Punta Arenas--53 South

New city! Punta Arenas is definitely a little bigger than I was prepared for after Puerto Natales, but our place here is within walking distance of the city center and plenty of grocery and restaurant options. Our host offered up some good suggestions of things to check out in the area, too. We spent the first few days in Punta Arenas making sure we were all set for a cozy Christmas and learning more about this immigrant-rich area.

All around Punta Arenas

One of the suggestions we took was to visit Fort Bulnes. We joined a Brazilian couple for a cold, windy tour of this site of strategic importance. On the way there we stopped at the geographic center of Chile, which seems crazy at around 53S latitude until you realize that Chile claims a slice of territory in Antarctica. We also stopped in at the fishing village of Bahía Buena (Good Bay) and passed by and learned about Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine which is where, you guessed it, lots of folks died of famine trying to settle here). We visited the fort, walked through the forest and along the strait, and toured the Museum of the Strait. While the history of the fort and Chile's claim to the area was interesting, the highlight for us was talking to our guide, Eduardo, who shared a lot of information about the general history, people, and politics of the Magallenes region and we appreciate his openness. We also learned a bit about Brazil from our tour mates so that was a bonus!

"Center" of Chile and Bahía Buena

Fort Bulnes

Christmas Eve night is actually when Chileans have their big family gatherings for the holiday, but in the morning and early afternoon, everything was open and bustling! We were up super early to board a boat for a ride in the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island to see PENGUINS! This tour did not disappoint. Upon arrival at the island would could see thousands of Magallenic penguins and gulls. Tourists are kept on a very strict walking path, but the birds cross it freely and we were amazed at just how close we were to the birds and their nests. We were there durning a very special time--chicks had been hatching for three weeks and there were a bunch of cute, fluffy baby penguins and gulls! We also saw geese and skuas while we were there. It was awesome. Next we headed for Marta Island for observation of sea lions and cormorants from the boat. It was a little "brisk" and the ride was rough, but the whole experience was really great. I definitely enjoyed this Christmas present!

¡Los pingüinos!

After grabbing some amazing empanadas on our way back home, we had a relaxing Christmas Eve. We played some games, I made a simple cheese/bread/veggies spread, and we watched a movie before the kids gave gifts--I received a beautiful bracelet they'd had tucked away since Peru and Frank got whiskey. Christmas morning we ate pie and cake for breakfast, the kids got to open their gifts from us (snacks, a movie, and some makeup for the girl), and I was surprised with a gift of maté straws. It was simple and wonderful. That afternoon we enjoyed a nice late lunch/early dinner at La Yegua Local with amazing views of the city and the Strait of Magellan. The weather was spectacular so we enjoyed a nice walk through town before returning home. It was indeed a very merry Christmas.

Nothing quite like a relaxing Christmas Eve with my crew.

Gorgeous weather for our relaxing Christmas Day!

We got back to the school grind to finish out our time in Punta Arenas, but also squeezed in a little more culture. We visited Museo Nao Victoria and toured replicas of the Victoria (from Magellan's expedition), the Beagle (from the FitzRoy/Darwin expedition), the Ancud (from when Chile took possession of the Strait of Magellan) and the James Cairn (lifeboat from Shackleton's journey to save his crew in Antarctica). The Uber rides and $5000 pesos per person were definitely worth a visit to that very interesting, educational museum on the shores of the Strait of Magellan! 

On our last day in town Frank and I visited the Museo Naval y Maritimo, the Chilean Navy's museum, while the kids did school. It was a small museum highlighting the Armada's role in exploration and navigation of the area. We loved seeing a plaque from UNITAS in one of the rooms and I especially liked seeing a meteorological room. And being big geeks over the Shackleton expedition, we were really excited to learn more about the ship, Yelcho, and her Captain, Luis Alberto Pardo Villalón, who undertook the journey to rescue the crew of the Endurance. Later we all visited the Museo Maggiorino Borgatello, a diverse museum with exhibits about natural history, indigenous cultures, the southern expeditions and religious missions, regional history, and Antarctica. And on the way home we popped in to the municipal cemetery which is renowned for its beauty. 

Can't keep two Navy veterans out of a naval museum!

And with that (and one more crazy good meal at El Alambrado), our time in Chile has come to an end! A day-long bus ride will see us across the border to Argentina and on to new places, new currency, and new adventures! But there is no doubt that we love Chile (and would return to all of the places we visited) and have so much more to see of this beautiful country.

Vegetarian Pichanga and Meat Chorillana from El Alambrado. It's a ton of food, even with two people sharing the mediano! 

~Jo, Nomadic Momma