The Captain saidn it would get rough in the night as we approached Cape Horn which we would eventually pass by at 0630 is you want to get up in the middle of the night to see a rock.
We were not planning to get up but he was right about the weather as the wind screamed by outside the window and spray from the front of the ship, about 40 yards away was streaming past our cabin window and so not much sleep for both of us, and may others as well it seems.
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra De Fuego archipelago of Southern Chile and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are Diego Ramirez Islands) Cape Horns marks the Northern Boundary of the Drake Passage, for many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world.
We did the tradition travel around the Island and so ended up heading back to Ushuaia for a while before heading back to the Beagle Channel.
It was rather grey at first and the ship was lurching a little and after doing a little walk around the ship several times for exercise we headed for a pre-lunch drink to prepare us for the afternoon travel down Glacier Alley as it’s called which was due to start around 4.30 pm.
There are about five big glaciers on this route all named after countries and the first one was Holland and the last was named after the ship discovered them.
As we passed the various glaciers we were given information from one of the British lecturers on board and so we did understand the reasons for them being there. During this time they were also serving hot chocolate as it was quite windy outside and on the front of the ship so you could easily get blown away and so we eventually found a little corner with good views and out of the wind.
As usual we had the pre-dinner glass of Chardonnay in the Panorama bar and tonight we planned dinner in the main restaurant. What the writer of this blog did not know was that the daily menu posting were the daily specials only and there are as many as three times more dishes available at each meal and so Noel choice of restaurant was made for all the wrong reasons. Oh well. We had a lovely dinner with a table for two right by the window as the mountains covered in snow passed by.
We finished with a couple of glasses of a very nice Brandy.
It’s the mad Welshman on again tonight and the word must have gone around, as the place was packed, and he gave yet another strong performance. Apparently he leaves the ship tomorrow.
To finish the evening we went to the Club for a dance and there was hardly anybody there no doubt due to many people taking early tours tomorrow morning.
Finally the place was empty, apart from the band and several waiters, and so Noel approached the band for a special request of his favourite number called “The house of the rising sun” performed by Eric Burdon. At first they did not know it and they asked me to sing a bit which I did as I left the band they suddenly found the melody and called me back on stage and gave me the microphone and I started to sing. Jennifer was horrified and then I could not remember all the words and so I let the stage much to my wife’s relief.
Bed is due as it very late.
