but now the whole ship shuddered periodically as the bow slammed into the huge swells. I could hear deck chairs sliding on the balconies and loose stuff crashing all over the boat. By morning the seas had become huge. The Captain came on the PA system and told us that they had seen Force 12 wind (60 kts) all night, with gusts up to 100kts!! Swell had gone to 30m (100 ft!!), no wonder the waves looked so close to the 6th deck. Truly mind-boggling conditions. The sea was a fearsome sight in the morning. Big heaving mountains of swell with breaking waves and foam flying all over the place. These would definitely be survival conditions on a sailboat. I somehow lurched my way down to the 4th deck for breakfast. It was a feat just to plunk myself in a chair without falling. Going through the buffet aisle with a plate was out of the question. Plates were crashing periodically and the aft deck behind the retaurant was awash in waves. The chairs and deck furniture was sliding side to side at dizzying speed with the sea water. Boarding waves were coming onto the 4th deck regularly. Even the restaurant wait staff were taking videos with their cell phones. Clearly, these were impressive conditions even for these Antrctica veterans. I ran ino the Portugese ship engineer at the coffee shop. He was definitely looking van, I asked him if he had seen worse conditions. He said only once, in the Bay of Biscay -- and he was a 20-30 year veteran! Most of the passengers were laying low. I spent considerable time on the 4th deck midship which seemed like the more stable place. I went to the 7th floor hoping to catch a glimpse of Cape Horn but no such luck. The Dome observation lounge and all external decks were closed. Crew was cleaning up the mess in the Dome lounge as a lot of stuff had gotten thrown around. The elevators were shut down all day. Found out later that at least one passenger had fallen out of her bed several times last night and then slept on the floor rest of the night. Even a bed has flipped somewhere. By around 3 or 4pm the conditions improved enough that we resumed course towards Cape Horn. By 8 or 9pm we were finally in the protection of the islands at the tip of Tierra del Fuego. Seas were still pretty rough but much better than the previous night. We were now far enough north that it actually got dark at night. Dinner was OK, I had wisely skipped lunch. Night was spent packing as luggage was supposed to be placed outside rooms by 1am. Things got progressively better as we entered the Beagle Channel. I had survived the Drake Shake.

Drake Shake Commences

2023-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

Conditions continued to worsen overnight. Snow was flying outside. Swell increased to 40-50 ft during the day. Breakfast was an adventure, plates crashing all over the place. Waiters were doing a heroic job serving us in these conditions. The coffee shop (aka Paula's Pantry) was probably the best place to be, as it was low down and amidships. I was queasy at times but not too bad. The elevators were closed by mid-day and doors leading to external decks were also shut down. By evening the apparent wind was over 50 kts. Ship was rolling heavily. Handholds were essential walking down the corridor. The seas were enormous, the kind of stuff you read about in sailing accounts of the Southern Ocean. Foam blowing off the tops of waves, huge swells, fierce Force 12 gale. In other words, the whole 9 yards. I spent most of the day in the room watching the interactive map and various readouts. What was making me even more nervous was that this was the ship's (World Explorer) maiden voyage in the Antarctic. I hoped the boat and the crew were going to be equal to the challenge.

Pendulum Cove, Deception Island in the South Shetlands

2023-12-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

Last day in Antarctica. We headed for Deception Island, a ring-shaped volcanic island in the South Shetlands. There were several whaling stations and outpsts here -- no doubt due to the protected nature of the harbor inside the caldera. In 1970 there was an eruption here that destroyed the Chilean station. The only entrance is a small opening called Neptune's Bellows. There is a submerged rock at the entrance to keep mariners on their toes. We passed dramatic orange and yellow cliffs and entered the bay. There was an iceberg right by the entrance with a bunch of penguins lounging on it.

Some delapidated buildings and tanks were scattered along the shore. Another cruise ship was leaving just as we were entering. I was hoping we would anchor but they just fired up the GPS system that holds the ship in place with bow/stern thrusters. The destination today was Pendulum Cove. A dramatic place with fumaroles pumping out steam right at the water's edge. The zodiac nosed up on the black rocky beach and we had to exit by swinging our legs over the side while facing the stern. This was probably the only time the rubber boots came in handy. In hindsight, hiking boots and gaiters would have been adequate for the vast majority of the shore excursions. There were a few penguins wandering on the beach and a seal (Wedell or Elephant) sleeping close by. The crew had beaten a boot track in the snow, up a small hill overlooking the cove. After doing the hill I wandered over to the ruins of the Chilean station destroyed by the vlcano. The beach offered some nice views and close encounters with a few penguins.

It was quite cold but I was sweating inside the warm parka. I was glad to get out of there and back to the ship where I could shed some layers. After the excursions were over, we headed out towards the Drake Passage. It was time to say goodbye to Antarctica. A few large icebergs outside the islands were the last reminders of our journey to the frozen continent.

By midnight we were back in the open Southern Ocean. The passage back was predicted to be a lot rougher than our inbound trip. Soon enough snow flurries started up. Wind picked up but swell was still pretty manageable. They had a map/ship camera display on the TV system. By midnight the apparent wind was hitting 50 kts and shifting forward of beam. I went up to the dome observation lounge where people were dancing and drinking, oblivious to the building seas outside. I couldn't really see much from the windows as far as the sea state was concerned. The boat had started to roll and I had no desire to go out on the deck, so I retired to my cabin. Braced myself against the rolling and went to bed.

Yalour Islands, Vernadsky Base, Polar Plunge

2023-12-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

The plan today was to visit Yalour Islands and also visit the Ukrainian Base nearby. One of the expedition crew (Sasha) had worked at that base for 5 years so he had facilitated the visit. Unfortunately the sea ice had other plans. First we couldn't get to shore because the ice was too densely clustered to allow a shore landing. Instead we did a zodiac cruise among the icebergs. Got some good views of penguin colonies on shore as well as an elephant seal. Jean Roc, the expedition leader, was on our zodiac and gave a good nature talk as we zoomed along the icebergs. Even fishing out a large basketball-sized chunk of black ice and passing it around. After returning we found out another boat had sighted a whale and gotten very close to it. Unfortunately we never saw it from our zodiac. The second trip was also foiled by the sea ice as there was no place to land close to the Ukrainian base (Vernadsky) . We could see it from ths ship, but the water was littered with icebergs of varying sizes. It was like a minefield or maze but with continuous shifts in the blocks. The ship was nosing through the ice at 1-2 kts. I went to the forward 5th deck section just above the bow. It was cool to see the boat nosing icebergs aside with loud thumps. Guess that is what made it an ice class ship. We chugged along like this for most of the afternoon.

Then it was time for the polar plunge. Many passengers lined up in bathrobes and took the plunge. I just stepped down the step-ladder to my thighs.

LeMaire Channel , Petermann Island, Port Charcot

2023-12-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

Up at 6am to witness the traverse of LeMaire Channel. A spectacular narrow channel with 3000 ft mountains on either side. I grabbed my camera and rushed to the observation dome on the 7th deck. There were already quite a few people there but I managed to find a seat. The next hour was spent soaking in the sights and snapping away with the cameras.

After breakfast it was time for the shore excursion to Petermann Island. This was a relatively flat walk along the shore with multiple Gentoo Penguin rookeries. There was a red hut with an Argentine flag on it nearby. It was nice easy walk ag got very close to the penguins. Skua birds were harassing the penguins and stealing their eggs.

Next stop was Port Charcot. This was a tricky landing on a steep wet rock covered with penguin poop. After getting up the rock there were steps cut in snow to get onto a relatively flat shelf. One trail led left up a hill to a stone cairn, the second trail veered right and made a loop among penguin rookeries overlooking the water. I chose to do the flat loop, since getting down snow slopes in rubber boots was not easy. Many of the hiking poles provided by the ship did not have snow baskets, so they just sank into the snow and provided little support.

After doing the loop it was time to head back to the zodiac. I was not looking forward to walking down the slick rock covered with penguin shit. However the crew did a good job of providing support. Even the ship doctor was there with the crew, helping people down the rock. I was pleasantly surprised to see thae ruber boots provided great traction on the slick rock.

We spent the night in the same place as this was the night for some passengers to go camp onshore. After dinner the zodiacs ferried the campers ashore. The ship did not anchor, instead it stayed in place using GPS and thrusters. The downside was the constant noise from the thrusters.

Antarctica Landfall, Orney Harbour, Cuverville

2023-12-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

This was the big day. First shore excursion and landfall on Antarctica. Zodiacs whisked us ahore in batches. The snow was pretty deep and it was hard to walk in it with rubber boots. The crew had beaten a track in the snow up a steep hill but it was not partcularly well-packed and post-holing was very frequent. Furthermore half the hiking poles they provided did not have snow baskets which made them fairly useless in soft snow. A walk up to the first switchback flag was good enough for me. The zodiac ride among the icebergs was great offering tons of scenic views. They were pretty methodical about scanning room keys for leaving/returning to ship. Naveen, the security officer, did the scanning. We also had to walk though a disinfecting station to clean our boots upon return to the ship.This was to prevent from spreading diseases from one penguin colony to the next.

Ice was shifting constantly. By the time the last zodiacs were leaving Orney, the ice was already closing in as shown in this photo below.

Next excursion was supposed to be Cuverville but the expedition crew was unable to find a clear path to shore. So it was turned into Zodiac cruising. We spent a good chunk of time wandering among large icebergs in the zodiac. Spotted a leopard seal.

After the shore excursion we continued to sail past scenic views. We were pretty close to the Antarctic Circle at 64 degrees south. The sky didn't really get dark at night.

Drake Lake. Arrival in Antarctica

2023-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

The conditions in Drake Passage were moderate. Winds of 20-25 kts and 10 ft swell. The expedition crew checked all the passengers gear (packs, outer clothing) that was going ashore. The made a show of shaking and vacuuming to remove any biological contaminants. It was a sunny day, the ocean looked pretty benign> pretty blue water with some white caps. Seemed easily sailable in a sailboat. Albatrosses and Petrels accompanied the ship. The exceptionally nice weather continued throughout the evening. A beautiful Antarctic Ocean sunset at 1130pm coincided with the first sighting of Antarctica.

By midnight we were steaming past large icebergs that were the size of city blocks. There were substantial mountains festooned with glaciers on land. Very dramatic landscape. Also saw a humpback whale close by as we were approaching the continent. It was very exciting to be finally there. The scenery was so interesting that it was hard to go to sleep for the fear of missing another awesome view.

Drake Passage

2023-11-29T00:35:00.000-08:00

An uneventful day at sea. Got fitted for parka and boots. Attended a lecture or two. Mostly just spent the day exploring the ship and orienting myself. Conditions remained moderate. Not a whole lot of wildlife, just a few albatrosses and petrels. In the afternoon around 3pm they announced that the bridge was open for visits. I was curious to check out the bridge and spent a good half hour chatting with the people there. Many things were familiar, radar, AIS, wind and speed, chartplotters etc. There were 4 engines with separate throttle controls. The helm was kinda small but I guess it doesn't need to be massive. There was a ballast tank mechanism to compensate for rolling and stabilize the ship. It would move water dynamically between ballast tanks as needed. Also stabilizer fins. They had a GPS/thruster system to keep the boat in a stationary position without anchoring.

Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego National Park, Cruise Starts

2023-11-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Up very early at 4am for breakfast and then bus to airport to catch a 6:30am flight to Ushuaia. We arrived in Ushuaia around 10am. There were good views of the surrounding mountains and theBeagle Channel as we landed. We were immediately loaded onto tour buses for a trip to Tierra del Fuego national park. The Argntinian guide gave a good commentary as we trundled along classic Patagonian landscape of lenga forest. It was very windy -- again par for the course in Patagonia. We first went to a nice viewpoint overlooking the Beagle Channel. There was a post office, Correo del fin del mundo (apparently closed)

and a beach with thick clumps of mussels everywhere.

The dirt roads and gravel parking areas were quite dusty but the scenery was superb. We went to a Visitor Center next to a nice lake. Last stop was at the end of Ruta 3 at Lapataia.

We also made a quick stop at the Ushuaia city sign for the obligatory pictures.

Getting on the cruise ship was quite an experience. I had never been on a cruise before, so didn't know quite what to expect. The whole crew was lined up inside the ship and burst into applause as we entered up the gangway. It was a little overwhelming. After some quick paperwork (medical form, credit card for incidentals etc.) I was shown to my cabin. Cabin was much nicer than I expected with a decent bathroom , fancy shower with jets in the wall and a rain shower overhead. A large veranda door and priate balcony looking out on the water. I immediately crashed for a little bit as I was exhausted. There was a mandatory evacuation drill around 5pm and then we were underway by 6:30pm. The Beagle Channel was a spectacular setting with snowy mountains flanking it on both sides. A beautiful double rainbow as we got going.

Dinner was interesting, a miniscule appetizer was served in a huge plate. Later on the maitre 'd explained that guests were free to try multilpe appetizers and main courses. We passed Puerto Williams, Chile on Isla Navarino around 8:30pm.

By sunset we were almost out in the open ocean where a gentle swell announced the end of the protectd waters and beginning of the Drake Passage.

Retiro, Teatro Colon

2023-11-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

Breakfast at hotel then decided to walk over to the nearby monument and Retiro Station. I had been taking ubers since coming to Buenos Aires. They were ubiquitous and very affordable at the current exchange rate. However, I was curious about trying the subway (Subte). There was a Starbucks conveniently located right inside Retiro station for the caffeine fix. Guide books warn about pick pockets at Retiro so I had my head on a swivel. The station itself was massive with buses, trains and subway lines. It took some effort to find a manned counter and buy a Subway card (760 pesos) and load some money on it. Each trip cost 80 pesos. I took the subway to Plaza Mayo, walked over to the church which was open today.

Then took another subway to the Teatro Colon. Spent some time wandering around the area.

Finally Uber back to the hotel. The Atlas Cruise people had told cruise passengers to leave checked bags outside the hotel rooms by 8pm. After doing that I walked over to a nearby food court for some mediocre falafels and fries. Stopped by the nicely lit monument on the way to the hotel.

The room on the 10th floor of the Sheraton provided great views of the harbor, waterfront and the Buquebus ferry terminal for Uruguay. It seemed like they could have done a better job developing the waterfront as there was virtually no access to it from the city. At the street level you didn't even know that you were a couple hundred yards from a huge body of water.

Plaza Serrano Street Market, Plaza del Congreso

2023-11-26T22:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday in Buenos Aires. Took an Uber to a street market in Plaza Serrano. Lot's of arts and crafts.

Found a shawarma place for lunch (lamb wrap). It was a beautiful sunny day. Blooming Jacaranda trees all over the place. After wandering around for a couple of hours, tried a new ice cream place called Freddo's. It was nice but not as good as Nicolo. Went to the Plaza Congreso at night where impromptu tango dances were going on in the square.

Exploring Buenos Aires -- Plaza Mayo, Waterfront, San Telmo

2023-11-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Started the day by walking to the Starbucks at the Arcos outlet mall. Beautiful sunny day with a pleasant breeze. Took an Uber to Plaza Mayo. Many people out enjoying the sunny weekend but the large plaza did not feel crowded. The flowering Jacaranda trees and squawking parrots were a far cry from dark and gloomy Seattle.

Walked down the square to Casa Rosada. Lunch at the restaurant at the corner of the plaza then walked past interesting buildings and displays down towards the water. Day was beginning to heat up so cooled down in an aircoditioned Starbucks overlooking the muddy harbor and gleaming steel and glass towers of Puerto Madero.

Spent an hour exploring the General Sarmiento, a historical training ship built in England for the Argentine Navy.

Then on to the Puente Mujer, a scenic bridge with a lot of tourists. Street performers were doing Tango and trying to rope bystanders into posing with them.

I was exhausted by the walk but a little ice cream at Lucciano's revived me. Rounded the evening by a trip to San Telmo, a historical district with a lot of restaurants and more tango. Plaza Dorrego was a pleasant place to spend the evening. The place was bustling. I felt water dripping on me even though the sky was clear, turned out the trees were dripping liquid.

Shoal Bay to Anacortes

2021-09-16T16:40:00.024-07:00

Up early due to anchor alarm. It was low tide and depth was about 12 feet so we had like 10:1 scope which had caused the alarm. Boiled some water on the jetboil and made coffee in the french press. Breakfast was a PB&J sandwich. Left Shoal Bay around 9am and made way in light winds to Thatcher Pass. An opposing current slowed us down to a crawl and it seemed like forever to reach James Island. Lots of tide rips. Wind picked up and we had a decent motor-sailing run to Guemes Channel. Reached Anacortes by 4pm.

Roche Harbor to Shoal Bay

2021-09-15T16:50:00.026-07:00

Best sailing day of the trip. Nice wind right out of Roche. Tacked our way to Friday Harbor. Original plan was to secure a reciprocal slip, but the reciprocal dock was full. I guess we could have rafted up but we decided to take advantage of the wind and press on. Nice beam reach to Shaw Island but the wind deserted us after that. Decided to stay in Shoal Bay on Lopez. Made our way past the ferry dock and anchored in about 19 ft depth at the end. Slight breeze and occasional wake from ferry made this less peaceful than the other anchorages but eventually the wind died down and the ferries stopped running. Calm clear night with waxing moon more than half full.

Fulford Harbour to Roche Harbor

2021-09-14T17:01:00.030-07:00

A cloudy rainy day. Left Fulford after grabbing some breakfast from the cafe. Not much wind. Motored across. It started raining and fog closed in but visibility was still OK. Made it to Roche in pouring rain and parked at the Customs dock. Check in by phone went smoothly and was much faster than clearing into Canada. Got a slip and tied up for the night. Tuna steak on the Foreman grill was nice but I was still hungry. Grabbed a cheeseburger in paradise at the Madrona Grill. Also took a much-needed shower. Saw the "colors" ceremony where they lower various flags -- tourist bait.

Genoa Bay to Fulford Harbour

2021-09-13T17:27:00.039-07:00

Left Genoa Bay at 8:45 AM. Sailed past several anchored ships in Satellite Channel. Got to Fulford at 1:15pm and tied up at the public dock next to the ferry landing. The ferry wash was a little problematic but otherwise the dock was OK. Grabbed some coffee and food at the Rock Salt Café. Again I was struck by the quality of their baked goods. The spinach and feta phylo was better than anything comparable I have ever eaten in the US. Not sure if it's the French/Quebec influence or just better ingredients. Took a walk to the old Catholic Church and read about the Hawaiian connection.

Another beautiful sunny Fall day. Nights are definitely getting colder.