There is nothing like a traditional Christmas, but sometimes you just want to create new traditions.
From now on I am spending Christmas on a ferry plowing small circles through choppy South Pacific Seas. After spending four days on a ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales in the Patagonia region of Chile, Drew and I were due to pull into port around noon on Christmas day. Unfortunately, we ran into a bit of traditional Christmas weather that included 80 knot winds and rain that blew up instead of down or sideways. The port closed due to waves and wind so bad that our ship couldn´t dock. Hence, seven hours of slow circles in the Pacific.
Despite the delays and the rain that actually flies up your jacket, this was a great trip. We had an uneventful Day 1 and adjusted to our new bunks. Each person was allotted about six and a halfe had an feet of bunk and a cabinet to put your stuff in. Then you made friends with the 90 people sleeping within 10 feet of you. While space was scarce, this was the most comfortable bed I´ve slept in for weeks.
Day 2 was a bit dicey. The scenery was beautiful was we sailed through small channels and alongside of soaring volcanoes. By late afternoon, we cut out of the narrow channels and out into the ocean. It takes a lot of weather to make a big cruise rock. This wasn´t a big cruise ship. The ocean greeted us with 12 foot waves and 60 knot winds and our little ferry rocked up and down. Then side to side. Then sort of an elliptical pattern. On a ship with about 250 passengers on 60 were still standing by dinner time. Less then 20 made it until 10 pm and only an intrepid few closed the pub at midnight. I closed the pub. I had no choice. There were so many people getting sick around my bunk that I couldn´t stand to be near it. After they kicked us out of the pub, I wandered down to my bunk and started to read. It is an interesting experience to have your boat rock so far to one side that you can see your feet over the top of your raised book.
On day 3 we retreated from the ocean and returned to the relative shelter of the channels. We steamed up to Pio XI glacier and spend a few hours bobbing alongside. While everyone is snapping pictures of the glacier, Drew grabs my arm and points to the side of the boat. Our bartender is getting into a little zodiac and speeding away. Imagine the Love Boat without Isaac! Now our little Chilean Isaac was abandoning ship. Nope. Our bartender fervently believed that the best drinks are only served with ice chipped from the icebergs floating by - my $500 rum and coke.
The day ended with a Christmas Eve party into the wee hours. On day 4 we all wished that we had gone to bed a little earlier. By the time I woke up for breakfast I knew we were in trouble. The ship was tilting sideways at nice little angle. At first I thought this might just be my hangover, but Drew assured me that the boat, not my head, was listing. We packed up our bags, grabbed some grub, and prepared for port. Then waited. Waited. Waited. An unforgettable Christmas going in circles.
We are finally in Puerto Natales and preparing to see Torres Del Paines National Park. After that we are heading for Tierra Del Feugo and Argentina to push on to the final chunk of this continent.
Hopefully, I will get another post out before New Years. If not, then have a great celebration and email me all the embarrassing stories.
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