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Antarctica

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  • Trip start
    March 15, 2025
    Antarctica

    Leg 1 - Perth to Sydney

    March 15 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Have to get our tushies to Argentina again, almost a year exactly since last time. This time we are heading east to get there, not west.
    Leg one is Perth to Sydney on the Red Eye, which is tonight. Then Sydney to Santiago (Chile) tomorrow followed by Santiago to Buenos Aires where we will have a break for a couple of days.Read more

  • Antarctica
    Hazy Santiago
    AndesA teensy glacierFlat Western ArgentinaBuenos AiresOur somewhat noisy street

    Stage One Complete

    March 16 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We made it. After 31 hours of flights and waiting around, we are in our budget hotel in Buenos Aires. We are both shattered. The interesting thing is that because we crossed the International Date Line, it is 4:20pm on Sunday 17th. We left Sydney at lunchtime on Sunday the 17th, so we landed in Santiago after a 12 hr flight 2 hours before we left Sydney.
    The flight from Sydney to Santiago was 12 hours. I don't want to do it again. Very bumpy, and the person in front of me had their seat back in my face all the way. All three flights were full. Finding space for our cabin bags was fun. It seems to be old-fashioned to have only one.
    Got a window seat from Santiago to Buenos Aires. That's the best leg. Crossed the Andes and then the dead flat of western Argentina.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Some old guy with skinny legs fly fishing in the mud
    2A Dorado. Caught in the last spot of the day.We called by River Plate Stadium. It's famous and big. The name means Silver RiverHandicraft shops in TigreA retired boat in the Tigre River. The still active boat on the left is a restored water bus.Soft drink and drinking water delivery boat. There are shops on the islands.Sorry what?The Sarmiento River, I think.An island house. They ranged from shacks to very nice permanent residences.Another houseWe is here. The river at the top is the Paraña. It has quite sizable ships on it.More retired boats. Used to protect the banks from the wash of the boats coz they go fast!Another notable stadium. Boca Juniors Chocolate Box. This is the team Maradona played for.Lunch. Slow barbecue spiced Sausage. Did a tasting of local wine too. Bloody nice.1

    Goldfish and River Trip

    March 18 in Argentina ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Bit of a catch-up from yesterday. Went fishing yesterday for a sought after fish, exclusively South American. Called a Dorado, or 'Golden One' it's a freshwater fish that lives in the mid latitude rivers, including the Paraña which is close to where we are. Long story short, the water is very muddy, so the flies you fish with are big and hard to cast. I had to learn the technique which is unsubtle and involves a LOT of fast, forceful casting. It took all day, but we found some willing to play. Hooked 3, landed one. Not a really big one, but no minnow. I'll take it. My casting shoulder and hand are just coming good.
    Today, we went on a boat trip around the same area, the Paraña delta and the town of Tigre. The name means Tiger and there were once a lot of jaguars here.
    The delta is very large and has a lot of islands, many deserted (which is where we were fishing) but many with houses and shacks. There are no roads so everything is delivered by boat. There are supermarket boats for your shopping. Amazing. Also, the coffee here is good.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Waiting for our plane at the airport in the city
    Patagonia. A flat, swampy bitLining up to landUshuaia is surrounded by mountainsMore mountainsAnd moreA some to finish off withView from our hotel room. The watery bit is the Beagle ChannelOn our way to dinner. It's cold but we ain't seen nothing yet.Snow above the town.

    First Steps South

    March 19 in Argentina ⋅ 🌬 9 °C

    Flew from Buenos Aires south to Ushuaia today. It's a bit over 3 hours so quite a distance. Had to haggle a bit with the taxi driver in BA. They always try to overcharge and the meter is never on. Ushuaia, no problem.
    Pretty dull flight except for the last 15 minutes though and between the mountains into Ushuaia. Very, very bumpy through clouds with glimpses of mountains above the plane. The pilot got a round of applause when we put down on the short runway.
    Had a bit of a drama picking up the bags. Baggage carousel stopped when we had only one bag, but us and about 20 other passengers still had bags to come. A baggage handler said there were no more. About 10 minutes later, they found them. Whew!
    Anyway, Ushuaia = cold. Was about 30 in BA, 13 here with a chilly wind. We are going out to dinner, and it will be coats, gloves, and beanies. There is still snow up on the mountains just behind town.
    We've booked a 4wd tour tomorrow up to the lakes in the mountains. Big camera time!
    BTW I checked Marine Traffic, and our ship is about halfway back across the Drake Passage. Be here Friday. After seeing the rough sea from the plane, I'm wondering what I have got myself into. Darren will be laughing. I'll have to tough it out.
    PS I'll take some pictures of town while we are out.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    View from the Pam American Highway
    Posing with the Fuegan Andes in the backgroundHot Chocolate StopThis is the old road. Closed in the 80s. Now a 4wd trackLa Chica above Lago Escondido, the Hidden Lake.Our ride. A custom HiluxAutumn is coming to PatagoniaMessing about in a boat.A beaver dam. They are an introduced feral and becoming a problem.Lago Faragno. It's big.We are here.Goofing around in the HiluxHappy Angela with woofettsYes, you may pat.Planning on shortening the South Pole distance over the next few days.More snow. This is a last remnant of last winters.Angela with her beaver

    Excursion Number 2. Lakes and Dogs

    March 20 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Booked an impromptu 4WD tour to get us out of the hotel. Went up through the mountains across the Garibaldi Pass to a couple of lakes in south central Terra del Fuego. Pan American Highway across the pass then 4WD out to the lakes. First part, easy peasy, second part, serious ruts, water crossings etc. Not fooling around. Went for a paddle in a rubber raft on one of the lakes, coffee and cake on the bank of the other one. Then back to have a late lunch of Argentina style barbecue (we now don't need any dinner), some Argentinean wine and dessert at a little lodge that just happens to be next to a Husky (dog) refuge. There was a whoosh as Angela went to say hello to the 85 muttlies in residence. Because they are working Huskies brought back from Antarctica you can't approach them. If they come up to you, then that's OK. Several pats and ear scratches were had. Angela was happy.
    Crunch time tomorrow. Drop our bags off at 10:30, find something to do until 4:00pm then board our little ship to start across the Drake Passage. I hope the weather is kind to us.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    That's where we are.
    Snow on the mountains this morningCruise ships in Port. The little one at the end is oursSnow. Wasn't there yesterday.Mountains being dramatic.Lunch with the chica. Officially not a señora since yesterday.

    Committed

    March 21 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Today is the day. Our ship snuck into port at about 6am under cover of darkness. No bottling out now.
    More doof doof music from some event this morning at 5am - again. The quiet of the engines on the ship will be welcome. Went out to drop our cases off this morning and discovered it had snowed in the mountains above the town over night. Not just a little bit. Beautiful.
    Killing time over a yummy lunch before we board at 16:00hrs. Have to check our Antarctic clothing we hired and boots before we sail. Could be hectic. I'll add some pictures if I can. BTW it looks like the interior of the ship has had a refit. Nice without going over the top.
    On board. Just going to do the safety briefing.    Read more

  • Antarctica

    Drake Shake

    March 22 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    Turns out we have limited internet access so a report with maybe one picture. I'll top them up when we get better access.
    Crossing the Drake Passage today. They say you get the Drake Lake or the Drake Shake. We are getting the Shake. 4.5m swells and very windy from the starboard side. It's a small ship so we are getting tossed around a fair bit. Oh well, it's what we signed on for.Read more

  • Antarctica

    Drake Shake 2

    March 23 in Argentina ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    We have made it across the Drake Passage more or less in one piece. Closing in on the Antarctic Peninsula. It did not give us an all out hard time but it was rough and tiring. A lot of people confined to cabin. When you hit a bigger wave, you slip down or across the bed. No fun. Glad that bit is over.
    Saw our first iceberg today. Quite a big sucker. Bigger than the ship. Went on deck to get a picture and it was snowing quite hard.
    Heading for the Fish Islands at the moment. Should be there tomorrow lunch time. They have to see what the ice is like to see what we can do.
    Oh, it's dark now and we haven't seen Antarctica yet. Tomorrow.    Read more

  • Antarctica

    Fish Islands

    March 24 in Antarctica ⋅ 🌫 -9 °C

    After the rock and roll of the Drake Passage it was dead calm and almost windless today. Cold too but who would have thought. Did a zodiac cruise in the inflatable boats in the morning. Seals, whales, penguins etc. The Zodiacs take a beating pushing through the floating ice. They are tough.
    The landscape is jaw dropping beautiful and harsh. Tens of metres of blue and white ice and snow with black rock and mountains. The icebergs all move during the day so everything is changing.
    Had a gin and tonic surrounded by ice when we got back from our afternoon cruise where I set foot on the mainland and fell arse over in the snow.
    Angela and the guide choofed off in the boat without me and found a Leopard seal. They did come back for me.
    Temp today got up to about 2C. Schedule for tomorrow is -10. Crossing the Antarctic Circle tonight.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Chilly Morning. Below zero for sure.
    Navigating The GulletCold Mountain, hot coffee.Adelaide IslandWhere we landed today on Porquois Pas IslandIf you look carefully you can see people still on the beach

    The Gullet

    March 26, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ -9 °C

    Clear day but windy AF and cold. Successfully traversed The Gullet, a narrow passage between Adelaide Island and the mainland. Two other ships attempted it the week before and turned back. There was a lot of ice, wind, twists and turns but we made it.
    I got into trouble from the boss because someone made a snowman on the foredeck and I didn't take a picture.
    We passed by the Rothera Research Station but I didn't see it. Angela was on the bridge and said you could see it from up there.
    Did an afternoon landing on an island. Think it's called 'Porquois Pas' Island. Google Maps is not much use. It's not near Brooklyn. Usual starkly beautiful scenery with confused Adele Penguins and some sleeping seals. I'm not taking the phone on those trips because you can't take pictures with gloves on and it's actually pretty cold.
    Having a coffee now on deck 6 while admiring the mountain across the bay. No idea what we are doing tomorrow.
    Oh, if you are interested the ship (Ortelius) shows up on the MarineTraffic ship tracking site. When the Zodiacs are out you can see them too.
    Oh and while I almost at it, Find Penguins ironically seems not to know that there is a place called 'The Southern Ocean'. It thinks we are in the South Atlantic or the South Pacific. Mercans. Huh!    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Aurora Australis
    American hut, Stonnington IslandBritish Hut, Stonnington IslandAdele Penguin. There were lots.It was warm out. Well above zeroSnow on the deck.Flying Penguins

    Stonnington Is and Heading South

    March 26, Marguerite Bay ⋅ ❄️ -3 °C

    A couple of days worth here. Satellite Comms down. Had a clear Wednesday night and was on deck to look at the stars and see if an aurora would show up. Parked outside the San Martin Research Station. It has about 6 outdoor lights so no light pollution.
    Was amazed to see the Southern Cross almost directly over head. I expected high but not that high. The aurora turned up. Not super bright or overhead. We are in the wrong spot for that. It was a clear silvery light to the south that showed colour in the photos. Pictures were hard due to the ship swinging at anchor.
    Dropped in to Stonnington Island yesterday to see the old British and US huts there. Weather was warm, about 3C. Lots of penguins and a few seals. The ice wall in the bay was cracking and banging with occasional bits dropping off.
    The weather turned bad in the afternoon and I opted out of the trip ashore to Red Rock Ridge.
    The nice weather has gone away and we are heading south with snow falling and a good roll on.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Icebergs
    Another iceberg. Many are way bigger than the ship.

    Day off

    March 28, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    Day at sea today so lots of reading and hot chocolate. Very snowy on deck. We are now south of 70 degrees and should get to our most southern point tomorrow at the Wilkins Ice Shelf. The plan is to then return north with some different stops before heading back to Ushuaia.
    It's hazy with a lot of icebergs about. I saw some seals and Minke Whales today. Video but no still pictures.
    One thing that sets you thinking is that we are probably 400km or more from the nearest ship. We really do have the place to ourselves at the moment.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    OMG it's the Ice Wall. Nope, Wilkins Ice Shelf
    We are getting a good collection of iciclesCruising the shelfNegotiating the sea iceEmperor Penguin on an ice floeView from our cabinOrtelius parked in the iceZodiac Cruise. Somewhat chilly

    Wilkins Ice Shelf

    March 29, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    Called by the Wilkins Ice Shelf this morning. It's close to the bottom of the Antarctic Peninsula and is as far south as I think we will go. For reference we are roughly 3,900km south of Perth.
    Ran into a big patch of sea ice on the way out of Wilkins Sound. Lots of wildlife so we parked up and went out in the Zodiacs for a couple of hours. Lots of seals and a couple of Emperor penguins. We came across a Leopard Seal hunting. Gee they are big. It wasn't too pleased as it looks like a couple of seals used us to get away. Not too many phone pix. Bloody cold and I can use the phone with gloves on. My hands are still cold and we have been back an hour.
    I think we are going to start heading north again and call into some spots on the way back now most of the other ships have gone.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Icebergs and mountains, Lazarev Bay
    Lazarev Bay, one big slushyThe mountains around the bayStranded icebergs carved into fantastic shapes by the windSlushy, sorry, Lazarev BaySigh, it's just gorgeous. And f*cking coldSunsetEmperor Penguin wanting us to go away. We did.

    Lazarev Bay

    Mar 29–Apr 3, Bellingshausen Sea ⋅ ⛅ -8 °C

    Basically a day at sea with a side trip to Lazarev Bay. The original plan was to go ashore or have a zodiac cruise but we got here too late.
    It's just been announced that we going to park here overnight and if the conditions are good do a Zodiac cruise in the morning. Temperature forecast for the morning is -8c. May I say Brrrrrr.
    Half the ship was huddled on the bridge, which is nice and warm. They temped us out after a few hours with hot chocolate laced with rum. It worked.
    Dinner now. I ordered the Guinea Fowl just to see what it's like. She is an industrial little ship, but the food is damn good.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Mountains south of the bay
    Our track through the sea ice. It's snowing behindSun on the ice. It was actually warm and ice was dropping off the side of the ship.Ah, the light.BeautifulIcebergs guard the entrance of the bay. Captain Per gets us through.Big lump of iceGoodbye to Lazarev Bay. Wait until you see the pix from the 'big camera'.Dozens of seals to the right of the icebergHumpback whale divingOuch. Gaffa Tape job?

    Lazarev Bay Day 2

    March 30, Bellingshausen Sea ⋅ ⛅ -5 °C

    Spent the night anchored in Lazarev Bay. Turns out the ship is noisier stopped than going. Had to up anchor and move a couple of times due to drifting icebergs.
    Got a Zodiac cruise in this morning. -6c so a bit nippy. Warmed up and it snowed. We managed to pop our Zodiac on a sharp bit of ice. Tore through 2 compartments I think. Had to all sit on the floor. Recovery operation was smooth and we swapped Zodiacs and went out again. Almost got the incident on video.
    On the way out the sun came out and we were treated to 2hrs of glorious bright sun. The ice and snow was blinding white and blue and the sky was clearer than anything I have seen before. The distant mountains stood out with incredible sharpness.
    Under cloud again now and heading out to sea. Sampling the afternoon cake and a glass of Argentine Cabernet.
    Late breaking news. Just came across a dozen or so feeding humpback whales. Got some excellent video on the serious camera. Phone was not up to it.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    More whales today
    Adelaide Island, Western side. Those are decent mountains!Sunset on the Antarctic PeninsulaWhere we have been so far.Manoeuvring into Petermann Island using the searchlights

    Day at Sea to Petermann Is.

    March 31, Drake Passage ⋅ ☀️ -2 °C

    Moved a long way north today to go Petermann Island. This is normally in the touristy area, but most of the ships have gone for the year. Hope to see orcas and Adele Penguins in the area.
    We have two landings planned for tomorrow and have clear skies tonight so maybe another aurora.
    The weather has been kind today. We have cruised up outside the protection of the islands and its been a bit lumpy but sunny most of the day. Some of the ice and snow on deck melted and has refrozen tonight so it's slippery.
    Oh, Darren would love this ship. The dining tables have raised lips to stop your dinner sliding off and toe rails to hook your feet onto in lively weather. If they were needed I would not be in the dining room.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Gentoo Penguins, Petermann Island
    The scenery, the light. OMGEmergency Hut, Petermann IslandOrtelius parked up. Angela is probably on the nice warm bridge. Sensible.Whales wanted to check out the ZodiacTrip to Port Charcot. Hard to believe this is realMountain climbing penguinsBloody tourists. Port Charcot (on Booth Island) in the background.Ortelius again. She is such an attention seeker!Some old guy. It's cold but the polar duds are doing the job.Sunset over the icebergsBarbecue dinner on the heli deck. They put the captain in charge of baked spuds and corn.What a spot for a barbie. The sunset is just the other side.There is a boom box under the food table

    Petermann Island and Port Charcot

    April 1, Southern Ocean ⋅ ☀️ -5 °C

    Parked outside Vernadsky Base last night for some star gazing with the clear sky. No aurora. The base has about 5 outside lights so no risk of light pollution. Shifted the short distance to Petermann Island where we went ashore.
    Spectacular location with an Argentinean emergency hut that the Gentoo Penguins used as a wind break. Also a memorial to three researchers that died in 1983. Fell through the sea ice.
    On the way back to the ship some whales came over to see if they could play with our Zodiac.
    Did a short shift through a spectacular channel to Port Charcot. Quite a decent Gentoo Penguin colony there. You could smell it. Phew!
    The little buggers climb up so high, more so than Petermann Is.
    Temp was about -8 and sea ice was forming. It's weird. When we were cutting through it in the Zodiac bits went sliding everywhere. Should have had a camera out but I didn't.
    There is a barbecue on deck tonight. Hope they do something with all the ice. It's slippery up there already.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Argentinean base in the Melchiot Islands. All the staff have gone home as its a summer only base
    Still cold. The drain from the upper deck frozeOur last glimpse of Antarctica

    Danco Is, Melchior Is and Home

    April 2, Bransfield Strait ⋅ 🌙 -3 °C

    Two spectacular locations today. Shore landing at Danco Island and then a Zodiac cruise at the Melchior Islands. We scored a sunny day again and a total glass off in the Melchiors. That worries me.
    Lots of pix including in yer face whales and whales under water. Will post when I can.
    We are starting the crossing of the Drake Passage back to Ushuaia now. 4 to 5 metres swells predicted so I won't be fiddling with cameras of computers.
    It's been a great trip and we've been lucky with the weather. We seem to be the last passenger ship to head back. We have seen no others ships and at one point we were over 400km from the nearest ship/base.
    Going to bed now as I am dreading the trip back across the Drake.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Two whales taken under water. Not great but...
    Another whale. To get any good detail the would have to be about 3m awaySmeeLumpy ocean

    Heading North

    April 3, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    About 1/3 of the way across the Drake Passage heading back to Ushuaia. Very lumpy, not a regular swell. Last night was pretty hectic with the swell causing us to slide around in bed. At one point our chair fell over. Calmed down a fair bit now. Just 3m swells.
    Have handed back our boots and serious outdoor gear and started to pack up clothes etc. Feeling a bit flat now that it's all over but it will be good to be home.
    Update. Found out the during the worse 2hrs the swells were coming over the foredeck. That's when the chair was knocked over.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Cape Horn. The Cape bit is to the right.
    The snow and ice have just about gone. It was 4.5C today.A better picture of Cape Horn. Probably doesn't show the lighthouse and Albatross Memorial.Hot Chocolate plus rum to ward off the cold.

    Cape Horn, almost back.

    April 4 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    After a rough start that had waves breaking over the bow of the ship the Drake Passage was kind to us. Swells have been 2m for the last day and a bit so not a lot of movement.
    We were ahead of schedule so Captain Per changed course and pointed us at Cape Horn. Can't land as you have to book that in advance and we have handed back all our safety gear. We did however cruise past after a chat in Spanish with the lighthouse keeper/shipping controller. It's not a spectacular place but significant and we can sort of say we 'rounded Cape Horn'.
    Heading east now to the entrance of the Beagle Channel. Should dock at about 1am. Have to finish packing and be off the ship by 8:00am, but we can still get brekky. It will be sad as on a small ship like this you get to know the staff and crew well. She has been the perfect no frills ship to make us feel truly like explorers to a remote region, not just drop in and eff off tourists.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Fun certificate they made yesterday when the captain made everyone come up to the bridge.
    Sob, bye bye little ship. She kept us warm and safe.Ortelius on the left with a ship for people that don't like going outside on the right.Ushuaia's 'Perfect mountain'Angentino steak. Cooked to perfection! Wine is very nice as well.

    Back on Land

    April 5 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Sad day today. Left our little ship in Ushuaia. Not adventurers any more, just tourists again. Said goodbye to the staff and many of the other 100 passengers. It was interesting that we were the southernmost passenger ship in the world for a few days.
    One of the first things that struck us was smell. Apart from the seals and Penguins Antarctica has no scent and the air is super clear. To smell cars again was ugh.
    Just had lunch. Gee they know how to do a steak. I had spiced sausage but Angela needed help with her steak. Might not need dinner. If we do there are food vans over the road.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Snow is a lot less than when we got here. More on the way.
    The touristy signScenerySome old lady molesting the ducksThe bayNot our plane back to BA. Well I hope not.

    Stood Up

    April 6 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    I was supposed to be going fishing today but it did not wind up happening. Oh well, got my fish in Buenos Aires so can't complain. Will visit the tackle shop tomorrow to see if they have some travel fly rods.
    Went out for lunch to get some toasties and coffee/hot chocolate. The way the do hot chocolate is weird. They give you a mug of hot milk and a small bar or very soft chocolate which you put in the hot milk and give it a good stir.
    Was a tropical 16C today so we went for a walk around the bay and got a drink from a burger van. Most of the snow on the mountains has gone which is funny with winter on the way.
    Off back to Buenos Aires tomorrow once more to wrangle fares with taxis. Sigh. One night there, then on our way home.    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Ushuaia from the airport
    The terminal building is wood.Ushuaia tucked into the Beagle ChannelThe lake we visited in the 4wdLanding in Buenos Aires.

    Back in the Big City

    April 7 in Argentina ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Did the trip back to Buenos Aires from Ushuaia today. Beautiful clear morning in Ushuaia, raining in BA. Got a nice view of the Fuegan Andes this time but BA was clouded in.
    Somewhere along the line we passed the Ortelius. She is heading for Montevideo, just across the Rio Plata from BA, but she is not scheduled to get there until the 10th.
    Immediately went shopping for a fly rod. Cerrado. Closed. The tackle shop doesn't do siesta hours and closes at 5. We got somewhat soggy in the process. Will try again tomorrow but try not to get so wet as we have a plane to catch at 6pm.
    Going to be a long night.
    PS: Forgot to mention that we figured out how to get a taxi from the city airport without getting ripped off. Cost was less than half of the last trip 😀    Read more

  • Antarctica
    Best shop in the city
    Crossing what I believe is the world's widest street near the city centreInteresting building. The little shop on the ground floor is one of hundreds all over the city.Another interesting buildingThe Gold street. Compro Oro means 'we buy gold' these shops go for a couple of kmInteresting street art near the bargain shopsYet another fancy building. Snapped from the taxi as we wooshed past.A nice park one of manySame park but has a Border Collie in the left-hand cornerWaiting to be called to board

    Home Stretch

    April 8 in Argentina ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    One our way home. A late flight so we spent the day walking around and shopping. I got a new fly rod and Angela got the carved stone Penguin she missed out on in Ushuaia. I wanted a pink one but the price caused a rapid intake of breath (about $750) so a more modest one was acquired.
    Later on we went to another tackle shop in the part of the city filled with the equivalent of 2 buck shops to get a Pollo Loco (Crazy Chicken) lure. I was going to get some stainless steel fishing pliers as well. The shop had really good prices but a minimum spend which I think we didn't make. We tried to sort it out but my bad Spanish wasn't up to it so we gave up.
    Oh lunch was an Empanada and coffee so smooth even Angela could drink it.
    It's certainly and interesting place. Busy, bustling, some parts a bit grotty like any big city. Every time we thought we had seen the most ornate building we saw another fancier one.
    Taxi rides are fun. Everyone drives fast and close, sort of like Asia.
    Anyway, at the airport now waiting for our flight to Chile, then Sydney. We will be red eyed and sleepless. Props to LATAM, the Chilean airline for having lots of people to help with checkin, boarding passes etc.
    PS Mild drama getting a taxi to the airport. There are a gazillion taxis and we could not get one. The concierge from the hotel went into the street and got one for us.
    PPS We also found the tourist bit. Had to tell about 300 people we didn't want a city bus tour. Or a leather coat, or whatever else they were flogging. Made sure we were out of there before we go lunch.    Read more

    Trip end
    April 8, 2025
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