The South American and Antarctic experience on the Zaandam

[scubacruiserx2]

We asked the bus driver if he could drop us off at the ship instead of going downtown and he dropped us at the port's gate . I saw a rabbit at the center of this photo .

 

 

Almost there

 

 

We didn't have lunch and so we decided to take the plunge at the Dive In Grill . We like the fries and the sauce .

 

 

Of our 3 closeup encounters with penguins , we liked this  liked this one the least . With a Port side balcony were really looking forward to Glacier Alley and Ushuaia in the morning .

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[perfect match]

Joe and Pat, I just found this review through the link you posted on Bimmer09's thread! I had been checking on the Hal board to see if you were posting anything there. Obviously, I was in the wrong place! I've got you bookmarked now, and will start catching up later today. I'm already up too late from catching up with Norris, so I'm off to sleep now. I will be back!

[scubacruiserx2]

4 hours ago, perfect match said:

Joe and Pat, I just found this review through the link you posted on Bimmer09's thread! I had been checking on the Hal board to see if you were posting anything there. Obviously, I was in the wrong place! I've got you bookmarked now, and will start catching up later today. I'm already up too late from catching up with Norris, so I'm off to sleep now. I will be back!

 

Hello Nancy , it's so nice to hear from you . How is Barry ? We posted here instead of HAL so that everybody going to SA  could use it .We did consider Seabourn and the Eclipse but got the last Neptune Suite on the Port side . so that settled it .

[scubacruiserx2]

We were up early for our trip through Glacier Alley on Christmas Day

 

 

Breakfast was here and we were ready to go 

 

 

 

Unfortunately , the weather was not cooperating .

 

 

A video clip :

 

 

 

 

This is what one our favorite glaciers , the Romanche , looked like .

 

 

And this is what it looked like in 2013 .

 

 

Video clip 2013 :

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Romanche

 

 

Alemania glacier

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Glacier Italia

 

 

 

 

Holland Glacier

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Entering the Beagle Canal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out these video clips:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Coming into Ushuaia it was quite breezy but a few boats were out

 

 

 

 

Pilot boat 

 

 

 

Quite different than our last visit  in 2013

 

 

The call was made by the Captain to bypass Ushuaia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, singinalot said:

Wow! The reflections of the snow capped mountains in the glass like water is breathtaking


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thank you.

The weather really cooperated and was beautiful. 

 

Unfortunately, this time it was so overcast and foggy you could barely see any of the glaciers including the Alemania Glacier.

[perfect match]

I've only managed to read the first two pages so far. Your pictures, as always, are awesome!

 

Joe, I didn't know you were having knee issues, too. I knew Pat did, doesn't sound like there have been any replacement surgeries yet, though. My own replacements experienced a bit of a strain climbing a dive boat ladder under some very rough conditions in Grand Cayman this past May, and I've tweaked the strain a few times since then, but I'm finally seeing some good progress towards recovery.

 

Other than the strained ligaments in my left leg, Barry and I are both well, thank you for asking. We hope that both of you along with the rest of your family are doing well, too.

 

I don't expect you guys did any diving on this trip. Actually, I hope you didn't! No dive pictures are necessary. I'm happy to be following along anyway!

 

[scubacruiserx2]

4 hours ago, perfect match said:

I've only managed to read the first two pages so far. Your pictures, as always, are awesome!

 

Joe, I didn't know you were having knee issues, too. I knew Pat did, doesn't sound like there have been any replacement surgeries yet, though. My own replacements experienced a bit of a strain climbing a dive boat ladder under some very rough conditions in Grand Cayman this past May, and I've tweaked the strain a few times since then, but I'm finally seeing some good progress towards recovery.

 

Other than the strained ligaments in my left leg, Barry and I are both well, thank you for asking. We hope that both of you along with the rest of your family are doing well, too.

 

I don't expect you guys did any diving on this trip. Actually, I hope you didn't! No dive pictures are necessary. I'm happy to be following along anyway!

 

 

 

Just my right knee swollen and painful while walking and climbing a lot. It's better now . Our friends want from out West want us to dive next month but no diving on the trip . Puerto Madryn would have been best with the seals , but there are sometimes Orcas which we did see earlier in the trip .

[scubacruiserx2]

Since we didn't land in Ushuaia and we don't have new photos from there , we will use the 2013 photos for Ushuaia .

 

2018 airport

 

 

2013  airport

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 

We booked a harbor tour

 

 

They were able to get very close to the islands

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice Island sea lions video :

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Bird's Island

 

 

 

 

Les Eclaireurs lighthouse is considered to be a symbol of Ushuaia .

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Our next stop was Bridges Island . There are no bridges on the island but , rather it is named for a missionary named Thomas Bridges .

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bridges_(Anglican_missionary)

 

 

Our sister boat arrived first and set out for a trek across the island

 

 

 

They were on the high point of the island being circled by an aggressive bird

 

 

 

 

We paused part of the way up the hill for a lesson on the flora and fauna of the island

 

 

 

 

The Cushion plant is found in Alpine regions

 

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cushion_plant

 

 

 

Our guide showed us this wild flower and berries

 

 

 

 

While hiking a little further we found this mother bird and her two chicks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And from the summit you can see the other group returning to the boats

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 

We had reached the summit and the view was breathtaking !! You can see the clarity of the water on the West side of the island

 

 

 

 

And a view of the city in the distance

 

 

 

Or of an airplane taking off

 

 

 

 

And finally - a video of the island and the bird , now circling us

 

 

 

 

A video of the Zaandam in Ushuaia :

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

That was Ushuaia in 2013 but on Christmas Day in 2018 , we were sailing away from Ushuaia toward Puerto Williams .

 

 

 

The sky was beginning to clear but it was still quite breezy

 

 

The scenery and light was nice as we sailed in

 

 

 

Puerto Williams

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Williams

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The weather can and does change abruptly this far South

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Christmas Dinner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

And a quite walk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mind your head and watch your step

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We came into warm up at the TV fire 

 

 

And were greeted by this on our bed

 

 

Next up : A visit to the doctor and around the Horn .

 

[cruisin'teach]

Enjoying your review and pictures! We have done this trip 3 times on the Zaandam and loved every minute. Looking forward to your pictures of our favorite stop - the Falkland islands. An amazing, unforgettable cruise! Thanks for sharing and taking us along!

[scubacruiserx2]

And thank you for your kind words . We missed the Falklands on our 2013 trip and did Puerto Madryn instead , so we were looking forward to doing both of them in one trip .

[scubacruiserx2]

We were up very early near Cape Horn

 

 

 

 

This monument at Cape Horn has this poem 

 

 

 

I am the albatross that awaits you
At the end of the world.
I am the forgotten souls of dead mariners
Who passed Cape Horn
From all the oceans of the world.
But they did not die
In the furious waves.
Today they sail on my wings
Toward eternity,
In the last crack
Of the Antarctic winds.

 

The weather at the Cape was not very good 

 

 

and the Captain was making the decision of circling the Cape or making the run to Antarctica sooner than scheduled .

 

 

 

Decision made 

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Here we are leaving Cape Horn for The Drake Crossing

 

Video :

 

 

 

 

 

And as we headed down for breakfast at the Pinnacle Grill we noticed that something had been added 

 

Little doggy bags under the hand rail .

 

 

No leftovers here

 

 

 

A walk after breakfast ( or should I say ,  a stagger )

 

 

 

 

Video :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by scubacruiserx2