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March 3, Montevideo, Uruguay

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 So we took a bus trip today to see the highlights of the city and the large Juanico Winery.  It was determined to rain all day, so we didn't spend much time at all at our photo ops. This building has an interesting story. It was originally intended to be a hotel, but the residents hated it.  It became condominiums instead.  The builder had a brother who built a similar building across the river in Buenos Aires.  Both were to have lighthouses on top, and the lights were too touch in the middle of the river, which, if I understand, is 170 miles wide.  It's too far! They didn't take into account the curvature of the earth, and the buildings are not in eyesight to each other.  Fortunately as time had gone on, the Montevideons have come to love the building. Another famous landmark is the telecommunications building with a top that looks like a sail. As I said, it rained all day. So when we arrived at the winery and were on our way through the very extensi...
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Fun on the ship

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Our first night in our stateroom. Paul's Peruvian Chicken  My fish Wine tasting  Another bedtime present from our stewards ( including chocolates!) A towel critters from our dinner time waiter, Indra! We got an adorable elephant with chocolates for eyes! Our waiter had me choose a square piece of colored paper, and then he made this butterfly for me.
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Feb 26, 2025 Ushuaia Argentina

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Near Ushuaia is the place where the Pan American highway ends.  Above is the port area. We took an excursion to a National Park, Tierra del Fuego.  From here it is a mere 17, 848 km to the other end of the Pan American highway in Alaska. We stopped at Lago Roca and had time to walk around. I wish I had a better picture of the moss on this tree. It was everywhere in this area and just fascinated me! Horses! River valley along our bus trip.  Isn't it beautiful?
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Feb 27, Cape Horn

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 We are at Cape Hirn, where the oceans meet.  There is a lighthouse here with five residents: one man, one woman, two teenagers, and one cat.  It is a volunteer position. This family is in their third year. At least one resident must be part of the Chilean army. Good morning from Cape Horn! Myth of the albatross: they are the reincarnation of a sailor lost at sea. You don't harass them or eat them. Very rough here. About 10k ships, 8,000 souls lost here over the ages.  It looks just smooth and placid out there, but the wind is fierce.  I tried to go on the veranda to take a picture, but could not get the door unlocked.  Then I realized that it WAS unlocked-- I just couldn't push it open against the wind! They have found evidence of a 10,000 year old habitation on the Cape.  And all they had were canoes! When the pictures are blue like this, I am taking them off our in room tv, usually from the comfort of my bed! 😊
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Feb 25, 2025. Beagle Channel

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 It is still dark, but we are passing through or by six glaciers this morning.  Spania is the first and most isolated. Spanish Glacier  Snow on mountain top next to the glacier. Mount Darwin is ahead of us, named in honor of his 25th birthday.  It's too cloudy to see it, however.  This represents the end of the Andies. I missed one of the glaciers while I was in the shower.  We ordered breakfast in our room, so we haven't been out yet, except on the veranda. The next will be Francia.   It begins to peek out. Francia full on. Italia is next up.  It is the only glacier that touches the waterline. 4,000+ feet high. Massive glacier, typical of how this whole area once looked. This is Italia, a massive glacier-- so big you cannot see it all. Closer view. The sun breaks through.
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Feb. 25, Straits of Magellan

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 We took a shore excursion to the Straits of Magellan, a replica of his ship, and a museum showing life in the area when settlers and the Salesian priests arrived.  As we stood there looking south towards the sea, we were aware that here is where oceans meet:  the Atlantic on the left and the Pacific on the right.  I didn't notice any particular signs of the meeting, but it was cool! Also, I guess I always thought the straits of Magellan meant going around the point of the continent, but it's not that at all.  The bottom of South America is broken up into many waterways and islands.  Magellan simply found a good way through those water ways.  I believe the year was 1520.  So until the Panama Canal in the last century, this was the way past the American continents!  700 ships used to pass here per month.  I never really understood the importance of the Panama Canal! These amazing trees populated the town square. The "palace" of Sara Braun...
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Feb 24, 2025. Cruising Sarmiento Channel

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We are cruising through these channels most of the day.  We can go outside on the deck, but it is about 50 degrees and quite windy = brisk. Just above the dark hill, you can see much higher, snow covered mountains.  I expect there are more behind them.  It's a little hard to get good pictures, because it has been raining all day. Here is the first glacier we saw, Brujo, I believe.  Amazing!  I got up at 5:30 a.m. to go to observation deck for "sunrise " rolls at 6 and then commentary on Brujo Glacier at 6:30.  Well, guess what. I don't know who figured out that schedule, but it dark until about 7:15. In the afternoon we passed 6 or 7 glaciers, but the awesome thing was that we saw a nearly complete circle rainbow in the rain!  Pictures do not do it justice!  It was SO wide and SO full of color -- and it went into the water nearly to the ship!  I could almost reach down and grab that pot of gold. Then we passed one of many shipwrecks.  Al...
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