TURMOIL WITH A CAPITAL TEE

Yesterday, Puerto Montt, today turmoil. We started off with bucketing rain that cancelled our tour up the the volcano and waterfalls, road washed out. So after some debate on the coach we went for the alternative of German village, town of roses and the fish market. All were great. We had coffee & German kitchen in the village which had been founded by Germans I'm the 19th century. Lutherans in a catholic country - wow! It was very nice there with an opera house on the banks of the massive lake, 50 klicks wide with the volcano on the opposite bank, but invisible in the cloud. I think it is really a Chilean marketing ploy, it doesn't really exist. The town of roses, Vargas was also very scenic, but the real star was the fish market. This was the proper job, local fishing boats quality fish, smokers, massive shell fish & they were selling veg - monster garlic & potato varieties you will not have seen before. All in all a lovely place. The turmoil, that's for tomorrow, cruise cancelled for b2backers ...turmoil.

CHILEAN FJORDS

Couple of sea days cruising through the fjords. It is quite scenic, but also desolate. We have seen no sign of life for 2 days apart from the entertainers. The clients all seem pretty exhausted. We have seen glaciers, icebergs, rainbows & the odd albatross. We have been staggering around the dance floor, learning tango t.a.n.g.o. merengue & chacha. Lin wants to do them all at the wedding with the sons-in-law, what do think? Tomorrow, we are up early for a tour, & we're tired now!

GLACIERS BY THE BUCKET

Left Ushuaia to cruise along the Beagle Channel, a narrow water passage that takes you to the Pacific without having to round the Horn. It has very treacherous, sudden strong winds called the weeweewind. I understand this 'cos when I get bad wind I weewee! It's the old age you know. Sailed past 5 glaciers, not on Alaskan scale but pretty spectacular. Fancy night tonight. Been meeting interesting people - US naval intelligence officers - NY cop - millionaire Miami property developer who sings on other cruise ships.

PUNTA ARENAS

Now in Chile, weather still wonderfull. Nice town but looks in the grip of a massive recession with all the shops & banks boarded up. They're actually open but boarded against the rioting that's going on on Chile. Walked around the town visiting Sarah Braun's swanky house. She was a German who came here in 19th century, married & made a fortune. Funny place, the statue behind us is a national hero, Bernard O'Higgins. You remember we got 50% off tits in Montevideo, well in PArenas we got 2 for 1 on Corona. I took my virus in & got 2 to take back on board. Everyone is twitchy, we have a Princess ship in port with us.

USHUAIA

We're at the end of the world, the southernmost city. We are so far South that when at sea south of Cape Horn, the GPS on the phone wouldn't work properly, it kept saying I was in Alaska. Ush is a really nice town in the foothills of the Andes. The weather has been brilliant, we expected high wind like the 50mph we had at sea the night before, but it is sunny & warm. Why am I lugging all this cold weather gear about? Went on a Spooner Tour around the town ending in a museum that was formerly a recidivist's penal colony. All the bad boys were shipped down Buenos Aires, bit like an Argentinian Botany Bay. Nice place that had art, local history, & Antarctic stuff as well as prison history. That guy we are standing next to is big feet Mexican Pete - you see Linda has the prison uniform on. I didn't think they were going to let her out. Hope nobody gets a cold on board, they may quarantine all the b2b guests in San Diego. That little ship in front of us is our next cruise in October.

END OF THE WORLD

We are down at Cape Horn, the scene of numerous disasters, especially under sail. There is  lighthouse, a weather station and a sculpture of albatross. It's very bleak here. We saw albatross, there are a lot circling the ship. I am the ancient mariner. I have to say it is hell & dangerous down here - the shampoo was a little warm for Lin & we were down wind of La Boreal, a French ship - you could see Corona virus drifting in the wind. Off to dinner & then Ushuaia - bless you!

PUERTO MADRYN

Back in Argentina but way south now after 2 days sailing - there are penguins & whales here. Spent a leisurely day in town & at local museum in a beautiful position looking over the town out to sea. Not much to do here, all the tours take you on a 2 hour drive to get the national park. Not for us. Seems a lot of the town fought in the Falklands, they were repatriated on the Canberra. That giant squid is for Leo to see. Now got 2 days at sea to get around the Horn.