Mar. 26, 2007

From Chile to Rio (with a side of Antarctica)
A Travel Tale by Anna Heubner of Galloway Twp.

My friend Johanna Corso and I took a 20-day Holland American cruise on The Rotterdam from Santiago, Chile, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an excursion to Antarctica. I had previously sailed around South America a few years ago, but this trip was a first for Johanna.
We flew from Philadelphia to Santiago via Atlanta. Our first port of call was Puerto Montt. We were anxious to see the snowcapped volcanic Mt. Orsono, Esmeralda Lake, Petrohue Falls and the lovely resort town of Puerto Varas on Lake Llanquihue, but it was so windy it would have been dangerous to take passengers ashore.
We set sail along the Chilean coast, passing many snowcapped mountains and Amalia Glacier en route to Punta Arenas. Here we took a bus tour through Patagonia, passing a lone gaucho and his herd of sheep, emus, many native birds, skunks, a fox and petrils flying overhead as we headed for a penguin rookery. We walked along a boardwalk to view the Magellan penguins coming up from the beach and in their burrows.
Next day we traversed the Chilean fjords, seeing many glaciers, then went through the Beagle Channel, passing the border between Chile and Argentina. Our next stop: Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city. But once again, the wind was strong and we could not dock.
The next day in pouring rain we rounded Cape Horn, just like explorers who first navigated the area nearly 400 years ago. The seas were high and the winds above gale force as we turned south, heading across the Drake Passage on our course towards Antarctica.
Our first view of the White Continent was the snow-covered Anvers Island, where we picked up scientists from the U. S. base of Palmer Station. They made an onboard presentation about their marine ecosystem research, atmospheric studies, and the effects of increased ultraviolet radiation on the marine and terrestrial communities.
We cruised Lemaire Channel to our furthest south latitude of 65 degrees 07’ south – 83 miles from Antarctic Circle and 1493 miles from the South Pole.
The remainder of the day and the next two days we spent cruising Antarctica’s water. We passed research vessels, the Chilean Stations and the Argentine Station, Deception Island, Hope Bay, and Elephant Island.
The scenery was indescribably beautiful. The icebergs and glaciers were fabulous. The wildlife was fascinating to watch, the sea lions, birds, whales and, of course, the penguins hopping on and off the bergs. All through this adventure we had commentary from the ice pilot and naturalist on board.
Next we headed for the Falkland Islands, where we tendered ashore to walk along the town’s main street. Although it was sunny, it was chilly and very windy. The islanders are hardy folks.
Off to Buenos Aires. It’s a very cosmopolitan city located on the Rio de la Plata. Here we went to an Argentinean barbecue. We traveled by bus to an estancia out in the countryside and were met at the gate by several gauchos on horseback. The food was fabulous and the wine flowed.
The owner gave a little talk about the regional culture while a small group of dancers performed local dances wearing native costumes. Returning to the ship, we drove through the center of the city to get an overview. During my previous visit, we had toured the city, gone to the cemetery where Evita Peron is buried, walked through La Boca, a lively Italian neighborhood; drove through the ritzy Recoleta district and attended a Tango show.
Next was Montevideo, Uruguay, the second smallest country in South America. We took a tour to see the city’s highlights and drove through several lovely residential areas and then along Punta del Este, the fashionable resort area.
Our journey came to an end in Rio where the ship docked overnight. We took the cog train up to Corcovado Mountain to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer that overlooks the city. The views of Guanabara Bay and the city were quite beautiful. We spent the afternoon shopping. On our last day we took the cable cars to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain to see the stunning views. We then took a short tour to see some of the sights as well as Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.