Monday and Tuesday: Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls

We left the Veendam in Buenos Aires, took a taxi (15 min.) to the National Airport (Jorge Newbury) that is nearby, and promptly waited for almost an hour to check in (a large tour group from the ship was ahead of us.) We found they had oversold the plane, so that caused problems. Friends found their flight had been cancelled so they were on a late afternoon one. But...we finally made it to Iguazu, a nice 1.5 hour flight from BA. (Be warned however, that LAN Airlines DID CHECK our carryons...the size machine also weighed them. The result was that about 90% of carryons were rejected initially and had to be gate-checked. By the time we got there, they were waving us through (THANK GOODNESS!) so we were lucky...but be forewarned...the 8 kg for checkons is strictly enforced by LAN.

We were met by Ariel who would be our driver the rest of our time in Iguazu...he took us to our B & B, picked up our host, John, and drove us around with John pointing out the local town which is lovely. Once we changed our clothes (now 2 pm or so) we were driven to the entrance of the falls. Ariel suggested we meet him at the Sheraton which is in the park about 6:30, so off we went on a brilliant sunny but HOT afternoon (temps in the 100's with humidity the same.) We took the "lower circuit" which gives you a great overview of the falls which are enormous....one photo can't take them all in...even a pan only takes in one part. By 5 we were dripping wet with sweat, so a beer and iced tea at the Sheraton were great...we also saw our friends who had to take the later plane, so were able to give them some pointers on what/where to go.
We were back in time for John's fabulous Happy Hour which is not to be missed. The opportunity to meet with other guests and John over wonderful appetizers was great. By 9, we were full enough to just go to bed without any supper.

This morning, after a delicious breakfast (and a good night's sleep) we returned to the park...but a totally different day. Today it rained (POURED) for most of the time, so we were decked out in ponchos, sweatbands AND hats...and our quick drying pants and shirts. We were OK...but not many photo ops today...just enjoyed the sights. Today we went to the upper level of the waterfalls, so had an entirely different view. If I can upload this tonight I will...it's a panorama of only one of the MANY falls here. I've put it together even though it's a "rough pan". You'll see the photo breaks, but that's really what this one fall looked like. Amazing power and beauty.
We were also able to have a delicious Argentine BBQ for lunch...I hate to say, but I liked it better than Texas! It offered us a nice respite from the thunderstorms, so it worked out nicely.
Iguazu Falls National Park was amazing This is definitely a wonder to see if you are anywhere in the Argentina area.

Tomorrow we head back to Buenos Aires in the afternoon and get on our Dallas-bound flight in the evening...home again soon.
It's been a fabulous trip. We were fortunate to do it. I shall probably add a few more photos when we return for the CCers following this.
Off for Happy Hour again tonight and see if I can upload this.


Now a bunch of other photos from Iguazu...

(Note how hot I look!)

One very small part of the falls



Coatis are a HUGE pest in the park...especially in the snack bar areas.





And...of course our host, John, at his wonderful B & B, along with his other guests...what a delightful time we had!

Sunday...Montevideo, Uruguay

We were almost an hour late getting into the port here, but once in, it was worthwhile. We took a tour that was an "Overview of Montevideo"...an excellent guide, comfortable bus (complete with clean restroom), and nice weather made for a good 4-hour tour. The city is a lovely mix of old, beautiful buildings and modern (Dubai's famous hotel was designed by an architect from here who built a similar building here.) Our guide gave us an interesting overview of their political system too...the "working people" are beginning to be upset about the whole system that is now supporting people who won't go to school, won't work, yet want (and get) money for their Ipods, LCD TVs, etc. She's hoping their president will be voted out in 3 years. He's had enough time to change things and all they've seen are more and more taxes...and high inflation. She pays $400/month for health insurance and $800 for private school which is necessary for her daughter since the schools have deteriorated. Interesting. We did note a lot of security fences (high, electrified) and private security guards even in modest neighborhoods. If here again, I would like to go out into the countryside...this seems like a lovely country that is being bullied by Argentina and Brazil...who knows what will happen to them.
If you stop here...take a city tour (we were here on a Sunday, so most things were closed) to see this lovely city...photos perhaps tomorrow...we'll see...right now I'm getting ready to pack and get off at 7:30 tomorrow morning...then...Iguazu Falls...a dream of mine. (Google it, if you don't know what I'm talking about!)

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 At Sea...some thoughts

Another calm sea day..."housekeeping time." We had the usual HAL farewell talk (how to get off the ship, reminders to turn in books, and the all the staff in the showroom singing "Love in Any Language" etc...Tomorrow's Montevideo so most people are doing things there, hence getting housekeeping done today.

Re: Puerto Madryn. Apparently those that took the long trip to see the sea lions, elephant seals, and penguins weren't happy about their tour either...they had 2.5 hours in a bus each way through the same boring scrub that we did, so most of us think perhaps the best advice is to enjoy the nearby town itself...the ship docks right in the center, so it's an easy walk for shopping, restaurants, etc. They saw some seals and the penguins but only 1 elephant seal. Now, keep in mind this is the end of the "pup season" so earlier (Nov-Dec) might be different. (We've seen plenty of seals and penguins by this time.)

More advice for CCers: we found out today that those who don't eat in the Main DR can allocate that part of the auto-bill to the Lido Staff (if you desire.) We never knew that. There's a form to ask for at the Front Desk to make that change.

We've visited with new friends one last time, had our laundry returned, finished our books (now to the Kindle and Ipad books), taken our photos of the ship, etc. We're taking a tour of Montevideo in the morning...just to see it and say we've been in Uruguay, but shall return to the ship and begin packing so we have our HOT weather gear ready for Iguazu Falls. Shall upload this tomorrow afternoon upon our return from Montevideo...after that it will be from our Bed and Breakfast in Iguazu...which has FREE wifi we understand...and probably real fast wifi!

Friday, Puerto Madryn and Gaiman

The day was partly sunny and warm (70's) so we're thawing out! We slowly approached Puerto Madryn at 9 am (after a very calm night) which is an Argentine city on a huge bay with miles of sandy beaches. It's a resort town for them which you see from all the beach toys available, etc.
We had a ship's tour ("Puerto Madryn and Gaiman Welsh Village" for those HAL folks who are reading this) that showed us a bit of the city (by bus) and then took us to the Welsh village of Gaiman, about an hour by highway through parched land that looked like west Texas. Boring! The village was one of the first settlements in this area and is now pretty much falling apart. However the draw was the Welsh Tea Room that served an outstanding tea (fabulous sweets) and had their local chorus sing typical Welsh songs for us. (They were excellent.) It was a very enjoyable stop...but all things considered, I wish I had booked the tour to the coast to see the sea lions and elephant seals. (Note to HAL CC watching here.)

We set sail tonight at 6 heading for Montevideo, Uruguay which we will reach on Sunday. We have a "special dinner" tonight in the gourmet restaurant (The Pinnacle Grill) which we should enjoy...it's usually excellent food.

I checked and they are allowing us off on Monday at 7:30 so we will make our plane to Iguazu...a worry to us when they (LAN airlines) switched us to an earlier flight (10:20) and the front desk said we might not get off the ship until 9 am.

Have to begin thinking about packing tomorrow...think about it...not do it!
Photos of the Welsh Tea Room with the chorus in the distance and the city of Puerto Madryn with the Veendam in the distance...the ship on the right. The scrub in the forefront is what we drove through for an hour.

Thursday...Sea Day...

One week to go before we're home...it's been a wonderful trip that we are fortunate to have been on. It's been everything we'd hoped for.
A few miscellaneous photos to post today:
Chris in the Antarctic on the deck...

The Range Rovers waiting to pick us up at Bluff Cove in the Falkland Islands...

The Gentoo Penguins in the Falklands...

Rainbow in the Chilean Fjords...

Clearing Land Mines in the Falklands...

Elephant Island north of Antarctica where Shackleton's crew survived...

Gentoo penguin adult...

Gentoo babies all running to greet an adult arrival...

Icebergs...


Magellan Penguin adults...

Wednesday...Falkland Islands...SUN, WARM, More Penguins!

Yesterday was a calm crossing of "Drake's Lake" (i.e. the Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica which is often quite rough.) We read, exercised, napped, and just enjoyed the calm crossing.
This morning we dropped anchor on a clear, light wind day (which is unusual for Stanley, Falkland Islands...pop. about 2500.) Our tour was to Bluff Cove (a 3-hour ship's tour) to see the large Gentoo Penguin Rookery which also has a few King Penguins nesting among them. We took a tour bus over gravel road which dropped us off to pick up our Range Rovers with guides who would take us overland (BUMPY!!!) to reach the colony of penguins. We had an hour to view the penguins and have tea in a small gift shop there (we skipped the tea and concentrated on photos.) The babies congregated near where the adults would return from the beach with their food...every time an adult appeared, the chicks would swarm around them, hoping it was their parent!
The few King penguins who nested here (about a dozen) had young chicks who were still "under the feathers"...they didn't show their faces for us...too bad. The Gentoo chicks were in various stages of getting their new adult feathers. They'll all be gone in another month or so.
Stanley was a charming small town with plenty of gift shops, a few pubs and restaurants, etc. We grabbed 10 min. of internet for a pound (British), ate fish and chips in a pub, bought some souvenirs here for the grandkids, and returned to the ship (30-minute tender ride.) We couldn't have had a better day here...shirtsleeves, sunscreen, etc. were the order of the day...very unusual for a port which is cancelled due to weather over 50% of the time!
It was disappointing to see so much of their land still being cleared of mines laid in the war with Argentina in 1982...lots of fences with warnings...and people out there today clearing the mines.
Temperature today was in the high 60's...nice to be getting back to warmer weather. Forecast for tomorrow is moderate seas, cloudy, mid-50's...OK for a sea day.

Monday, January 16...even more amazing!

This morning, about 6 am, we were in Antarctic Sound where we encountered icebergs that were the size of housing subdivisions! Others were the size of office buildings...none of them were small...weird. We entered Hope Bay after breakfast and there found the smaller icebergs along with a penguin colony and a small settlement (Esperanza Station) for scientists in the midst of them. The day was brilliant again, but now (almost lunch), as we leave the Sound, the wind is over 43 mph with the apparent wind of 57 mph...and it's cold! It's almost lunchtime, so a brief rest for us until we reach Elephant Island about 6 pm...after that it's sailing towards the Falklands which we will reach the day after tomorrow.
PS..in the photo of Hope Bay below, that was the ONLY area free of snow we've seen.

Sensory Overload...Memory Card Full! SUN!!!!

Yesterday was fabulous (in spite of the snow and fog), but today was amazingly beautiful. After a very rocky/windy night (back out in the sea) we woke to a sunny day (sun rises about 3:30) that was beyond beautiful. Snowy peaks, glaciers, huge icebergs, everywhere a picture...they all look similar, but each has its own beauty. All day we were "scenic cruising" in several bays, but scenic cruising is all day no matter where you are...just some places are "more scenic" (relative term) than others. Tomorrow is another "scenic cruise" day before heading towards the Falkland Islands on Tuesday. We continue to see whales (Orcas and Right were sighted today) and penguins (Gentoo) as well as a few seals. In spite of the enormous amount of glaciers that look ready to "calve" nobody has seen any ice calving at all...yet these icebergs came from somewhere! The photos I'll upload here you can just imagine being 360 degrees wide...we're totally surrounded by these scenes.
Off to upload this then back to relax with a book...tomorrow will be another intense day. Everyone on ship is tired tonight!

WOW!!!!!!! Second Day here...fabulous!

I can now see why people just rave about this trip. The scenery is overwhelming...even though we have less than great weather. The ceiling is low, some snow at times, a few bits of sun here and there, but you have 360 degrees of snow covered scenery that is breathtaking. No photos or videos can do it justice.
This morning we saw loads of penguins flying through the water, a couple of seals resting on ice floes, and a few whales, one of which I was able to get a "fluke" photo. Also saw this sailboat...wouldn't want to be them!
It's lunchtime so shall send these off...we go to the Palmer Station and pick up some scientists for the afternoon, so that will be interesting.

Antarctica at Last!

The Captain gave an informative talk yesterday showing us why he decided we must head right for Antarctica...a High and Low were coming together that would cause winds of 50+ mph and waves of 30+ feet for much of our passage. By leaving early we would avoid it all...so we were happy with his decision.

After 2 days of relatively calm seas in the Drake Passage during which Chris and I read and slept, we finally reached Antarctica's islands off the northern tip. It was snowing and foggy and windy! But...we did manage to see many penguins in the water and on shore along with volcanic islands covered with snow. (The temperature at noon was 37...but colder now at 5 pm.) There was lots of volcanic activity here in the 1800's. Lots to see right now but too cold and windy on our verandah, so we'll go to dinner and see things later when the captain heads back so we are sheltered. (The penguins look like lots of tiny dolphins in the water.)

OK...back from dinner and several magnificent hours of watching gorgeous icefields, whales, penguins, etc. The weather partly cleared enough to see the huge glaciers...miles and miles long at their face and the rugged mountains above them. During dinner we watched many whales off in the distance and I just got in from seeing one just off our side who dove and "fluked" before I could grab the camera. This is definitely a different world and as so many have said...it's 10x (at least) more than Alaska in terms of ice and glaciers. It's hard to turn in tonight, but the sun rises before 4 am and it MIGHT be a clear day tomorrow they say.

Penguins!

January 11, Wednesday...Punta Arenas, Chile.

We took a 90-minute ride through the "pampas" to a coastal bay to see the Magellan Penguins who nest in burrows they dig in the sandy soil. The chicks were almost ready to leave the nests for good (which they do when they are about 60 days old), so it was almost the last time to see them here this year. One parent stays on the nest while the other feeds for about 8 hours in the nearby ocean. Some of the chicks showed more of their secondary feathers than others while some were still in the fuzzy stage which makes them look like stuffed animals.

We had an excellent guide (Marcella) who pointed out other animals and birds along the way...the rhea, caricaras, llamas, etc. We began the day in sun, but it was cloudy by the time we returned to the ship. We wore 3 layers, and our rain pants and were comfortable (temps in the 40's.) It's usually very windy here, but it was only about 20 mph today...last week it was 90 mph!

Ushuaia tomorrow.
OOOPS...spoke too soon...the Captain just informed us that we will skip the port of Ushuaia tomorrow and instead head directly to Antarctica tonight...there's a bad storm brewing that will impact our crossing on the day we were scheduled to cross...so he wants to get across Drake's Crossing tomorrow. We'll have an extra day in Antarctica which is fine with us! He'll have more weather forecasts for us tomorrow. I had planned to upload this from Ushuaia tomorrow, but shall go upload it tonight...along with the cute penguin photos. I saw some whales earlier today so hope to see if we see them tonight as we leave at 8...sunset about 10 pm.

Ah...the Amalia Glacier!

After a rough night of pitching and rolling, we entered the Chilean Fjords again where it's calm waters. About 10 am we were in front of the Amalia Glacier...2 1/2 miles wide...so the photo has no scale to see the immense size of it. The weather ranged from showers to fog to sun...and cold. We've added another layer today. We're in the fjords all day today until we reach Punta Arenas tomorrow, so we will be sailing in calm, scenic waters. We're sailing the waters that Darwin sailed all today.
(48 degrees today at noon.)

Chilean Fjords January 9

We were rocking and rolling last night but it was not as bad as we thought it might be. This morning we were up by 6:30 and in the Crows Nest for the passage through the Darwin Channel of the Chilean Fjords. However, the wind, low clouds, and scattered rain didn't make for much of a passage. It was just layers of grey again. The passage was about 2 hours, after which we were in open ocean for the rest of the day...and that's been rough. Pitching and rolling with the messy seas. With the exception of an hour around lunch when we saw the sun, it's another grey day. With the antihistamines for my cold, I am pretty much sleeping it away today! Tomorrow begins the sights we are hoping to see...the Amalia Glacier and more of the Chilean Fjord country. It is definitely colder outside today...need a jacket on top of a sweater now. Our port verandah location has been wonderful...we are sheltered from the N and W winds that have been blowing. Winds of 40-50 mph all day, barometer 983 (falling), sunset about 10 pm (if we ever see it) and sunrise before 6:30. The only thing they don't tell us is the temp, but I suspect we're in the 40's-50's today.

Cruising through the Chilean Fjords Jan. 8 and 9

We've left Puerto Montt and have been sailing south since dinner through some of the fjord country. To our East are mountain range after mountain range, but to us at this time they look like Jerry Shurr lithos...layer upon layer of greys and blues with a bit of green tinge. Every now and then there's a bit of a break in the distance and you can see high snow-covered peaks...but mostly it's just misty greys. It's warm (8:30 PM and Chris is reading on the verandah in his jammies and bathrobe.) I'm still recovering from the cold, so I'm inside and planning to get to bed early. Tomorrow morning at 7 AM we will be going through the Darwin Channel which is historic and interesting, so there will be a narration about it in the Crows' Nest...so up early. Lots of interesting lectures tomorrow, but the Captain has warned of messy seas...so I may be sleeping off the Meclizine I might take.

Darwin Channel, Chilean Fjords

Puerto Montt, Chile...our first stop

When we woke this morning it was to 42 knot winds...with the apparent wind over the bow of >60 knots. By the time we anchored in the shelter of Puerto Montt, the wind had died to about 20 and it was overcast with bits of sun. We wore long sleeves...Chris added another layer since his rain jacket has no lining. Mine is lined, so I just added that. We wore our hiking boots which we were glad of. We wish we had worn our rain pants...next time!
The tour was to the Petrohue Cascades and City of Roses, about 4 hours. The 60-minute or so ride to the Cascades was through lovely country and along the huge lake, but we couldn't see much since we were basically in the clouds and rain. By the time we reached the waterfalls it was pouring, so we ran to see them, and then ran back to the bus. They were lovely, but on a nice day would have been better!
Another hour or so until we got to Puerto Varas which is on the large lake and appears to be a vacation destination...complete with Orvis, Patagonia, and North Face shops! We did have a short time to explore a local handcraft area, but the crowds were large, so we just enjoyed the sights, bought a CD of some of the local musicians who were playing and reboarded the bus.
The tender ride back to the ship was in the sun, but shortly thereafter, the clouds returned so right now I see white caps on the bay...shall have to get my "Sea Bands" back on ...I think it will be rough tonight. (I just checked the TV monitor and it's showing 39 knot winds right now.) The good news is that the barometer is rising...hope for good weather to come! Sunset tonight at 9:30 (but we won't see it.) (For future cruisers...there's an internet connection as soon as you get on shore...$1 US.)

Sea Day Jan. 7

Relatively calm seas, overcast, temps in high 50's, wind 25 knots from the N so we don't feel it.
A relaxing day...time to find "our places" on the ship, get organized, and just rest up before a number of busy sightseeing days. At breakfast we heard a familiar voice...and found a favorite server from the Prinsendam was on board ("VVG" for Spencer and Suella.)
We went to the Cruise Director's meeting which introduced the experts who will be teaching us about the various things we will see...all are well-renown experts in their fields, so we should learn much about Antarctica and environs. The South American expert then gave an overview of the countries we will visit with more in-depth talks to come. He promises to be excellent.

Formal Night tonight, but we will not be in formal attire...luggage was difficult enough without adding our finery...so we will eat in the Lido buffet which we prefer often anyway...better view...and easier for me to run in and out from for photos. Puerto Montt tomorrow morning with our tender time of 8:30.

Chris relaxing in our cabin...playing Sodoku.

Ah...made it to the ship...and we're about to leave the port!

The flight from DFW was not bad, considering Chris upgraded us to Business Class, so we had fully reclining seats which made the overnight flight much better. I also watched "Footloose" on their new Samsung individual players with Bose headsets...nice. I could have done without the meals...too much and too late...but managed a bit of steak and the ice cream sundae before turning in. Santiago airport was well-organized thanks to the Holland America Reps stationed at critical places. It took us an hour to get through all the formalities but then we were on the bus headed to Valparaiso...the port about 1 1/2 hours away. It only took us 30 minutes to get processed and finally get on board...and find our very nice cabin. First stop, the library where we each picked up a book, had a light lunch in the Lido, then returned to unpack and relax. We checked out the gym which has enough equipment for us to continue our regime...Chris already signed up for a spinning class tomorrow morning. I'll probably just go and do the usual. It's a sea day, so not too much we need to be concerned about. We know this ship well, so don't need to do much else. Probably dinner in our cabin (they have an outstanding steak sandwich with grilled onions) and then turn in early. Valparaiso is large, built on many hills, and today...is overcast and blah. I'm sure on a sunny day it's more inviting. Temp today is pleasant...shirtsleeves are fine on our verandah.

Follow along while Jan and Chris take a 17-day cruise all the way to Antarctica (drive-by) and then to Buenos Aires and famous Iguazu Falls…google it if you want to see why we're going there.

Just started getting the final packing done...previous arrivals in Santiago have given us useful advice about the procedure there after deplaning...hope it's as easy as they say...and that the Holland America Rep will be meeting us for the bus to Valparaiso where we meet the Veendam which we last sailed on in Alaska a few years ago. We like its size and the fact that the Crows Nest hasn't been screwed up like in some of the later ships where it is adjacent to the library...that was a mistake!
We had an "upsell" to a Verandah...not sure if it's a mistake or not, depending on how rough the seas are...but we'll have a short trip to the outside if it's cold and rainy!
The first two days should be hot and sunny…after that…who knows...