We begin the Chilean Fjords and Tierra del Fuego cruise

Today we will board a small ship for a 4-night cruise in the Chilean fjords and Tierra del Fuego National Park.

This is NOT the ship we will be cruising on...it was the sunrise view from our hotel room before we checked out.

We left Puerto Natales to drive to Punta Arenas where we board the ship.  But first we stop and visit an estancia...a sheep ranch.

We arrive at the Fitz Roy Estancia and immediately see our lunch cooking over the fire.

It was lamb on the spit next to the fire and then we watched as it was cut up.

And the lunch served was very good.

After lunch we watched a gaucho and 2 dogs herd sheep.  Fascinating how they can control them.

Then it was on to watch a sheep being sheared.

Walking through the barn area, we were amazed at all the old things that had been collected over the years.

Upon arriving in Punto Arenas, we had time to do a quick walk around the main square park.
Punta Arenas was founded in 1848 by Chilean pioneers.  It is located on the legendary Strait of Magellan.

At the center of the main square, is a towering bronze statue of Ferdinand Magellan, the legendary explorer who visited Patagonia in the early 1500s. Below him, also in bronze, is an indigenous Patagonian, whose low-hanging foot has been rubbed to a shine by travelers headed out to sea.

Local legend says that a kiss to the statue's foot will bring you good luck and calm seas as you pass through the Drake Passage's notoriously rough waters.  Oh, oh....no one in our group kissed it!

It's then time to board the M/V Ventus Australis, the ship on the left side of the dock.  It is an expedition ship designed for cruising Patagonia.  

A photo from the internet shows the 198-passenger ship.  It is new to the fleet, having done its first sailing in December, 2017.

We are welcomed by the Captain and crew...

And then off we go to one of the most remote corners of the earth.  During the night we cross the Strait of Magellan and enter the maze of channels that define the southern extreme Patagonia.

We have a beautiful sunset.

To continue reading, scroll up towards the top of this page and click in the right-hand column the entry entitled:  First full day on the ship and we go ashore on zodiacs.