Who: Brenda and Norm Sheldon of Denver
Where: Cape Horn, at 56 degrees south latitude, the southernmost point of exposed land in South America. At the confluence of the Pacific, Atlantic and Antarctic oceans, Cape Horn usually has extremely adverse weather conditions. Unfavorable winds, strong currents and high seas make rounding the Horn one of the most hazardous aspects of navigation anywhere in the world. Only about 400 people actually get to land there each year. We sailed on the Clipper Adventurer clippercruise.com) from Puerto Montt, Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina, viewing spectacular fjords, glaciers and wildlife from small Zodiac boats lowered down from the ship.
Best meal: En route to Cape Horn, we dined at Ocean Pacific in Santiago. It is a theme restaurant, with every room (and there are many) filled to the brim with ocean kitsch. We ate in a replica of a submarine, surrounded by electronic wizardry. They made the most delicious Pisco sours (typical Chilean alcoholic drink) and razor clams with cream sauce, cheese and breadcrumbs.
Best deal: Handknit items. Sweaters, ponchos, hats and gloves knit out of wool or alpaca. U.S. dollars work everywhere, if you don’t mind rounding up. Take lots of small bills.
Best time to go: November through February, their spring/summer months. Weather can be cool and rainy, but with the proper clothing, it is wonderful!
Best travel tip: Take only three sets of underwear per person. We bought Ex-Officio brand from Travelsmith (travelsmith.com). It is expensive but worth every dollar. Wash it out every time you are in the shower, and it will be dry in the morning. We were gone almost three weeks, and this system works. When packing, our motto is “less is more.”
