We are just about in the most remote region one can imagine, and yet we have the Green Bay game, live on our room TV. Amazing.

Spectacular.

At the end of the "Train to the End of the World" is the Fin del Mundo post office, which is the southernmost, um, anything.

The "Train to the End of the World" runs the same rail route the Ushuaia prisoners traveled, to go back and forth to their logging duties. Spectacular (if cold) scenery.

Our first stop in Ushuaia is the 19th century prison which was constructed in this remote place, to house the worst of the worst. You can now buy Official Ushuaia Prison chocolates, if that's your idea of a good time.

Sailing into Ushuaia, Argentina - the southernmost city in the world, and our last stop before the infamous Drake Passage and Antarctica. If you sail due west from Ushuaia, and stay exactly at that latitude, the next land you would ever run into is....Ushuaia.

"Is dis wut we R?!

Next up, the penguin colony on Magdalena. These are Magellanic penguins, one of 5-6 species we will be seeing over the next week or two.

The big old bulls snooze (and occasionally bellow) on the beach, the young bucks swim over to see what we are.

We are in Punta Arenas, the last Chilean stop on our itinerary. We've been regularly impressed with the entire Chilean experience - wonderfully friendly people, beautiful country. We board a speedboat bound for two islands within the Patagonian area, Isla Marta and Isla Magdalena. The first is Isla Marta with its sea lion colony. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeCnGaFxeEI

Yes, of *course* it's a bad photo - it only serves the purpose of showing the daylight that is still visible from the deck, only 18 minutes before midnight.

Just a note: on our "Herald" tonight - the daily newsletter the ship publishes about shore excursions, lectures, history, restaurant menus for the day/night - there is this little blurb: "Due to the remote region we are entering, internet service and live TV reception may be intermittent or non-existent". It is remarkable, of course, that I can post little updates to my blog from the remotest regions of Tierra Del Fuego, so bear with me if circumstances require me to go radio silent for a day or two, here or there.

We sail by seemingly endless vistas.

A look down at the stairway landing just at the entrance to the main dining room. Gingerbread houses everywhere, and an electric train going around (on the floor)....which brings back memories of Christmases in childhood....