Friday, January 24, 2020

2020 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, Isla Robinson Crusoe, Chile


Nice to return to Isla Robinson Crusoe after 10 years….  Right after we visited in 2010, this island was hit by a devastating Tsunami.  It’s evident that a lot of new building has occurred.  Today's plan was to hike up to the Mirador Selkirk with Peter Janssen.   This lookout is named after Alexander Selkirk who was a castaway on this island which was uninhabited.  This was the experience that Daniel Defoe used as a basis for his book, Robinson Crusoe.  It was a strenuous hike for me, not so much for Peter…  The hike involved a change in altitude of almost 2000 feet over very rugged terrain.  On the way up, we took a slight detour to see the remains of the house where Selkirk stayed while on the island.  Once at the summit, we had a fabulous view of both sides of the island….  The only downside was something snapping in the back of my left knee about 50 yards from the top.   It made it up to the top and back down the mountain with significant pain….  Once down from the mountain, Peter and I stopped at the Baron de Root, a local restaurant for fish empanadas and drinks…  it was a nice way to finish off a great hike.   As for the knee, time will tell if the current condition will enable me to do future treks….  All in all, it was a great day and the hike was certainly worth the views at the top!




















































































2 comments:

  1. Jeff,

    Thanks for the photos and narrative. I remember that anchorage from 2010 as being in a gorgeous spot. Your photos from the mountaintop beautifully illustrate that. I don’t see a photo of the bottle house (made from bottles instead of bricks). Probably lost in the tsunami. Sorry about the knee injury, but if you’re going to get one; being on a ship is the perfect place for it. You have the ship’s doctor, are not compelled to walk anywhere, and can order plenty of pain relief from the bartenders.

    Bill
    NC

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  2. You might have popped a baker's cyst in your knee. It will get better over time

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