Cape Horn Day 10
I think this is the longest amount of daylight I’ve ever seen: sunrise was at 4:58 AM and sunset is scheduled for 10:12 PM – over 17 hours! We were also blessed by incredible weather. This area of the world is known for rough seas, strong winds and very changeable conditions. The last cruise on this journey could not make it to Cape Horn because of the weather. We were blessed with an amazing day! While the winds were strong, the sea was calm. I was able to find a great spot on the deck – grabbed a towel and a blanket and settled in to see the highlight of the day. We were not disappointed, either. I can now say that I have circumnavigated Cape Horn – the southernmost point of South America. I can also say that I have now been to both southernmost points because I have also been Cape of Good Hope in South Africa!
The sail around was a lot of fun – a real party atmosphere. There was also a bonus: I got a couple of pictures of penguins swimming along the ship! (Ok, it is hard to really tell from the photos what they are, but you can see their heads above the surface of the water.) I thought that the mountain formation that forms Cape Horn looks a lot like Lion’s Head Mountain – the “other” mountain that surrounds Cape Town (the one people remember is Table Mountain). I heard a few people say the same thing. There is a family that actually lives in a house on the Cape – it has to be a pretty lonely existence.
Another interesting thing happened as I was sailing around the Horn – my ankle chain that I have worn for over ten years broke. Not sure yet what that means, if anything, but I do sense a difference.
Yes, I took an unbelievable amount of pictures.
After the Horn, we headed back to the passage that will lead us to Ushuaia, Argentina where we will see the Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego National Park.
Dinner was fun. I had smoked salmon, Tom Ka Gai (Thai chicken coconut soup), Australian white fish, and cocoa meringue. After dinner, Gayle, Mary, Scot and I had some fun on the penny slot machines before the casino closed because we were entering Chilean waters. I ended my night early with my favourite drink in at the Martini Bar and now I am waiting for the sun to set.