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February 1st
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We are on our way! Enlarge to read the whole text between Karen and Mark
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The luxury liner, Penticton to YVR, landing lights through cockpit window
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Ah finally we're happy! At the Fog and Suds across the road from our hotel
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Our favourite place to stay ... they "Give a Duck"! (for our hot tub) :-)
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February 3rd and 4th
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In Buenos Aires & Jim had made a reservation at Estilo Campo - it was awesome! Great beef!
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One city tour stop was Floralis Generica a wind damaged aluminum flower sculpture that opens
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Kathy taking a pic of/for Perry and Jutte Olechowski at the Floralis Generica.
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In town the second floor balconies were nicely decorated with flowers and/or characters
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February 4th
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Kathy met this guy on a street corner in Buenos Aires and stopped him to chat
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See the different characters on the second floor balconies
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We stopped here for a quick glass of wine and a beer (split both to try)
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Apparently they have more hours in a day here then we do at home .... ?
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February 4th & 5th
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Back at the hotel we found the roof top pool and Kathy found the water fall
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The roof top view of Buenos Aires ... 3.1 million people in 200 square miles
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Our table at the dinner show at Tango Porteno ... great meal, great show!
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A horseback tug-of-war game that was originally played with a duck! Ooch!!
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February 5th
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Our first horseback ride was part of our group tour at Estancia El Ombu
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Our Gaucho took my camera and went ahead and took pictures of our group for us
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Julieta, the media rep for the ranch, got this photo and an interview with Mark for their social media
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Mark got an interview for Hugh and the Spirit of the West with Santiago, the ranch representative
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The ranch had music, dancing, and lunch for us after Santiago told us about their operation!
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Then they called up the brave ones to join in and learn the local dance moves
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A Gaucho then did a demonstration for everyone with his horse that was amazing!
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They referred to it as "horse whispering" an American term that they picked up
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February 5th & 6th
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Anyone that wanted a picture with the Gaucho and his horse could do so
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Back at the ship our wine bar tender tried Mark's hat on while he suggested a good wine
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Waiting to be picked up, we had to send a photo/location to the company as the driver was at the wrong place
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45 minutes late but worth it as the place was very nice, as was the staff
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February 6th
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The place is a polo farm and hotel that also does horse rides and is called Caballos a la Par
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Everything about the place was neat and tidy and the horses were in good shape
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Kathy getting her stirrups adjusted by Agustina our guide for the ride
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Kathy's horse was called "Chimanga" which is a type of bird in Argentina
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Their saddles were quite different with a double bar tree more like a pack saddle
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Kathy says she has no idea what they were saying or doing in this photo that looks posed
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Kathy got a photo of Mark on Pampa (bald) and Agustina on Conejita through her horse's ears
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These bright green parakeet like birds were everywhere!
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Agustina took this photo of the two of us back at the barns. Note the shelters
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Not sure if I can get parts for this old girl ... it's a Fiat something-or-other
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Back in the main lobby where we were served a nice lunch and much needed water!
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The table was set and ready for us when we got back from the ride
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February 6th & 7th
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The steak was huge, the potatoes smuthered in butter, an awesome desert and good wine
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Another included group city tour, this time in Montevideo, Uruguay
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The detail and accuracy of each monument was amazing, and many, throughout the city
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These are a few of the many vendor tables in one of the squares
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February 7th
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This is a plan for the building of the city Montevideo in 1748
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Click on the picture to see the size of these church doors behind Kathy
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The age of the city makes us think everything we have is new!!
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We got back to the ship early and there wasn't a soul in the big main pool ...
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February 7th & 8th & 9th
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We got in a great swim and a little sun with a pool-side drink before HH
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Ernie Israelson in our cabin for a Spirit of the West radio show interview
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Our cabin stewart, Nilo, left this puppy that we found on our bed
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The start of another private group tour, this one in Puerto Madryn
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February 9th
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We're thinking it wasn't serviced properly & a bearing got too hot
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Another type of tractor advertised here, a Valtra (I can get parts for them)
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A typical community here. They seem to pop up in the middle of nowhere
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Valarie, our guide, showed us how to make mate in a mate cup
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We started to see Penguins from the boardwalk right away at Punta Tombo
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There were lots of wild Guanacos around the penguins, too
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You didn't have to look very far to see Megellanic Penguins
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Here you see a Guanaco and a Megellanic Penguin. Pretty cool tour!
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They spent a lot of time grooming each other as they were molting
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This is just the start of the walk in and there were Penguins everywhere
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It was very picturesque as we got to the end of the boardwalk where ...
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... we watched the penguins walking in and out of the ocean and swimming
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February 9th, 10, and 11th
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On the beach they were also wading in and out and swimming
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Pictures don't do it justice but 100s of Penguins dotted the shoreline
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Three of our favourite guys on the ship: the two sommeliers and the wine bar guy, Redouane (RedWine)
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Port Stanley, Falkland Islands and the Land Rovers to take us to Volunteer Point & the King Penguins
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February 11th
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Jim had booked just about every available Land Rover for our private group tour (15 of them)
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We couldn't believe the huge flat prairies of peat, and all dotted with sheep
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Kathy with our Land Rover at the first stop, the foot wash stop
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Every person going to visit the King Penguins walked through the foot bath
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Here's Kathy walking through the foot bath with the guard watching to make sure!
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Our first glimpse of the huge number of King Penguins in the distance
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Kathy and I walked to the beach first. A few are close but lots in the background
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Then we walked back to the big group and Kathy posed with a small group on the way
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Most of them had finished molting but this guy was still working on it
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You are not allowed to touch them but they seem totally unconcerned
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It was truly amazing ... a sea of king Penguins all sitting on eggs or babies!
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Here's a baby that was just starting to get out and about
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Absolutely incredible and indescribable. Pics don't do justice
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Here you can see two of last year's babies out and about
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These two love birds were quite content to cuddle and love peck each other
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In the wind shelter ... Kathy describing Penguin talk? Something anyway!
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Kathy chatting with Kurt, our driver and guide as we get ready to return
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Kathy doing the foot bath on the way out ... yup both ways
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More sheep in the background and apparently that's where we're headed
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It was quite the windy bumpy trip through the peat meadows
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Hope everyone has their seat belts fastened !!
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This is the sheep farm that we're headed too. Nice neat place
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In the barns Kathy checks out the wool quality with the sheep shearer
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Then we got a full explanation and a sheep shearing demonstration
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As he finishes the sheep ends up in front of the exit shoot and gone!
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Kathy holds up the clean side of the fleese to see how white it is
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This is the fleece press to make it fit into one tote like bag
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The tote like bags hold about 200 pounds of fleece
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February 11th & 12th
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The Falkland Islands are owned and governed by the UK so they drive on the wrong side of the road
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Jim and Karen arranged a private group galley tour for us that went great
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Karen, Jim, Kathy and our whole group in the galley with Mario and Antonio
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An interview for the S of the W radio show with Judy and Gary Burgemeister
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February 12th
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A sea day. I had sushi and Kathy had a pizza - both were great
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Kathy working ... when the Internet is good enough
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Our cabin stewart made us a monkey hanging from the curtain
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One of our favorite wines on the ship ... one of many
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One of our favorite wines on the ship ... one of many
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One of our favorite wines on the ship ... one of many
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One of our favorite wines on the ship ... one of many
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One of our favorite wines on the ship ... one of many
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One of our favorite wines on the ship ... one of many
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One of our favorite wines on the ship ... one of many
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Jim and Karen with us in Sabatini's Italian specialty restaurant
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Everything was soooo good ... even the deserts!
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February 12th & 13th
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and if you couldn't decide you tried the sampler dessert
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Tonight we came home to a penguin waiting for us on our bed
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From our cabin as we pull into Ushuaia, Argentina
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Pretty country and amazing and unexpected mountains!
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February 13th
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Hard to see in the photo but these rocks are green as green
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Kathy taking pictures in the park that was our first bus stop
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Note the bottom line of this sign at our last stop
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We are at the World's end and have the picture to prove it !!
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Still pretty country and way out in nowhere is the hotel in the distance
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Kathy in the line (almost over now) to the girls bathroom in the hotel
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A glacier fed lake was a stop on our return to the ship
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Here a couple of horses graze at the river side ... so peaceful
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February 13th & 14th
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We watched the Norwegian Sun pull away from beside us in Punta Arenas
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Kathy got these glacier photos through the dirty window in the wine bar
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they are still amazing, even through dirty windows
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As we loaded into our private water shuttle we wondered how much weight this dock would hold
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February 14th
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Boarding our private group boat was a little scary on the little yellow board
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But once onboard it was pretty nice and quite comfy
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Twin Cat C18 600 HP engines moved us along at about 18 knots (21 MPH)
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This cute little penguin was all ready for rough seas
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our guide waited for the penguin before taking this photo of us
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The weather wasn't the best but Magdelena Island was still a cool place
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The light house behind Kathy was built here in 1902
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We stopped and waited to give these penguins the right of way
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Back on the boat we all warmed up with cookies and hot chocolate :-)
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Then Mark got to drive the boat as we headed back to Punta Arenas
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Had to take this picture as we thought the bathroom signs were totally cute!
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Back on the ship some of the dinner buns were pink & heart shaped
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February 14th & 15th
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Mark leads the group get-together calling people up to tell whatever
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Here Mark is interviewing Darrel and Marg Hinkey for Hugh & S of the W
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Looking back as we enter the fjord heading for Amalia Glacier
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The first group photo was taken at the back pool
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Our group photo for 2024 !!
February 15th
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Then a second photo was taken with the Amalia Glacier as a backdrop
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A massive glacier and the captain pointed the stern to the glacier for us
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John, the ship photographer, sets everything up for our group photo
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Back in the room we found this on one of the pillows
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February 16th & 17th
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Jim lowered himself to use a Canon camera and took this for us
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Our two buses up on the lava bed flats at Mount Osorno
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The road up the mountain was quite something but our drivers were great
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The ski resort at Mount Osorno where we stopped
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February 17th
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Lava rock in the foreground overlooking Lake Llanquihue
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The crumbled lava rock of the parking lot where we were walking
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Here we're at Petrohue Falls with Mt Osorno in the background
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Another shot of the Mt Osorno volcano from the bus as we head back
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One of the bright blue pools as we walk into Petrohue Falls
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Kathy posing in front of another super blue pool in the river
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The falls with what we think was a mountain in Argentina
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A fish in the pond at the river edge was about 16" long
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Kathy with her new toque at Vincente Perez Rosales National Park
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Kathy in my hat at Las Tranqueras Restaurant for a great salmon feed
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A quite decent Chillean Vino Tinto that they served us with lunch
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One of our two buses leaving the restauarnt to head back
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Kathy said: "Mark doing what he does best" ... chatting ...
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Puerto Vagas a town where we were dropped off to walk around
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The fire truck was just leaving the scene the day after
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Mount Osorno. In the middle of the pic you can see the flat where we were
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Walking along the beach front in Puerto Vagas we stopped for pictures ...
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... beside some of the metal art along the walkway at the end of the day
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Kathy thought this might beat Air Canada to get back to Canada ??
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Zoomed in to where we were on the mountain in the photo above
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February 19th
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The ship docked in San Antonio and the bus took us to Santiago
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they have giant horses in Chile! This is in a food (restaurant) court
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Kathy saw the word pasta so decided that this was our lunch stop
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Jim, Karen, and us is a cool, not so little, outdoor seating area
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We shared salads, salmon, assorted meatballs, prawns, & cheese plate
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Our guide described the water as chock-oh-late milk colour
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Kathy's happy ... a castle! On San Cristobal hill in the Metropolitan Park
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58 of us got on the rail / cable car to climb the San Cristobal hill
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An amazing view of Santiago. See the cable car tracks where we ascended in the bottom left
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Another almost 200 stairs to the Virgin Mary, an amphitheater and a chapel. Click to see Kathy on the steps
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Look at these poor little guys having to hold up this massive concrete beam all day and night!
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This picture from the bus window was specially taken for Mike ... Marilyn Munroe even in Chile!
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The Hotel Marriott Santiago our last night in South America. Octopus!
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And Don Maximiano wine!
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We're wondering which cabinet we should take home ...
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On the plane now ... pretty good for Air Canada!
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Back in Vancouver we had to take a shuttle to "South Terminal"
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The ticket agent told us about a pub within walking distance
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Our view out the window at the Flying Beaver Pub
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and the dessert that followed our nachos appy :-)
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Pacific Coastal Air didn't have any room between seats - note the seat tray
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Four duty free bottles of pretty good Chilean wine back at home
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Four new Accent Inn ducks to add to the hot tub
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A reminder of the good wines we drank on the cruise ship :-)
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We have announced the 2025 cruise destination! We'll be back to the basics
in February on the
Majestic Princess! See the
2025 cruise page here.
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