Antarctica - Part 6. Going Home

 We survived the Drake Passage and were over on the South America side by March 14th.  We look forward to sailing in calm waters.

Our position on March 14th - in the Beagle Channel, Chile

We are not far from Port Williams and Ushuaia

Port Williams

We are scheduled to arrive in Punta Arenas on March 16th so we have two days to cruise through the Beagle Channel.  Here are the Chilean Fjords and Glaciers.  Part way through the Beagle Channel we stopped at a fjord.  This will be our last expedition off the ship.  We did not land anywhere but just motorized through the ice and admire the local scenery.

Getting on Expedition Boats to cruise the fjord

Expedition Team Member explaining things around the fjord

Lots of ice floating around

Big Chunks of Ice

According to the GPS on my camera, this is Cabo de Hornos

Some Birds

Here's our position on the evening of March 15th, according to the Cruise Mapper App.  However, we still have to navigate through the channels.  We should be in Punta Arenas by morning.

Getting close to our destination

There is a mix feeling as we approach our final destination - relief that it's almost over and sadness that it has not gone exactly as planned.  

When we woke up on the morning of March 16th we were anchored on the pier of Punta Arenas.  This is it; the end of the cruise.  However, we still have one more important task.  Another COVID PCR test before we are allowed to get off the ship.  This is required by the Chilean Government.  

We were assigned our time slots.  When it's our turn we went down to the third level where the Medical Center is located and waited for the medical staff to administer a nose swab.  We were told to wait in our cabins and if we did not get a phone call in 30 minutes we are safe.  We can get off the ship and continue to Santiago. I was nervous but the phone did not ring.  I am safe!

For those who tested positive they have to stay and quarantine in Punta Arenas for 7 days.  Some passengers did test positive.  They have to pay their own lodging and other expenses, probably claiming from the insurance company.  I feel bad for them.  What a way to end a beautiful journey.

Punta Arenas, from the ship's deck

On the last day of the cruise we had to leave the ship by 8am.  Another group will be boarding in the early afternoon that same day.  Our bus took us to the Punta Arenas airport where we waited for our charter flight at 11am.  We were the second flight out that morning.  Upon boarding I saw that our flight was only about one-third full.  Maybe there were more passengers catching COVID than I thought.  

We arrived at Santiago Airport at about 2:30pm, retrieved our luggage and headed for a short walk to the new international terminal.  I was surprised that no representative from Hurtigruten was there to help or direct us.  We are now on our own.  My flight to Atlanta was at 10:30pm.  The Delta Airlines check-in counter will not be opened until 6:30pm.  We passed the time by having lunch and coffee at a nearby cafe.  

Just before 6pm I headed to the check-in counter and checked in using a newly installed kiosk.  Thirty minutes later the gate agents showed up and started checking in our bags.  She also checked our documents and PCR Test certificate.  The US requires a negative PCR test take a day before your flight.  Fortunately, the PCR Test taken on board the day before was valid.  Ahead of me was a couple who was given priority because they have special needs.  They clogged up 20 minutes of the agent's time because they did not have anything ready and had multiple luggages to check in.  Others waiting in line are inpatient and fuming.  Eventually I checked in and went through security.  I found my way to a Priority Pass Lounge but there was a long line.  I was told that I'd have to wait for an hour.  I turned around and headed to my gate in another terminal and waited until it was time to board my flight.

The flight from Atlanta to Santiago took 9 hours.  Even though it was night time I could not sleep.  That is my problem on long flights.  I watched a movie about the tennis championship Williams' sister and their father called "King Richard."  It is a very good movie.  But I still could not sleep in spite of listening to soft and classical music to make me drowsy.

We arrived in Atlanta at 7am on March 18th.  I tried to go through Global Entry by scanning my passport.  But they have changed the process.  Instead they took a picture of my face and was able to identify me.  I went through the Immigration Line, picked up my luggage and was asked to open my suitcase to be inspected.  Finally I exited and took an airport train to my Delta terminal.  It was still too early for my flight so I went to the Delta Airlines SkyClub lounge.  This is such a nice perk to be able to go to an airport lounge and have some nice food and refreshments.  I remember the days of long layovers at an airport food court with terrible and expensive food and uncomfortable chairs.  Even though it was early in the morning the lounge was very crowded.  I sat next to a group which was obviously not business travelers.  They were drinking and talking loudly.  On the way to a vacation spot perhaps.  I had to move to a quieter area.  So much for a quiet respite.

I finally arrived back in Phoenix at about 2:30pm local time.  I've been traveling for 34 hours since I left the ship!  Naturally, I was exhausted.

Note:  As I was updating this post the Oscars had just ended.  Will Smith, who played Richard Williams in the movie "King Richard" won the Best Actor award.