Cape Horn & The End of the World

Finally, after nearly a week of sailing south, we reached the end of the world. Cape Horn is the southernmost point of contiguous land in the world.

On Saturday afternoon the sky became overcast as our ship sailed into the northern Antarctic waters.

The swells were about 20 feet, and the crashing spray reached us on the 7th level promenade deck.


The sun melted away the clouds for a few minutes while we passed the rock of Cape Horn, one of the most treacherous places in the ocean.

The last outpost in South America is the small Chilean lighthouse.

On a granite rock is inscribed the poem by Sarah Vial in Spanish:

I am the albatross that awaits you

At the end of the world.

I am the forgotten souls of dead mariners

Who passed Cape Horn

From all the oceans of the world.

But they did not die

In the furious waves.

Today they sail on my wings

Toward eternity,

In the last crack

Of the Antarctic winds.

It sounds more evocative in Spanish.

Cape Horn always takes its toll. Today, the sharp turn and the swells caused dishes to fall off the buffet table.

We ate well today, like every day.

Hash browns and omelets.

Spanish Tapas.


We ate a lot on this cruise, but we walked miles around the promenade deck, exercised in the gym, and swam in the heated pool, so we managed to keep in shape and not gain weight.

We figured this was as far south as we would ever get in our lives, the 53rd parallel south of the Equator.