Pia Glacier and Glacier Alley

12.26.16

We sailed around the western end of Tierra del Fuego overnight and enter the Ballenero (Whaler) Channel, named by captain FitzRoy in honor of his whaling boat that was stolen by the indigenous people and never recovered.  I was dead to the world until, like almost everyone on board, we left the channel and hit the open, very choppy water at 4:13 AM. But, no problem, back to sleep for another couple of hours...

We had 2 very informative and interesting lectures this morning - one by Mauricio on the indigenous tribes and one by Nicole on the Chile/Argentinian conflicts over borders and land rights. I could not believe the quality and the existence of the photos documenting the indigenous tribes - some of whom very clearly resembled the American Navajo.

Gary and Laurie are getting us hooked on free, spicy bloody Mary's - as if it's not enough to be drinking unlimited beer, wine and champagne, but I had to slow down my consumption until we return in one piece from our first hike to the Pia Glacier. Right now it is already foggy enough outside - I don't need my mind and brain to be foggy as well.
Another excellent lunch buffet - with wonderful Asian food.  I loaded up with the sushi, fried rice and Korean BBQ pork ribs -delicious! Thus fortified we awaited our disembarkation for Pia Glacier, as we anchored at the Pia Fjord, where we once again deployed the Zodiacs for another shore excursion.(Hope it stops raining very soon).

OK, this was my shortest excursion - steady rainfall + slippery rocks + muddy terrain = another mishap NOT going to happen.  I went about 25 yards, took my photos, walked back to the shore and prayed a Zodiac would come soon. The guys took pity on me and a Mexican man and returned us to the ship. Louis, the steward for our cabin deck, took such pity on me that he unlocked my cabin door so I wouldn't have to deal with all the multiple layers I was wearing and asked me if I needed anything. I told him a hot toddy would work but he's Chilean and didn't understand me until I pantomimed a drinking motion. Then we both laughed and he continued down the hallway and I enjoyed a very long, hot shower.  Thank god that was today's only excursion...

 Pia Glacier

Some tidbits on the glaciers and global warming effects (yes people, this is SCIENCE whether you accept that it's happening or not)...

1. The Patagonia glaciers in both Argentina & Chile are melting so rapidly that they are causing a significant increase in sea level.
2. There is also an accelerated ice loss.
3. Factors involved include: rise in air temperature, decrease in precipitation, nature of Patagonia ice fields and calving glaciers that spawn icebergs directly into the ocean.

I actually watched the water and ice pouring out from underneath the Pia Glacier after we heard the rumble of a massive interior calving. One moment the water was fairly calm and the next it was rushing along the shore, swirling and rushing, and adding a significant amount of ice chunks to our disembarkation point - which forced our crews to navigate the rafts more slowly and carefully back and forth to the ship.

By about 6:15 PM we began our navigation along the Beagle Channel through Glacier Alley, where most of the impressive glaciers flowing down the Darwin Mountain Range on the north shore are named after European countries - Germany, France, Holland and Italy.  As we passed by each one, everyone would run out to the deck (it was still raining), snap a photo and hustle back to shelter while the bartenders would work their way through the Darwin Lounge with a special treat for each passenger: sauerkraut & sausages for the German glacier; champagne for the French; fried dough in powdered sugar on a stick for Holland; and pizza slices for Italy.  No matter that we were eating dinner in about 45 minutes and drinking the bar dry - it was the captain's dinner night and we were set to enjoy beef tenderloin (my choice and it was AWESOME!) or salmon or Caesar salad (which I really didn't see anyone eating quite honestly).  ***Note to my faithful readers: do NOT combine sangria with champagne - it just doesn't turn out well...

 German Glacier.

 French Glacier.

 Italian Glacier.

Holland Glacier

After our Cape Horn itinerary briefing and disembarkation instructions, we went down to the Patagonia Deck for the Captain's dinner (see above). The food was absolutely scrumptious!!!

 Incredible tenderloin!

Our most incredible waiter and my young boyfriend, Mariano!

And now, with the fat accumulating and crinkling, we head to our cabins at 10 PM with the expectation of being jolted awake once again by the wave action at approximately 4 AM and again by  the alarm at 5 AM. We will hope for warmer weather, gentle wind and no rain as we depart in our Zodiacs for the highlight of this trip, Cape Horn and the end of the world, at 6:45 AM...