Gene and Jan's Long Trip Too

Cape Horn (Isla Hornos) is Chile's southernmost island and is located in  the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.  When sailors "Round the Cape," they are referring to navigating Drake passage and passing south of this island. It's surrounded by wild seas and marks the place where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet. It was 7:00 AM, 43° and raining as I joined fellow passengers on the upper deck waiting for a view of Cape Horn. Visibility was limited as we strained our eyes for Isla Hornos.  For an instant, a ray of sunlight passed through the thick layer of clouds to form a rainbow. Rocky protrusions were everywhere!  Most of the year t he waters around Cape Horn are particularly hazardous because of strong winds, high waves, unpredictable currents and icebergs .   Then we spotted the northern cliffs of Isla Hornos.  T he Chilean Navy maintains a station on the island consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and lighthous...

We departed the Falkland Islands at 5 pm on Saturday, November 23rd heading for Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world.  High winds caused our ship to rock and roll for one-third of the 36-hour journey.  As we neared Cape Horn the sky cleared and the winds dropped giving us a fabulous "bottom of the earth" sunset. Cape Horn is within a few degrees of the antarctic circle and with this being the summer season, the days (sun) are 18 hours long.