9th-10th November: Journeying through the Magellanic archipelago to Isla Navarino
After stocking up on provisions and picking up several kilograms of freshly washed clothes, we took a taxi over to the port to board our brand new ferry.
In front of the ferry "Yaghan"
View of the old ferry "Bahia Azul" (the blue and red boat in the background)
The passenger quarters were off to the right (starboard), consisting of two bus-like carriages separated by a door: one with semi-reclining seats, the other with fully-relining "cama". We had decided to pay slightly extra to have the latter, although both looked comfortable. Above us was a large LCD screen blaring out a colourful telenovela that I hoped would finish soon.
The "salon" with "cama" (fully-reclining) seats
Each carriage had a couple of showers and toilets, brand new but with the predictably unpleasant whiff of chemicals. We set off just after the scheduled time of 6pm, with several loud blasts of the horn (the first of which had me jumping in the air, as I was then standing on the top deck right by the horn). Below the two carriages was the canteen, where we were served dinner at around 7.30pm. We rather optimistically thought for a minute that the sandwiches and tea we received was only a prelude to something rather more filling, but no such luck.
View of the ferry and its cargo
Dinner in the canteen
Leaving Punta Arenas
We had left Punta Arenas under a fairly clear sky (at least by the region's standards) but by now the clouds had swept in from the south and there wasn't much of a sunset to be seen. We settled down on our flattened-out seats at around 11, under warm blankets, and tried to get to sleep. There were fewer than 10 people in the carriage (capacity for 24), and there was a thankful absence of snoring. Nevertheless the gentle pitch and roll of the ship, plus the rattle and hum of the ferry's engine, meant that it took us both a while to fall asleep.
We'd set our alarm for 5am, since our itinerary told us that this was when we would be emerging from the Magdalena Channel and entering the Cockburn Channel, and we didn't want to miss the scenery. We woke to dark cloud and steady drizzle. The sky gradually lightened from 5 to 5.30, but there was no sign of a sunrise through the rainclouds. The view was, however, quietly beautiful. The ferry passed between dark islands with silver waterfalls and the rocky tendrils of slender promontories. The rain and low-hanging cloud lent a mysterious, other-worldly air to the scene. We bundled up in waterproofs and headed up to the top deck to brave the elements, thankful that we were able to retreat to the warmth of our seat. There was one brief period of exposure, passing from Canal Cockburn to Paso Brecknock, where the sea swelled and the ferry's stern occasionally plunged down into the waves rather more precipitously than we found comfortable. Otherwise the waters in the well-protected channels were relatively calm, and the seasickness bags posted at regular intervals were unnecessary. This video, albeit not hugely exciting, gives some idea of the surroundings.
Passing by Fuegian islands
After breakfast (the slightly odd combo of crepes and yet another ham & cheese sandwich) the rain ceased and the skies brightened. The sun finally peered through the clouds, lighting up the snow-capped peaks that lined the way. By now we were heading southwest through the Paso Brecknock, towards the ominously-named Bahia Desolada. There, so our map suggested, we would be fully exposed to the icy breath of the southernmost part of the Pacific Ocean, before ducking back into the shelter of Canal Ballenero.
The sun peeks through the cloud
A well-deserved nap after a 5 am wake-up
We need not have worried, Bahia Desolada belied its name and was relatively calm. By early afternoon we had reached the northwest branch of the Beagle Channel, and were proceeding under miraculously clear skies. Off to our left was the Cordillera Darwin, the principal mountain range in Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost tip of the Andes. In a spectacular passage of around 90 minutes we passed close by four or five glaciers. At the most impressive (Glacier Holandia, I think) our ferry did a 360 degree spin in celebration of its maiden voyage, for the benefit of the film crew aboard. Again I nearly jumped out of my boots at the sound of the fog-horn.
Cordillera Darwin in the distance
Sea lions resting in the sun
Glacier Romanche (and a waterfall tumbling down into the channel)
In front of Glacier Romanche
Another glacier
Mid-spin in front of Glacier Holandia
After passing by the final glacier we emerged from the north-west branch of the Beagle Channel, joining with the southwest branch at Punta Divide. We entered the main stretch of the Beagle Channel, passing between Isla Navarino to the south and Argentinian Tierra del Fuego to the north.
In the Beagle Channel looking back towards Punta Divide (north-west branch is to the right)
In late afternoon we took a slight detour towards Estancia Yendegaia, where the ferry landed very briefly to be inspected by police/customs. It was no bother to us; we were having dinner in the "salon". We then continued along the Beagle Channel, passing by Ushuaia, before finally having the chance to enjoy a proper sunset over the austral waters. It was truly breath-taking (or perhaps that was just the frigid wind swooping across the deck). We´ll spare you the other 50 photos we took, but here are a couple.
Ushuaia, which we would be visiting shortly
Isla Navarino under a pink sky
Sunset over Isla Navarino
We´d initially been told that we would arrive at Puerto Williams at around 6am the following morning, but in fact arrived just after 10pm that night. Perhaps it was due to the great weather conditions, perhaps the new ship´s extra power had not been taken into consideration when telling us the schedule. We were mildly concerned that we might struggle to find accommodation in a town of a couple of thousand people at night, but thankfully we were allowed to stay on board until 8am the next morning, saving us hassle and expense.
No comments:
Post a Comment