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Patagonia - Terry and Nancy

Tierra del Fuego National Park, Ushuaia
Tierra del Fuego National Park, Ushuaia
November 2010 --2 nights Buenos Aires--1 day Tierra del Fuego National Park Ushuaia--4 days Mare Australis cruise through Magellan Straights and to Cape Horn--3 nights at Torres del Paine Eco Camp--2 nights at Estancia el Galpon, El Calafate--Ascent of Perito Moreno Glacier--Return home from El Calafate via Buenos Aires
All Photos

Photo Album

Buenos Aires

Nov 14, 2010
A few hours hiking, then some paddling in Torres del Paine
A few hours hiking, then some paddling in Torres del Paine (Terry Adams)
Checked in early morning to well located hotel. Went for a walk nearby. Got pick pocketed near cathedral by couple who approached us to ''clean the pigeon poop'' off the back of our clothes. Highly recommend the under garment pouch which saved our passports, cash and credit card, but they got the iPhone in my side pocket.

Buenos Aires

Nov 15, 2010
Waterfall in Torres del Paine Park
Waterfall in Torres del Paine Park (Terry Adams)
Took the 3 hour 14 stops double decker bus ride. You can get off at any stop and catch the next bus every 20 minutes. Nice itinerary. Pity the Teatro Colon renovation is not quite finished. It was open for performances later, but closed to visitors during the day.

Buenos Aires to Ushuaia flight

Nov 16, 2010
Fungus in tree, Tierra del Fuego National Park
Fungus in tree, Tierra del Fuego National Park (Terry Adams)
Nice view of low mountains coming in to Ushuaia. Hotel was new, modern, clean. Nice seafood restaurants in town. Guided tour of town and surrounding area. Strange zoning if there even is any. ''expensive area'' has a small A frame built on the lot next to a large house. Squatters up the hill from a nice rural neighborhood have cleared the forest and built log cabins. Best views are looking down on town and water.

Tierra del Fuego National Park Ushuaia

Nov 17, 2010
Hawk a few yards from our picnic table
Hawk a few yards from our picnic table (Terry Adams)
Hiked all morning through the pristine park. Guide and driver cooked a delicious chicken BBQ lunch. Later, rafted back to the bus pick up point. Boarded the 170 passenger Mare Australis at 5 PM.

Ushuaia to Cape Horn

Nov 18, 2010
Magellan penguins at Magdalena Island
Magellan penguins at Magdalena Island (Terry Adams)
We found this 170 passenger ship right sized, comfortable, excellent food and plenty of it, crew and tour organizers really friendly. Pity the ship is going to the Chilean coast, but we got the benefit of the last voyage. Daily excursions ashore from the zodiacs they loaded us on to at the stern. Crew were very attentive to passenger safety. Cape Horn was very windy, and we were fortunate with the Captain's last hour decision to go ashore in the zodiacs.

Magdalena Island Penguin colony

Nov 19, 2010
Disembarking from zodiac at Cape Horn
Disembarking from zodiac at Cape Horn (Terry Adams)
A must see, 70 thousand pairs of penguins on one island. Before going ashore, the crew gave a very good penguin documentary talk and slide show. People walk around the periphery in a roped off area, though penguins have the right of way to get to and from the water. The penguins walk up so close to you, you could reach out and touch them. Later that evening, the ship came briefly out of the Magellan Straight and experienced a peak wind speed of 96 knots (110 mph) in the Pacific for about 20 minutes.

Punta Arenas

Nov 20, 2010
Some of the 70 thousand penguins pairs
Some of the 70 thousand penguins pairs (Terry Adams)
Just a quiet little town with not much going on except 100 km/hr winds. You had to time your street crossing carefully, holding on to a lamp post till the light turned green.

6 hour bus ride Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine

Nov 21, 2010
Staff meeting
Staff meeting (Terry Adams)
Bus is the only way you can access this pristine park. The ride got more interesting the closer we got. Glad we upgraded to the Dome Suites, which had own bath room and wood burning stove. Close up views of the Towers from the camp. Home cooked meals at the camp were delicious. Staff was very friendly.

Rained all day

Nov 22, 2010
In front of a small glacier. It started snowing five minutes later
In front of a small glacier. It started snowing five minutes later (Terry Adams)
We got a bus ride around the Torres del Paine Park, with stops to admire the views in rain and fog. Made us appreciate the nice following day even more.

Spectacular hike though the T. del Paine Park

Nov 23, 2010
Monument at Cape Horn
Monument at Cape Horn (Terry Adams)
Unlike Denali Park Alaska where you get bused in to the middle and don't see much else, Torres del Paine is smaller (only 225K hectares), but we saw every part of it thanks to our little bus. The hike was about 6 miles through pristine nature, flora, fauna and unforgettable scenery. The guides were full of information and friendly.

Estancia sheep ranch 20 minutes outside El Calafate

Nov 24, 2010
On way to Eco Camp Torres del Paine
On way to Eco Camp Torres del Paine (Terry Adams)
We left the Eco Camp very early for another 6 hour bus ride to El Calafate. Over an hour of passport checking at the border from Chile to Argentina. This estancia is remotely located and a distinct opposite choice from the busy town of El Calafate. Lakeside tranquility with bird watching, sheep herding, and horse riding.

2.5 hours round trip to ascend and descend the Glacier

Nov 25, 2010
Torres del Paine - the towers
Torres del Paine - the towers (Terry Adams)
Once you start the climb there is no turning back, but the picture at the top was the reward. Keep your feet at least a foot apart, and you will not fall. Snap or tie the bottom of your pant leg to keep from catching it on the crampon.

Flight home from El Calafate conecting through Buenos Aires

Nov 26, 2010
Chilean Fire Bush
Chilean Fire Bush (Terry Adams)
Seemingly endless lines through security.

Our best vacation in 40 years.

Nov 27, 2010
Condor - we saw 2 first day, 8 the next
Condor - we saw 2 first day, 8 the next (Terry Adams)
Arrived home early morning and started organizing about 700 pictures.

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