From Vocanoes to Fjords

Volcanoes to Fjords in Chile

Our next port stop is Puerto Montt, Chile. As we make our long way to the Osorno Volcano, we have a brief stop to view lush flora and a spectacular whitewater river in a national park. Chile has over 150 volcanoes, perhaps 65 or which are active. From the national park, we can see Osorno looming in the distance. We pass enormous fresh water lakes. Although the day appears overcast at ground level, once we drive up toward the summit of the volcano we are above the low-lying clouds, and it is gloriously sunny. To further enjoy the scene, Sumner urges taking a long and rather scary-looking ski-lift ride to have a look into a red caldera, newly formed at the side of the volcano.  Alice gamely goes along, at first white-knuckled, and we glide over the volcanic slope. It is eerily and peacefully silent. We marvel at how little protection we seem to have from the ground a hundred feet below--just one thin pipe to clasp; no seat belts. Yet we are not afraid--there is no time for fear when there is such a spectacular view that encompasses not only Osorno, but three other nearby volcanoes. We then trudge through deep volcanic sand and climb a steep hill and look down on the caldera. (We will save a thousand words of description by promising pictures later, when we can download faster.)

From the volcano, we make our way back in our motor coach down the steep switchbacked road to Puerto Varas, the city of roses, located on the freshwater Lake Llanquihue. The town has a European resort feel, perhaps because many Germans settled this area prior to World War I. At the nearby Patagonia Hotel, strikingly modern and built on a monumental scale, we are greeted with yet another Pisco Sour, wine, beer, water (even Coke!), empanadas, and fresh salmon (perched on a vegetable flan), with a blueberry flan for dessert. Only Norway exports more salmon than Chile, and this area is a principal source of the fish, much of it farm-raised. After lunch, we explore the lovely lake-side town before returning to the ship. As usual in South America so far, we observe many "independent" dogs, who seem quite at home without leashes or hovering owners.

The following day we are deep into Patagonia at Puerto Chacabuco. This is a frontier area. We drive through the rugged mountainous terrain, stopping at the Rio Simpson Regional Museum of Natural Resources, and walk down to the river canyon and valley. We visit a waterfall and finally the city of Coyhaique, the capital of the region. Alice explores the few shops that are open (it's Sunday), but there are no mineral shops, only stores selling jewelry and woolens. We do find excellent chocolate ice cream treats, which hold us over until the "snack" stop. Alice proposes a wager with Sumner that this stop will not have Pisco sours. She loses. We enjoy wonderful Chilean cheeses, empanadas, brochettes of meats, and sweets, along with the usual wine and those omnipresent Pisco sours. "Snack" does not begin to describe the array; we made a lunch of it. The last two ports have required transportation by tender (life boats) to the port. We arrive too late at the Chacabuco port to enjoy the free wiFi at the terminal. The ship provides hot chocolate while we wait for the tenders. Temperature is now in the 50s, as we work our way south.

Today is January 25, and we are sailing through the Chilean Fjords ("fjords" are formed by glaciers flowing into the sea, while "sounds" are formed by rivers flowing into the sea). Last night the seas were quite rough on the not-too-Pacific Ocean. Now, in the afternoon, we are cruising one of the Strait of Magellan (Drake found the same channel by kidnapping a Portuguese sailor to learn about Magellan's discovery). Both Magellan and Drake had to face mutinies as they went south along the Atlantic side of Patagonia. Apparently there was a Catholic-held belief that Hell was located at the South Pole (although no maps were available), and some seamen rebelled at the idea of going there. Two lectures this morning covered the explorations of Tierra del Fuego, considered "the end of the occupied world," as well as information on glaciers and their creation of fjords. The more we learn about this wildly beautiful region, the more we want to learn. A feeling of anticipation is building among us passengers about seeing and even setting foot on Antarctica; this will occur in just a few days.

Tonight will a 5 course dinner with paired wines, exploring Chilean cuisine. Alice is not looking forward to the main dish: tongue! We are assuming it will be beef tongue, but who knows? At least it will not be seal blubber mush, which sustained the Shackleton crew during its long Antarctic travails a century ago.