So how does one leave the "end of the world"? Instead of a mundane bus ride, we decided on the stylish option: by boat. We took a cruise from Puerto Williams to Punta Arenas, along the West coast of Chile. Now, the term "cruise" is a loose interpretation of what is really a weekly ferry service that shuttles supplies and cars to the remote southern Patagonian region.
We left for our 30 hour ferry trip on a rainy and windy Saturday morning on the ferry "Yaghan". The route crosses the Beagle Channel, past fjords and beautiful mountain vistas.
As you can see, just a small starboard section of the ship is used to house the bridge and quarters for crew and passengers. In fact, the room we spent most time in felt like a bus with first-class seats and large windows to admire the views outside. The only thing that gave it away was the constant swaying. Fortunately we did not get sea-sick!
We passed two glaciers. Brrrrrrr.... it was cold!
The weather kept changing, going from sunny and windy to rainy and VERY windy. 
Sailor's feast. Warm soup and entree!
One of the last views before going to bed. Glacier with waterfall.
The next morning we arrived in Punta Arenas, the largest city in the Chilean Patagonia. Population: 130,000.
(Side note: Puerto Williams is the 4th largest settlement with its 2262 people! I think they have more sheep here than people.)
Punta Arenas has a beautiful waterfront that allows you to walk the length of the city. They must be promoting a healthy lifestyle, since every half mile there was a grouping of work-out stations...
And guess what we did in the evening? That's right, even in this remote part of the world we got to watch the Super Bowl live! Not surprisingly we met several other people from the US, even one guy from Bainbridge Island. It's a small world.
Next up - Puerto Natales and the Torres del Paine National Park. Getting ready for some serious hiking... Sylvia's already dreading it!
Another thing that made that town more like Austria: German tourists. :)
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