Monday, April 6, 2015

Ferry from Puerto Williams to Punta Arenas

On Saturday afternoon, Francisco gave us a ride to the ferry dock at the far end of Puerto Williams. It is a 30 hours ride up the Beagle Channel, Brecknock Channel and part of the Straits of Magellan to Punta Arenas. We had semi-cama or sleeper seats next to the square windows on the upper (beige) level of the ferry. They serve 3 meals a day as part of the ticket price. There are TV screens playing most of the time. It started with soap opera bloopers in Spanish and switched to movies including Elysium and Jonah Hex. On board we met some backpackers from Switzerland. Residents of Puerto Williams may ride the ferry at a very reduced rate and were kind enough to make sure we knew when the meals were being served.

We passed the time watching the scenery and reading the new Erik Larson book. Snow is covering the mountain tops and most of the hills. Time to head north.

When we arrived at Punta Arenas, the front end of the ferry opens, you grab your bags and walk of the ramp. We looked for a taxi to our hostel but most were already occupied. We saw a woman we met on the ferry and she offered us to share as it was her cousin driving. It worked out for all of us. It was nice to wake up in the morning and have the room warmer than the 51-53 degrees that the boat has been in the morning.

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