Punta Arenas, Chile

Sadly, Punta Arenas is our last Chilean Port.  What a contrast this country is- from the dryest place on earth in the north, the Atacama desert, to glaciers in a myriad of fjords in the south.  Punta Arenas, on the strait of Magellan was once an important city before the Pamana Canal opened.  Today there are about 150,000 residents, mainly supporting the military, mining, petroleum, and sheep and cattle ranching. 
We visited a couple of museums and a huge cemetary, as well as the town square.  We really enjoyed Chile with its more European culture.  The weather here is cold and windy but we finally have blue skies.  Tierra Del Fuego can be seen across the straight.  Tonight we sail through the straight and all day Saturday through the Beagle channel to arrive on Sunday morning at our first port in Argentina, Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.  After staying for the day we are acheduled to round Cape Horn and head to the Falkland Islands.  We are bracing for a couple of rough days as we leave the Pacific and head into the south Atlantic.

Magellan statue in the town square

Supposed to be good luck to touch or kiss the foot of indigenous person on base of statue

Scenic view of Punta Arenas

Municipal cemetary had many rows of shaped cypress trees

The Patagonia of Chile (and we assume Argentina) is unique.  A few thousand years ago it was covered in ice like Antarctica is today.  There were few indigenous people so the early settlers in 1800's  were Germans, British, Slavs and a mix of other Europeans.  All the indigenous people are now extinct.