Patagonia… traveling the Chilean Fjords in Stella Australis visiting glaciers, epic scenery and the end of the world.

We arrived in Punta Arenas by plane around midday, dropped off our luggage, and set out to explore this historic port town. Located in Chile's Magallanes region, Punta Arenas sits on the Strait of Magellan between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and is the world's southernmost "large" city. It has a rich history as a gateway to Antarctica and a vibrant cultural scene. The city uniquely combines the rugged with the grand, showcasing ornate mansions from the wool boom era alongside port renovations and urban growth.

We first went to Plaza de Armas (yes, it shares the same name as Santiago), which is also referred to as Plaza Muñoz Gamero, named in tribute to Benjamín Muñoz Gamero, a significant politician and businessman in the area. The monument at the center honors Magellan and serves not only as a representation of the European explorer who discovered the strait now named after him, but also as a tribute to the spirit of adventure and discovery that has shaped the history of Punta Arenas.

This guy is Sir Ernest Shackleton. Best known for his 1914-1916 Antartica expedition in which his ship, Endurance, was crushed by pack ice. Shackleton and his crew endured months of hardship, including a harrowing voyage to South Georgia Island, before being rescued on the fourth attempt out of Punta Arenas. It's a great story if you're interested in badass explorers.

Dad also discovered house music from a festival stage that was set up near the harbor. Check out those moves.

Again, the highlight of our short trip to Punta Arenas was the connections we made and the unexpected coincidence related to Africa. When we arrived at the airport, Dad was wearing a shirt from Karongwi game reserve in Africa, which he visited with my sister last year. The man with glasses noticed the shirt and mentioned he works there. He is with the African Wildlife Foundation and helps fight poaching. It was amazing that they knew some of the same people. So, when we saw him the next day at Esquina 21 bar, we all quickly became friends.

Stella Australis

The reason we were in Punta Arenas was to catch our ship the Stella Australis to explore the fjords of Tierra Del Fuego. This 4-night adventure took us through the Strait of Magellan and into the labyrinth of channels that define the southern extreme of Patagonia. We boarded this purpose-built beauty at 5:30pm and after a welcoming toast and a little ship exploration we were off. This ship is nice!!!

Ainsworth Bay

The following morning, after navigating Admiralty Sound, we arrived at the expansive bay of Alberto de Agostini National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve recognized as one of the world's 24 most untouched ecoregions. This park was named in honor of Alberto De Agostini, the Italian missionary, explorer, photographer, and writer renowned for his discoveries, photographs, and maps of the region, which he deeply cherished. This location was also where we embarked on our first excursion, Ainsworth Bay.

We had the choice of two excursions. One along the edge of a stream, peat bog through waterfalls and moss-covered rock faces inside a sub polar forest and the other more strenuous hike along the crest of a glacier moraine, both with views of Marinelli Glacier and the Darwin Mountains. Although he wanted to do the strenuous hike and almost snuck in, Dad did the forest hike, and I did the glacier moraine hike.

We each boarded our Zodiacs and bopped across the bay to our destinations.

This was an incredible appetizer of all that was to come. Unfortunately, it was a little too rough to go on our next excursion to Tucker Island, which would have been our first penguin destination as its home to more that 4,000 penguins, but the scenery was beautiful, and we were appeased with many pisco sours.

Glaciers, Glaciers, Glaciers

Overnight, we navigated around the western tip of Tierra del Fuego through the narrow Gabriel, Magdalena, and Cockburn Channels, and rounded the Brecknock Peninsula. Let me tell you, we were well aware of our brief passage into the Pacific Ocean in the middle of the night. The ship was rocking and rolling, sending water bottles and glasses flying across the room. Fortunately, we didn’t get sick. Since we were all somewhat disappointed by the lack of penguin sightings—who wouldn’t be? But we did receive an added bonus by traveling a bit further up the channel to Welcher Glacier first thing the next morning.

Next, we went on to Pia Glacier, named after the daughter of an Italian King, Princess Maria Pia, which is surrounded by impressive rocks and mountains covered in clouds. This time on our excursion, Dad would not be put in the less strenuous group. All were amazed when he was at the top of the lookout that he is pushing 90. It made my hair a little grey, but again so worth it.

We even got to see the glacier calve.

The afternoon was spent cruising east along the Beagle Channel to Glacier Alley. Living up to its name, the passage features a number of impressive tidewater glaciers flowing down from the Darwin Mountains and the Darwin ice sheets. They are named after European countries, and as we passed each one, we were presented with food and drink from each country: Germany- sausage and beer, France- cheese and champagne, Italy- pizza and red wine. Holland and Spain didn’t have anything because we couldn’t eat all that food. But it was a fun interactive way to learn about the glaciers.

Cape Horn

After a night of cruising across Nassau Bay we awoke to the splendor and glory of the Cape Horn…. and it was calm and beautiful as can be, not what I expected for the most turbulent waters in the world.

Discovered in 1616 by a Dutch maritime expedition — and named after the town Hoorn in West Friesland — Cape Horn is a sheer 1,394-foot-high rocky promontory overlooking the waters of the Drake Passage. For many years it was the only navigation route between the Atlantic and the Pacific, often referred to the “End of the Earth.”

The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005, and the Chilean navy maintains a permanent light house on the island which is staffed by a light keeper and his wife and two daughters. The oldest of which is a talented artist. I had to support her by buying one of her drawings. There is also a tiny Stella Maris Chapel and the famous Cape Horn Monument. This surreal and rugged beauty made it a highlight of my trip.

Wulaia Bay

In the afternoon, we navigate the narrow Murray Channel between Navarino and Hoste islands and drop anchor at historic Wulaia Bay. This originally was the site of one of the region’s largest Yámana aboriginal settlements. The bay was described by Charles Darwin and sketched by Captain FitzRoy in the 1830s during their voyages. We had a choice of three hikes that ascend the heavily wooded mountain behind the bay. I was feeling the need to work off all the delicious food I had been heavily consuming and opted for the summit hike. Dad walked around part of the bay, and we both ended up at the Visitor Center built in a former radio station. The radio station had been constructed by the Chilean Navy in the early 20th century and functioned until the 1950s. Before leaving Wulaia Bay, I dropped a postcard to my son, Jakob, into the wooden mail barrel inside the museum. Letters or postcards are meant to be hand-delivered by future travelers, an ancient mariner tradition revived by Australis, so I grabbed one to hand-deliver myself. They live in South Lake; I will make sure they get it. To end, we got hot chocolate and whiskey, such a nice touch.

The Best Part of the Cruise

This was a trip of a lifetime. Stella Australis went above and beyond my expectations, and I was in awe every day of the pristine beauty of this planet we call home, but the best part of this trip was the connections we made. We sat at the same table of six for all our meals. This could either have been a very bad thing if you don’t get along or a very good thing if you do. We were of the latter. Our table was made up of a couple from Southern California, Tim and Linda and Adi and Tevy who both live in San Francisco. Every meal was full of easy conversations with a variety of topics and lots of laughter. They became our little family. As crazy coincidences go, Tim and Linda would be on the next part of our adventure, the Norwegian Cruise. How unlikely that of all the passengers on the ship, we happened to sit with the two who would continue on with us. With our favorite waiter Tony taking care of us every meal, it was an experience we won’t forget.

Also, we made connections with other passengers. Dad found all the Arsenal fans, by wearing his Arsenal hat. I met Ann, who lives in Guam and knows many of my friends there, and Simon and Antonia were a lovely couple from the UK who we shared many a cocktail and stories. Dad become a bit of a celebrity. He would get, "Good Morning John." from passengers he didn't know.

The food was also amazing. So good that Dad often had multiple deserts.

Usushaia

The next morning, we entered Argentine waters and docked in Ushuaia. Situated at the southernmost point of Patagonia, it signifies the end of Argentina and is often called the "end of the world" or, as some might say, the "beginning of everything." Encircled by sea and mountains, the city offers stunning views of nature's magnificence, with vivid colors and expansive landscapes visible from all angles.

Dad and I disembarked from Stella around 11am and made our way to our hotel, which, I must say, the sidewalks in this town aren't ideal for an 89-year-old due to the steepness and uneven ground. However, we managed without any problems. Our main challenge was obtaining Argentinian currency. We visited several banks, but each allowed a maximum withdrawal equivalent to $20 while charging a $10 fee. So, a word of advice for travelers: bring cash to exchange. Fortunately, we had some cash, and everything turned out fine. We then took a city tour on a double-decker bus, enjoyed a lovely dinner overlooking the bay, and had some fun in gift shops.

Penguins

The following morning, we had time to explore more of the area, and after our previous disappointment regarding penguins, finding them became my top priority. We booked a zodiac tour to Ponto Almanza, about a 2-hour drive through the towering mountains of Tierra del Fuego. We boarded the bright red zodiac and headed to Isla Martillo, where Gentoo and Megellantic penguins come to have their babies. OMG! They were so cute. I think it's impossible to watch a penguin walk without smiling. I know I can't.

Up Next…The bigger cruise

When we returned from our penguin adventure, we again grabbed our bags from storage and headed off to our next adventure… Antarctica on the Norwegian Star.