OneSixtyToOne

Day 11 - Gimme Shelter Our fantastic weather finally came to an abrupt end. With 30 mile per hour winds, we were unable to launch the toys at el Bruno Glacier. Instead we found a sheltered area away from the glacier that blocked the wind and allowed the launching of the zodiacs, SOB, kayaks, and sub. We suited up in our gear for our first zodiac ride of the cruise. We sailed into a small cove to observe the local flora and fauna. IMG_5371.mov On the way back we were greater by another zodiac that rafted alongside and handed out champagne for a toast. A very nice Viking touch. Tonight’s port talk was brief. Tomorrow is a sea day through the Magellan Straight snd we are expecting terrible weather. Rain is forecasted with wind gusts of 60 mph. The talk also included a presentation about the Mapuche people, who were one of the only regional tribes not conquered by the Incas. Tonight’s nature presentation was about the southern beech tree, which we learned was misidentified by Europeans and wasn’t really a birch. Its range dates back to when there was a supercontinent and is found in all the areas formally connected to Antarctica. We had another 3D movie night. This time is was about the US National Parks, narrated by Robert Redford. As I’ve said before, the 3D movies on the expedition ships are a must see.

Day 10 - “It is Balloon” - F Troop Today we made our way to the Pio XI Glacier. We woke to clear blue skies and almost no wind. What a gorgeous day. After nearing the glacier we assembled on Deck 6 at 8:45 for the 9:00 AM weather balloon launch. There was a spread of doughnuts, coffee, and hot chocolate then a countdown to the launch. As mentioned earlier in this thread, all weather balloon are launched at the same time worldwide: midnight and noon UTC. IMG_5154.mov We then slowly move closer and finally anchored ,spending the next few hours near the wall of the glacier. It was eerie to hear the groaning sounds of the ice straining, then cracking. We watched huge pieces of ice calving and crashing into the water. It was a very special experience. IMG_5194.mov We then made an unscheduled attempt to reach nearby Falcon Glacier but the amount of ice in the water made it too slow of a process, so we continued back on our original corse. It was during this part of the cruise that we spotted dolphins off the bow. I got lucky and was able to shoot video of what was later identified as the first Dusky Dolphin seen on the cruise. IMG_5277.mov Tonight’s port talk was about tomorrow’s stop at el Bruno Glacier where the plan is to again deploy all the toys. We have our first Zodiac ride scheduled. The nature presentation was about pinnipeds. The data of today’s balloon launch was also displayed and explained. For tonight’s dinner, the dessert bar was transformed into a cake buffet. Tonight’s trivia contest ended in a tie, which we won on a tiebreaker.

Last night’s port talk included a presentation about the Mapuche people.

Our weather luck ran out. Wind and snow this morning. We have to move to a small protective bay to launch the toys, too windy at el Bruno glacier.

Day 9 - Fjords Today is a scenic sailing day in the fjords. The crew was on deck to help with wildlife sightings. We saw a penguin swimming but it was too fast to get a picture. There was also a pod of three orcas, but I failed to get any pictures. The afternoon lecture was on bioluminescence. Interestingly, there is bioluminescent in salt water and on land, but none in fresh water. Scientists have not yet determined why this is. The nightly port talk was about tomorrow’s visit to Pio XI Glacier. The Patagonian ice field holds the 3rd largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet. If it all melted the oceans would rise 1/2 inch. The presentation slide at the bottom is on its side, so north is on the left. Here you can see the extent of the ice field. Tomorrow we visit the glaciers. We also were notified there will be a weather balloon launch at 9:00 AM on Deck 6. i also noticed they changed the bird display in Explorers Central.

Day 8 - Toys in the Water Today we sailed to Puerto Chacabuco under clear and sunny skies. The weather is exceptionally clear, something the locals have told us on every tour so far. It will be in the low 60s, a perfect day for a short hike and then our first opportunity to try out the toys! We took a short 30 minute bus ride to a private nature reserve in the Patagonian hills. Here we viewed the “Old Man Of the Forest,” an old growth tree that survived a major forest fires two decades ago. Then onto a picturesque waterfall. We then hiked back to the visitors hall where dinner is on the fire for another tour group that opted for a longer all after hike. Yesterday our guide explained that barbecue in this part of the world means a whole animal and here was the proof. Back at the ship all the toys were fully deployed. We took an invigorating ride on the SOB. Boy, was that a blast! Incredible experience. We also saw a condor, the first one sighted on this cruise. IMG_5073.mov IMG_5076.mov Upon return there was the Explorers Society toast on the Finse Terrace. We were also on the last SOB of the day so I was able to view the SOB loading into the rear loading ramp. BTW they no longer board the SOB inside the ship. Because of the weight of the passengers, it was taking too long. Instead you board from the side hanger doors. This time savings allows two additional outings a day. Tonight’s port talk dealt with weather and tomorrow’s scenic cruising schedule. The expedition team will be on deck to help identify wildlife sightings. The science segment dealt with aquaculture and mussel farms. One thing I failed to mention is that there are no do not disturb signs onboard. It’s all electronic. Your doorbell lights up different colors to indicate DND and make up the room. It also indicates if the room is occupied. Very nice feature.

In Exploration Central, they have a whiteboard that tracks all the wildlife seen by passengers and crew. Today I sighted and photographed the first Dusky Dolphin of the cruise. IMG_5277.mov

I’m a couple of days behind with my postings but I had to share the view from our room as we anchored next to Pio XI Glacier. I even capture video of the glacier calving which I’ll post later. Unusually clear weather, Fog was forecasted, but it burned off early.

This is a leg of the longitudinal world cruise. We disembarks at Ushuaia, Argentina. It then cruises Antartica for the austral summer.

Grill and Sushi Bar are part of the WC. No one is dressed up. Very casual. Make sure you bring cold weather gear. It very cold on deck and the wind chill is brutal. Wool cap and a neck gator to cover your face is essential. Woke up to 39 degrees with ice in the water. We saw a penguin yesterday. Visiting Pio XI glacier today.

Currently on the Octantis. For what it’s worth, here is tonight’s “Polar Dinner Menu.” BTW I canceled our reservation for tonight.

Lol It’s been shadowing use since Santiago.

The weather was exceptional yesterday. The local guides were all commenting how unusual it was the see clear skies. When on the SOB we sighted the first condor seen on the cruise.

Day 7 - You say Potato, I Say Chiloé Today we rose early for our first excursion of the cruise. To save a little time, we scheduled room service for breakfast. Then we’re off to hike Chiloé National Park. I usually do these recaps in chronological order, but today I’m starting with the 8:00 PM lecture. Chief Scientist on the cruise is Jason Hayden. He’s a South African who lives in Chile, about 2 hours from Castro. He accompanied our tour group on the hike. His lecture was about the mythology of Chiloé, something that was touched on earlier in the day by our tour guide, Vincente, when we were in the park’s nature center. There is a creation myth about two snakes fighting in the sea, where one rises up and creates the land. The creatures from the sea and land mated and created two mermaids. They will sing songs and depending on the direction of the singing, it predicts the abundance of the bounty of the sea. Jason then related how El Niño works. It is dependent on the winds blowing onshore or offshore. The point being that mythology is based is some kernel of knowledge and myth is used to pass down that knowledge. Another myth has to do with a massive unicorn like giant bull-like beast destroying fields. He then pointed out that the one thing we heard most about today on Chiloé Island was potatoes. Everyone grows potatoes. Sacks of potatoes are given as soccer trophies. When you get married, you are gifted a small plot of land to grow potatoes. Kelp is harvested at low tide to place on the potato fields to fertilize and insulate the crop. Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. Jason then recounted a personal anecdote when a friend called in the middle of the night because something strange was roaming the woods, knocking down trees. The Jason and his friend went into the forest and found a neighbor’s ox had gotten loose. So it’s easy to see how the giant unicorn bull myth can be used as an excuse to decrease tensions among the inhabitants. Blame is placed on the myth not the neighbor. The most convenient myth is that of the forest troll Trauco. Women must be careful when is the forest because if they stare into the eyes of Trauco, he will cast a spell on them. They will find him irresistible and become pregnant. A very handy myth indeed since most of the male population are fishermen who spend most of their time at sea. “It’s Trauco’s fault.” Even today bastard children are referred to as “children of Trauco” which Jason pointed out is unfortunate because it’s used to stigmatize them. Now, on to the tour. Our tour guide was Vincente, a local who lived a few blocks from the main church. We literally drove through his neighborhood and he filled us in on the local culture and of course talked about potatoes. We took the last spur of the Pan American Highway and found out that the southern terminus is just a few miles away. This is farthest south you can drive on the highway. To get to Puerto Arenas, you must drive north a few hundred kilometers and cross into Argentina, then head south back into Chile. After about a 90 minute drive through the scenic countryside we arrived. This tour is definitely “demanding.” Trekking poles are provided. This area has rain 200+ days a year, and in the winter months, some areas on the hike are completely underwater. There are small wooden planks and walkways everywhere, helping you to avoid the muddy ground. I would not want to do this hike in the rain. That being said it is a wonderful tour to explore this unique environment. We are very happy we took it. On the way back we stopped for lunch and then back in Castro for a photo op of the famous houses on stilts. Back on the ship we had dinner and we could see two distant peaks. One volcano exploded a few years ago, blowing its top and sending ash into Argentina. So much do the ski season was cancelled. Later we attend the port talk for tomorrow’s stop at Chacabuco and our first use of the onboard toys. Then there was a presentation about con trails and the NASA citizen science app to collect data about them. There was also a presentation of Chile’s biome. Tonight we failed to “three-peat” our trivia win streak, losing by one point. Did you know Yoda was originally going to be a monkey? Well, neither did we. Tonight’s 9:00 PM movie was a 3D documentary about humpback whales narrated by Ewan McGregor. This is the best 3D experience I have encountered. Octantis and Polaris have the only 3D screens in the Viking fleet. The 3D glasses are battery powered and controlled by inferred LEDs. We were told the screens in the Aula cost $1 million each. If you find yourself on an expedition ship, going to a 3D movie is a must.

Yellow Submarine

Kayaks IMG_4910.mov

They launched the toys! IMG_4910.mov

Room with a view😍

Working on an update but had to stop when I opened the shades and saw this view from our cabin.

So far Castro and Puerto Chacabuco are tender ports.

You only get pants and boots and those are for the Zodiac and SOB. We are not kayaking but they did say they get a special life jacket. Weather this morning was in the 40s but warmed up to the 60s. The key is wearing layers and at the port talk they say more and more layers as you go south. Today we had on a shirt, sweater, and jacket. Took the jacket off after a while. Wind and rain are really the issue. Make sure that you have a decent weather proof coat or jacket. It gets cold on deck, when riding the zodiac, and SOB because of the windchill. They also warn that you might get wet. IMO bring what you would wear in a rainstorm in the 40s. We are in the port talk right now. Tomorrow’s high is 49.

Day 6 - A Whale of A Time Another sea day so we took the opportunity to sleep in and finally recover from jet lag. We ate breakfast at Mamsen’s and had the wonderful waffles topped with fresh raspberries. After a late breakfast it was time for the fitting of boots and pants. Boot fitting occurs on Deck A and the times are divided by room numbers. It was a quick, efficient process lasting about 10-15 minutes. You take your boots with you to place in the drying closet. Pants are delivered to your stateroom later in the day. After lunch the expedition crew was on deck for wildlife viewing tips. Everyone is encouraged to take their supplied binoculars and scan for whales and other sea mammals. For those who are unfamiliar with how to use binoculars, there was also an introductory class in Expedition Central. As luck would have it, we immediately saw the blow of a pod of whales. An announcement was made informing everyone and the captain maneuvered the ship for a closer look. There was a pod of three humpback whales about 20-40 yards off the bow. The day before we had been informed of an app called Happy Whale which allows people to download pictures to help track whales. Their tails are like fingerprints and by using AI, they are able to identify individual whales and will send you updates when your whale is seen in other places on the planet. For a donation, you can even name your whale. Very cool experience. (See previous post for video) At 5:30 we had our first port talk for an actual port. Tomorrow we will tender to Castro where we have an optional excursion booked to Chiloé National Park. This was followed by a short lesson about clouds. For dinner DW had surf and turf. She said the lobster was excellent as was the filet mignon. After dinner if was time for trivia. This time we teamed with three other passengers and we won again! Let the champagne flow. After trivia we attend a timely lecture about whales. It was here that we learned that while the crew and passengers were doing boot fittings, a crew member took a picture of whale. To the amazement of the marine biologist and unbeknownst to the photographer, it turned out to be a blue whale, the largest species on earth. He couldn’t believe that he was passing out boots during this unique sighting. Pictures below. Tomorrow morning we arrive in Castro.

No.

They provide boots and waterproof pants for the expedition equipment. If going to Antartica, you also get a parka. The boots and pants are pretty bulky, only good for riding the toys.

We just saw a pod of humpback whales. Updates in my next post. IMG_4740.mov