Adios, Chile!

It’s been invigorating visiting a couple of our neighbors to the south over the last month, especially after a lengthy hiatus. Ecuador is rich in natural wonders…… but the diversity and grandeur of Chile has really bowled us over. The people, too, have been welcoming….. patient with our American ways….. but without being excessively solicitous of seniors like us.

Henry got a warm response when he flashed people a glimpse of his Boot Barn boots, emblazoned with a representation of the Texas flag…..

…… which looks very much like the Chilean flag (here flapping in a mild wind)……. so they create an instant if fleeting bond with Chilean folks of all ages.

Through a series of circumstances related to Covid protocols and weather-related limitations, we had to fly half the length of Chile back to Santiago for PCR tests….. and will fly this afternoon south once again for our ongoing voyage.

We will board the Silversea Explorer in Puerto Williams, Chile. The ship normally accommodates up to 144 passengers, but apparently there will be only 40 to 50 on this cruise! Still plenty of new friends to make!

Puerto Williams is on the Chilean side of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, at the southern tip of the continent. It’s a little further south from Ushuaia in Argentina, a popular jumping-off point for cruises to Antarctica. Here is our planned route:

Originally, we were to have stopped a day or two in the Malvinas, aka Falkland Islands, but for Covid and/or weather reasons, they are closed to visitors. Instead, the next 3 weeks we’ll be sailing to Cape Town, South Africa.… along the way visiting the British territory of South Georgia for wildlife viewing, and several islands in Tristan de Cunha, another British territory that is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world. It’s 1,732 miles from the African continent, and is home to about 250 hardy souls.

In Cape Town, we will join up with our friend Tertius* who has planned a nice long sojourn for us in southern Africa…… all of which will be a subject for another series of blog posts. With limited internet on the ship, we won’t be posting again until we reach dry land around the first of April.

In the meantime, we wish you all happy trails! Thanks for watching!

• Tertius operates a wonderful boutique travel firm called Eye See Africa. He put together our first trip to Africa in 2018 and it was fabulous…… You must contact him if you are pondering a safari….. http://www.eyeseeafrica.net.