south-america – IT'S ABOUT THE JOURNEY………..

WILDLIFE AND HISTORY COMBINED

Our first glimpse of penguins in their rookery was three days after we left South America. What a sight it was along with the noise of their chatter and an odour which I didn’t find offensive at all! We had reached South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Our three days at sea were productive. We settled in and found our way around the ship which was Ponant’s ‘Le Lyrial’ – and had a total of 120 passengers on this voyage. It was small enough to easily find our way to either of the restaurants, the library, observation lounge, spa, gym and photography studio. Our suite was very comfortable with a lounge and bedroom plus bathroom and balcony area. We were on Deck 6 and close to both the lounge/bar and the casual restaurant.

Each day there were a couple of lectures – both in French and English – and these varied from wildlife talks, history and general information regarding the area to geology and iceberg formation and so on. Our Expedition leader was John Frick, an American who has spent decades in and around the Antarctic region and his knowledge knows no bounds. His expedition team presented lectures according to their own speciality and one of the first talks was on Penguins and the different types varying from the tiny Fairy up to the Emperor. We would be encountering Gentoo, Chinstrip, Adelie and King penguins on this trip if we were lucky!

It was also an opportunity, whilst at sea, to introduce the passengers to the rules and regulations applicable to all visitors to Antarctica according to the Antarctic Treaty and the International Association of Antarctic Travellers (IAATO). Attendance was mandatory and we discovered the strict Biosecurity measures which take place at every stop in Antarctica. This involves vacuuming all outerwear, including gloves, parkas and hats, inspection of boots and the scrubbing of boots in soapy disinfectant each time we reboard. It seemed a lengthy process at first but soon became second nature. Inspection officers came aboard in South Georgia and randomly selected a few passengers to double check! Fortunately we were not ever in that group – to be selected and found to have a speck of fibre or a hair or piece of grass on your clothing or boots would be embarrassing to say the least!

Our first landing was Fortuna Bay in South Georgia, but just before entering the bay we spotted our first iceberg of the trip!

Then we sailed into the bay and landed on the plain to be greeted by fur seals, penguins and hundreds of birds. This was quite unlike anything I had ever seen and once ashore, walking amongst the wildlife who showed no fear of us humans was an unbelievable experience. This is a pristine land and it was fantastic to be wandering amongst these creatures in the bright sunshine and sharing, for just a moment, their lives in this place.

There was a hike to the top of a hill where the views were amazing – thousands of penguins all grouped together in the rookery – some sleeping, some playing, some wading across tiny streams and nearly falling in! They are hilarious to watch. The babies are covered in a brown fur like down which falls out once they reach a certain stage in maturity. I could see hundreds of young ones – some quite large and obviously about to change from baby to adult (or teen?).

What an exhilarating day! I had never imagined a trip to Antarctica would be like this. Like everyone else, I had seen pictures and films of the wildlife of this area but it was all snow and ice. To be here, on an island, with nothing but penguins and seals, tussock grasses and wildflowers, pebbles and rocks and bright sunshine was truly out of this world. And, did I mention, I have fallen in love with penguins!

URUGUAY THE GATEWAY TO A DREAM

Since our trip to Greenland and the Arctic, we have harboured a dream to go to the other side of the globe where, instead of villages, communities, bears and unique wildlife we would be in a pristine environment where nature abounds and penguins, icebergs, seals, glaciers and rocky beaches are unparalleled. Our dream was realised in November when we flew over the Andes into Uruguay to start our journey.

Montevideo, the capital and largest city of Uruguay, offers a unique and charming atmosphere. The well-preserved old town in the Ciudad Vieja exudes a sense of history, while the rest of the city and its beachside cafe culture create a laid-back and distinctive experience. We stayed in La Rambla – a suburb by the bay and found it was easy to walk to shops and restaurants and a short cab ride took us to the City Centre.

Making the most of our time here before we joined our ship for the cruise, we opted to do a half day City Tour which gave us an insight into the history of the region and life today. The city revolves around the Plaza de la Independencia, once home to a Spanish citadel. The plaza leads to Ciudad Vieja with art deco buildings, colonial homes and landmarks. I loved the intricate doorways of some buildings and beautiful flower baskets hanging in the windows. We wandered around outdoor market stalls filled with handmade souvenirs as well as art and later went to a huge market where everything was on sale from food to clothing and handbags. Cannabis beer was intriguing – and No – I didn’t try it!

We went on a day trip to Punta del Este known as the ‘Surfers’ of the country. This is about an hour and a half’s drive from Montevideo. I wanted to go because a cousin recently visited as part of the Round The World Clipper Yacht Race. It looked an interesting town with the reputation of being the resort for many of Latin America’s jet set with high end shops, fabulous restaurants and apparently a brilliant night life. What we found was actually a quiet seaside town with lots of empty apartment blocks and closed up stores. This may have been because it was November and presumably out of season but it didn’t detract from the charm. The most famous landmark is La Mano – The Hand – which is a sculpture depicting five human fingers partially emerging from the sand.

On the way to Punta, there was a stop at Piriapolis known for its belle époque–style buildings and the harbor. The visit included going up to Cerro San Antonio, a hill with a small whitewashed chapel and a lookout point plus a coffee shop and souvenirs. The Chapel was charming and would not have looked out of place in the Greek Islands!

Another intriguing stop was at Casapueblo in Punta Ballena about 8 miles from Punta del Este. This was the home of well known artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. As well as being a painter, he was known as a sculptor, potter, muralist, writer and composer. His work was unknown to me but I quickly became a fan. The building is of whitewashed cement and stucco and has no straight lines. It has thirteen floors and many terraces all of which look over the Atlantic Ocean. It evolved over many years and was the gallery as well as the home of the painter. Now it incorporates a hotel, museum and gallery as well as a coffee shop. The one poignant piece of history to me was that it is also a tribute to Carlos Miguel, the artist’s son, who was one of the sixteen survivors of the Uruguayan flight which crashed in the Andes in 1972. That story is told in detail and the artist himself mounted many search and rescue efforts before they were found two and a half months after the crash.

Two days later it was finally time to pack up and make our way to the port to join our small luxury ship, Ponant’s Le Lyrial, to cruise to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. We felt refreshed and ready for another adventure after our stopover where we found the locals were friendly and welcoming, the city oozed charm and history, and we relished being by the ocean and yet close to city vibes. We will return one day!