12 April 2011 Punta Arenas at Last!

Journal

At Last we made it to Punta Arenas, Chile! It's a bit colder down here...dare I say Chilly? Whatever the temperature, it's much more interesting than the resort on the beach...as pretty and warm as it was. It's a little disconcerting as the seasons here in the southern hemisphere are on an opposite schedule than the northern hemisphere. In other words, it's "fall" going into "winter." You can see the leaves changing on the trees and it doesn't get light out until 8am or so.

The city square in Punta Arenas is a great place to watch the world go by. — The trees in the central square are beginning to change colors...quick explain what is happening with photosynthesis and the different pigments...We just did this lab last week!

I was happy to realize how much of my Spanish capacity was able to find its way out from the depths of my brain as we navigate through the city. PA is a city of about 170,000. Many old buildings intermingled with newer buildings with far less character. Sadly, no trips to the Penguin reserve in April. That is only for the warmer parts of the year. ..like in December.

For you GeologyThe science that deals with the dynamics and physical history of the earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the physical, chemical, and biological changes that the earth has undergone or is undergoing. lovers, traveling down the coast of Chile from Santiago to Punta Arenas was really interesting. Santiago sits at the foothills of the Andes and is extremely mountainous.

The mountainous terrain as seen from my airplane window — The foothills of the Andes - Santiago was very mountainous. Is this a volcano or an impostor? That is YOUR job to find out...

My challenge to you today is to tell me if the peaks that I saw like the one here is a volcano or just looks that way? Hmmmmm, what do you know about volcanic or seismic activity?

Punta Arenas is situated on the Magellan Straits — Chile is a very, very long, very, very thin country with a terrain that changes dramatically as you travel south. From mountainous foothills to green, fertile farmland.

Punta Arenas sits on the Magellan Straits. The difference of terrain is seen from this aerial shot as we came in for a landing. We stayed at the Jose Nogueira Hotel. It's an old hotel that Ernest Shakelton spent some time in when in Punta Arenas organizing help to rescue his men that were stranded on the Endurance in Antarctica.

Jose Nogueira Hotel is a historic spot in Punta Arenas — Another wonderful place to stay. The Jose Nogueira Hotel was a beautiful old building with a dining room located in an *atrium.* I could easily stay here a few more nights. I'm not sure who he was - can anyone help me out with this?

These birds resting on the remains of the pier are probably Shags. There may be some Frigate birds as well, not sure.

Frigate birds, Terns, and Cormorants are plentiful down here — This old *dilapidated* pier was a popular spot for the locals...birds that is. No, those aren't penguins. Don't be fooled by the black and white coloring. They are likely Cormorants.

So that's the word for today. We set sail tomorrow. I'll introduce you to the science team and the boat. Stay tuned. And until then what do you think this gear belongs to?