WE ARE OFFICIALLY “MOSSBACKS” and have the right to wear a hoop earring in our left ear. “Rounding the Horn” doesn’t have the same significance today that it did in the days of wooden sailing ships—especially today-today. Seas around Cape Horn are usually ten feet or so but it was calm as a millpond this morning when we made our loop into the Drake Passage. . . and we’re not complaining!
We are Mossbacks . . . and can prove it!
There were two ships in port when Oosterdam docked in Ushuaia at lunchtime yesterday, expensive cruises either going to or just returning from Antarctica. We wouldn’t be staying long, just until after dinner but he short port call wasn’t an issue for us. It was cold and windy and we had spent several days in Ushuaia in 2012—today we just needed to use the internet.
Harbor at Ushuaia
Rainbow on a blustery day
We were on deck bright and early this morning, coffee in one hand and camera in the other. Once again the bow deck was open and the Cruise Director was pointing out various rocks, shoals and other hazards that waited for the unwary who dare to round Cape Horn. The lighthouse that perches on the cliffs is manned. A family of four plus Blueberry, the cat, signed on for a two-year stint. They sometimes come out and wave to ships but not at this hour. Nearby a shiny sculpture of two albatrosses marks what is officially Cape Horn National Park.
Solitude at the End of the World
Twin Albatross Sculpture, Cape Horn Natioal Park
The hoopla lasted only an hour and we headed for breakfast while the captain set course for the Falklands—I mean, the Islas Malvinas. Remember, we’re still in Argentina!
