Since yesterday night we entered the Magellan Straight, a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean that was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520 and is without a doubt one of the most scenic parts of this voyage. Unfortunately things are not quite going according to plan.

The weather is extremely rough (We encountered winds of force 10 in the morning) and the shore leave in Punta Arenas, the most southern city in the world, that was planned for today has been cancelled as the ship wasn’t able to land there. Even after several attempts some of which made the ship lean so heavily that objects shifted in the cabinets, my tennis ball rolled around the cabin and countless plates and vases fell over and broke.

It goes to show that on cruises one has to remain flexible and the sea will always have the final say about itinerary and schedule. Instead we navigated further down the straight and went to see glaciers and epic mountain peaks. Even with the terrible weather the landscape is mighty impressive and it looks like if the highest tips of the Alps were sticking right out of the ocean.

While contemplating that rough landscape on deck the captain makes an announcement about a rather quirky nautical tradition. The crew will take a life boat to one of the glaciers and break off some ice which will be served with whisky tomorrow. Cheers!