We set our alarm for 6:30 am and promptly showered, packed, and readied ourselves for an 8 hour day of hiking and canoeing. Ate breakfast. Of note is the Argentinian penchant for SWEETS (in my book - desserts) for breakfast! I don't mind the sweet roll or crumb cake for breakfast - but caramel? I had toast and yogurt and coffee.
Our tour bus picked us up promptly at 8am at Hotel dos Andes and we were driven to Tierra del Fuego National Park. Norbie is our hiking guide, Valentin is our canoeing guide, and Pepe is our driver. We are accompanied by about 12 others from France, Brazil, Germany, and a couple from California.
Norbie, Valentin, and Pepe have a great sense of humor and kept us laughing most of the bus ride and for the duration of the tour. There is a light rain today (typical as this area gets about 60 days of rain / snow per year) and it is cool but the park is simply gorgeous. I can only imagine what it would be like on a sunny day! We did a 4 to 5 mile hike and meandered by the water , through the forest, and up and down the hillside. Learned a bit about the native Yamana people who were sea-going nomadic people. They lived like many native peoples - naked. The women would cover themselves with seal grease and would go into the water to catch shellfish while the men would stay on the canoes and hunt seals. As we walked our guide Norbie pointed out old Yamana camping areas where one could see remnants of shells from the shellfish that had been crushed there. We also learned quite a bit about the flora and fauna of the area and had plenty of time to take photos along the way.
Stopped for lunch at a backpackers rest area in the park. Our guides pitched a tent for us with picnic tables inside and cooked our lunch over a fire. We shared bottles of Argentinian wine and enjoyed a lovely meal.
Then we gathered to dress for the "canoeing" (actually an inflatable zodiac). We were all given very "trendy" waterproof pants, rubber boots, and a life jacket. Valentin provided a short hilarious orientation for the canoeing and off we went! Valentin was in our boat with the 4 women of our group and we kicked butt! Saw lots of birds and funny flightless steamer ducks that ramp up to take off from the water, but essentially walk across it to a new place! Hilarious to watch. The weather cleared up a bit and we even got some sunshine. We ended the canoeing at the terminus of the Pan-American Highway (Route 3, which extend from Alaska all the way to the tip of South America). Very few people travel to the terminus of Rte 3 by canoe, but we did!
After a long but lovely day, we were driven back to our hotels. After cleaning up , we met for dinner at Kuar. Good meal. Later in the evening we found Sally Wahrmann and Michele Chan and invited them up for a drink in our apartment. Can't say enough about the fabulous tour we had through Canal Fun. Looking forward to tomorrow's half- day horseback ride and a better night sleep tonight!
Newly Restored Photos of Shackleton’s Fateful Antarctic Voyage Offer Unprecedented Details of Survivalby Kate Sierzputowski on December 9, 2015
This photo was taken when the crew felt they had a good chance of freeing the trapped Endurance from the sea ice of the Weddell Sea, so they put the sails up. As we know, this and other attempts failed, and realizing the ship wasn’t moving Hurley went onto the ice to take this photograph. New details of sea ice have been revealed. Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
After 80 years of storing the original glass plate and celluloid negatives, RGS along with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) has digitized over 90 images for the public. Due to enlargement, the photos reveal detail that had not been previously seen, like in the image of six crewmen huddled around the fire below. Previously, only five men were visible in the image, but after digitization it is now possible to make out a sixth man through the thick smoke of the flame.
Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Complete darkness was also a difficulty during the trip. This forced Hurley to light his subjects with flares, juggling a red hot flame while he manipulated a heavy camera. The effect of the technique was nothing short of cinematic, the image below showcasing the ship Endurance like a brilliant specter just before its fateful sinking.
Iconic shot of the Endurance lit by flares at night. Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Wearing full polar clothing and gathered under the bow of the ship, photographed and filmed by Frank Hurley, probably on 1 September 1915. Glass Plate Negative: 6¼” x 4¾” (16cm x 12cm). Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Ernest Shackleton at Ocean Camp. Glass Plate Negative, 8 ½” x 6 ¼” (21.5cm x 16cm). Photo by Frank Hurley. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Photo by Frank Hurley 1915. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.
Photo by Frank Hurley 1914-1917. Single use permission from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.