Sunday 15 December 2024
Last night I set my alarm for 2.00am and went to bed around 9.30am. I couldn't sleep, I read for a long time, had a little nap for about 20 minutes but woke up with a fright, thinking I'd missed the bus to the airport. But it was only 11.30pm! I read some more and finally gave up and got up at 1.30am. I had a quick shower, got a couple of pastries from the breakfast set up for HX passengers, checked out (made sure to get my US Dollars back) and I was ready in the foyer around 2.40am. What a crazy time to be starting the day!
The charter flight left Buenos Aires at 6.00am and was in Ushuaia around 9.00am. We boarded buses for a tour. First stop was at a lookout:
Next we stopped at Park Austral, where we did a short walk to see the damage done by beavers. The beavers were originally introduced to this area in the belief the pelts would be a source of wealth, however, the area isn't as cold as Canada so the fur doesn't need to be as thick. The beavers have done a lot of damage to the trees in the area. The orange/red coloured moss was spongey and strange to walk on. We also had lunch here.
Another stop at a lookout.
The weather had been very pleasant so far, around 10C and sunny. It started to rain lightly for a while and became very windy. Because we still had a little time before we were expected on the ship we made one more stop, at the Ushuaia sign. The wind was really strong and it was difficult to walk.
Then it was time to board the ship. Check in was smooth, they take your photo, keep you passport and hand over your door card on a lanyard. They also need you to register a credit card ... again my card was declined. Unlike the unpleasant hotel guy, this crew member was very helpful and suggested a way around this requirement. Such a relief. Not that I need to spend anything on the ship - the upfront cost of this expedition cruise appears quite expensive but it is an all inclusive cruise, including alcohol, soft drinks etc. There are a few not included excursions and I've already paid for one and the others don't interest me.
I ventured back outside to take a few photos of the ship. A crew member told me to be careful on the dock. The fierce wind nearly knocked me off my feet and at one point it was forcing me back across the dock. Was going to take photos at the back of the ship but there the wind was whipping water up and over the dock so I retreated inside.
HX give you a jacket to protect against water and wind. It's a shell and you have to wear layers underneath for warmth. I picked up my jacket, then unpacked. I'm ready to go!
We left the dock at 6.30pm. The Captain's announcement was: we will be travelling in the Beagle Channel until late tonight, when we will reach the open waters of the Drake Passage. He is expecting swells of 4-5 metres. It can get much worse than that but 4-5 metres will give us quite a bit of movement. The Drake Passage is known as the Drake Lake when the water is calm or the Drake shake when the sea is rough. The Drake Passage is located between Cape Horn (most southerly land mass of South America) and the Antarctic Peninsular, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet.
This featured blog entry was written by MissWalker from the blog Jen's Journey.
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