Viking Cruise 2019

NOVEMBER 29, 2019 CRUISING CHILEAN FJORDS Today and tomorrow Viking Sun will be meandering the Chilean fjords to get back on schedule with our predetermined shore stops. The low cloud cover and occasional fog bank make for fairly dull outdoor viewing of repetitive scenery. However, there are other things to occupy us - including a kitchen tour headed by the kitchen manager. Understandably, our visit had to occur between lunch and dinner so we did not see the kitchens at their busiest. Something happened yesterday that I didn't report at the time as I had no photos to show you. Here's what happened: while the ship was parked in front of the Garibaldi Glacier, the Viking crew set out on the tender to retrieve an iceberg - not a big one, of course, but.... well, here it is:   This chunk of ice (a berger bit) could be a million years old and it likely weighs 800 pounds. You should have seen the tenacious crew struggle to capture it and ...

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 CRUISING THE BEAGLE CHANNEL What luck - a perfect day for sailing this fiord! As we passed our first glacier Captain Lars did a 360 degree pirouette so late risers would have a chance to see this beautiful sight. Despite the 5 degree temperature, the decks are filled with photographers. That's Garibaldi Glacier. The tender was dispatched to bring back some berger bits of ice for drinks; and they did! As today came to a close we left Beagle Channel into the Pacific Ocean for a sea day on our way to Punta Arenas, Chile. This photo sliver of the horizon doesn't do justice to the awe inspiring magnificence of this panoramic wilderness. A fabulous day!  More from Hans Zimmer:  " Chevaliers de Sangrea l ", the theme from Da Vinci's Code.   h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xsP3u-CVO4

NOVEMBER 27, 2019 ROUNDING CAPE HORN This is the day we sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific by rounding Cape Horn. Look Dick look! Look Jane look! Magellan sailed past here on January 29, 1616, the time  of year when the sea is most navigable.  But during the austral winter it  becomes one scary body of water - rocks abound, and heavy fog, and huge swells, and strong winds. Not recommended.  Besides the fascinating landscape, one can't help being attracted to the ever present birds - dozens and dozens of gliding albatrosses and long flying sooty shearwaters. Lovely. I hear that Victoria Gyro Club had a beer tasting this week. Was it mentioned that the greatest invention in human history was beer? So I'm told - seriously. Do you agree? Check it out:   https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=PdwYjFnFoJU While I could not find music specifically devoted to South America's Cape Horn, as a reasonable substitute I offer Hennie Bekker's ...

NOVEMBER 26, 2019 USHUAIA, ARGENTINA This morning, as feared, we awoke to an overcast sky and moderate rain. Well, we've paid for a 4 hour trek through part of the Tierra Mayor Nature Reserve, so let's get the rain gear and off we go. Turns out that by the time we arrived at the Reserve, the rain had stopped. We put on the provided "wellies" since we would be plodding through a bog and on slippery ground during most of the walk. There were "helpers" to assist the less mobile folks. The sun even made an appearance - then we all felt hot and overdressed.  Karen showed our guide Carla how to safely cross this bridge. Weary and foot sore we headed back toward the bus satisfied that we had actually trekked the Patagonian Andes. A note about our itinerary.  Captain Lars, like all seasoned mariners nowadays, uses the remarkable site Windy.com for vital information. It forecasts for anywhere on the planet, in ...

NOVEMBER 25, 2019 USHUAIA, ARGENTINA (The End of the World) We arrived in bright sunshine to a stunningly beautiful setting - a clean, modern city surrounded by snow-streaked mountains. Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, is situated at 54 degrees latitude south, about  equivalent to Edmonton in the northern hemisphere.  There are an estimated 150,000 inhabitants in Ushuaia and surroundings. The population is exploding due to a general rise in cruise tourism, but also the emerging interest in visiting Antarctica a thousand miles farther south.     O ur morning excursion involved a ride on the End of the World  Railway   through the Tierra del Fuego National Park followed by a visit to the End of the World Post Office (a real one).  Despite a recent weather forecast of 100% p.o.p. during the afternoon, the afternoon  excursion was rain free. I suspect our trek throu...

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN The weather has turned foggy and the sea swells have grown to about 3-4 meters. No problem. This afternoon's rain, though, is a little worrisome for tomorrow's excursions at  Ushuaia. However, the weatherman says cloudy with only a small chance of a shower then. Austral summer is approaching with its promise of warmer times. Unfortunately, we are moving away from the equator faster than the equinox is approaching. So, colder it is! It seems just a few weeks ago that the length of daylight was 12 hours, from 6:00 AM to before 6:00 PM. Today, sunrise in Usuaia is 5:01 AM and sunset is 9:40 PM, a full sixteen and a half hours. Now that's something that was not expected. We are learning. Karen and I attended two guest lectures. Often, the topics and the titles of these presentations do not sound particularly appealing. This morning's talk, " Ghost Ship of Grytviken - A True Story of the Long Atlantic Ocean " b...

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 PORT STANLEY, FALKLAND ISLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM A third of our journey has been completed. At Port Stanley the day dawned cloudless, the sea was flat, the wind merely a breeze and the thermometer soared to 15 degrees - an absolutely rare and perfect day. It's a Saturday and the 3,000 inhabitants are prepared for an invasion, but a friendly one this time. We anchored and tendered into harbour - most times tendering by cruise ships is not possible here due to the usually large ocean swells in this area.  As it turns out, we have company - the small cruise liner National Geographic Orion is also in town. This 16 year-old ship has a capacity of 102 passengers and is small enough to pass through the tight channel into the harbour and dock there. These are dangerous waters - there have been 126 recorded shipwrecks in these islands. Remnants of several are still visible as is this 1902 victim: There are plenty of penguins in vario...

NOVEMBER 21 - 22, 2019 CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN It just struck me that, on the ocean, the air now is clear and odour free; the over-powering smell of Montevideo is gone. All of Montevideo's restaurants grill their meat by burning charcoal and that strong scent is ever present and persistent. Now at sea, this morning Captain Lars announced that there is a large storm forming over the east coast of Argentina. As a consequence, the Sun is diverting its course and bypassing its scheduled stop at Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Instead, the ship is heading directly to the Falkland Islands where the weather is expected to be favourable. This course change will allow us to spend an extra day in Ushuaia, Argentina - and that's a good thing. I went for my early morning walk and almost got blown over - that must be the storm that Captain Lars is avoiding. And the cold!! What's with that?  At Iguazu Falls the temperature was 36 degrees; today the high will be 11 degrees. Half way t...

NOVEMBER 20, 2019 MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY Yesterday, while Karen and I were on an excursion in northern Argentina, there was a wholesale passenger change as the San Juan to Buenos Aires leg ended and the Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile leg began. About 650 passengers left and they were replaced by an equal number of new ones.  Sadly, some of the staff we got to know quite well also left for home as their contracts expired allowing them a couple months holidays. Unfortunately, a few of these new friends are being assigned to other Viking ships instead of the Sun. Returning to Montevideo provides us with an opportunity to dine out and enjoy one of our favourite Spanish dishes, paella. So that is what we ordered for lunch at a local restaurant. The size of the serving was massive, well beyond our abilities to consume. But, the paella  was sufficiently different than we expected and we left disappointed.  Karen went with her knitting instructor and several co-knitters to...

NOVEMBER 18 & 19, 2019 BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA  AND IGUAZU FALLS We did not visit Buenos Aires. Sure, we docked in the harbour, but the only place Karen and I we went to was the airport, where we boarded a 737 and headed to Iguazu Falls about 1000 km north. And, believe me, it was worth it. I won't even try to describe the National Park which includes the Falls, there isn't enough space in this blog. Instead, you can watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY5G8s99Fl8 The highlight of our first day was the river boat ride. This is the most fun you can have while wearin g a life jacket. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZxVf2hv14s Then, we went into the Falls - exhilarating!! : Naturally, we all were soaking wet, but, as it turned out, that was a good thing, for our drying clothes acted as a personal air conditioner in the 98 degree heat. Good to know. Rather than rushing to the Fal...

NOVEMBER 17, 2019 MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY Lecturer, Hugh Neighbour, calls Uruguay  unique,   referring to it as "the Switzerland of South America". Uruguay is progressive, modern, democratic and safer than most countries in this continent. Its citizens are exceedingly industrious resulting in the highest standard of living in South America. A special place to visit. Our city tour revealed upscale parts of town that were less dense and more pleasing to the eye than Rio's. As today is Sunday, downtown is deserted except for tourists. But the parks and beaches were jam packed with locals who apparently revel in the outdoors (where possible, they were in the shade due to the 31 degree heat). While Rio's Copacabana and Ipanema beaches get the attention, Montevideo's beaches are equally attractive. Just across from the docks there is an indoor market with at least a dozen busy restaurants. Obviously the su...