Final Goodbyes and New Adventures

Day 10- Sea Day/Cape Horn

Crossing the Drake Passage back into South America was a little more thrilling than when we left. When we woke up to our second to last full day at sea, I immediately turned on the television to see the wind conditions to fully prepare myself for possible seasickness.

Our Captain made an early morning announcement over the intercom notifying us that we were to expect rough conditions throughout the day and that we would be sailing slowly. With a full day at sea and no scheduled lectures, we were free to indulge in the delicious food and drinks Ponant had to offer, rest, and play games in the Panoramic Bar.

Lunch time had arrived and we made our way to the Gastronomic Restaurant for a three course meal. Everything was delectable, as always.

Since our day at sea was quiet other than the rocking of the ship, we decided to head back to the room for a little nap. We could hear the wind howl from the outside as we swayed back and forth. I turned on the tv once more to view the sea conditions. It was definitely a good time to take a nap!

We awoke to another announcement notifying us that we would be passing Cape Horn shortly, something that surprised us! Cape Horn was not in our original itinerary so this was a real treat. We quickly made our way to the Panoramic Bar for the best viewing possible.

Cape Horn is notorious for rough seas. Having taken thousands of sailors' lives, cargo ships now mainly use the Panama Canal as a safer gateway for trade. However, expedition ships and adventurous yacht enthusiasts still sail around Cape Horn for the experience. Though Cape Horn is still the fastest route, it's also extremely dangerous. It has caused over 800 shipwrecks resulting in over 10,000 lives lost, making it the largest underwater cemetery in the world.

As we slowly sailed past Cape Horn, we were read "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The poem solemnly tells the story of a sailor who shot an albatross, a sea bird that is considered a symbol of good luck. The mariner is forced to live with the consequences of his sins. The poem is about his journey through punishment of taking another life and eventually finds his redemption.

Cape Horn was beautiful, albeit foggy, it was mysterious and felt heavy with sorrow from those who lost their lives here.

That evening, we sat down for dinner, discussing our journey through Antarctica and what we were looking forward to next as we planned for our adventure into South America. We sipped on a few cocktails and enjoyed both the Vegetarian and Classic menu.

Dinner was delightful and bittersweet knowing that the tomorrow would be our last full day to enjoy the true art of cuisine that Ponant had to offer. We closed our eyes for the night, wishing for just a few more days onboard Le Commandant Charcot.

Day 11- Final Day at Sea

Our morning started early with a light breakfast before making our way into the theater for a day of lectures. The first lecture of the day was presented by Captain Patrick Marchesseau. This lecture in particular was quite interesting because it was about the specs on Le Commandant Charcot, from building the first ever Polar Class 2 vessel in the world to its environmental impact and everything in between, we were truly amazed by the thoughtful details and science that went into Le Commandant Charcot.

After a great lecture in the theater, it was time for our last lunch onboard Ponant. Even though I savored every single bite with every meal for the last two weeks, I felt the need to savor it just a little bit more. These were truly some of the best meals we have ever had.

The sea became a bit bumpy so we took a rest in our cabin before our next lecture. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see the wind conditions and the map was quite colorful, I'd say! We were technically out of the Drake Passage at this point but due to the wind speeds, we were still sailing slowly.

We definitely loved being rocked to sleep by the waves but it was time for a final lecture with National Geographic photographer, Sergio Pitamitz. These were some of my favorite lectures onboard, especially because I personally enjoy photography and capturing moments in time.

We were truly grateful for our experience traveling in partnership with National Geographic as well as joining lectures presented by Sergio Pitamitz and Jennifer Lopez. This wasn't just a vacation or wedding destination, this was an adventure to an unforgiving continent, exploration to a land unknown, and new knowledge learned about the wildlife and ecosystem that helps balance the world around us.

I started to feel emotionally heavy. As the minutes and hours passed, I knew it was almost time to leave this beautiful once in a lifetime opportunity. After the lecture, the chefs onboard Le Commandant Charcot had displayed Hor d'Oeuvres outside of the theater for pre-dinner treats. There was one more lecture to be had so we watched the world pass by us in the lounge as we waited.

Happywhale, a global citizen science project, studied the whales seen during our voyage. Their lecture was short but informative and it was interesting learning about the whales we had seen during our trip. Right after Happywhale's lecture, we were briefed on tomorrow's disembarkation from Punta Arenas to Santiago, Chile. We said our final goodbyes to the theater, a place where we spent a considerable amount of time onboard, gaining new knowledge along the way.

Our two-week journey through Antarctica

It was time for our final dinner aboard Ponant's Le Commadant Charcot. Wearing our fanciest dinner attire, we sat down and happily sighed. Thankful for our journey, we couldn't help to feel a sense of sadness that it was already over. Our final dinner with Ponant was excellent. We said goodbye to our waitress who was with us the entire journey and went back to our cabin for last minute packing.

Day 12- Disembarkation

The day had arrived, the one I wasn't truly prepared for. My husband, Brandon, reminded me that we still had a full week left to explore South America and it wasn't over yet. However, my heart was in Antarctica and will forever be there.

We were greeted with a rainbow and a beautiful sunrise before enjoying one last breakfast before disembarkation.

As we stepped foot onto another continent, I reminisced when we first stepped onto Antarctica. It was still chilly in Punta Arenas but the snow-capped mountains were gone.

Ponant had reserved tour buses, allowing us to explore the city before our flight back to Santiago, Chile.

For a couple of hours, our tour guide took us to main areas in the city and taught us the history of Punta Arenas. Though the tour was rather rushed, we were grateful to have been able to see the city before leaving.

Our first stop was Mirador Cerro De La Cruz Viewpoint where we saw the perfect and colorful views of Punta Arenas, the Strait of Magellan, and Patagonia.

Punta Arenas was established in 1848 as a small penal colony. Due to its maritime traffic, gold rush, and sheep farming boom, Punta Arenas grew. With a population of nearly 145,000 inhabitants, it is the region's largest city.

We then took a walking tour of the city for about half an hour to roam freely. Though we didn't have time to visit museums, we made the most of it taking photos and visiting the local market.

We quickly gathered back onto the bus to be taken to Presidente Carlos Ibanez del Campo International Airport. Punta Arenas was nice to visit, although our tour felt rushed.

Photos from the tour bus

We didn't form any friendships during our trip as we usually do, so saying goodbye to familiar faces was nearly nonexistent and easy. We boarded our flight to Santiago, Chile, looked at each other, and shared our memories of our whirlwind adventure through Antarctica. We left South America as an engaged couple and came back as newlyweds. Our adventure to South America was only a flight away.

Ending notes

Thank you for taking the time to read about our journey through Antarctica onboard Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot. This was a beautiful experience and I hope that when you decide to visit this otherworldly continent, that you book through Southern Explorations. Deanna made our trip with Ponant flawless and added extra perks during our stay. Like any trip, domestic or international, remember that everyone will have different experiences, especially to Antarctica. Antarctica is unpredictable and the weather can turn at any moment, making travel challenging and possibly life-threatening. Though we had nearly perfect weather our entire trip and saw an abundance of wildlife including three emperor penguins and the rare Ross seal, your experience may differ. It's best to go to Antarctica without any expectations. Above all, enjoy your trip and please respect the earth and the creatures who live there.

If you enjoyed reading about Antarctica, please stay tuned for new posts about South America and more!