Cruise Around Cape Horn - October-November 2016
I took a 14-day solo cruise from Valparaiso, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, that touched at several Chilean and Argentinian ports, plus the Falkland Islands and Montevideo, Uruguay. All places I'd never visited. In fact, this trip represented my first ever trip south of the equator.
I spent extra days before the cruise in Santiago, Chile, and a few extra days in Buenos Aires at the end.
A goodly number of photographs resulted, and the best of those are presented here.
Before proceeding to links to the individual photos below, please consider the following image, which records successful fulfillment of one of my principal hopes for this trip: a visit to Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires.
I took an excursion the first day in Buenos Aires that promised to introduce us to some of Buenos Aires' culinary traditions. Fortunately, on the way to the first restaurant the bus made a mini-tour of the city. One of the stops was at the Plaza de Mayo. The guide was explaining the significance of the plaza and its relationship to the Casa Rosada (the presidential palace), from whose balcony Eva Peron delivered her final address. Since he did not mention them, I asked him to tell us about the Mothers. He seemed a little taken aback, then pleasantly surprised that a tour member knew enough about his city to ask the question. His answer, brief as it was, pretty much echoed what may be found in Wikipedia:
"The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Spanish: Asociación Madres de Plaza de Mayo) is an association of Argentine mothers whose children were 'disappeared' during the state terrorism of the military dictatorship, between 1976 and 1983. They organized while trying to learn what had happened to their children, and began to march in 1977 at the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, in front of the Casa Rosada presidential palace, in public defiance of the government's state terrorism intended to silence all opposition."
The marches continued until January 2006.
The white symbols painted on the bricks of the plaza symbolize the distinctive headscarves the Mothers wore. Just to see this memorial was intensely moving to me. In the above photo I specifically used my wide-angle lens for the only time on this trip to capture the scene, particularly to show not only the scarf-symbols, but the pink Casa Rosada presidential palace in the background as well.
You can read the entire, gruesome story at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo.
Changing of the Guard, Chile's Presidential Palace, Santiago
The K-9 Corps
This guide did a much better job of recounting the coup against Salvador Allende and his subsequent martyrdom than did ours. The much younger audience seemed to be devoting rapt attention.
A mounted member of the Carabineros of Chile (national police force). He was patiently tolerant of my desire to get one good photo.
Osorno Volcano above Lake Llanquihue.
Osorno Volcano above Lake Llanquihue. (Perhaps Casablanca Volcano in the distance at the far left.)
The innocent joy of childhood. In Coyhaique at the edge of the Chilean Andes.
Strawberries looking good enough to eat. Coyhaique.
A fellow traveler in the Chilean Fjords.
Dramatic late afternoon sun in the Chilean Fjords. A High Dynamic Range photograph.
Punta Arenas.
Punta Arenas. The young men are probably on shore leave off the MS Zaandam, on which I was traveling.
Punta Arenas.
Checking the results -- a catamaran tour of Beagle Channel wildlife off Ushuaia, Argentina.
Falkland Islands. We were promised lunch before viewing Penguins at North Pond, but hadn't been warned there would be additional unofficial guests.
Gentoo penguins at North Pond, East Falkland Island. On their way to the ocean.
Against all odds, hope that a sale will come. Montevideo, Uruguay.
Backpacker. Montevideo, Uruguay.
Woman and sculpture on pedestrian walkway. Montevideo, Uruguay.
An amazing collection of vintage Coca Cola art at a corner store in Montevideo, Uruguay. They must cover it each evening so that is is not tagged. (This and following two photos.)
Exiting the Cathedral, Sunday before All Saints Day, Montevideo, Uruguay.
The homeless, if not ubiquitous, were certainly unavoidable. Montevideo, Uruguay.
Coke is everywhere. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tango! Caminito, Buenos Aires, Argentina. As the following photos will show, Caminito is a very colorful, touristy section of Buenos Aires's La Boca neighborhood.
Girl-dog-ball at play with a Caminito mural beyond. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I did not venture close enough to see what she was selling. Perhaps a fortune teller. Caminito, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Policia, Caminito, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Some Caminito colors (and tourists). Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Plaza de Mayo (see description above).
Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Equestrian Statue of General Manuel Belgrano. In front of Casa Rosada, Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. An HDR image. A bit of luck was involved in this photo -- i.e., that the flag happened the be perfectly displayed at the correct exposure.
Artist, Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I have no idea what they might be repairing, but it sure looks complicated.
Street sales on the Plaza de la República on the 9 de Julio Avenue. Plaza de la República on the 9 de Julio Avenue