One of the highlights of the boat portion of the trip was the opportunity to visit Isla Hornos, or Horn Island, which is where the legendary Cape Horn is found: the southernmost point of South America, often referred to as the end of the world (where one unlucky Chilean sailor and his family are stationed). The ship always tries to visit, but actually landing the Zodiac boats is very weather and sea condition-dependent. As you can imagine, the area of ocean where the mighty Pacific meets the Atlantic can be a turbulent place.
The morning of the planned landing we woke to 6 foot swells and all of us thought a landing was out of the question. However, as we neared the island the sea calmed and the crew hastily readied everything for our visit ashore. We were so lucky, as the sea stayed calm for a couple hours as we hustled to the island and back. I stayed as long as I could at the lookout facing the actual cape (see photo). It was an unearthly place; many people remarked on it being a spiritual experience to visit this remote island.
Top photo shows me with Cape Horn in the background. Yes, it was cold!
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