Day 118: December 10, 2007 Última Esperanza

  Punta Arenas, Chile
Monday, December 10, 2007

Day 118: December 10, 2007 Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas: Seno Última Esperanza

We got up around 6:30 and ate breakfast so that we could be at the pier, a few blocks away from the hotel, by 7:30. We left our luggage in the deposito so we could pick it up and leave upon our return from the boat excursion.

Última Esperanza Sound I

Cormorant Rookery

Última Esperanza Sound II

The day was overcast and windy, not ideal for a fjord cruise but fairly typical for the area. We boarded the 21 de Mayo at 7:45 and headed out a little after 8:00 with about 25 people on board. The water was rough. A heavy spray and strong wind kept everybody in the cabin most of the time. On one of my forays to the fantail, a strong gust carried the spray across the back of the boat, soaking the front of my pants. We made brief stops at small colonies of cormorants and sea lions and continued northwestward up the sound. The weather was a little too miserable to enjoy the many beautiful waterfalls that cascade down the cliffs of the fjord.

Última Esperanza Sound Waterfall

Sea Lion Colony

Eventually, we reached the rapidly receding Balmaceda Glacier and then continued to the small port in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park for the walk back to the Serrano Glacier. Elise and Elena joined my for the walk while Shirl remained in the comfort of the cabin. The howling wind was hardly felt from within the ñire forest but once we got to the top of the recessional moraine and the proglacial lake, it was powerful. I had walked back to the glacier on my previous visit so I suggested that we walk around to the lake's outlet into the sound. It was just a short walk, which provided an excellent view of the glacier descending the mountainside to the lake. Numerous small icebergs were blown against the shore. Elena took a small chunk and we all licked it. She brought it back for Shirl to try. Although the wind was strong, it was not that cold so I stood in it for a few minutes and successfully dried out my pants.

Balmaceda Glacier

The Boats

Serrano Glacier II

The Boats at the Ranch

After an hour, we reboarded and started our return trip. The clouds broke and the sun came out but the wind remained strong. We ate all of the food we had brought with us. It turns out that the boat stops at a ranch for lunch now. This is a relatively new addition to the trip but this was not made clear to us at the hotel so we had no reservations and couldn't eat. We walked around the ranch, enjoying the scenery until everyone was ready to go. Elise met some American guys and an Australian from our boat so she and Elena played dominoes and hangman with them on the trip back to Puerto Natales.

Balmaceda Glacier II

Ranch Scene

Trees at the Ranch

El Morro

Arriving back at the hotel at 6:15, we paid our bill and loaded our luggage into the back of the truck. I let Elise drive first. It was clear and windy as we headed south through one of the few parts of Chile that is situated east of the Andes. Elise tired of driving at Morro Chico so we stopped to switch at a point where I finally got a picture of El Morro, a Pliocene back-arc volcanic plug. I drove the remaining hour and a half back to Punta Arenas. When we got to the Plaza Hotel, the vehicle owner was waiting for us. He took me over to a bank and I took out U$S 300 to pay for the truck. I was extremely happy with the vehicle. The owner, Juan Carlos, was a very nice guy. He told me he also had an apartment, which he rented on a nightly basis should I need it in the future.

After our cocktail hour, we walked down to Sotito's and enjoyed another excellent meal in their smaller dining room. Exhausted from a long day and with the prospect of a long bus ride tomorrow, we returned to the hotel a little after midnight and went to bed.