2012 - STAR PRINCESS - THE BEAGLE CHANNEL

NOT STOPPING AT USHUAIA GAVE US AN UNEXPECTED BONUS.

WE WOULD HAVE LONGER TO TRANSIT THE BEAGLE CHANNEL,

WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL AT NIGHT OR TOO FAST & WE COULD WANDER OFF INTO SIDE CHANNELS & EXPLORE.

A MYSTERY TOUR. AND MAGICAL ONE AT THAT.

THE BEAGLE CHANNEL & JEMMY BUTTON

THE CHANNEL, OF COURSE IS NAMED FOR CHARLES DARWINS SHIP.

I HAVE A VAGUE CONNECTION WITH THE BEAGLE.

WHEN DARWIN CAME THROUGH HERE, THE CAPTAIN OF HIS SHIP KIDNAPPED SOME LOCALS, FOUR OR FIVE MAYBE, AND TOOK THEM TO ENGLAND WITH HIM.

THEY WERE DRESSED IN EUROPEAN CLOTHES INSTEAD OF THEIR USUAL ANIMAL SKINS. PARADED AROUND LONDON. MET ROYALTY AND ATTENDED A SCHOOL.

THE St MARY'S SCHOOL IN WALTHAMSTOW, EAST LONDON. WHICH IS WHERE MY CONNECTION COMES IN. I WAS BORN IN WALTHAMSTOW. MY PARENTS WERE MARRIED IN St. MARY'S CHURCH. JUST A SPIT AWAY FROM THE LITTLE SCHOOL.

WALTHAMSTOW'S ONLY OTHER CLAIM TO FAME IS THAT KEITH RICHARDS' GRANDMOTHER WAS OUR MAYOR.

ONE OF THE NATIVE GUYS WAS NAMED JEMMY BUTTON.

THERE IS A SAD ENDING.
AFTER A WHILE - JEMMY WASA TAKEN BACK TO TIERRA DEL FUEGO. HE REVERTED TO HIS OLD WAYS BUT NO LONGER FITTED IN WITH HIS PEOPLE. I THINK SOME OF HIS FRIENDS DIED IN ENGLAND , MEASLES MAYBE.

MUST HAVE BEEN A DREADFUL EXPERIENCE FOR THEM ALL & THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A CLUE AS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THEM OR WHY.

CRUISING THE CHANNEL

NOT TOO MUCH IN THE WAY OF HABITATION ALONG HERE

THE FACE OF A GLACIER...

MORE PENGUINS... HE WAS SERVING HOT CHOCOLATE. I HAD MINE WITH KALUHA....MMMmmm. FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES ONLY....

A SQUALL SPAWNS A NICE RAINBOW.....

AND WE EXIT THE CHANNEL

AND HEAD FOR PORT AT PUNTA ARENAS - WHERE I EXPECT IT WILL BE CHILE.