Hello from the southern Pacific ocean! We entered the open ocean last night and we could feel it right away. Lots of swells and people swaying to and fro, but otherwise nice. A bit overcast with some sprinkles, but the cloud ceiling is still high, so we can see lots.

The day before yesterday, we were in Punta Arenas, which seems to be mostly a stopping point for backpackers going to Patagonia. Although we did see one building in which Shackleton planned his Antarctic trips. Our excursion that day was to kayak in the Strait of Magellan: what an adventure! There were about 10 of us, and we were considerably hampered by strong winds and rain; as a result, we were driven into the rocks and kelp quite often. The kelp is huge; it’s actually attached to the sea floor, which makes it difficult to extricate your paddle. Anyway, about halfway back to our

starting point, the guide decided it was safer to get out of the kayaks and walk the rest of the way. But not before we were treated to a wonderful, impromptu dolphin display! They were jumping and fishing a ways up from our kayaks; what a sight!

Yesterday and today have been at-sea days. We sailed through the Strait of Magellan up through Canal Trinidad, and then into a small bay to see the Amalia Glacier. So big! Lots of blue and white ice; there were apparently some Emperor penguins swimming near the ship, but I couldn’t see them. Then, as mentioned, we headed for the Pacific. Just before that, I went out to the aft deck and got some pretty nice pictures. Needed gloves just to be out there for more than a few minutes, but it was beautiful. In about an hour, we should be turning east into Darwin Canal, just past Archipelago Guayaneco. From there (and apparently it will be quite scenic, the Chilean fjords), we’ll head from Puerto Montt, where we’ll dock tomorrow.