Puerto Iguazu Back to Buenos Aires

Saturday, February 23

Weather: Still hot 😓

Not quite so early of a start today as yesterday. Time to get what little we had repacked and have breakfast in the lobby. I was so disappointed to find out the fresh mango that was on the buffet yesterday was not to be seen today. I knew pretty soon we would be back to Minnesota's version of fresh fruit in the middle of winter...hard and no flavor. 😒

Our transportation to the airport was a van and we only had a stop or two to pick up other travelers. The drive took us back through the national park.

Loved this sign. (I magnified it in the photo.)

Iguazu Falls

Friday, February 22, 2019

Weather:  Hotter than hot...and humid too 😓

Iguazu Falls is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular natural attractions in South America and in the world. Shared between Argentina and Brazil, this set of 250 waterfalls are surrounded by a subtropical forest, and they have well earned their place as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and as one of the natural seven wonders of the world.  [Source: https://a.01argentina.com/]

The name "Iguazu" is loosely translated from the indigenous Guarani language as "big water". Unsurprisingly, former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, reportedly exclaimed "Poor Niagra" upon seeing Iguazu Falls for the first time.  Iguazu Falls is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular treasures of our natural world. [Source:  https://www.beautifulworld.com/]

Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls

Thursday, February 21

Weather:  Hot, hot, hot

The end of the cruise...but not the end of our trip.

After breakfast in the buffet we went to our cabins to wait for our group to be called for disembarkation. Two of the things I like most about Holland America are that the cabins are ready right away when you start the cruise...and you can stay in your cabins until the last minute at the end of the cruise. It always makes a cruise end on a bad note when you have to leave your cabin and find someplace to sit in a public area when waiting to disembark. Usually these places are crowded and full of grumpy people...not fun.

The four of us had booked a package deal with 01Argentina to go to Iguazu Falls and we were scheduled to be picked up at 9:30 am at Gate 4 for our ride to the airport. Just like yesterday, the area around the gate was a madhouse. Lots of people were there waiting for their shuttle or tours...basically a mess. To make things worse (much worse) was all of the construction around the port was making it hard for the buses, vans, cars, etc. to get close to the gate. The small semi-circle drive in front of the gate was way too small for the full size coach buses to get through, but yet they were doing it.

Buenos Aires - Day 1

Wednesday, February 20

Weather: 94º, Sunny

I have a confession to make. Each night during this trip I faithfully wrote a blog post. Even when my eyelids were so heavy I struggled to see what I was writing, I recorded the days events along with my thoughts and feelings. That is...until this day. I hit the wall and not a word was recorded while we were in Buenos Aires. So for that...I'm sorry.

I have a folder full of photos that can help jog my memory, but it isn't the same as writing it down while things are fresh in my mind. So now six weeks later as I write...here is our day in Buenos Aires...and mostly in photos.

The four of us were joining eight others from Cruise Critic for an all day city tour of Buenos Aires with Patagonia Shorex. Our group met in the Ocean Bar and then left the ship together. Once outside there was a bit of chaos. Much construction was going on around the port which made things very congested for vehicles to get in and out but eventually our minibus arrived and we were off.

The majority of the day was spent driving with our wonderful guide (whose name I can't remember 😕) pointing out landmarks and sharing an incredible amount of facts. I don't think I've ever had a tour guide that provided so much information. A few times during the day we would stop and have time to explore an area on foot.

Floralis Generica is a steel and aluminum sculpture that was created in 2002. The petals of the flower are designed to open each morning and close each day at sunset. Our stop here was brief...just long enough to snap a couple of photos.

Montevideo, Uruguay

Tuesday, February 19

Weather:  86º, Partly Cloudy

The morning wasn't quite as rushed as a normal port day. The ship didn't dock at Montevideo until 9 am which gave us time to get up without an alarm and eat breakfast. (Reading back through my blog posts has made me realize just how much I hate alarms now that I am retired!)

Once the ship pulled up to the dock we switched our phones off of airplane mode to check our emails and texts. My son was just starting his day back in Minnesota and commented that our 4-year old grandson was having fun following the videos we were sending on the Marco Polo app. He has a large world map on the wall of his bedroom where he was following our route. An amazing discovery (to a 4-year old) was that the Falkland Islands were further away from Minneapolis than Sioux Falls, South Dakota where his other grandparents live. I know to him the drive to Sioux Falls seems like forever so it would be hard to comprehend going to the opposite end of the world!

We could look out our window and see the gangplank and when people started disembarking we left our cabins. Having a cabin right by the forward elevators/stairs is so convenient at ports. Today the gangplank was on Deck A directly below our window.

There is a painted walkway leading from the ship to outside the port area which we knew from the port talk a couple of days ago. We followed the path and once outside the port gates, we saw the double decker Hop-On-Hop-Off (HOHO) bus waiting. We bought all day passes using a credit card for about $22/person. As soon as the bus started loading, we climbed to the upper, open air level. The port was the beginning of the route so we had our choice of seats. Bob and I grabbed seats on opposite sides of the aisle so we had cameras pointed in both directions during the tour.

Here you can see the green path leading to the entrance of the port.

Drake Passage, South Shetland Islands, Deception Island

Saturday, February 9

I woke before 6 am and peaked out the window. I saw something white on the horizon against the gray sky. I got excited and thought it might be an iceberg, but then decided it was just clouds and crawled back in bed. 😴

I got up about an hour later, dressed quietly and went up to the Lido to get some coffee. (I sure wish HAL provided in-room coffee makers as Norwegian does!) I knew Bob would still be sleeping so I stopped by the library and looked through one of the books on Antarctic that was available. (The library on the Zaandam is pretty impressive...the best of any we have seen on a ship.) When I got back to our cabin, Bob was just starting to stir.

Using his binoculars, Bob looked out the window and could see a large tabular iceberg off in the distance. By the time he dressed and we made it up to breakfast, the Zaandam was just passing by the iceberg.

We got layered up in our warm clothes and went outside with Kent and Laurel as we were approaching the South Shetland Islands. The Zaandam was now sailing past much, much larger icebergs than the one which got us so excited last night.

Approaching the South Shetland Islands

Around 10 am, Laurel and I went back to our cabins while the guys went to the gym. I worked at backing up photos and then Laurel and I went to the theater for Scott's lecture, "Royalty on Ice," about emperor penguins. The guys had also made it to the theater a little later and found seats elsewhere.

During the Q & A session after the lecture, Laurel and I left to beat the crowd to the buffet. Bob and Kent joined us and we ate quickly to get done and be outside as the Zaandam approached Deception Island.

Over the course of the few days when we were in Antarctica I slowly perfected the combination of layers that seemed to work best for keeping warm. (With the ship moving, it was pretty chilly out on the open decks...but still about 60º warmer than what the actual temps were at home!)

My clothing amounted to either Cuddle Duds long underwear or a pair of fleece-lined leggings under my jeans and then topped by a pair of REI rain pants to block the wind. On top was a warm sweatshirt or sherpa top, my Columbia fleece jacket and finally my parka-length Eddie Bauer packable down coat. For headwear I had a fleece lined knitted beanie covered by a microfleece hood that I got at Kohls. This protected my neck and I could pull it up over my chin and mouth. I also pulled up the hood on my down coat...so 3 layers on my head altogether! I had purchased convertible wool mittens that could be folded back to expose the tips of my fingers to use my camera but these I never wore. Instead I put Hot Hands hand warmers inside my snuggly fitting gloves and my hands stayed toasty warm. I had also brought along foot warmers, but never used any. Wool socks kept my feet plenty warm. Getting dressed was time consuming, but we stayed outside for long periods of time and were comfortable.

Dressed for Antarctica!

Deception Island is a former volcano where the caldera has filled with water. There is an entrance on one side of the caldera that some ships can enter, but the Zaandam is too large. The commentary started as we got close to the island.

Google Map showing location of Zaandam
near South Shetland Islands.

Zaandam approaching Deception Island.

The opening into the caldera at Deception Island.

Lots of birds around the island.

On one shore was a very large colony of chinstrap penguins...pretty far away even with a binoculars or long zoom.

The penguin colony was huge!

We spent a lot of time on the outside decks in the afternoon and were rewarded with various wildlife sightings.

A pod of killer whales.

Penguins floating by on an iceberg.

A "porpoising penguin". (Say that fast three times!!)

Later in the afternoon, as promised, the captain sailed the ship past a tabular (flat on top) iceberg that was 5 miles wide by 11 miles long. According to Bryan, the expedition guide, Antarctica is divided up into 4 quadrants (A, B, C, and D) and the largest icebergs are given names based on where it originated. This one was A57. The berg was 180 feet tall above the water and as much as 1000 feet of ice was below the surface. Bryan said that if the ice was melted it would make enough water to run the Nile River for 75 years!!

One end of the massive iceberg.

A close-up of the iceberg.

Not wanting to miss anything, we chose to stay outdoors longer and skip eating in the dining room. Many of the choices at the Lido buffet were the same as what was on the dining room menu and it was a great...and quicker...alternative. We were worried we might miss something if we spent a couple of hours in the dining room.

Walking back through the mid-ship pool area after eating, the guys stopped for a little ping pong and then we went up to the Crow's Nest. At that time most passengers were having dinner or at the show and there were very few people up there. (The evening show at the Mainstage Theater was "Ancora"..."classical crossover vocal harmony group made up of four of the UK's finest classically trained young voices.")

As we sat there watching out the windows we saw whale after whale after whale! Scott, the expedition guide, showed up and did an impromptu commentary as well. Slowly more and more folks arrived (perhaps because of the Happy Hour special at the bar? 😉) We stayed until the sun set and it was too dark to spot any more whales.

Tomorrow's schedule has the expedition guides' commentary scheduled to start at 7 am as the Zaandam sails through Dallman Bay...time to call it a night and get some sleep.

Cape Horn

Friday, February 8

Narration for our circumnavigation of Cape Horn was to begin around 7 am. When we woke it was obvious the ship was rocking more so Bob and I both took a dose of meclazine just to be safe. I made a quick trip up to the buffet and grabbed a cup of coffee and some pastries and brought it all back to the cabin for a "pre-breakfast".

When we went outside, we could see the lighthouse and the sculpture of the albatross using our binoculars. The Celebrity Eclipse and the smaller Stella Australis were right in front of the island. In his commentary, Kevin said that we would sail around the island and then it would be the Zaandam's turn to sail "past the horn". It was going to be awhile before that happened.

As we waited, it began to rain. I went back inside the cabin and listened to the commentary over the TV until we had gotten around to the other side of the island. During that time the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to peak through.

The memorial to the sailors who have died going around the horn features the silhouette of an albatross.

The Celebrity Eclipse had pulled away, but the smaller expedition ship was still in the area and with binoculars (or my camera zoom) we could see people were going by zodiac from the ship to the shore. They were climbing up a very steep set of steps to get to the top of the hill.

A very steep climb!

Zodiacs loading at the back.

Once we "rounded the Horn", the Zaandam started across the Drake passage headed for Antarctica. Later in the cruise we were all "awarded" certificates acknowledging that we had followed in the footsteps of the great explorers when we went around the horn.



The four of us went for a late breakfast at the buffet, along with most everyone else on the ship. Bob and Kent went to a lecture at 10 am on the Antarctica treaty. I spent some time backing up photos in the cabin and then I joined Bob and Kent for the 11:00 lecture by Bryan titled "Antarctica - Isolated at the South." The topic turned out to the geology of the region and not about living in isolation as I had thought. I wasn't that interested, but had taken my iPad and worked on my blog notes as I half listened to what was being said.

Once the lecture was over everyone rushed off to eat lunch. We knew that the buffet would be a zoo (just like at breakfast) so we took our time leaving the theater. We hung around the guest services area and listened to the organ play at 12:15. (I had listened a few days ago but the others hadn't heard it yet.)

The lines to get food were very short when we got to the buffet, but finding a table was a challenge. Eventually we found one in the Canaletto part of the dining room. We lingered over lunch and then went back to the theater for a talk on penguins. A combination of a full tummy, the meclazine, and a speaker with a soothing voice had me nodding off...and Bob too.

I actually wanted to hear the talk at 3:00 on "My Life at Sea" but there was no way I could stay awake. Bob and I went back to the cabin for nap time. Bob was so sleepy that he laid down on the bed, covered up with his coat and didn't even bother taking off his shoes.

Over an hour later, I had to force myself to get out of bed to shower and get ready for dinner!

After dinner the entertainment on the Mainstage was Duo Yalba...two men who played music from all over the world on many different instruments. They were accompanied by the ship band. Unique...and not something we would ever experience except on a cruise.

Sunset was getting later each evening so when we left the theater we went up to the Crow's Nest. The minute we walked in I saw we were approaching a really large (at least at that point it seemed large) iceberg. I took a few photos with my iPhone but knew I could get a much better picture with the zoom on my camera.

We got so excited when we spotted this iceberg. In less than 24 hours we wouldn't have even paid attention to one this small!

I ran back to the cabin, grabbed my coat (the temps were in the 30's) and went outside. When I turned the camera on all I heard was a "click, click, click" and the sound of gears grinding. I frantically turned the camera on and off a few times but each time the result was the same...nothing. I took the battery out and replaced it but still nothing. I can't begin to tell you the sick feeling I had. Going to Antarctica without a camera!!! NO...it couldn't be happening!!

Taken with my iPhone. 😞

Bob went with me and I took the camera up to the photo shop for advice. The gal working there played around with the camera but said there was probably no way to fix it. I started looking at the cameras they had for sale. We had quite a bit of onboard credit which would help take the sting out of a large purchase. There was no way that I was going to be happy taking all of my photos with my iPhone.

I asked to look at any cameras they had with a decent zoom. I looked at a Nikon with an 83x zoom. Nice...but very big. A Canon with a 35x zoom was small enough but had no viewfinder which I really wanted. As I was looking at the cameras, Bob took mine and started twisting and pulling on the lens. He couldn't make it any worse, so why not! He yanked off the filter AND the rim around the lens but the camera started working! Yay!!

It was reassuring to know that I could purchase a new camera if needed but for now my old Canon SX-50 seemed to work. What a relief!

Although the seas had been a little rocky first thing in the morning, most of our day on the Drake Passage had been smooth sailing. We were experiencing the "Drake Lake" instead of the dreaded "Drake Shake!"

Glacier Alley and Ushuaia

Thursday, February 7

Weather:  55º F, Cloudy

Dramatic, fantastical, otherworldly—this is the end of the world, for real. Positioned at the southernmost tip of Argentina, this memorable port town is cradled between the pristine—and towering—Martial Mountains and accessed by the picturesque Beagle Channel. Founded in 1884, the far-flung spot welcomed missionaries, gold prospectors and naval officers before becoming known primarily as a penal colony. After its closure under the infamous Argentine leader Juan Perón, the large jail was reconfigured to house one of the city’s most popular museums. (Source: hollandamerica.com)

Google Maps

Today was a "two-fer". A combination of a scenic cruising day AND a port stop. Beginning at 6:30 am we were sailing through Glacier Alley with commentary by EXC Guide Kevin. There were a lot of low hanging clouds and just a generally gray morning. We saw multiple glaciers, none of which I remember the name of. 😏

Notice the distinct line in the water. The silt from the waterfall coming off the glacier causes the water to look milky.

Lighthouse in the Beagle Channel leading into Ushuaia.

As we sailed into the Beagle Channel, I kept track of our position using the maps.me app. With the occasional drizzle, we chose to view the glaciers from the protection of the Lower Promenade deck (deck 3).

When we first saw Ushuaia I got concerned that we were just going to sail by and skip the port which the Zaandam has done on a prior cruise this season. Not the case. If you notice in the last map above, there is a small island in the channel. The captain sailed around the island and came into Ushuaia from the other direction.

Our first glimpse of Ushuaia.

Breakfast had been light because we wanted to do an early lunch prior to our docking in Ushuaia around noon. When we went to the buffet at lunch it was obvious that everyone else had the same plan. Around 12:30 the captain made the announcement that the ship was cleared and we could go ashore. We joined the crowd making their way down to Deck A...a little easier for us than most since the gangplank was just down a short flight of stairs below our cabin.

The Celebrity Infinity was alongside the Zaandam as well as two or three expedition ships and what looked like an old sailing ship.

We walked down the long dock and past some shops looking for our tour guide, Ruben. I had gotten Ruben's name from the Ushuaia forums on Tripadvisor and had made arrangements for the four of us to do a private tour with him. It wasn't until we had gone the length of the long dock and got outside the official port entry that I saw someone holding a sign with my name. Right away I noticed the guy was wearing a name tag that said "Federico". He introduced himself and said Ruben wasn't able to make it and had asked him to fill in.

I was disappointed and a little concerned. I felt comfortable booking with Ruben after reading quite a few positive reviews online, but I knew nothing about Federico. Federico offered to call Ruben and after they talked in Spanish for a couple of minutes, he handed me the phone. Ruben apologized and said he had emailed me to let me know he was having car trouble and didn't want to take a chance of getting stranded a long distance away in Tierra del Fuego. I hadn't seen the email (yet) because I hadn't had any cell service for a few days. He said he would understand if we wanted to cancel, but at that point we didn't have any alternative so agreed to go with Federico.

Federico promised he would give us a good tour. He said he had already finished tourism training whereas Ruben was still working on getting certified. AND...he added that he had a better car than Ruben. 😉 Federico lead us to where his car was parked and he was right...it was a very nice and very clean car!

Our first destination was Tierra del Fuego and to get there we drove on the last few miles of the Pan-American highway.  This highway is a network of roads stretching from northern Alaska to Ushuaia, a distance of around 30,000 miles. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's longest "motorable road." Technically that isn't true since the highway has a 100 mile gap between Central and South America but still...pretty impressive.

I was a little surprised to find that the section of the highway at Ushuaia was a dirt road...a very dusty dirt road. At times it was hard to even see where we were going. Federico's nice clean car did not stay clean for long.

The end of the Pan American Highway.

Wild horses.

When we reached the entrance to the park, Federico went in with Bob and Kent to help translate as they paid the entry fee via credit card. The cost for the two of us was $25.94. While in South America we primarily used our Capital One Visa card that has no foreign transaction fees. I have the Capitol One app on my phone and as soon as Bob made the purchase I received a notice of the transaction and also a text letting me know that our card was used in a foreign country. The text ask me to confirm that the charge was OK.

There were many large tour buses in the park, but since we were in a smaller car we were able to take a different road. Frederico parked and lead us on a walk along a clear, bubbling stream. In 1946 beavers were introduced in the area as a possible source for fur trading. The fur trade industry wasn't successful and the beavers multiplied and have caused millions of dollars in damages since then. We witnessed some of this damage.

Federico showing us some berries...

...which we sampled!

Getting away from the crowds.

If you know Bob you are not surprised by this photo at all.

Beaver damage.

Ribs anyone? 

I am not necessarily a bird watcher, but we saw some pretty unique birds in the park!

This bird reminded me of a loon...our Minnesota state bird!

Mussels exposed during low tide.

The "End of the World Post Office" is a tourist spot many visit so Federico took us there next. The post office was closed but the location is beautiful. Federico knows the man who opened the post office and from what he told us the guy is quite a character. We left the crowds and walked along the shoreline. It was low tide which exposed many mussels and other interesting things in the tide pools.

End of the World Post Office...closed.

Our last stop in the park was a scenic overlook. Federico warned us it would be crowded but that was an understatement. The view was nice, but tour bus after tour bus were unloading people in the area. Many were on Holland America tours from our ship. We only stayed long enough to follow the boardwalk and get some photos. There was also a bathroom next to the parking area that we were able to use.

People were lined up to get their photo by this sign I just snapped a photo and kept walking.

After we left the park, Frederico drove us to an overlook where we could see our ship and the town. I found it interesting that we had to go through a police check-point leaving town, but not to enter. No one else was around and the view was beautiful.

Can you imagine having this view in your back yard?

Frederico asked if we would like to go north of town. Not many tours go in that direction so we weren't sure if we wanted to use our precious time to visit someplace that wasn't that interesting. How thankful we were when Frederico convinced us to go. The mountains were probably some of the most beautiful I have ever seen!! He also stopped and he and the guys walked through a peat bog.

A glacier high up on the mountain.

Walking through the peat bogs.

Peat bog.

Squishy!

At one of the stops Federico pulled out his yerba mate cup and had some tea. He had also brought along some yerba mate tea bags and small cups so we could sample the tea. (This was our first experience seeing yerba mate on the trip...but certainly not the last!)

Federico was using a traditional mate cup.

By this time Federico seemed like an old friend and I was so happy that our day had played out as it had. Definitely one of the best tours on the cruise...and in all of our cruises! If you are interested in spending a day with Federico you can contact him at:  ananturismo@gmail.com or on Facebook at Anan Turismo. And even though we didn't get to meet Ruben, I am confident he would have given us a great tour as well. His contact info is: ruben-ushuaia@hotmail.com.

When we got back to town, Federico gave us a quick driving tour and then dropped us off at the port around 6:45 pm. Kent and Laurel walked to a nearby craft market so they could purchase a magnet (their souvenir at EVERY port) and Bob and I returned to the ship.

The four of us met at the Lido buffet for a late dinner and watched as the Zaandam pulled away from Ushuaia. The evening entertainment was "Planet Earth II in Concert", something we had seen before, but well worth seeing again. A series of videos from the Planet Earth series are shown on a big screen with the ship's musicians providing a live accompaniment. By the time we finished dinner, the show had already begun, but we found some seats in the back and enjoyed the last half.

It was still light when the show got over at 9:00 pm so we walked along the deck 3 taking in the view of the beautiful mountains. So incredible yet it was going to get even better!!

Many of these deck chairs were missing cushions when we did our Panama Canal cruise.
Now almost all of the chairs were without cushions and not very comfortable.

Pilot boat picking up the harbor pilot.