We made the 5-hour drive to the southern Chile side of Patagonia and immediately saw a striking difference in the geography. The moister coastal air brought greenery, flowers, bushes and trees. The rock formations were more colorful and the mountains were spectacular.… Read More Patagonia, Chile
We began our Patagonia journey in El Calafate, a town near the Southern Patagonian ice field in the province of Santa Cruz. The town was used as an area to raise sheep and trade wool in the early 20th century, but with the creation of the Los Glaciares National Park tourism became the main industry… Read More Patagonia, Argentina
Our last day of Antarctica cruising was our Continental landing. We can now officially call ourselves Antarctica explorers. Until then, while we had been in the Antarctica geographical region, our landings were on small islands off the Antarctica peninsula. So we were excited to set foot on Recess Cove in Charlotte Bay. We had the… Read More Continental Antarctica
There was history as well as lots of penguins when we explored Mikkelson Harbor. This small bay on the south side of Trinity Island was used by Norwegian whaling vessels in the early 20th century. The landscape is still littered with whale bones and the weathered remains of sailing vessels. Gentoo penguins nest here and… Read More Mikkelson Harbor, Antarctica
As our ship cruised into Wilhelmina Bay on the Antarctic peninsula this morning, our captain decided we have the right conditions for the unusual experience of an ice landing. It was a very special opportunity. We were only the second group of people with Viking who ever walked on the sea ice.… Read More Our Ice Landing on Antarctica
One of the cool features of the Octantis is the opportunity to explore the icy Antarctic waters from below using the ship’s submarine. We dove down to about 170 feet and surveyed kelp, starfish, algae, jellies and even caught a glimpse of a rare sea spider. It’s a view few people ever get to see. And later the same day we watched sea lions cavort among penguins, elephant seals and lots of comorants.… Read More Diving Down and Wildlife Sightings on South Georgia Island
This abandoned whaling village is the largest settlement on South Georgia Island and it has no permanent residents. There’s just a staff of less than a dozen people who keep the South Georgia Museum and other relics open from October to March. It is, however, rich in wildlife and history. From the early 1904 until… Read More Grytviken, South Georgia
With less than 3,000 people in this capital of the Falkland Islands, life is simple and people are friendly. We enjoyed hearing the island lore from our guide, but the real attraction here were the penguins. … Read More Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
The chance to visit the magnificent Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfall system in the world, couldn’t be missed. During our 4-day precruise excursion to Iguazu, we experienced the falls from viewpoints above and below and were thoroughly drenched on our boat ride under the falls. We also hiked through the subtropical rainforest and kayaked on… Read More Iguazu Falls, Argentina
We’re on the road again. This time we’ll be celebrating the new year in the icy grandeur of Antarctica. But first we are taking a brief stop to explore colorful, vibrant Buenos Aires, the gateway city to our adventure.… Read More Buenos Aires, Argentina
J and J Travel 