January 23

We arrived back home yesterday after a fantastic trip. We got up at 5am (that’s 2am Houston time) in Puerto Williams to take our flight to Santiago (with a 20-minute stop in Puerta Arenas to refuel). Our flight to Houston left Santiago at 10:45pm and arrived in Houston at 5am Monday morning. After going through customs, we departed Houston for Washington DC at 7:45am, arriving in DC at 11:45am. It was an exhausting trip home, but all went well. We are thankful for safe travel throughout our journey.

We’ve had a video chat with Kate and the granddaughters (while son Norman was fixing dinner). We have been to the grocery store and are working through a gigantic pile of dirty clothes.

 

The Cruise

 

We gather in the hotel enjoying breakfast

Before a charter flight to catch the ship.

This is an expedition cruise so our ship is small;

We are a couple of hundred passengers and an equal number of crew.

Our number is small enough to begin friendships on this sixteen-day voyage;

Together, we are awestruck by thousands of magnificent creatures in places of stark beauty;

We attend lectures together; ride Zodiacs together; dine together;

We share stories of home, family, and past and future travel.

And then our time together ends as we disperse to go our separate ways.

We say good-bye; nice to meet you; we enjoyed visiting.

Have a safe trip home, (almost friend);

Have a good rest of your life.