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South America and Antarctica
  • Jamie Van Natta
  • Jamie Van Natta

South America and Antarctica

Solo trip on Holland America Oosterdam, Buenos Aires Argentina to Santiago Chile by way of Antarctica and Drake's Passage Read more
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  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Antarctica - Cuverville Island

    December 26, 2024 in Antarctica ⋅ ☁️ 32 °F

    Next stop was Cuverville Island. Sooooo many penguins! Cuverville is home to a very large colony of gentoo penguins. I zoomed in as far as I could with my 500mm but left most of the pictures uncropped to keep the sheer number of penguins obvious. They were all over the rocks and in some very surprising places that must have made quite the "commute" to get to the ocean for "groceries." It was an impressive sight and we spent about an hour here watching the penguins go to and fro.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Antarctica - Gerlache Strait

    December 26, 2024, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 36 °F

    What a lovely place to spend the evening! There were so many beautiful landscapes to see and a lot of wildlife. I thought I was getting a picture of some humpbacks in the distance, but in fact, there were orcas photobombing my humpbacks. I'm hoping that there were a lot of krill (for the humpbacks) and thus a lot of fish and/or penguins (for the orcas). I wish I had stayed up late to keep watching the light change (golden hour lasts a long time here) but I was so tired from all the time outside that I dropped off early while taking a break to warm up and start the picture sorting.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Antarctica - Palmer Station Hello

    December 27, 2024 in Antarctica ⋅ ❄️ 32 °F

    This morning the weather was again uncooperative. The captain parked us at the head of Lamaire Channel with the hope that the clouds and snow would lift and we would get a view but alas, it was not to be. I had a headache anyway from low caffeine intake so I had a bit of a lie-in and roused myself in time for the 11am presentation on Antarctic exploration through the years. After lunch we stopped at Palmer Station which is the American outpost in Antarctica. 11 people joined us from the station on zodiacs looking for fresh fruits and veg and providing a really interesting presentation on how they live and work on the station. Fascinating stuff!Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Antarctica - Neumayer Channel

    December 27, 2024, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 32 °F

    While the scientists and support staff were on board, the captain sailed us up the Neumayer Channel. I went to the 3PM presentation which they then reprised at 4PM because the world stage on the ship doesn’t hold the entirety of the passenger population. After the presentation I went out on the bow and took it all in. The Palmer folk showed up on the bow as well after their second talk and we got to meet and greet them. I talked with the base manager, the lab manager, the head admin, and the head chef. What a remarkable group of people.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Antarctica - Palmer Station Goodbye

    December 27, 2024 in Antarctica ⋅ ☁️ 32 °F

    And just like that, it’s all over. After dinner and a show, we said goodbye to our Palmer Station visitors and are heading north. The sun put on a lovely show for us one last time. I’m incredibly glad I got to experience this continent. It’s fascinating, and (though I say this a lot) I do want to come back. Maybe when I retire. :-)Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Drake Passage - northbound

    December 29, 2024, Drake Passage ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    This morning we find ourselves in view of land again after passing through the Drake Passage for a second time. It was a relatively quiet crossing again. No worse than any other cruise I have been on that crossed open water. It got a little interesting in the afternoon/evening yesterday, but nothing that required grasping handrails or even mild medication. No pictures from yesterday as we spent the day mostly encased in thick fog. Regulations require that the ship blow the fog horn at regular intervals so the more exposed decks were subject to frequent noise, but the cabins are fairly well sound protected so I had no trouble napping or sleeping.

    We’re on our way past Cape Horn to pick up our Chilean pilot. We’re then going to head south again and officially “round the horn.” I get to have a special lunch today with the captain and all the (probably hundreds of) other loyal Holland America Mariners (the HAL rewards program.)    Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Cape Horn, Chile

    December 29, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Our pilot came aboard just after lunch. And we headed south again. We rounded the Horn! Incredible weather, extremely calm waters, mild breezes and near perfect visibility. We crossed from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific and the back again (technically back into Drake Passage too) as we circled the island counter-clockwise. It was surprisingly moving to hear the fog horn blow three times in celebration. Apparently I am now allowed to pierce my left ear with a gold hoop and put one leg on the table at dinner? (Taken with a grain of salt as the cruise and travel director seems to have a sense of humor.) I do know from a reliable source that if I was in the Canadian Navy I would now be able to put one elbow on the table at dinner. I tried way too many times to capture the majestic albatross in flight and so I have a lot of blue water pics to reject out of Lightroom.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler
    1

    Ushuaia, Argentina

    December 30, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ 🌧 48 °F

    Got into Ushuaia an hour early. Luckily my tour guide Gabby was able to accommodate a shift and she was there when I got off the boat. It was a rainy, misty morning which is apparently typical here. We had a lovely tour of Tierra del Fuego park and the town and some places close by out in the Andes. She was an excellent bird spotter and I was able to see some unique avian friends. Afterwards I stopped for a lunch of king crab, which is what Ushuaia is known for, and then I wandered back to the ship for our 3pm departure.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Punta Arenas, Chile

    December 31, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    Spent the day wandering Punta Arenas. I walked to the main square where there was a drum band playing. They looked really young to me, but were excellent. I walked to the Sara Braun cemetery next. Lots of things named after Sara Braun here. It was quite a walk so I opted for a taxi to the next stop, the Museo Nao Victoria. They have three replicas of sailings ships that you can walk on and around. I’m not entirely certain they were full scale, but they were interesting. I think I much prefer my ship. I took a taxi back to the port and walked around the various artisan shops then finally got on a very rocky tender back to the ship. It’s New Year’s Eve tonight so I’m going to take a little nap so I can stay up for the festivities.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Fjords and Brujo Glacier, Chile

    January 1, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    We spent a leisurely day enjoying the fjords of Chile. The culmination was a trip down the Asia Fjord for a close up look at Brujo Glacier. We couldn’t get as close as the expedition ship. Apparently people were able to take small boats out and hike a bit nearer the glacier as I saw people walking the crest in front of the glacier and getting back in their wee boats.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    More assorted waterways, Chile

    January 2, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    It’s been misty and rainy all morning so I have only stepped out on my balcony for a couple of pics rather than making the trek to the bow in all my rainy/chilly weather gear. Today we’re learning more about fjords but it promises to be a very quiet day. Two port days coming up next so I am starting to think about packing up some of the cold clothing as we are finally heading back into summer weather.

    While I was watching the presentation this morning, we got a tiny bit of sun on our way out of the fjords. Also some albatross came out to play!    Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Puerto Chacabuco, Chile - Aiken del Sur

    January 3, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    Went to sleep in the Pacific Ocean and woke up in Norway! Just kidding, but these fjords look a lot more like the northern latitude fjords than the ones we have been cruising by so far.

    Puerto Chacabuco is a very small place, with no real town, so today I chose a HAL shore excursion to a local private park called Aiken del Sur. We took a short hike to a lovely waterfall with a guide. After the walk, we went to the quincho, a gathering place where they had lamb on a spit (which we didn't get to eat), snacks and various beverages including traditional and calafate pisco sours. We were treated to a traditional dance show. I thought the male dancer looked a lot like Manny from Modern Family.

    The sail away here was the most lovely so far so I'm making another footprint for it!    Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Puerto Montt, Chile

    January 4, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Rolled into Puerto Montt at 8am this morning. I opted for another shore excursion from HAL and we went to Petrohue Falls first. A lot of fast-moving water but not a lot of height made these more like rapids than falls but it was pretty nevertheless. On the way back we made a stop in Puerto Varas, the "City of Roses" to enjoy the town and the views of the local volcanos (Orsorno and Calbuca). The town reminded me of a Swiss village with a cute market square and well-kept buildings along the lake. It was another unusually clear and bright day, quite a gift for our last port stop. Upon our return to the ship, I spent some time on the balcony trying to catch the swift moving sea birds. I happened to see a sea lion bobbing just under me! We have one day at sea and then the cruise is over. It is bittersweet.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Valparaiso, Chile

    January 6, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Said a fond farewell to my floating home for 22 days in San Antonio, Chile. My guide for the rest of the day met me at the gates of the terminal and off we went!

    Myriam and driver Mario first took me to Valparaiso. It was nothing at all like I imagined it would be. Gritty might be the best way to describe it. There is a lot of street art which was fascinating. There were huge and beautiful murals in vibrant colors. And then there was graffiti and tags everywhere else. I only took iPhone pictures as it was the strong advice of my guide that I leave all valuables in the car with the driver. Chile has had some unrest in the very recent past that has turned a few things on their head. She said that this will also be true in Santiago and unless I am headed out of town, I should absolutely not look any more like a tourist than I already do. So, these next couple of days will like be a little picture-poor. But for now, I give you Valparaiso.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler
    1

    Santiago, Chile

    January 6, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Myriam and Mario then finished the drive to Santiago and took me on a city tour. I learned a lot about Chile’s history and we saw many beautiful places. She also bought us a lovely Chilean concoction called “mote con huesillos.” It is a scoop of boiled wheat, topped with a dehydrated peach half and then covered with a cold water and molasses mixture. Sweet and a nice snack to walk around with. Again, I went camera-less for safety and so what you see is what you get. My hotel is nice and I am going to see about getting dinner here shortly.Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Santiago - Andes Mountains

    January 7, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    This morning I was picked up by my next fabulous guide Cristoval. We went in search of mountain air and Andean Condors and boy did we find both. We stopped at a lovely overlook first, then continued on to a ski resort where he was fairly confident we would see the national bird of Chile. No kidding, we saw about a dozen. He said I must be lucky because he had rarely seen so many just sitting on the top of a building. I caught some gliding too but the sun was fairly brutal and after processing I only managed to get a few juveniles zipping around. Juveniles don't have the fluffy white collar. After that we made a small picnic in a “secret” spot complete with cheese, crackers, chips, and (best of all) wine. We had 6 hours of wonderful conversation and mountain views. What a treat!Read more

  • Jamie Van NattaSouth America and AntarcticaTraveler

    Santiago - Sky Costenara

    January 7, 2025 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    New life goal: have an adult beverage in all the highest places in the world. This morning wine at about 10k ft. This evening, a classic pisco sour in the tallest building in South America. Granted it’s a low bar since this area is prone to fairly large earthquakes, but still. :-). There is a nice cafe with good food and drinks on the 61st floor and the 62nd floor is open to the sky. Sunset is still a ways off so I’m not planning to stick it out, but it was worth the ticket to see the city from this vantage. It’s huge and the topography is fairly interesting. Below me is a 5 story mall that I now have to search for a luggage store in order to purchase another suitcase ensure I stay under the 50 lb airline limit.

    I'm so lucky to have enjoyed this adventure, my seventh continent and longest vacation.    Read more

  • Trip end
    January 8, 2025