Punta Arenas, Chile

Brrrr….it’s chilly in Chile! 😊 And that’s the main reason I haven’t much to share today. We arrived in port around 9 a.m. this morning. We were in no hurry to get off the ship because we had not purchased an excursion here (thank goodness, because pretty much every one of them was outdoors). Thankfully Ronnie is starting to turn the corner, but neither of us needed to be out in the cold and wind. And so far we are on a very similar itinerary as before, so we had seen a little of the city when we visited 3 years ago. Given all of that, we decided to wait until after lunch and then venture off the ship on foot and just meander around the port a bit.

 

view of Punta Arenas from our balcony this morning

You'll notice that the sky had changed from earlier this morning. The minute we stepped out, the wind almost took us away! Neither of us thought to pack a warm cap for our head either. We walked maybe a half mile to a building that all passengers must pass through. Before we even reached it, I voted to head back to the ship after we looked around a bit.

 

Vista docked in Punta Arenas

city is dense and houses run up the mountainside

Thankfully it was warm inside. Local women were selling their crafts (mainly needlework, pottery and jewelry) so I browsed a bit and then was ready to head back to the ship. In hindsight, I probably should have bought a cap!

 

locals display handiwork

International Certificate "I crossed the Magellan Strait"

headed back to ship

 

tugs in a row

So not very exciting, but it was enough to confirm that neither of us felt like exploring on foot. This afternoon Ronnie rested and I worked on this weeks BSF lesson (lots of reading this week!) Afterwards we enjoyed afternoon tea in the lounge. 

 

always friendly and helpful

 

Panache String Quartet plays second fiddle to tea and scones

 

scones, clotted & whipped creams & jam

I probably should have said a little about Punta Arenas before I posted my photos. Punta Arenas overlooks the Strait of Magellan. It used to be considered one of the world’s historic trade routes, enjoying its first boom during the California Gold Rush. However, it’s importance diminished with the opening of the Panama Canal. Later the city became even more prosperous due to its wool trade. It still reflects a mix of 2 cultures - English sheep ranchers and Portuguese sailors.

The locals say if you rub the toe of Ferdinand Magellan’s statue in Munoz Gamero Square, that means you will one day return to the city. They also say that if you haven’t tried a King Crab plate, you haven’t been to Punta Arenas. Well, I’ve been here twice and I haven’t rubbed Ferdinand’s toe or eaten a King Crab plate. I’m sorry, I’m sure their legs taste delicious dipped in melted butter, but seeing them alive trying to climb out of tanks still give me the creeps! 

Not many exciting photos today.