A THREE HOUR TOUR
writing from Puerto Montt, Chile


We boarded a ferry at Puerto Natales called the NaviMag, and looked forward to 3 days of lounging on the deck, watching snow covered peaks ease by.



Too bad it was overcast. And cold. Ah, but three days would leave us on land again, and we could mosey up to Santiago and stroll through Valparaiso. Except that we had to cross the Gulf of Penas first. The morning we neared the Gulf, the captain opted to wait out a brewing storm, guided us into the safety and calm of a shallow bay, and dropped anchor. 65 mph sustained winds, 100 mph gusts, and 40 foot waves in the gulf kept us in the bay for 2 days. Bella and I played a lot of gin rummy.

Finally, off to the gulf! "Ahora, toma su pastillas!" came a friendly reminder over the loudspeaker. I´ve never been sea sick, so I thought to ride it out. Mistake for me. So after a few unpleasant minutes in the head, I downed a few zofran and a milligram of ativan. Bella and I spent the day unconscious in our bunks, soothed by the rocking (sometimes violent) of the sea.

Met some fun people, practiced our Spanish, only two days delayed, but we´re more than happy to be back on terra firma...

Bella liked this sign. Would be nice to have this option in the office/hospital...