NavimagNIFICO!!

There are two easy ways to get from the Lake District down to Patagonia in Chile: airplane or boat. And there’s much more to SEE by SEA. So I embarked on a four day trip on the NaviMag ferry. I'm so glad I did -- what a great trip! I would recommend the Navimag to anyone!

After boarding the ferry I was shown to my new home: a tiny bunk in a room with three others. Fortunately, to avoid feeling too close for comfort, they provide a “privacy curtain.” What more could a girl need?

On board we had a dining room (and were given three squares each day – the food was actually much better than expected!), a bar/lounge area, and tons of seating outside to enjoy the scenery.

During the days there were lectures about the flora and fauna of the area, geology, the national park, etc. There were also movies at night and even a bingo night (where I managed to win a bottle of Chilean wine!). I even managed to both steer and navigate the ship! ;)

As fun as all of that was, the best part of the trip was the scenery . We spent several days in the Patagonian fjords passing mountains, small islands, and waterfalls.

On the wildlife front, we spotted albatross, penguins, jellyfish, and even some dolphins. But watching the people was often more fun than watching the animals. Whenever the crew would announce an animal sighting, I delighted in watching dozens of people run from one side of the boat to the other in unison, cameras in hand, furiously trying to spot something photo-worthy. I swear the crew would just announce something whenever they were bored to provide some on-board entertainment!

But, the highlight of the trip, without a doubt, was seeing a glacier up close and personal. We navigated up one fjord just to see the glacier dipping into the bay at the end. The glacier was huge and just stunning to see. This is one of the few glaciers in Patagonia that is advancing (over 200 meters in 2009!) and it’s already massive. The winds coming off of the glacier were frigid, but it was worth it to stand there in awe of the size and power of mother nature.

While we were taking in the view, several members of the crew hopped into a lifeboat and motored over near the glacier, to a small iceberg.

They returned to the boat with a chunk of the iceberg and brought it up to the bar. What a brilliant sales plan!  Of course, every tourist wants a drink made with glacial ice! The bar was hopping all afternoon. And I can’t say that I was immune to their ploy – I enjoyed a Chilean pisco sour made with ice that was hundreds of years older than me!

Four days later, as the trip ended, Patagonia treated us to one final, navi-magnificent view! Welcome to Patagonia.

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