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February 3rd & 4th
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Yes a long day but everyone is still going strong in Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Awesome Buffet breakfast at the Alvear Hotel in Buenos Aires
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A big city with about 3.1 million people in 200 square miles!
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A really good night's sleep & everyone is in the lobby for a city tour
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February 4th
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A giant metal flower sculpture "Floralis Generica" in Buenos Aires
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Deborah, our guide, in the Plaza de Mayo (city center)
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Argentina flag ... note the colour of our t-shirts above
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looking from the plaza towards Obelisco de Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
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Larry Selin doing the Tango with a local dancer (photo prop)
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The colourful alley "Caminito" in the La Boca district
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Typical of the second floor balconies in Caminito
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Beer at a cantina. John Romaniuk waving
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more of our group stops for a beer at another cantina
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David and Ellen Brown and Garry Thiel enjoy a cold one
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4100 peso for 1 beer and 1 wine (about $5 US with the tip)
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58 of us lined up for a dinner show at Tango Porteno
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a great show in an amazing theatre ... a fun night
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One of eight big tables in the dinner theatre
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Another of the eight big tables in the dinner theatre
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February 4th and 5th
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A six piece band and the base fiddle player got a good workout
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The dancers were great but some of the other acts were spectacular
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Miles and miles of corn and soya crops on the prairies
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Numerous liner loads of cattle passed us (interesting looking trailers!)
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February 5th
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Cattle dotting the horizon as we got out of town, and lots of them
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Their sign could use a refresh but this is Estancia El Ombu de Areco
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The first half of the group that chose to ride
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Our Gaucho horse ride guide
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Different saddles and different horse but we all enjoyed the ride
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Those that didn't want to ride could take a wagon ride
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The team of Percherons were in great shape and all enjoyed the ride
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When the wagon was full the rest got to go on a buggy ride
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About half of the group relaxing in the shade as Santiago spoke
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Mark and Santiago doing an interview for the Spirit of the West
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At lunch we celebrated Barbara MacFarquhar's birthday :-)
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This ball cap used to be on Ric Arthurs's head ...
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Ric Authur wearing the Gaucho hat (he traded the cap and some $$)
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Then this four piece band started up to entertain us ...
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... and the dancers took to the floor in front of us.
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After a bit they asked some of the braver ones in our group to join them
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Laura was the guide on one bus and here she joins Bill and Barbara
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One of the Gauchos does a "horse whispering" demostration for us
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he was very good and his horse never made a wrong move
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they finally took us from dead silence to standing ovation
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Now pictures with them ... Larry and Bonnie Speers
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Kathy and Karen ... wow Karen with a horse!! Pretty brave!
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Charlotte and Richard Preston
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Pat Brewer thanking the horse for everyone
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Vera was on a horse for the first time ever! Way to go Vera!
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Keith and Laura Budd (on the tourist side of a tour)
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The saddle and rigging are totally different than ours
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The Gauchos wear coins to decorate their belts
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February 5th and 6th
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Heading back to the ship ... a very long and straight road
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The support crew headed out on their own to a polo farm
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Behind our guide, Agustina, the spare polo ponies wait in the shade
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There's a game here at Caballos a la Par every day of the year
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February 6th and 7th
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a special room all netted for practice and learning
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A buggy that they use for weddings here at Caballos a la Par
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Back on the ship we celebrate Caroline Leask's birthday
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Everyone gathered around at the evening get together
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February 7th
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Montevideo, Uruguay ... don't need English to find the vet
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The city tour of Montevideo was fantastic!
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There were huge monuments throughout the city
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These were all very well made with extreme detail
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Here the city of Montevideo literally meets the beach
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The tour guide talked about the monuments, statues and history
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Half our group with their guide in the square
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Cathedral Metropolitana, one of the amazing churchs in Montevideo
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Judy Broda, Marilyn Weeks, and Beth Dixson in the dining room
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Lorraine Sim, Pat and Phil Brewer, Barbara and Bill MacFarquhar, Kathy
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Richard Preston about to share a poem at the group gathering after dinner
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Our group enjoying one of the get-togethers in Club Fusion
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February 7th, 8th, and 9th
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Walter Wolbert sharing one of a few stories at our get-together
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Ernie Israelson doing an interview with the support crew for Hugh
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Another great private group city tour this one in Puerto Madryn, Argentina
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Some of our group getting off the ship. Vicki and Gary Hetrick in the centre
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February 9th
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Looking back at the Sapphire Princess as we walk off at Puerto Madryn
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Definitely the right place for these power creating windmills!
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One of two buses doing the Puerto Madryn private tour for our group
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Valarie, our guide, demonstrating how to make a cup of mate in her mate cup
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A couple of young Megallanic Penguins beside the boardwalk at Punta Tombo
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The penguins hole up in the sand under shrubs often a mile from the water
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They are quite content and totally ignore all the human traffic
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The peguins are just about finished molting for the year
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Walter stops to take a pic of a penguin hiding from the sun in deep cover
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The penguins were in this scrub brush all along the trail to the ocean
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I think this one wants to join in on our next evening get-together
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They are very good at telling people to give way to the penguins - 2 meters
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Beth Dixson getting a photo with the penguins while keeping her distance
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The hundreds of penguins are in amongst the wild guanaco
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Here a CO stands on the boardwalk to make people walk around a penguin
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A pair of twin guanacos take turns nursing on their momma
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These penguins are more where we expected to see penguins - at the water
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Keith Budd takes a pic of his wife, Laura, with the scenic background
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The penguins were coming and going from the ocean in a steady line
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Others were swimming in and around the rocks close by
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It was really a great place with beautiful beaches and colourful rock
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More penguins but these ones enjoying the nice sandy beach
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A sign explaining that penguins don't go on land for half of the year
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Back at the dock on the walk to the ship we saw these snoozing seals
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February 10th & 11th
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A Spirit of the West interview with Lorraine and Jim Dibben
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The lineup of Land Rovers just for our private tour at Port Stanley
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15 Land Rovers all heading to Volunteer Point and the King Penguins
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Irene and John Romaniuk in one of the Land Rovers
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February 11th
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Lots of sheep dotted the peat meadows for miles and miles
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Everyone had to walk through the foot bath before going any further
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Ellen Chase steps out of the foot bath and heads off to see the Penguins
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The line of Land Rovers parked and waiting for us to enjoy our day
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A King Penguin walks "the walk" right past us heading for the ocean
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This guy is one of the few that handn't finished molting yet
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Literally a sea of Penguins ... and pics don't do this scene justice
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One of the baby penguins just venturing out into the big wide world
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Some of our group gathered around the King Penguin area
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This guy is one of last year's babies that's venturing further
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An amazing and undescribable day. Truely awesome!
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Now back to the Land Rovers for another bumpy but fun ride
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Gary and Vicki Hetrick looking at Charlotte Preston's pictures
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Ed Peake and Ernie Israelson hiding in the wind shelter
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Karen and Jim heading for the foot wash on the way out!
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Back in the Land Rovers and heading for the sheep farm
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In places you could see why they use Land Rovers
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Lots of places! Hope everyone is buckled up!
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The rest of our group arriving at the sheep farm
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The group gathered around the fleece grading table
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A small pen of sheep waiting their turn with the shearer
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The farm owner gave an explanation and demonstration
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It was pretty amazing to anyone who had never seen a sheep being sheared
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As he worked around the sheep his feet would reposition the sheep
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the fleece just seemed to fall off in one big piece ...
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... as the shearer moved the sheep towards the exit hatch
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A whole sheep can be sheered in about one minute!
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The fleece is thrown on this table where it's graded
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February 11th & 12th
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This shows the stress management and care of the anmimal
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There's the Sapphire Princess awaiting our return in the Land Rovers
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Jim and Karen arranged a private galley tour for our whole group
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It was a great tour as we walked through this sea of stainless steel
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Antonio points out the different equipment as we walk through
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Many of our group had never done a galley tour before
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Thank you to Jim, Karen, Mario and Antonio for a great tour
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Judy and Gary Burgemeister doing an interview for Hugh and the radio show
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February 12th
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Had to add this great photo from Carolyn Leask at Volunteer Point
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Room deliveries today: pens, note pads, & revised schedule of events
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Kathy taking Ceasar orders from our group: Bill Leask & David Brown here
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29 Ceasars being made for a special memory day for the Prestons
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Jytte and Perry Olechowski
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Ellen and David Brown
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Ellen and Dan Chase
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George and Gail Slusarczyk
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Annette and Steen Jochumsen
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Vicki and Gary Hetrick
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Judy and Gary Burgemeister
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Keith and Laura Budd
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Jim and Lorraine Dibben
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Linda and Rick Arthurs
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John and Irene Romaniuk
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Charlotte and Richard Preston
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Carolyn and Bill Leask
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Les and Evelyn Free
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Bonnie and Larry Speers
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Pat and Phil Brewer
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Ed and Diane Peake
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Pat and Larry Selin
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Vera Abrey, Judy Broda, Marilyn Weeks
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Ernie Israelson and Pat Bird
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February 12th & 13th
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Walter Wolbert and Garry Thiel
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Judy Bergstrom and Joan Yule
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Beth Dixson and Lorraine Sim
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Tierra del Fuego National Park at Ushuaia, Argentina
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February 13th
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This shows the big "U" of the valley created by the glacier
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Quite the pretty scenery with meadows, creeks, & high peak mountains
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One of our stops was this scenic little trail along the shoreline
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A map where Kathy points out where we are
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Hard to see in this pic but the rocks on the beach are green as green
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Everyone back on board as we head to the "World's End"
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Jytte and Perry took advantage of the quiet time in the bus!
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At the "World's End" and looking at everyone from way up above
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A map of where we are & the blue square where the last pic was taken
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Here we are literally at the "World's End" with a pic to proove it
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A sign showing how the glacier moved through the mountains ...
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... creating the big "U" which is the valley where we are standing
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February 13th & 14th
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Beagle Channel connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
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Kathy got a couple of pictures through the very dirty glass ...
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... in the wine bar of these glaciers along the Beagle Channel
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Jim arranged for everyone to get on our own private tender off the ship
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Off the tender and the sign says welcome to Punta Arenas, Chile
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Our whole group testing the strength of this board walk ... |
... as we head out to board our own group boat to Isla Magdelena
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Most of the group seated in a large and comfy area on board
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February 14th
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Six of the group got their own little seating area by the galley
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Mark happened to catch Pat and Larry Selin out on the stern |
The heads had signs on the doors that everyone thought were pretty cute
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There was quite the lineup by the time we got onboard ...
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Magdelena Island is the home of more of the Magellanic Penguins
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The lighthouse in the background was built on the Island in 1902 |
Not the best weather today but still amazing to watch these birds
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This Penguin decided it should cross the path right in front of us
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I mean it is Valentines day here on Magdelena Island ...
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... although no one told these seagulls that! Ooch!! |
This sign shows the location of Madelena Island & us!
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Back on the ship the group gathers at another get-together
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February 14th & 15th
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Everyone seemed to have a great time at these get-togethers
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Darrel and Marg Hinkey doing an interview for Hugh & the S of the W |
Everyone gathering on the bleachers at the back pool for photo number one
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Jean-Luc, the ship photographer, with everyone in front of the glacier
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Our group photo for 2024 !!
February 16th
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Another tender port ... Puerto Montt, Chile
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The line up of busses at the dock, two of which are for our group |
We're headed up to this snow capped volcano, Mount Osorno
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The drivers did great navigating the road up the mountain
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Our two busses and our group up at the ski center
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Vera poses for a pic at our next stop at Petrohue Falls |
It was a gorgeous site with all the blue pools in between the lava rock
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Here Mount Osorno stands high in the back ground
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This is Villarrica Volcano that erupted in 2015 - Mt Osorno erupted in 1869
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Our whole group then stopped here for an awesome lunch
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Las Tranqueras in the area of Ensenada - great place!
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The biggest part of the group in one room and the rest ... |
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... here. It was an awesome salmon lunch with wine & dessert
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This shows the two volcanos, one in each side of the heart
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Puerto Varas is the town we stopped at and wandered through
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Last stop of the cruise ... San Antonio, Chile
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Another great hotel. This is the atrium of the Hotel Marriott Santiago
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A food court with restaurants, this one with really big horses!
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Our last bus tour in the court yard by the parliament buildings
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The Parliament buildings with the flag showing that the President is here
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Jim and Karen Bell, the couple that made this whole trip happen!
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Our guide said the Mapocho River looked like choc-oh-late milk
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At the cable car ride up San Critsobal hill, the highest point
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The cable car ride was super steep and the view was amazing!
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Looking over the 5 million people in the city of Santiago
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San Critsobal hill is crowned by a statue of the Virgin Mary
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Back at the hotel for our last night in South America. An awesome trip!
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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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