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| Dark snow capped mountains all around... |
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| Whitecaps at the foot of black mountains |
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| This is a 'colour' photograph...grey, white and black |
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| Sentinel along the Fjords... |
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| Ah, the decks are open again and one is out and about... |
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| Blustery winds, rain - one takes the air anyway.... |
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| Impressive natural beauty.... |
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| A rare glimpse of blue sky |
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| Light houses and beacons mark the main shipping channel through the Fjords... |
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| The Broughton's anyone....many scenes could be located in British Columbia |
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| Rainbows, fascinating in any hemisphere.... |
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| A bit of colour in the dark and brooding fjords... |
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| And the barometer is rising.... |
We cruise more or less serenely through miles and miles of brooding Chilean Fjords. After eliminating Punta Arenas, Ushuaya and a scenic detour around Cape Horne, we now enjoy almost seven days of uninterrupted sea days.
Whenever clouds rise sufficiently, rugged, sometimes snow dusted mountains appear from the mist and sheets of rain on either side of the ship. Winds of about 30 knots still whip around the decks, however the fjords keep the sea and waves in check. During rare moments of sunshine, the mountains glitter and whitecaps dot the surface of the sea. For me - it sometimes feels like a rather lengthy passage through Active Pass on a foggy and windy day. But the ever changing scene is somewhat mesmerizing, and I find myself leaning over the rail and just watching and watching...
Most people make the best of the changed itinerary and enjoy cruising slowly through the impressive scenery, however the usual grumblers buttonhole staff and fellow guests alike to voice their outrage. Some want their cruise fares refunded, as planned ports were dropped, some doubt the necessity of staying 'inside' instead of heading for the Cape...after all the ship's swimming pools are not splashing over the edge - so weather can't be THAT bad, not understanding that it is not THAT bad, because we are 'inside' and not 'outside'. Some question the captain's decision to reduce speed (mostly to time arrival in the open sea when weather is supposed to improve) and see it as a deceptive manoeuvre to just waste time and save fuel....whatever.
Actually early this morning we had a little taste of conditions 'outside', when we navigated a very short stretch of open water before dodging back into protective fjords - the winds popped up to 60 knots, and waves were about 4 meters. OK for a short stint...I suppose most complainers were still asleep during our truncated exposure to the REAL world.
Some cannot understand why we just don't go 'somewhere else' nearby? Well, this is the southern end of nowhere, no human habitation, and ports are totally absent until way up near Puerto Montt - another day or two of cruising away.
In the meantime, the outside decks are open for public access again, and there seems to be a day long pilgrimage of people walking around the deck again and again, stopping when a particularly spectacular scene opens up. Apart from a lone albatross, not much wildlife around. I only noticed a few dolphins, or maybe sea lions, breaking the surface of the sea.
No one yet knows, and the Captain is mum on the subject, whether we will actually call (as an alternative to the cancelled ports) into one or two accessible ports between here and Valparaiso, with Puerto Montt as the only scheduled intermediate port...we will see.
One keeps sailing along our windy and convoluted course through narrow channels flanked by towering mountains...
