

Passage through Chile’s Tierra del Fuego around Cape Horn
1/26/2022 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Joseph circumnavigates the tip of South America on an expedition passenger ship.
Joseph circumnavigates the tip of South America sailing through Tierra del Fuego and around Cape Horn on Travelscope’s latest Chilean adventure. As the ship follows Darwin’s watery trail, he travels into the Beagle Channel and through “Glaciers Avenue” where glaciers seem close enough to touch. Along the way, he encounters Elephant Seals, Magellanic Penguins and sea birds aplenty.
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Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television

Passage through Chile’s Tierra del Fuego around Cape Horn
1/26/2022 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Joseph circumnavigates the tip of South America sailing through Tierra del Fuego and around Cape Horn on Travelscope’s latest Chilean adventure. As the ship follows Darwin’s watery trail, he travels into the Beagle Channel and through “Glaciers Avenue” where glaciers seem close enough to touch. Along the way, he encounters Elephant Seals, Magellanic Penguins and sea birds aplenty.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> WELCOME TO "JOSEPH ROSENDO'S TRAVELSCOPE," WHERE YOU JOIN US AS WE ACCEPT THE WORLD'S INVITATION TO VISIT.
>> [YAWNS] >> TODAY ON "TRAVELSCOPE," I TAKE A VOYAGE THROUGH CHILE'S TIERRA DEL FUEGO AND DISCOVER DRAMATIC BEAUTY AND AMAZING CREATURES AT THE END OF THE WORLD.
>> JOSEPH ROSENDO'S "TRAVELSCOPE" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY VOLVO'S OVERSEAS DELIVERY PROGRAM, WHERE BUYERS CAN PICK UP A NEW VOLVO IN SWEDEN, USE IT IN EUROPE, AND THEN HAVE IT JOIN THEM AT HOME; NO-JET-LAG JET LAG PREVENTION; AUBERGE RESORTS' DISTINCTIVE COLLECTION OF LUXURY RESORTS, RESIDENCES, AND SPAS.
[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY FRIENDS OF NCI] [PENGUINS CHATTERING] >> LOOK AT THAT.
>> WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
>> WELL, IT'S A VERY UNIQUE MOMENT.
SEE THE BABIES HERE.
THEY'RE GRAYISH AND THEY'RE MOLTING.
THEY'RE LOSING THEIR FEATHERS.
THE BABIES ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE AFTER 60 DAYS, SO THIS IS LIKE A FAREWELL PARTY.
THEY'RE JUST HANGING FAR FROM THE WATER BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO LOSE ALL THE FEATHERS FIRST.
THEY ARE NOT BORN WITH WATERPROOF FEATHERS.
>> AND IT'S THE ADULTS THAT ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE NEAR THE SEA CRYING OUT.
>> EXACTLY.
THEY ARE CRYING.
SCREAMING LOUD SAYING GOOD-BYE TO THE BABIES THAT ARE PROBABLY ABOUT TO LEAVE.
>> WHERE ARE THEY GOING?
>> BRAZIL.
>> JUST IN TIME FOR CARNIVAL.
>> JUST IN TIME.
THE BABIES ARRIVE JUST IN TIME FOR THE CARNIVAL.
>> LOOK AT THOSE THERE, CLICKING THEIR BEAKS TOGETHER.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE KIND OF RECOGNIZING EACH OTHER OR GREETING EACH OTHER.
>> YEAH, THAT IS A SHOW OF AFFECTION.
>> NOW, THESE ARE SMALLER PENGUINS THAN THE ONES I ENVISIONED.
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THEM?
>> MAGELLANIC, AFTER MAGELLAN.
HE WAS THE FIRST WESTERN PERSON THAT SAW THEM.
>> WELL, THIS IS AMAZING.
TO BE HERE FOR THE FAREWELL PARTY.
>> YES.
THAT'S A FIRST FOR ME, JOSEPH.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS EXACT MOMENT.
>> THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.
WOW.
>> [PENGUIN CALLING] >> HA HA HA!
THE YOUNG MAGELLANIC PENGUINS OF THE OTWAY SOUND PENGUIN RESERVE HEAD OUT ON A ROUTE WHICH, ALTHOUGH WELL TRAVELED BY THEIR SPECIES COUNTLESS TIMES BEFORE, WILL BE FOR EACH OF THEM A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY.
LIKEWISE, FROM PUNTA ARENAS, 40 MILES TO THE SOUTH, I PREPARE TO FOLLOW IN THE PATH OF MAGELLAN, DRAKE, AND DARWIN ON A VOYAGE THROUGH CHILE'S WELL-CHARTED YET LITTLE-VISITED TIERRA DEL FUEGO, AN ARCHIPELAGO WHICH OFFERS EVERY TRAVELER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR UNKNOWN, UNEXPECTED, AND UNSURPASSED ADVENTURES.
I'M AT THE CENTER OF PUNTA ARENAS AT THE PLAZA DE ARMAS.
THE MEMORIAL BEHIND ME HAS TWO LARGE FIGURES AT ITS BASE THAT REPRESENT THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN THIS AREA FOR MORE THAN 12,000 YEARS.
THERE'S THE [SPEAKING SPANISH], OR PATAGONS, WHICH MEANS "LARGE FEET," AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE NAMED BY THE SPANISH.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE WORD "PATAGONIA."
THERE WAS ALSO THE ONA, WHO LIVED ON THE ISLANDS OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO.
NOW, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE LIVED IN THIS AREA FOR MORE THAN 12,000 YEARS, THE FIRST BUILDING IN PUNTA ARENAS WAS NOT BUILT UNTIL 1848, AND FOR INHABITANTS WHO, WELL, WERE NOT REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
THEY WERE CONVICTS.
BUT VERY SOON, THE PORT HERE AT PUNTA ARENAS BECAME EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN WAS THE ONLY WAY A SHIP COULD GET FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC.
ABOVE IT ALL IS THE DISCOVERER MAGELLAN, LOOKING OUT ON THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN, WHICH HE DISCOVERED IN 1520 AS A SAFE PASSAGE AROUND THE SOUTHERN TIP OF SOUTH AMERICA.
AND IT'S HIS PATH THAT WE'LL BE FOLLOWING ON OUR PASSAGE THROUGH THIS BEAUTIFUL, REMOTE, AND WILD REGION.
CHILE IS THE LONGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, WITH A LANDSCAPE THAT VARIES FROM THE DRIEST PLACE ON EARTH, THE ATACAMA DESERT, TO COLORFUL COASTAL TOWNS LIKE VALPARAISO AND THE UNTRAMMELED FORESTS, GLACIERS, AND MOUNTAINS OF PATAGONIA.
WHILE JUST SAYING "PATAGONIA" CONJURES UP LEGENDARY IMAGES, THE REALITY OF THE LAND IS MYTHIC ENOUGH.
IT IS MORE THAN 600,000 SQUARE MILES, AND THE ANDES RUNS THROUGH IT, POSING IN THE ARCHIPELAGO OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO AS THE DARWIN RANGE, AND THEN DISAPPEARS INTO THE SEA AT CAPE HORN.
TO EXPLORE THE END OF THE WORLD, ONE MUST TRAVEL BY WATER, AND THE "STELLA AUSTRALIS," A LUXURIOUS, 210-PASSENGER EXPEDITION VESSEL, IS BUILT TO WITHSTAND THE LEGENDARY WEATHER THAT TIERRA DEL FUEGO IS FAMOUS FOR, WHILE ALSO DELIVERING THE CREATURE COMFORTS PASSENGERS EXPECT FROM A 5-STAR CRUISE EXPERIENCE.
OFF ISLA GRANDE DE TIERRA DEL FUEGO, THE BIGGEST ISLAND OF THE CHAIN, WE ANCHOR IN AINSWORTH BAY, AND THE EXPEDITION LEADER MAURICIO ALVAREZ AND I HOP IN A ZODIAC AND TAKE OFF TO DISCOVER TIERRA DEL FUEGO'S MARVELS.
AHH.
MY GOSH.
>> [YAWNS] >> I SEE WHY THEY CALL THEM ELEPHANT SEALS.
THEY ARE HUGE.
>> THE NAME ACTUALLY IS RELATED TO THE PROBOSCIS THEY HAVE.
>> AH, LIKE THEIR TRUNK.
>> IT IS A TRUNK.
EXACTLY.
>> HOW BIG DO THEY GET?
>> VERY, VERY BIG.
THE BIGGEST I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THIS PLACE WAS 5 METERS LONG, WHICH IS CLOSE TO 15 FEET.
>> 15 FEET.
HOW HEAVY WILL THEY GET?
>> USUALLY A TON.
A TON AND A HALF.
>> THEY'RE SO GENTLE, LETTING US GET THIS CLOSE AND NOT GETTING TOO UPSET.
>> WELL, THIS GROUP IS VERY PARTICULAR.
THIS IS NOT A LARGE GROUP, NOT A BIG COLONY.
THERE MUST BE, LIKE, 35 INDIVIDUALS IN THIS GROUP.
BUT THIS IS THE ONLY COLONY IN SOUTHERN PATAGONIA.
>> IS THERE ONE MALE THAT'S PART OF THIS GROUP AND THEN THE REST ARE ALL FEMALES, OR HOW DO THEY FORM TOGETHER?
>> THE WHOLE STORY BEGINS IN MID-SEPTEMBER, WHEN THE FIRST MALES ARRIVED, AND SOME OF THE MALES WILL TRY TO GET THE TERRITORY FOR THEMSELVES.
BUT USUALLY, YOU WILL SEE A MASTER OF THE BEACH AND THEN SEVERAL MALES WITH THEIR OWN HAREM.
PROBABLY 15 TO 20 FEMALES IN EACH ONE.
>> MAURICIO, YOU'VE JUST RETURNED BACK TO PATAGONIA.
>> I CAME BACK TO CHILE IN 2003.
I SPENT A LONG TIME LIVING IN EUROPE, AND SO BEING HERE HAS A NEW MEANING TO ME.
HA!
>> WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE AREA THAT DREW YOU BACK AND MADE YOU WANT TO COME BACK?
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE AREA?
>> WELL, MOSTLY NATURE.
>> [YAWNS] >> LOOK AT THIS GUY.
[INDISTINCT] DON'T WANT US TO GET TOO NEAR.
LOOK AT THAT MOUTH.
>> THIS MUST BE THE OLDEST IN THIS GROUP.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT HAS A LARGER PROBOSCIS [INDISTINCT] >> MAURICIO, HOW OFTEN DO YOU VISIT HERE?
>> AS OFTEN AS I CAN.
>> YOU SEEM TO REALLY HAVE A EMOTIONAL FEELING FOR THIS PLACE.
>> DON'T YOU?
I MEAN, THIS IS A CLOSEST THING TO A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.
I MEAN-- >> HA HA HA!
THEY SEEM TO KNOW YOU.
>> UH, HOPEFULLY.
I HOPE SO.
THEY ARE SO FRIENDLY AND ACTUALLY, WE HAVE THIS CLOSE RELATION WITH THEM BECAUSE OUR SEASON FOR CRUCEROS AUSTRALIS STARTS IN MID-SEPTEMBER, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVE.
>> UH-HUH.
THEY'RE USED TO YOU, THEY KNOW YOU, AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE SAFE WITH YOU.
>> YES, THEY DEFINITELY DO.
>> IN A LAND OF SNOW AND ICE, GLACIERS ARE A STAR ATTRACTION.
IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO, THERE'S EVEN A GLACIER ALLEY.
>> THE FIRST GLACIER OF THIS ALLEY IS THE ROMANCHE.
ALL THIS AREA, IT'S THE NORTHWEST ARM TO THE BEAGLE CHANNEL, BUT IN A FEW MINUTES MORE, AFTER THE HOLLAND ONES, WE START TO SAIL THROUGH THE MAIN ARM TO THE BEAGLE CHANNEL.
FROM THIS POINT TO EAST.
ALL THIS GLACIERS ALLEY TAKES APPROXIMATELY 12 NAUTICAL MILES.
>> NOW, THE BEAGLE CHANNEL IS SO NAMED FROM THE HMS "BEAGLE," WHICH BROUGHT CHARLES DARWIN HERE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY IN EVERY CORNER IN THIS PLACE.
CHARLES DARWIN, MANY OTHER EXPEDITION FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
WHEN YOU SAIL IN THIS WEATHER WITH THE COMFORT OF A CRUISE SHIP, SOMETIMES YOU THINK ABOUT HOW, HOW DID THE OLD SAILORS CAME HERE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIND HERE.
>> WHAT MADE THEM BECOME SAILORS?
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT BACK THEN?
>> WELL, IN THAT TIME, MAINLY IN EUROPE, THE LIFE SURE WAS VERY TOUGH.
SOMETIMES AS TOUGH AS THE SAILING CONDITIONS.
BUT ON BOARD, THE PEOPLE HAVE A SLIGHT HOPE TO GET SOME FORTUNE AND PROVIDE THESE FAMILIES.
>> SO THINGS WERE SO BAD ON LAND THAT IT WAS BETTER TO GO TO SEA AND HAVE A CHANCE AT LIFE.
>> THAT WAS BETTER THAN-- BETTER THAN NOTHING.
>> NOW, THE QUESTION ON BOARD.
I HEAR EVERYBODY ASKING THE QUESTION, "ARE WE GOING TO MAKE IT TO CAPE HORN?"
>> I HAVE FAITH THAT WE CAN DO IT.
THE FORECAST SAID THAT IT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT WINDY, BUT THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND COULD BE FAIR FOR US.
>> I HAVE BEEN A TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER FOR 30 YEARS, AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS, BUT I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN SO MUCH DRAMATIC BEAUTY IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME AND DISTANCE THAN HERE ON GLACIER ALLEY.
5 MAGNIFICENT GLACIERS RIGHT AFTER EACH OTHER.
THE ROMANCHE, GERMAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN, AND HOLLAND GLACIERS.
IT'S AMAZING.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES THIS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL PLACE.
AS PART OF OUR SAIL THROUGH THE AVENUE OF GLACIERS, THE "STELLA AUSTRALIS" HEADS DOWN A SIDE STREET FOR AN UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE PIA GLACIER.
THIS IS CERTAINLY A DRAMATIC HIGHLIGHT OF THE CRUISE, TO BE ABLE TO COME HERE AND LOOK AT THE PIA GLACIER.
[RUMBLING] HA HA!
AND WITNESS THIS NATURAL PHENOMENA OF THE CALVING INTO THE WATER AND TO BE THIS CLOSE TO THE DEEP CREVICES, AND--HOW STEEP IS THE FRONT OF THIS GLACIER?
>> THE FRONT OF IT IS 1,200 METERS WIDE AND EACH STRUCTURE IN THE FRONT MUST BE 30 TO 40 METERS HIGH.
>> HUH.
>> AND THE GLACIER MUST BE, LIKE, ALMOST 4 KILOMETERS LONG.
>> WELL, HOW MANY GLACIERS ARE THERE IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO?
>> MANY.
MORE THAN 1,000.
>> SO WE'RE REALLY, PARDON THE EXPRESSION, BUT ONLY SEEING THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG WHEN IT COMES TO GLACIERS.
>> WE ARE.
>> THAT'S AMAZING.
IS THIS GLACIER RECEDING OR GROWING?
>> WE HAVE NO IDEA.
IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO DETERMINE IF GLACIERS ARE ADVANCING OR RECEDING.
>> SO THERE'S STILL A LOT OF UNKNOWN THINGS IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO.
>> ESPECIALLY HERE, IN THIS AREA.
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE MOST UNVISITED PLACE IN PATAGONIA, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE NOT MANY STUDIES ON THESE PARTICULAR GLACIERS.
[RUMBLING] OH, WOW.
HA HA!
>> WOW.
WE GOT WHACKED BY THE WAVE.
THAT WAS AMAZING.
FROM START TO FINISH.
I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THAT EXPERIENCE.
WHAT A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
[RUMBLING] THE CALVING I WITNESSED OF THE PIA GLACIER WAS BEAUTIFUL AND CAME WITH A TINGE OF DANGER THAT MADE IT THRILLING.
BACK ON BOARD, IT'S TIME TO SHARE STORES, TAKE IN THE MOUNTAIN MAJESTY, AND PREPARE FOR TOMORROW'S SURPRISES.
MIDWAY BETWEEN ISLA GRANDE AND THE HOPED-FOR CLIMAX OF OUR JOURNEY CAPE HORN, WE STOP AT WULAIA BAY ON NAVARINO ISLAND, A UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE.
A POD OF PEALE'S DOLPHINS WELCOME US.
OH, THERE THEY ARE!
DOLPHINS!
WOW!
RIGHT, LEFT!
BEAUTIFUL!
IT WAS THE CAMPFIRES OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE, SUCH AS THE YAMANA, WHO INHABITED WULAIA BAY, THAT INSPIRED MAGELLAN TO NAME THE ISLAND CHAIN "TIERRA DEL FUEGO," "LAND OF FIRE."
AT ONE TIME, THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF YAMANAS LIVING AT WULAIA, WHICH IN THEIR LANGUAGE MEANS "BEAUTIFUL BAY."
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I THINK IT'S PRETTY BEAUTIFUL.
>> IT IS.
AND WHAT WE NORMALLY DO WITH OUR PASSENGERS IS WE ASK THEM TO BE QUIET FOR A MOMENT AND JUST ENJOY THE SILENCE AND THIS GREAT VIEW.
>> IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE QUIET HERE.
>> YES.
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT COMING TO TIERRA DEL FUEGO, AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE CAPE, THINK ABOUT THE RUGGED ADVENTURE OF IT, THE GLACIERS, THE HISTORY WITH DARWIN AND MAGELLAN, BUT WHAT YOU DON'T OFTEN THINK ABOUT ARE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED HERE BEFORE THE EUROPEANS CAME.
>> YEAH.
AND A LONG TIME AGO.
AT LEAST IN THE AREA, I'D SAY, 6,000 YEARS.
>> 6,000?
OH.
>> WELL, THIS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THAT, HUH?
THE AREA AROUND, CONCENTRATED GREATEST NUMBERS OF THE YAMANA.
PROBABLY CLOSE TO 3,000 OF THEM.
WULAIA BAY WAS ONE OF THE LAST PLACES WHERE THEY LIVED.
THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON ALIVE FROM THE YAMANA GROUP, AND SHE LIVES IN THIS ISLAND, IN NAVARINO ISLAND.
ACTUALLY, SHE LIVES IN PUERTO WILLIAMS, AND SHE'S THE ONLY PERSON WHO SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE.
>> AND THEY WERE ONE OF THE 5 INDIGENOUS GROUPS THAT WERE HERE WHEN THE EUROPEANS CAME?
>> RIGHT.
THERE WERE TWO CANOEIST GROUPS, AND YAMANAS WERE ONE OF THEM.
>> SO WHEN YOU SAY "CANOEIST," THEY--CANOES WERE WHAT THEY LIVED IN?
>> WERE FREQUENTLY MOVING AROUND.
THEY WERE NOMADS.
>> DIDN'T WEAR AS MUCH CLOTHES AS WE DID IN THIS AMAZING CLIMATE.
>> CLOTHING WAS ORIGINAL.
THEY WERE GOING TOTALLY NAKED.
>> OH, MY GOSH.
MY GOSH.
AND THERE'S ONLY ONE OF THEM LEFT.
>> YES.
>> WHAT ARE WE LOOKING OUT ON HERE?
PUT THIS ON THE TIERRA DEL FUEGO MAP FOR ME.
>> WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT IS HOSTE ISLAND, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISLANDS FROM THE ARCHIPELAGO.
WE CAN STILL SEE A FEW GLACIERS, SO THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S AN ICE FIELD, WHICH IS NOT A PART OF THE DARWIN RANGE BUT STILL AN ICE FIELD.
AND TOTALLY UNVISITED.
>> YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES IN THE WORLD THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS THE LAST FRONTIER.
IN THE UNITED STATES, WE CALL ALASKA OUR LAST FRONTIER.
THIS REALLY IS THE LAST FRONTIER.
NAVARINO ISLAND IS ALSO NOTED FOR ITS MAGELLANIC SUB-POLAR FOREST OF SOUTHERN BEECH TREES THAT ARE SYSTEMATICALLY BEING DESTROYED BY THOUSANDS OF DESCENDANTS OF THE 50 CANADIAN BEAVERS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED TO THE ISLANDS.
>> [WHISPERING] BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS WAS ONCE A BEAUTIFUL FOREST.
AND LOOK AT NOW.
NOW, OH, A NICE PLACE TO LIVE FOR THEM.
>> IF YOU'RE A BEAVER.
>> FOR BEAVERS.
>> YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF FORCES THAT THREATEN THE PRISTINE QUALITY OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO.
>> INCLUDING WHAT WE DO?
>> INCLUDING WHAT WE DO.
IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT, MASS TOURISM COULD CERTAINLY HURT.
SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU'VE GOT.
AND THEN SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T EVEN THINK ARE GOING TO CAUSE TROUBLE, LIKE THE BEAVERS.
THEY WERE INTRODUCED, RIGHT?
>> THEY WERE.
THEY WERE INTRODUCED IN 1946 TO TRADE THE FUR OF THEM.
DIDN'T GO WELL AND THEY JUST LEFT US THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, BY THE WAY.
>> IS IT SPREADING?
>> CONSIDERING THAT WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FOREST AROUND, I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S GONNA BE TOO LATE.
IN THE NEXT--WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, IT'S GONNA BE REALLY, REALLY LATE.
SO, SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE MEASURES TO CONTROL THIS PROBLEM.
AND THAT SOMEONE MUST BE FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF CHILE OR ARGENTINA.
>> HMM.
PEOPLE KNOW IT IS A PROBLEM, OF COURSE, BUT YOU CAN'T BLAME THE BEAVERS.
>> NO.
>> THEY'RE JUST LIVING THEIR LIVES.
IT'S UP TO US TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE WE LOSE IT.
UNLIKE TRADITIONAL CRUISE SHIPS, THE "STELLA AUSTRALIS" DOES NOT OFFER MANUFACTURED GROUP FUN.
CLASSIFIED AS AN EXPEDITION VESSEL, ENTERTAINMENT ON BOARD FEATURES INFORMATIVE EXPERT PRESENTATIONS AND THE JOY OF MINGLING WITH AN INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF PASSIONATE FELLOW TRAVELERS.
JOHN AND KATHY ARE ON A TWO-WEEK TOUR OF SOUTH AMERICA.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO INCLUDE THIS CRUISE AS PART OF THAT EXPERIENCE?
>> WE'RE URBAN PEOPLE AND WE HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO A PLACE THAT IS REALLY SORT OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, SO WE JUMPED ON IT.
>> WHAT ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE SO FAR HAS STOOD OUT?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SEE WAS THE PENGUIN CULTURE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY WERE BIRDS.
I DID, BUT THEN I DIDN'T, BUT THEY ARE JUST NEAT, LITTLE THINGS.
>> BUT IT'S BEEN BEAUTIFUL SEEING THE MOUNTAINS.
OH, MY GOODNESS, AND THE GLACIERS.
SO IT IS JUST--WOW.
>> AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE'RE BOTH SAILORS.
MANY YEARS AGO, WE WANTED TO-- WE HAD THE GOAL, WE WANTED TO SAIL AROUND CAPE HORN, BUT THE YEARS WENT BY, KIDS CAME ALONG, FAMILY GREW, WE COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE, SO... >> NOW YOU ARE.
>> NOW WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE ABLE TO GO AROUND--HOPEFULLY, IF THE WEATHER'S RIGHT.
>> EXACTLY.
EXACTLY.
LET'S SEE HOW THAT GOES.
THE EVENING BEFORE OUR ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE CAPE HORN IS SPICED WITH EQUAL MEASURES OF ANTICIPATION AND APPREHENSION.
YET RATHER THAN HOLD OUR COLLECTIVE BREATH, WE RAISE OUR GLASSES AND IN MANY LANGUAGES TOAST EACH OTHER AND POSEIDON, THE GREEK GOD OF THE SEA, WITH WINE AND GOOD CHEER.
>> [ALL TALKING AT ONCE] [GLASSES CLINKING] [SHIP'S HORN BLOWS] >> HANG ON TO YOUR HATS AND HANG ONTO THE RAIL, BECAUSE WE'RE CIRCLING CAPE HORN, THE END OF THE WORLD.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE.
YOU JUST IMAGINE THOSE SAILORS COMING AROUND IN THOSE WOODEN BOATS.
YOU KNOW, THEY DO SAY THAT BACK IN THE OLD DAY, THE BOATS WERE MADE OF WOOD BUT THE MEN WERE MADE OF STEEL.
THEY'VE FORTIFIED US WITH A GOOD MEASURE OF GROG, LIKE THEY USED TO DO THE ANCIENT SAILORS TO GIVE THEM THE COURAGE TO GET AROUND THIS HORN.
YOU CAN SEE WHY YOU NEEDED IT.
WITH ANTARCTICA ONLY 400 MILES AWAY, ROUNDING THE HORN CAN MEAN FACING GALE-FORCE WINDS, FREEZING RAIN, AND VIOLENT SEAS.
ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS SHIP PASSAGES IN THE WORLD, TO THE SAILORS OF OLD, THE CHALLENGE WAS ESPECIALLY DAUNTING, AND A TEST OF THE CHARACTER OF MAN AND VESSEL.
IF ONE SUCCEEDED, THEY WERE HONORED AS A MAN AMONG MEN, AND PRIVILEGED TO DECORATE THEIR BACK WITH A TATTOO OF A FULL-RIGGED SHIP AND DINE WITH ONE FOOT ON THE TABLE, AND YET MANY TRIED WHO DID NOT SURVIVE TO TELL THE TALE.
WE ARE ROUGHLY 56 DEGREES SOUTH, 67 DEGREES WEST.
YES, WE'RE AT CAPE HORN, THE END OF THE PILGRIMAGE FOR THE PASSENGERS ABOARD OUR SHIP, WHO WAS NAMED BY THE DUTCH IN 1660 AFTER ONE OF THEIR SHIPS THAT HAD BEEN LOST.
PEOPLE ARE STREAMING THEIR WAY OVER TO THE MEMORIAL THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO ALL THE SAILORS WHO DIED TRYING TO GET AROUND CAPE HORN.
IT'S ESTIMATED THERE ARE 800 WRECKS IN THE AREA.
THAT'S THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF SAILORS.
"I AM THE ALBATROSS THAT AWAITS YOU AT THE END OF THE WORLD.
I AM THE FORGOTTEN SOUL OF THE DEAD SAILORS THAT CROSSED CAPE HORN FROM ALL THE SEAS OF THE WORLD.
BUT THEY DID NOT DIE IN THE FURIOUS WAVES.
TODAY, THEY FLY ON MY WINGS TO ETERNITY AND THE LAST CREVICE OF THE ANTARCTIC WINDS.
SARA VIAL."
JOSEE, YOU'RE FROM QUEBEC?
>> YES.
>> YES.
YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE?
>> NO.
>> NO?
WHAT DO YOU FEEL?
>> OH, I'M SO EXCITED.
I'M SO-- I'M [SPEAKING FRENCH], IN FRENCH.
IT'S SUCH A HONOR FOR ME, A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE.
I SAY THANKS TO THE GODS, THANKS TO THE EARTH, TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE.
I SEE--I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE WIND, BUT A LOT OF-- HA HA!
TEARS, I THINK, OF EMOTION.
I THINK EVERYBODY'S SO, SO PLEASED TO BE HERE.
UNTIL 1:00 IN THE MORNING, I WAS WRITING.
IT WAS MY PRAYER TO THE SEA, TO THE FORCES OF THE NATURE, TO JUST WITH HUMILITY COME TO SEE WHAT IS THE END OF THE WORLD.
IT'S SO SPECIAL.
>> IT'S WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME ON MY SOUTHERN CHILE ADVENTURE.
PATAGONIA AND TIERRA DEL FUEGO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH ADVENTURE.
THE EARLY EXPLORERS CAME TO DISCOVER A PASSAGE BETWEEN TWO OCEANS AND FOUND A LAND OF MAJESTIC BEAUTY, ABUNDANT WILDLIFE, AND EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE.
TODAY, TRAVELERS COME TO THE END OF THE WORLD TO LEARN, DISCOVER, AND CAPTURE THE EXPERIENCE.
FOR ALTHOUGH THE JOURNEY IS SAFER, FASTER, AND MORE COMFORTABLE THAN IN THE DAYS OF DARWIN AND MAGELLAN, THE GOALS ARE SIMILAR-- TO FULFILL ONE'S DREAMS AND TO FILL IN THE BLANKS ON OUR PERSONAL MAPS OF DISCOVERY.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, THIS IS JOSEPH ROSENDO, THRILLED TO BE ON CAPE HORN, REMINDING YOU OF THE WORDS OF MARK TWAIN--"TRAVEL IS FATAL TO PREJUDICE, BIGOTRY, AND NARROW-MINDEDNESS."
HAPPY TRAVELING.
>> "JOSEPH ROSENDO'S TRAVELSCOPE" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY VOLVO'S OVERSEAS DELIVERY PROGRAM, WHERE BUYERS CAN PICK UP A NEW VOLVO IN SWEDEN, USE IT IN EUROPE, AND THEN HAVE IT JOIN THEM AT HOME; NO-JET-LAG JET LAG PREVENTION; AUBERGE RESORTS' DISTINCTIVE COLLECTION OF LUXURY RESORTS, RESIDENCES, AND SPAS.
FOR A DVD OF TODAY'S SHOW OR ANY OF JOSEPH'S "TRAVELSCOPE" ADVENTURES, CALL 888-876-3399 OR ORDER ONLINE AT TRAVELSCOPE.NET.
YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL US AT TV@TRAVELSCOPE.NET OR WRITE US AT THE ADDRESS ON YOUR SCREEN.
>> NOW THAT WE'VE SAILED AROUND CAPE HORN, LEARN MORE AT TRAVELSCOPE.NET, WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW MY ADVENTURES THROUGH MY E-MAGAZINE, BLOG, PODCAST, AND ON FACEBOOK.
KEEP IN TOUCH.
888-876-3399, OR TV@TRAVELSCOPE.NET.
>> WHOO-HOO!
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