Symmetry

I had gone by ferry through the inside passages of Alaska and decided to take the ferry through the fjörds and channels through Patagonia as well.

But first I had to book it. I tried to call Navimag (the company) several times, everytime the call was not answered. I wrote them an email and did not receive an answer. I filled out a form on the website. In the end I went to different travel agencies in Valparaiso, hoping to book through them. The first only new about the website and tried to call them with as much success as I had had. The second claimed the company had been out of business for some year and gave me the address of another webpage, which did not exist. The third rummaged through their note book of contacts and called several people to find the newest number. They finally managed to talk to someone, who gave me a different number, which I was supposed to call. When I did, the number was not accessible from my phone.

I went to Argentina on my last border run dishearten, thinking I will have to find another way. When I returned on of my emails had made it through and I could book. Payment is done in the local office in Puerto Montt.

Live on board is pretty similar to the Alaskan ferry, but all the meals are included. We spend a lot of time in the common room talking to each other, or sitting outside with hats and scarves admiring the landscape. i think if I mix up the photos from this and the other ferry I might not know which is what.

Seeing wales

North of La Serena, around two small islands is a marine wildlife sanctuary.
We got there by public transport, having arrived just in time at the bus station. The weather could not decide whether it wanted to be sunny or rainy and had settled for a sullen gray once we arrived. I looked at the boats, with which we were going to the 5km far away islands. They were just big enough to fit us and the 10 other people in our group, 5 rows of three people on slim wooden benches.
We both looked at each other when the guide handed us the life vests, wondering if this was a good idea.
We took off, it was kind of cold and wet. We saw some small penguins on the coast eying us nervously and huge sea lions sitting on rocks in the water, completely ignoring us.
The the boat stopped and our guide told us to look for wales. We scanned the horizon when suddenly one of them blew right next to our boat. A group of Orcas was hunting all around us, fortunately penguins and not us. They were as big as our boat. Fascinated and a little bit nervous we watched them play, seasickness and cold forgotten.