Feb. 16, Punta Arenas, Chile

February 16 Punta Arenas, Chile
Rumors abounded all day about our late departure the night before. Two were most prevalent. One, two bodies (not everyone finishes a cruise horizontally) were taken from the ship and the paper work was not done properly. Two, two crew members were caught by the drug sniffing dog with drugs. (Alan later asked the ship’s doctor about the drug story and was told it was not true.)
I can with almost certainty attest to the fact that at least one poor soul left the ship. I was waiting for an elevator and overheard some of the ship’s officers by the gangway talking about getting “his” passport, the procedure, etc. The captain, who we have never seen at the gangway, was also there in his uniform as were the doctor and other officers. And finally, as we were going down the gangway, shore personal were bringing up one of those board things they use for accident victims. At least if you die on board, the captain sees you off.
The captain made good time over night and we arrived only an hour or so late.
We are in the Patagonian Region and our first port in Chile, Punta Arenas, which means Sand Point in Spanish. It is on the Strait of Magellan (he’s all you hear about down here). The climate is very harsh and the area was not easily settled or developed.
Today the main industry is sheep farming, meat processing and wool. Three hundred sheep were originally brought over from the Falklands.
Punta Arenas has a very mixed ethnic culture with a great many Croatians. The four indigenous tribes of the area, the Onas, Haush, Yahan and Alacaluf, were virtually wiped out by explorers and settles and their disease and cultural influences.
The region also had natural gas and the largest methadone plant in the world. I think the guide said methadone. 30% of the cars and taxis in the region run on natural gas.
Before the construction of the Panama Canal the harbor at Punta Arenas was once one of the most important in the world. Now it is mostly used by tourist cruise ships and scientific expeditions but it used to be the last stop for ships provisioning for the treacherous passage around Cape Horn.
Before leaving the Prinsendam we had to fill out a Chilean Declaration form swearing we weren’t bringing in animals, fresh fruits, meats, plants, lab specimens, goods other than personal luggage or over $1,000. We are supposed to carry the form with us at all times when ashore in Chile. Our carry-off bags and backpacks were given a cursory look-over by Chilean officials as we departed the ship.
Alan opted for a HAL tour of museums and the like while I went on a Cruise Specialist tour to the Otway Penguin Reserve.
The bus ride was over an hour…all but twenty minutes of it on bumpy dirt roads. What could be seen out the bus windows was pretty desolate and very, very rural. People who had been inland in Australia said it reminded them of Australia. The bus stopped so we could see emus (or something similar), cattle, sheep, the upland goose, and some native animal whose name I can’t remember. (remember, English isn’t the native language of our guides but they do very well.)
I enjoyed my time at the Otway Reserve but once back on the bus realized I was disappointed in the tour. After walking an hour and a half over a wooden walkway to viewing sites, we saw only a few penguins….probably less than 50. I had anticipated almost frolicking on the beach with thousands. It was explained that the climate changes (down here they don’t say global warming) are changing the breeding and nesting habits of the penguins and many had left the area.
However, our guide was very good, the people on the bus friendly and fun, and we made a quick pass through the town before returning to the Prinsendam.
Alan returned from the tour he took-----museums, the town square and a cemetery to rival the one in Buenos Aires. Well, almost.