Sunday, October 30, 2022
South America Trip - Day 3
Before this trip, I’d considered taking an excursion to Tierra del Fuego on this day. As time passed in travel preparations, I considered the way I’d likely feel after 30+ hours of travel and eventually decided against it. That ended up being a good call because I was awake early but decided to catch up on some sleep. As a result, I didn’t get out of bed until almost 0730. I then took my time getting ready before going down to breakfast in the hotel lobby (0830). There was a good variety of food, mostly of the kinds I’ve seen in visits to other countries during my travels, and some fresh juices (with lots of pulp). I saw a girl with a Dartmouth sweatshirt on and asked her if she was an Alum. She replied that she didn’t know anything about the school and couldn’t remember where she’d found the shirt. We had a good laugh and then she and her friend told me about their travel plans to Antarctica. After breakfast, I went back to my room (0930) and got ready for some exploring in Punta Arenas. Leaving the hotel, I walked across Plaza de Armas Munoz Gamero to go to Mass at Catedral del Sagrado Corazon. The 1000 service was sparsely populated and proceeded slightly differently (due to local traditions, I suppose) than I was expecting. Fortunately, there were some older ladies in front of me who I was able to watch for cues. It helped when I discovered that the homily was about Zacheus... The sanctuary was pretty inside and I saw several people enter just to take photos. Afterwards (1045), I started a walk around the west and north side of town. It was initially quite windy again but the sun was shining and I was dressed appropriately. First, I walked up a steep set of stairs to reach the Mirador Cerro de La Cruz. On the top of the climb, there was a great vista to towards the Strait of Magellan and the weather was clear enough to see across to Tierra del Fuego. I saw lots of little locks on a fence there - not sure what that meant but I assumed it was an homage to a bridge in Paris... I spent a little time there, getting my bearings, before walking down the hill towards the waterfront (Muelle Prat). There were a lot of (friendly) dogs running loose and I chuckled to myself when I discovered the “Liberty Risk” areas. Almost all the businesses I passed were closed but I did notice several instances of a busy chain of grocery stores (Unimarc). It also appeared that Chileans have embraced Halloween - I saw lots of window displays. After reaching Ruta 9, I walked south for a bit, looking at the activities of an old Port Terminal and learning about the history of the town. This short detour didn't lead to much else so I eventually backtracked until I saw a large statue of Bernardo O’Higgins. Nearby, I found a road called “21 de Mayo” and learned that is a holiday in Chile called “Navy Day." From there, I walked north, past Plaza Munoz Gamero, on Avenida Gobernador Carlos Bories until I located the Cemetario Municipal. The hotel clerk had mentioned it as a good place to visit and he was absolutely correct. On a normal day, touring the tree lined pathways and passing the many mausoleums would already be interesting but this weekend was close to All Saints Day (El Dia de Todo Los Santos) and there was a lot more activity. I’d understood about half of the closing remarks by the priest at Mass but it was clear he’d been instructing the parishioners to make their families and loved ones a priority during “Una Fiesta de Vida." Families in Punta Arenas probably didn’t need a lot of encouragement, though, because I noticed that almost every family plot in the cemetery had recently been visited and spruced-up. In fact, I saw many, many more people arriving with flowers, cans of paint and other supplies. Once they were inside, I watched them cleaning, painting, polishing and even tilling soil for new plantings. The love they showed to the memories of their deceased family members was stunning to me. After I departed the main cemetery, I noticed a huge market that was selling most of the supplies people needed. I’d read in my guide book that there was a large population of immigrant Croats in the town and this was quite evident by the names on the stones. Overall, I’m very glad I paid a visit to this place because I learned a lot about Chile and Punta Arenas by stopping here. Headed back to the Hotel Cabo de Hornos via Avenida Hernando de Magellanes, arriving just before 1300. By then, I’d walked over four miles and seen most of the town. I packed up my bags in the room and checked out (1400). Since I'd discovered that my fish-sandwich leftovers from last night hadn't kept well (I’d ditched them) and was hungry, I left my big bag with the front desk and walked back to an area where I’d seen several bars and restaurants (including the Darwin, where I ate last night). Unfortunately, I found every one of them packed with people... Eventually, I remembered another place I’d passed, La Casa de Dona Maria, that was farther off the beaten path. I returned to that location and was able to get a table without too much difficulty. The ambiance was totally different than I’d previously seen and, after a while, I figured out that it was the kind of place where local families brought their loved ones for a special meal. I heard at least three “Feliz Cumpleanos” performances (and clapped along with the families). Meanwhile, I was able to order a different local beer (Hernando de Magellanes IPA) and navigate through another extensive menu. Ultimately, I ordered Fettuccini Dona Maria, which had a good cream sauce with shrimp and prosciutto. I enjoyed some more pebre on my bread (I'm getting to like it!) and relaxed. After I was done eating (1530), I walked back to the hotel to wait for the time when I was supposed to meet up with my Active Adventures group. For the next few hours, I read and relaxed in the lobby. At 1745, I walked about two blocks west to the Hotel Almasur (1745). When I arrived in the lobby, I met the Active Adventures guide, Alvaro, and checked into my room (1800). I came down to the meeting area a few minutes later and joined the Tour Orientation with about half of our 13 member group. Alvaro told us all about our two week itinerary and explained rules and expectations. We got to join his WhatsAp group (to share photos) and did a short Q&A. At 1900, we left the hotel together and walked over to La Yegua Loca, a place I’d seen earlier during my walk to the city overlook. Inside, we sat at a table and, when the rest of the group joined (1915), did introductions. Most of the others were from the US but there was also middle aged couple from Nova Scotia. Almost all were retired.... Only one person (Shaowen, a software engineer from San Francisco) was actually younger than me and that was surprising because I’d expected younger (and fitter) companions... Almost every other member of our group was either an engineer or a physician. During the course of the evening, we ate a delicious meal with three courses: carrot soup, blackened fish over risotto and a slice of meringue pie. I had one glass of Astral Lager but mostly filled up more on water (it’s been a losing battle to combat the dryness in the area). The conversation was very interesting, with topics from people’s previous experiences with Active Adventures to travel difficulties encountered in the journey to Punta Arenas. One lady (Joanne) had managed to visit the island in Tierra del Fuego with the King Penguins the day before but had almost been unable due to heavy winds (and canceled ferries). I also learned that an older couple from Colorado (Tony and Shelly) would be on the same flight with me to Buenos Aires - we discussed the possibly of going to Uruguay on the same day. At 2130, we finished eating and departed. The two Canadians (Kirk and Janice) said they wanted to see the view from the Mirador so I took them to the top. The view was much different than what I'd seen in the morning, with city lights covering all the visible land. As a result, I couldn’t see any stars, unfortunately. We headed back to the hotel and said goodnight to Alvaro (who was watching the door to make sure everyone returned). In my room, I did some travel logging and checked emails before going to bed (2330). Let the (Active) Adventure begin!