I cannot believe it but I got up at 4:30 this AM to get use of the internet and, after writing for 45 minutes, it was all wiped out. So I will try again but the ship is starting to wake up so I have to type quickly.On Wed we went on a 10 hour , 200Km bus ride - 400KM total on dirt and gravel roads to Torre del Paine National Park, the Chilean equilvalent of Yosemite. We were just 20 on our bus, which was great, as our group was on the younger side- all things being relevant- and fairly agile which was handy, as we got in and out frequently to take pictures. On the way we were mesmerized by the vast estancias and the pampas- grasslands and ranches. We stopped to watch gauchos put on a display with their cattle and then, a while later, we watched thousands of sheep herded around by the dogs and their 2 shepherds on horse back. I don't think it was a set up but rather that they are proud of their skills and, really, nothing else happens out here. We passed and saw a dozen or so condors soaring high in the sky and one came down quite close- I hope the picture comes out. As we neared the park, we started to see the herds of guanacos which are similar to llamas. Usually they were in groups but occasionally I saw one alone sitting on its haunches seemingly looking up at the hills contemplating its existence. At least that's what it looked like to me. There were black necked swans and some kind of goose, and nandus which are Chilean rheas- a smaller version of an ostrich.
When we got to the park entrance, after 4 hours on the road- very dusty and had to go slow- we were greeted by a grey fox who , I swear, posed for pictures. He let us get within about 5 feet and never bolted, just warily watched as dozens snapped pictures. The center of the park are the towers of granite. They are massive and reach thousands of feet into the sky- ending as horns. Very compelling to look at. They change constantly in appeance in color from the light and the appearance and disappearance of clouds. It is very windy there- that is putting it mildly. There are many lakes mostly glacial and they are this sea- foam green color that is awesome ,but that contrasts with the Sarmiento Lake which is the most beautiful color blue I have ever seen. I really could have looked at it all day. What is so different here also is that we were nearly the only ones in the park. In the US the cars line up and shuffle along. Here it was unusual to see anyone else.
We arrived back to the mother ship after a long but great day to find a wonderful surprise in our cabins. Hurtigruten has decided to refund 100% of our cruise fares because of the difficulty and lost time when we rescued the other group. We were shocked and it was a terrific way to end the day.
Today we are sailing through the fjords and we end our cruise portion tomorrow in Punta Arenas and fly to Santiago, the capital of Chile.