Ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales

We are now in Puerto Natales after spending four days at sea.

The scenery was spectacular, kind of how I imagine Alaska or the Norwegian fjords...

We shared a tiny cabin with four bunks and had to take turns entering and exiting the room as space was limited. The beds were comfortable, however, and each one had its own reading light and curtain. I felt like we were on the Orient Express everytime I closed my curtains.

We passed the time reading, writing, playing cards and sleeping...

I spent a lot of time doing laps around the deck to enjoy the scenery and keep active.

I have trouble sitting still for long periods of time so each day I did my 'hamster laps' as Stephen called them.

The first full day at sea the weather was glorious and sunny, unusual for the southern passage.

We passed lots of tree-lined hills backed by snow-capped mountains. That night we left the channel, entered the open ocean and discovered the meaning of 'Pacific Rollers' firsthand.

Most people didn't manage to eat their spaghetti dinners as the boat rolled back and forth...I was still able to eat a healthy portion. Stephen felt a bit queasy. Luckily, I had my dramamine. We watched the sunset, spotted an albatross (we think) and then went to bed doped up on dramamine. By morning we were back in a calm channel so appetites were restored.

Day 2 we photographed a ship that got stuck in the Cotapatxi shallows, Stephen wrote his MBA application essays and we played Texas Hold 'Em in the bar with the poker chips we made out of popsicle sticks.

Day 3 - The highlight was Glacier Number 11, the biggest glacier in South America. The captain pulled the ship up next to it and I got carried away taking pictures. It was really beautiful though. That night, in honour of our last night on board, we were entertained by Jorge, the bartender/cabin cleaner/lounge singer. He used all the automatic drumbeats that come with a keyboard to entertain us as he sang Guantanamera (for the 100th time), Frank Sinatra and a few Oom Pah Pah songs in honour of the many Germans on the ship. It really was cringe-worthy. Our peppy guide led everyone in a huge game of bingo. We played some more poker and then went to bed when Alan could no longer bear the enthusiasm of the guide.

Yesterday, we saw the southernmost point of the Andes Mountain Range in South America (they reappear again in Antarctica) and our captain successfully navigated our ferry through the narrowest pass on the journey (80 meters wide). We just squeaked through. It was a fantastic experience, but we were all ready to get off the boat and back onto solid ground.