Monday, January 16, 2023
The ship’s movement was getting more and more noticeable. We went to the Ocean Bar and then to the Casino. First time this cruise to play some Blackjack. Most of the time, we’ve been playing slots.
Tonight, we were seated at the biggest table they have – seats 10 people. I’m not a fan of this size table. Can only carry on conversations with the people right next to you. Tonight, I had the Mahi Mahi Diablo and Chuck had the boneless pork chop.
Afterwards, we went to one set of the Rolling Stone band, but the ship was moving too much for any dancing.
The sea was much calmer this morning when I woke up. We were already in the Sarmiento Channel. The Captain announced that we had missed Amelia Glacier because he had to take a slightly different route because of the wave conditions. He said we did pass the glacier, but it was 4:00 a.m. He said in a couple of days we would be going through “Glacier Alley” and would see a number of glaciers.
He opened the ship’s bow so we could see the narrow passages that he would be navigating. There was a point that seemed that he slowed to a crawl as we had to pass a spot that there was only 8 feet between the bottom of the ship and the sandbar.
Glad our Captain did better than whomever was in charge of this ship.
Got a hot chocolate and Baileys and sat on the Sea View deck until the wind got so strong, I had to go in.
Went to lunch in Lido at noon. Big mistake. It was so crowded that I lost sight of Chuck. Couldn’t find a place to sit so I took my lunch back to the room. It’s better when we go to lunch around 1:30.
After lunch, Chuck went to the hot tub. I went to the lecture: Patagonia: Land of Wonders.
By the time the lecture was over, it was time to start getting ready for the evening.
Travel Trivia
Sarmiento Channel
Sarmiento Channel is a principal Patagonia channel, which extends in a north-south direction. It begins with the Guia Narrows (Angostura Guía) and is located in Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region. The kawésqar people sailed its waters from around 6,000 years ago until end of 20th century, as they inhabited its coasts.
The channel is named after Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, who was a Spanish explorer who navigated the region’s waterways between 1579 and 1580.
The islands that border the channel are mountainous with summits that reach 1499 feet. There is a chain of mountains in the middle of Esperanza Island with elevations between 984 and 3500 feet. To the east of Collingwood Strait, rises the Cordillera Sarmiento, which is a heavily ice- and snow-covered mountain range.
Fondest Travel Memories 