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September, 2006
We arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, on Friday, September 29th, a day before our expedition cruise began on the motor vessel Mare Australis. We only spent a day in this city, but believe it was worth sharing.
Punta Arenas is a fairly small city but has an interesting history. In the
mid-19th century, Chile used Punta Arenas as a penal colony and a disciplinary
posting for military personnel with "problematic" behavior, as well as
a place for immigrant colonization. In 1877, a mutiny, known as "El Motín
de los Artilleros" (Mutiny of the Artillerymen), led to the destruction of a
large part of the town and the murder of many civilians not directly associated
with the prison. In time, the city was restored and with the growth of the
sheep industry and the discovery of gold, as well as increasing trade via
sailing ships, began to prosper. Between about 1890 and 1940, the
Magallanes region became one of the world's most important sheep-raising
regions, with one company (Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego) controlling
over 10,000 square kilometers The Punta Arenas harbor, although exposed to storms, was considered one of the most important in Chile before the construction of the Panama Canal, because it was used by ships to prepare for the difficult passage around Cape Horn. Today it is mostly used by tourism cruises (like Mare Australis) and scientific expeditions. By 2006, the economy of Punta Arenas and the region had diversified considerably and the city is vibrant and modern. Chile's principal oil reserves, though small, are located here, along with some low-grade coal. A modern methane plant is located a short distance from the city. Agricultural production, including sheep and cattle, continues to play a significant role, while tourism has contributed to its popularity and steady growth. We spent time wandering around the central part of town, Plaza de Gamero, where the monument to Ferdinand Magellan is located. This monument was donated by the sheep baron José Menéndez. The toe of one stylized Ona Indian has been polished to a shine and if you touch it (some say kiss it), tradition has it that you'll return to Punta Arenas. Needless to say, we touched and kissed it.
Though we didn't have much time, it was necessary for us to shop mainly for warmer clothes ... it was cold. Did we mention that it was cold ... well, the next day we were touring through town and noticed police blocking the streets ... we were thinking "this can't be good, maybe a protest of some sorts". Then we saw all these small children and their parents dressed in costumes very much like our Halloween celebrations and a clown making balloon animals. After some speculation as to what this celebration was about, we found out the city was celebrating the arrival of Spring (in September)... they were having a Spring celebration which meant it can get even colder in Punta Arenas. We thoroughly enjoyed watching the children parade around in their costumes, and we eventually bought a few things to keep us warmer.
We enjoyed our quick stop in Punta Arenas, but we very excited to begin the cruise. Join us on our Mare Australis Cruise or take a look at What's Happening to catch up on the latest travels. Don't forget ... keep coming back.
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