Barb and Lloyd's Adventures: Days 11-12 – The Amalia Glacier and Cruising the Chilean Fjords

I forgot to mention in the Ushuaia blog that we had missed Glacier Alley after leaving Ushuaia. Our departure had been delayed for about two and a half hours by the port authority due to apparent harassment of the Captain regarding paperwork. We were told that the Argentinian government is not friendly towards anyone who does business with the Falklands , possibly due to the emerging potential of oil development there. Even though we had not been able to visit the Falklands, Holland America was in line for some ‘delayed paperwork’ as a result.

Our dinner table that night was hosted by one of the medical staff of Holland America. Holly, a nurse, and her husband were charming hosts, and the wine was top quality and complementary, so it was a good evening. The Captain made an announcement during the meal, apologizing for the delay and explaining that we would pass through Glacier Alley in the dark. Everyone got a complementary glass of champagne, again. You could hear the stress and disappointment in the Captain’s voice we asked that Holly pass on our understanding of his efforts on our behalf. The next day, we ran into her and she said how much he had appreciated our remarks, and the flexibility nature of Road Scholars.

Revell kindly shared an photo of the Francia Glacier that we had missed.

We spent two days at sea after leaving Punta Arenas. We had two lectures each day, with Revell finishing up his stories of the men and women of Antarctica, and Teresa telling us all about her country, Chile.

The weather the first day was quite unsettled, but we were able to see the Amalia Glacier.

The usual means of transportation for the locals - by ferry.

the Amalia Glacier

As the light changed, the ice became bluer.

The next day was a little warmer, and we spent a pleasant day cruising the fjords along the coast of Chile as we made our way to Puerto Montt. It reminded me of the inside passage on the way to Alaska. Again some of my photos were spoiled because of the mist that accumulated on the lens, as the weather was constantly changing.

I was actually taking a photo of the two fishing boats
and caught this whale by chance - the only one I saw.

Cormorants on a rock

The black-billed albatross

A rare sighting of the endangered 'Washington George Penguin', (not to be confused with the George Washington variety, which is extinct). This little fellow came waddling and chirping into the dining room that evening.