Meeting up with old friends in Punta Arenas and whale watching in the Straits of Magellan!
After a good sleep back at the cozy hotel in Puerta Natales, Chile, I was on another bus to Punta Arenas, Chile. While in Chile, I remembered some childhood friends that were from somewhere down here. I hadn’t talked to them in years, but was still facebook friends with them. I decided to reach out with a candid facebook message. It was something along the lines of “I finally made it to Chile! I hope you guys are doing well!” Ironically, they were actually in (and from) Punta Arenas! I met up with them and their kids for lemonade. We went to their kids’ favorite place. The bathroom stalls looked out over the water with a floor to ceiling window on the top floor of one of tallest buildings. I remember them saying, “You have to see the bathroom.” This wouldn’t be a typical selling point. They were pretty cute and the bathrooms did have an amazing view. They dropped me back off at my hotel and we made plans for three days later when I would return to town to celebrate Christmas Eve with their family!
The next morning, I boarded the boat to sail to the eco camp in the Straits of Magellan! The first seven hours (and the last seven) were some of the roughest waters that I have ever been on. I was all but puking and alternated between laying down inside the boat and standing out on the deck of the boat holding on trying to get fresh air. There were two families from Germany, a lawyer from DC, and a three man crew on the boat with me. Once we were through where the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans meet and protected by many small islands, the waters were calm and peaceful and we started to see some wildlife!
The next three days were spent watching humpback whales surface and penguins bask in the sun. Of course there were more glaciers to see as well! At one point, a mom and baby humpback whale came to investigate the boat. The captain turned off the motor and we just floated above this mother humpback whale swimming around the boat. They are really one of my most favorite animals and this was a pretty magical moment. Laying in my eco yurt at night, I could hear the whales come up to breathe. We were hours from civilization immersed in nature.
I am not sure if all families from Germany are like the ones that were on this boat with me but it was amazing to see different family dynamics. The brother and sister of one family were so close. They laughed and joked and looked out on our adventure as if they were the absolute best of friends. I loved seeing these interactions which were vastly different from the way my brother and I argued growing up. At one point in discussing politics and refugees, the son calmly stated that he disagreed and that he had not experienced or seen what his father claimed. There were no hurt feelings or resentment, just a respected difference in opinions among family members as if one thought the butter should be refrigerated and the other did not. Where I grew up politics were a taboo subject that should never be brought up among differing parties and if they were, I was taught to arm myself with weapons and shields. I loved this little glimpse into what great conversation looked like concerning controversial and very important topics.
I stayed up late chatting with my companions the night before we sailed back to Punta Arenas in an attempt to be tired enough to sleep the whole way. I did a pretty good job and was only awake for around an hour of it. I hate that I am one of those people that struggles with motion sickness. It can really ruin a fun time.
Back in Punta Arena, I met back up with my friends, Karen and Hugo, their three children. This time, I was welcomed by Hugo’s dad, Hugo’s brother and his wife and their two kids for Christmas Eve dinner! I had met his brother when I was still in elementary school years ago back in Washington state. It was good to be around company for Christmas, especially excited kids. I am grateful that they welcomed me into their home for the evening and even surprised me with a present! The kids picked out a knitted hat to give to me. It was the sweetest thing ever!
The next morning, I woke up and started my journey back home. I had a layover at the Santiago airport. I remember sitting in the airport waiting for my next flight and the thought slipped into my mind, “what would life look like if I didn’t board the plane back home?”
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