Cape Horn

Here are a few facts about Cape Horn. It is really a tiny island, not on the mainland as one might expect. The name Cape Horn came from a city by the name of Hoorn in the Netherlands.

Cape Horn

Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage, and was used as a milestone for the clipper ships which carried the trade from around the world. It is treeless, but green, due to frequent rain. It is a treacherous area, infamous for shipwrecks. Until 1914, when the Panama Canal was completed, it was the only way to get around South America by sea. The Chilean Navy maintains a station that consists of a residence, utility building, a chapel, and a lighthouse.

 

People on deck to view Cape Horn

We are at the bottom of the world!

The memorial is that little speck on top of hill in middle of photo

A memorial depicting an albatross, erected in 1992, honors the sailors who died rounding this cape. We could barely see the albatross statue.  Binoculars helped butmy camera could only pick up a speck.  The inscription on the memorial reads:

 

I am the albatross that awaits for you at the end of the world. I am the forgotten soul of the sailors lost that crossed Cape Horn from all the seas of the world. But die they did not in the fierce waves, but today towards eternity in my wings they soar in the last crevice of the Antarctic winds. (Sara Vial Dec. 1992)

 

The ship slowly sailed around the island of Cape Horn for plenty of photo opportunities before heading to our next port, Ushuaia, Argentina.