We put our day in Santiago to good use as the hotel could not give us a room til late afternoon. instead of sitting around, we walked the historic Bellas Artes neighborhood on foot, from Constitution Square to Plaza de Armas, and down to the market hall, our sojourn showcased the beauty of this South American capital, albeit on a Sunday (99% stores closed). We’ll get the chance to see more on our return journey after the expedition cruise ends.
In three groups, all 228 guests of the Silver Cloud voyage were flown to Puerto Williams – the southernmost village on earth. As is not unusual for any such superlative claim, the Argentinian town of Ushuaia is disputing Chilean Puerto William’ assertion yet, the coordinates don’t lie.
The four-hour flight was efficient and comfortable, with stunning aerial scenery of the Andes mountain chain passing below as a bonus. Once on the ground, much to my surprise, there were two Silversea ships waiting in port and Ponant’ L’Austral being refueled for good measure.
Puerto Williams is a tiny hamlet of 2500 inhabitants at the southern most tip of Chile’s Navarino Island in the Beagle Channel that separates Argentina from Chile. This area is part of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, and it serves as the hub for the Chilean Navy and as a base for Antarctica cruises.
A day into what will undoubtedly be an amazing adventure and we are finally aboard. Our expedition team of 28 experts prepared us for what lies ahead. I invite you to join me on this voyage to the seventh continent. as you can see from below, we are ready with parka and equipment to brace the cold.
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