Wednesday, 5 December and Thursday, 6 December, 2015
Buenos Aires

On Wednesday we just drive  around, without getting off the bus, and contemplate  Buenos Aires. Unlike the trolley bus from Santiago it is not a good way to see  a city. So, the real visit takes place the next day, when we do get off the bus - to take photos, to visit the famous cemetery where Evita lies, to admire the elegant houses of the rich Brazilians (now occupied by embassies)  and to laugh - groan- at Recoleta, the absolute kitsch.  I find it interesting to see here  iron houses, similar to the ones in South Melbourne

 some public building

 Th lone ortodox church

A gift from Great Britain to celebrate the anniversary of independence

nice lotus 

glorious statue

 poor Evita

 her tomb

 she died so young (the dog's nose is yellow because people touch it for luck(?)

 this is  a brigdge

 colourful Recoletta

The iron houses (apparently still inhabited)

Friday, 3 December , Montevideo (Uruguay)

Thinking that Montevideo cannot be very interesting I chose  to visit Colonia del Sacramento, the oldest city in Uruguay, founded 1680. Good choice.  We walk on the original  cobbled streets, admire the original  Portuguese and Spanish houses and have dinner at a very old

 Spanish

Portuguese

 Example of a structure  combining Portuguese and Spanish architecture

restaurant, with smoky dark  wood fittings and faded tapestries. Food is excellent, so is the drink, the sea shines brightly blue and the  jacaranda and bougainvillea trees(they call it Santa Rita) are all in bloom.

As  we spend more time in South America the evening entertainment gets better.  We watch  tango shows, musicians who  can play the piano as well as the popular flute concerts , gaucho shows. The spectacles  are  entertaining and artistically superb,  but what  makes them different from the Anglo-Saxon  variety is the attitude of the performers. They really know  how to engage the audience; they talk to us, involve us in their performance, and as we watch we have the feeling that the artists really care that we  have enjoy.

Monday, 30 November, at sea
We  sail around The Horn. The excitement is great, the  view is disappointing.  It is all grey,  but we are told that  this is Good Weather, notwithstanding

 that  we could not land at Port Stanley, as planned.
Still, the captain sounds the horn, Simon Tanner, the Hotel  director reads a poem and I get a Certificate.

Saturday,  November 28, 2015
Punta Arenas, Chile, has-like all  South American towns, no matter how small- a  central square.
This is Plaza de Armas and it is worth seeing because it  displays  the  statue of Magellan. There is  a market for 'souvenirs' (  which I have never  been so less tempted to buy) and a tourist bureau  offering  good maps of the region.

 The Statue

The cathedral (of course)


Sometimes, in the evening, we are told by the ship captain that we have passed through Magellan Straits. Apparently it is a difficult feat of navigation. Pity we miss the drama; we are seated around the table enjoying the evening meal.  I took a picture though.

This is it:

Sunday, 29 November, 2015
Ushuaia, Argentina
(the last place in the world; we try to send a letter from here but it costs too much)

This  must be one of the windiest places on earth.,  but the birds and the animals - penguins, cormorans and seals  are thriving. We watch them from the cataraman  as  we sail along the Beagle channel. The sun is shining, which is quite rare, from what the natives  say. We disembark at  Lapataia  bay and drive through the Terra del Fuego  national  park then walk along the  Roca  lake and admire the high mountains  with sharp edges shaped by  glaciers. it is  good to see the people enjoying the rare good weather.

The  little  seal,  is  he following the parents?

The post office at the end of the world

Thursday,  November 25, 2015
Patagonia Northern Patagonia and Coyhaiche  city.
Today' views are  very green. (There must be some compensation for  living in a climate where sunshine warmths is rare). The same mountains  overlook a endless  plains with a grass incredibly  green and  fresh. There are lots of wild  flowers too, yellow and purple. And  the trees: they look like  pine tress, but strangely they belong to the cactus family. The  gardens are also-naturally- thriving. I admire especially the stunning hydrangeas. Clearly, the plant  needs rain to  bloom.
We are  offered a very  good assortment of local specialties and the famous 'pizco sour'. But why do they put whipped egg white on top?

The  city (from a distance)

As  for the  city...it  looks picturesque  from afar.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Purto Montt, Chile
'Symphony of lakes  and Volcanoes'

Puerto Montt is not  much of a town. But oh, the glorious countryside. We drive to  nature reservation and climb  a narrow path to the river, very  popular among fishermen  for fly fishing. We admire the  view, the river flowing  rapidly over stones   and  bushes. This is easy; but then we have to climb a steep  path to the Osomo  volcano- which isn't there. I see no crater, but the ground is covered with  lava bits and makes walking, climbing, hard. But the sun shines , the ocean is deep blue, the

mountains dark and festooned with snow.  We notice along the way  houses and shops with  german names; no wonder they settled here.

The lunch offered is very  good too; we get to taste  the local brew.