Punta Arenas 2nd Day

Punta Arenas mostly sunny, windy, 65

We will be in port until seven tonight when we head east for Ushuaia on the southernmost tip of Tierra Del Fuego, an archipelago at the southern extremity of South America. Separated on the north by the Strait of Magellan, it belongs partly to Chile, and partly to Argentina. Ushuaia is Argentinean. My hope is I’ll find enough souvenirs there to use up my Argentinean money, which may be difficult unless I can find where I put it.

The archipelago was discovered in 1520 by Magellan and surveyed later in 1831-1836 by Darwin. The aboriginal peoples of the area were quite a bit taller than the Spaniards who came across them. In fact one spot is named the Bay of Grande People. They are extinct now, except for those playing for the Knicks.

Tomorrow morning we’ll cruise through the Avenue of the Glaciers, reaching port at 2:30 and staying until 8 at night. It will not be dark until after 10. Good news for me, I can head for bed before the comet appears.

I ate dinner last night with two of the Distinguished Gents (danced hosts) and three women traveling solo. The woman on my right was very nice and has lived all over the world. She had a lot to share, but for some reason she couldn’t quite understand her meal.

She ordered and received pan fried fresh salmon trout. When she got it, she stared at it and said, “This doesn’t look like trout.” I mentioned that it wasn’t trout, but salmon trout. After tasting the fish, she said, “This tastes like salmon.”

“It is salmon” I said, “salmon trout.” I even showed it to her on the menu. She talked about various things, and then about halfway through the meal said, “I know trout, and this is not trout!”

Most cruise lines, on the longer cruises give gifts to their passengers. You find it on your bed at night. Usually it’s a logoed sweat shirt, or a cloth carrying bag with logo, or sometimes a glass paper weight that has no place in either your heavy suitcase or your home. Last night my gift from Regent cruises was on my bed. A watch!!!!

For me, today was a quiet day on board. Oh there’s the doorbell. Oh no, Not king Crab legs again.