Shocks and suprises

I just wanted to post this so I could share something about our journey on the 'luxury' vessel we were on when we went to see the Glacier. I know it's posted in retrospect and after the Christmas blog but I think it is important that I share all of the trip with you.

I couldn't wait to see Brian's face after he had seen the 'cruiser' we were booked on. What a laugh, we'd got ourselves all geared up for a luxury liner and then found an old tub that was in the process of being repaired ready for our 4 day excursion.

There were quite a few bikers waiting to load their bikes onto the vessel. A group of 6 from New Zealand and a guy from Canada. When we got to our cabin we found that it wasn't quite up to the P & O standard we were used to. This was a small dark oblong box with four wooden bunks and four lockers. It had a heater so we knew we were going to get cold but it also had a window so we didn't need to feel too claustrophobic. We settled in and after several walks around the decks looking at the stunning islands and scenery



and several drinks in the bar, Brian made it very clear that he was getting bored. Thanks goodness for the Captain's bridge. We had been told there was an open invitation to go in and look around. It was like going into Santa's grotto. So many gadgets and gizmos. We spent ages in there with Brian asking questions and doing his 'Captain of the ship' thing - checking charts, sitting in the Captain's chair etc. It was a brilliant photo opportunity as you can see.


The backpackers had taken the bunks on the corridor which were much cheaper and less confined. We both laughed about them leaving their trainers and boots out on the main corridor but believe me I soon had our outside the door as well. The stench coming off our gear in that confined space was unbelievable.

On the second day we were out into the Pacific Ocean and boy was it rough. We ended up laying on our bunks from 2.30 in the afternoon. I couldn't eat anything of the meal in the evening and really just slept until the following morning when everything was calm again and we were heading towards the Glacier, Pio Xl

Seeing the glacier was amazing and the main reason for taking the ferry but I didn't expect to get quite so close to it. As we got closer to it we went past great big lumps of ice that had broken off and were floating away. Truly spectacular.

It was all a bit of a rush on the 21st December when we had to disembark. We got into Puerto Natales much early than we expected and then we had to fly round to try and find a place to stay that had Wi Fi so I could Skype my Mum the following day to wish her a happy birthday. We tried a few places before finding a room in Hostal Natales which from the outside looked quite neglected but actually was a really lovely place to stay.

We found some really good seafood in a local restaurant and confirmed which road we would take to Ushuaia and that was it. Finally we were on our way to the Fin del Mundo.