A Day in Punta Arenas Chile

We never know what to do when we hit a port; take a ship excursion or just wing it.

For the most part, I’ve been very disappointed with ship excursions. From the onset, you wait in large groups with your little sticker and in precision exit the ship. It’s not that I’m morally or emotionally opposed, it’s just not me. Yes, it’s safer. If the bus breaks down, the ship will wait for you. If you are on your own, you are how they say “shit out of luck.

This morning the sun was shining bright but it was brisk out on our balcony. Punta Arenas is only a short tender ride away.

So we set out to see churches and bakeries. What happens beyond that always adds to our day!

We finally made it off the ship and onto the tender before 11. No crowds to deal with which is how I like it.

The tender was half full which made for a comfortable ride.

We stopped inside the visitors center before setting off on our walk about town.

There were many statues around Punta Arenas. Unfortunately, my Spanish isn’t fluent enough to read the signs.

So our first stop after a 5k walk was the Cementerio Municipal. But on the way, we were passing a church and of course, I just had to stop.

We sat for a few minutes to say our prayers then moved on in the direction of the cemetery. It was $5 each to get into the cemetery. A funeral was taking place so lots of people and some beautiful music.

There were some very interesting trees! The first photo reminded us of the “Shining” sans the snow.

After the cemetery, we stopped at a cute little coffee shop, Briciole Dolce. I had a cappuccino and Bruce had a latte. I had an apple strudel and he ate a donut.

In the Plaza De Armas, there’s a statue of Ferdinand Magellen.

Surrounding the plaza are many old buildings including the Palacio Sara Braun. She was a Chilean businesswoman who was involved in many charities and was known for her benevolence. This was her home but is now a museum and a restaurant.

Here are some other buildings surrounding the park .

And of course, we walked past a couple of other churches but didn’t go inside them.

And now we are back on the ship having coffee with friends. I’m ready to enjoy escargot tonight!

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