Punta Arenas: Not quite the End of the World

Tuesday 19th January

Up early and 1/2 hour walk to the bus station where I  was in time to get the 0716 bus to Santiago Pajaritos terminal, only 3000 pesos. Another dull, grey morning but it feels warm. The bus left the terminal at 0720 and driving slowly through the city, we passed several trolley buses; never did get to use one. About two hour journey back to the outskirts of Santiago, arriving at Pajaritos terminal where I boarded the airport bus  which left almost immediately and so I was at the airport about 0930 thinking I could have had another hour in bed! The self-service machine printed my boarding pass with no hassle but then I had to queue for almost an hour to drop off my bag. Don't know why it was taking so long; six to eight counters were open and for me it took only a minute for the check-in clerk to receive my bag and issue a baggage ticket. After that it was time for a coffee and some cake with plenty of time before boarding the A320 for the three hour flight to Punta Arenas. Maybe I should have got a window seat to appreciate the views. Touched down at 3.15. Bright blue sky and sunshine!

Taxi from the airport to Hotel Localet cost 10 000 but the woman taxi driver assured me with plenty of smiles that it was a good rate,  plus I didn't have many options. It was quite a distance so I don't begrudge her the fare. Very different landscape from the one I left; it is fairly flat with low hills and the natural vegetation appears to consist of coarse yellowish grass and grey-green scrubby bushes. No trees! On the road from the airport we passed many small dwellings, some industrial and commercial buildings,  all separated by large expanses of empty space. As we came into the town we passed through residential areas, some modern estates of identical little boxes packed in fairly tightly and areas of older mostly one storey small houses.   Hotel Localet is fairly small but very comfortable, as indeed it should be considering the price. Naturally it calls itself "boutique". After sorting myself out, getting a little map from the receptionist  and making sure the WiFi works,  I set out along Avenida Colon which seems to be one of the principle avenues, towards the sea front. Most of the town is laid on a grid which is filled mainly with low rise buildings, at least along Avenida Colon. Eventually I reached the sea front which is definitely low key, no trendy cafes, bars or restaurants, but there is  another impressive monument of heroic men, this time in a boat. Makes a  change from them being on horses! 

Sea front at Punta Arenas

Heroic Men in a Boat

And, miracle of miracles, there was a tourist information place next to the monument. Of the two young women at the desk, one spoke excellent English, gave me a better map, showed me where I could find the town centre and also a place to book a tour to an island where there are lots of penguins. It gets No. 1 rating on Trip Advisor. Walked a few blocks to Turismo Compo where they were happy to book me a trip to the Penguin island leaving tomorrow afternoon at 3pm. Found the town centre which is much smarter, cleaner and more up-market than the one in Valparaiso. 

One of several mansions built by wealthy people in Punta Arenas

Again there are lots of independent shops including ones to sell you everything you need to go trekking across Tierra del Fuego. Some of the other travel agencies are offering one day tours to Tierra del Fuego but when I look at the "highlights"  they don't excite me. As far as I can tell, the scenery is bleak rather than spectacular and I have no desire to go kayaking in cold water. Plan is to see how the trip to the Penguin Island goes tomorrow and make a decision then. By now I was feeling distinctly hungry and fancied something more substantial than what was on offer at the many tea shops. Settled for a pizza at the Quatro Stagione, sorry, Cuattro Estaciones,  pizza place. After exploring a bit more of the town centre I eventually found what seems to be the one supermarket in town, among dozens of pharmacies, and bought a couple of bits and pieces. Then set off back along Avenida Colon to the hotel. Walking back I realised the town isn't as flat as I thought; definitely uphill!

Wednesday 20th January

Didn't get up until after 8 this morning. Good breakfast of breads, cold cuts, freshly cooked scrambled egg, yoghurt and fruit. Back into town and looked round the port area but not much to see. It's another warm sunny day.  Then visited the Museo Regional de Magallanes which is housed in one of several nineteenth century mansions built by wealthy citizens. Most of its wealth came from sheep and being a coaling station for steam ships passing through the Magellan Straits. I had expected it to tell the history of the region, which the back part does, but the front part shows the rooms of the house which have been preserved or restored to their original condition. As in Irkutsk and Texas, those settlers who had the resources re-created European civilisation in the remote places they had come to. Here in Punta Arenas most of the furniture came from Maples in London! I even saw a cast iron drain cover from London from when Britain was the workshop of the world. The house part of the museum was crowded with large tour groups at least one which comprised Japanese tourists; I think from a cruise. The historical part told the story of the discovery and development of this region but since it was all in Spanish think I will learn more from Wikipedia. From there walked out to the cemetery which boasts many ornate tombs housing the remains of the wealthy families.

Study: Furniture from Maples

Ornate Tomb in Cemetery

Ornate Tomb in Cemetery

Clock in the Port Area

Stopped off in one of the cafes for a coffee and apple strudel before getting a collective taxi, "collectivo" to Tres Puentes from where the Penguin island boat leaves. The collectivos run along numbered routes much like buses so I needed No. 15, which only cost me 450 pesos. Having read that they can be full, I had left myself plenty of time so arrived at the ferry terminal with nearly an hour to spare. There is a Chilean naval base next to the ferry terminal; whenever I see the word “armada” I think of Plymouth Ho and Francis Drake.    The ship was a small car ferry with two passenger cabins, both totally enclosed.  The only option outside was to sit or stand on the narrow walkway round the upper cabin. I found a window seat in the upper cabin and ventured outside a couple of times but nothing much to see apart from sea. The ship is definitely not built for sightseeing cruises, probably about 200 passengers. Visions of future generations in a few thousand years digging up scraps of evidence and concluding that there was a penguin worshipping cult in the early 21st century. After about a couple of hours we reached the island, no dock, the ship just came up to the stony beach lowered the vehicle ramp and extended it with a couple of metal gangways so we could get onto the beach without getting our feet wet. And, yes, there were penguins, thousands of them. All looking incredibly cute, particularly the young fluffy ones. They are not at all afraid of the hundred plus tourists who have descended on them and wander right up to within a foot or so of us. We have instructions not to cross beyond the rope that defines the path and to keep a distance of one metre but the penguins don't always follow the rules. Have to confess to being totally enthralled by them and took dozens of photos. 

The Ferry

Not ours: Visiting Cruise Ship, possible source for Japanese Tourists

Don't think this one is going anywhere

Lots of Penguins

Adult Penguin

Cute Little Baby One

Another Cute Little Baby One

 More Penguins

Didn't bother visiting the lighthouse since I have seen plenty.  After an hour gazing at penguins; I learnt that they are the Magellanic species, we were ushered back onto the ship for the journey back. Got a collectivo back to the centre and had dinner at La Luna restaurant which was packed. Had to wait a while for a table which I shared with a retired Dutch professor touring S America on his motorbike. Hake in shrimp sauce and a locally brewed Shackleton beer.

Thursday 21st January

Fairly lazy morning before checking out at midday and 1/2 hour walk to Hostal Residenciel Bulnes, all downhill. Dull grey day today but not cold. Bulnes is another small hotel, far more modest than Lacolet but looks OK. Doesn't claim to be boutique! After settling in, I made my way into the centre where I booked my bus ticket to Puerto Natales on Saturday, after which I was ready for a cup of coffee and a cake at the Sir Francis Drake cafe. Looked at several travel agencies for a tour tomorrow. I have come to the conclusion that I will kick myself less if I spend time and money on a boring tour than if I don't and everyone I meet says "you went to Punta Arenas and didn't visit Tierra del Fuego!"

Tour agencies here don't go out of their way to sell anything. In Vietnam there would be dozens of agencies, mostly called "Sinh Cafe", with big posters, itineraries and prices; here just a little card with a few words and possibly a generic poster of a penguin! Asked in the agency I bought my penguin tour from but they didn't have anything and the woman referred me to another agency three blocks away. Yes, they did have a tour to Tierra del Fuego, which includes more penguins. Think they are a different species! So I booked it.

Visit the Museo Regional Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello which has several rooms focusing on different aspects of the region, fauna, original inhabitants, missionary activities, colonisation and immigration, and finally a room dedicated to oil and gas extraction, clearly sponsored by one or more oil and gas companies. Except for the last section all the information was translated into English, possibly by an early beta version of Google Translate. 

Somewhat Lost in Translation

Maybe God didn't want the cross there?
But 3200 high staying-power bolts should give him pause for thought!

Always amazed when public institutes fail to get a native English speaker to check and correct the draft. Sure there must be people in the town who would be happy to do it for free. The museum is a bit old fashioned, lots of stuffed animals, but quite informative. Sadly but not surprisingly most of the original inhabitants died out as a result of loss of land, disease, persecution and alcohol. Dropped off some laundry after which it was time for another coffee, this time at La Mona Crespa Cafe.

Back in my room, tried to update the blog but internet connection was poor and photos won't upload. Left it trying as I went out for dinner. Looked at the two places near the hotel, Mister Snack at the side of the racecourse and Bulnes bar but the first was rather grim while the second was a bar only and didn't serve any food except pizza. So headed back to O'Higgins and went to La Puerto Viejo Seafood and Grill where I had an excellent fillet steak and probably the best creamed spinach I have ever tasted with an Austral Calafate beer. Perfect! The waiters all wear black trousers, shirts and berets with red neckerchiefs; think they are supposed to look like gauchos but for some unknown reason they trigger memories of Citizen Smith and the Tooting Liberation Front.  Maybe the neurons in my brain have got crossed with Allo Allo! Finished off with an Espresso coffee since they have run out of milk! Like La Luna the place is obviously popular with tourists. One table near me was populated by seven bikers, the affluent mid-life ones as distinct from Hell's Angels.

Friday 22 January

Up early for expected pick-up for my Tierra del Fuego tour between 0730 and 0800. Too early for me to have breakfast which doesn't start until 0800. Waited outside so there was no chance they would miss me, no hardship since it is another bright sunny morning. 0810 no pick-up. Tried phoning the office but no answer. Tried again after another ten minutes and got someone who didn't speak any English. I couldn't make out what he was saying. By 0830 I decided to give up and have some breakfast. Just at that moment there was a call at the door and the driver was there. The plus side of being picked up last and over half an hour late was that I got the comfy seat at the front. We were on our way back to Tres Puentes from where we took another car ferry but this time a more comfortable one, similar to those in Europe but on a smaller scale. Most of the notices on the ship were in Spanish, English and Greek so it probably ferried between the Greek islands sometime in its life. Having missed out on breakfast I got a seat at the bar and found an uninspiring menu; looked like it would be another ham and cheese sandwich. I have never been to a cafe or bar before where they give you a numbered ticket and you can only order when your number is called! In my Spanish class I remember thinking "what is the point of learning to say all the numbers beyond about 20. Am I ever going to play bingo in Spanish?"  But now I had to put it into practice so that I could call out for “ochenta y uno”!

My toasted ham sandwich and coffee were about the standard I expected but I felt a bit more human after them. First stop after disembarking was Porvenir the main town of Chilean Tierra del Fuego. Not a lot to see; it has a population of only a few thousand, but we did visit the museum in which, apart from the old typewriters calculating machines and cameras that seem to turn up in small museums all over the world as people donate the contents of their attics, there were some displays on the indigenous people, who if I understand correctly were wiped out between 1880 and 1980. Need to check the details since everything was in Spanish. Desperately sad that they survived thousands of years, in a harsh environment, into the age of photography only to perish in a few decades.

Found more of the dismal story at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selknam_Genocide

There was also a display on the small gold rush that took place in the early 20th century.

From Porvenir, we drove about 100 km along a gravel road to the King Penguin Park where we paid 12000 pesos each for the privilege of watching, from a distance, in a howling wind,  three groups of king penguins possibly incubating their eggs, or maybe standing their gossiping for all I know. They may look impressive with their yellow collars but they don't provide much entertainment! Bit of a let-down after Wednesday. Those Magellanic penguins know how to put on a show!

Can't get so close to the Penguins this time

And all they do is stand there incubating their eggs!

After everyone had taken their fill of penguin photos we got back on the bus for a short ride to a sheep farm. What a lot of sheep! Got to see some having their heads shaved. Not understanding the Spanish I don't understand the point of just shearing their heads. Looks like they were being given an inoculation at the same time so perhaps it just so that they can identify the inoculated ones. They all look alike to me. 

Sheep Farm

A Remote Place

Sheep

Sheep Shearing

I had been hoping that a lunch stop might be included but it wasn't to be. This would never happen on an Asian tour!! On the plus side, neither did we get taken to a craft centre or jewellery shop. Another long drive, this time mostly  on a fairly decent concrete road,  over the same, fairly flat, landscape of clump yellowish coarse grass and scrubby bushes to Cerro Sombrero a small settlement that seems to have been created in the middle of nowhere in the 1950's and 60's.According to Wikipedia “ It was founded in 1958 as a residential and services centre for the national Petroleum Company (ENAP) in Tierra del Fuego.” Some of the buildings have a surprisingly "Soviet" look to them, an impression reinforced by the statue of a heroic worker in the town square. The place looks bleak on a sunny day, imagine living here in winter! 

Cerro Sombrero Cinema

Cerro Sombrero General Store and Post Office

Forgot to mention that we did pass several herds of guanacos (apparently only the domesticated ones are  lamas)  while driving. From Cerro Sombrero it was another 1/2 hour drive, 41 km, to a ferry terminal at Bahia Azul. This was just a short hop car ferry but the queuing system seemed disorganised since all the vehicles were queued up to go onto one jetty but then someone decided to use another one so everyone had to do a U-turn. At the other end we had a 170 km drive back to Punta Arenas arriving just before dark at about 9.45.

Found a pizza and pasta place close to La Luna in O'Higgins where I tried Fettuccini Patagonia, mostly tomato and little bits of lamb, with a beer and a coffee.

So was my Tierra del Fuego tour worth it? I am glad I went, if only to see the empty vastness of the place but there isn’t really that much to see. Luckily we had great weather; it wouldn't have been much fun in the rain. I can't imagine why people like L, who was on my Spanish course, would want to go trekking there. Walk all day and you can see the same boring landscape as you saw 30 km back!