Jan 31 Fjords and Glaciers

Our nice ride to the glacier

First view of glacier

The blue color is dramatic

lots of ice!

It's cold!

This morning we anchored at Paso Quesahuen and will not depart until late this evening.  Trips to the glacier  at Laguna San Rafael were scheduled all day on two large catamarans.  We were the second trip scheduled for about 11 am but left almost one hour late.  The Mariner had sent along sandwiches, hot drinks and cookies but about 15 minutes into the trip we crossed the wake of the other catamaran that was returning to the Mariner and the coffee urn and two trays of sandwiches hit the floor.  We had enough food for everyone but had to make do with hot chocolate and tea instead of coffee. 
The catamaran we were on was very plush with two levels, large couches with tables on the upper level and individual high back seats on the lower level.  The weather was still rainy and cold but the glacier was quite dramatic and everyone took lots of pictures.  The San Valentin glacier flows into the Laguna San Rafael from the "Southern Patagonia Ice Field" which is the third largest extension of continental ice behind Antartica and Greenland. 
We made it back "home" at about 2:30 and had time to relax a bit before afternoon tea and trivia.  We lost again today, missing our anchor man Michael who knows a lot of the entertainment answers.  Michael was on the tour that left after ours returned and each tour got later as the day went on.  Right now it is 9 pm and the last tour has not yet returned.  We were supposed to sail at 8 pm and I doubt if we leave before 10.
We will spend the next two days at sea and in the fjords, arriving in Punta Arenas on Friday.