Museo Nao Victoria

We had a nice and warm sleep and unmolested a block from the mall. We had chores to do today. It was laundry day and we dropped off laundry at a place close by and did the laundry myself without folding which cost half what it would have if they folded if for us. It was still expensive at $30 but we did the bedsheets too and all the clothes from the Antarctic cruise. The best part was that it only took two hours.

I went to fill up gas and water. 

I went to pick up a 3000 watt inverter I had ordered from Amazon from a motorcycle mechanic and overland helper John Harper in Punta Arenas. He allowed me to ship the inverter to him here in Chile so I would have enough time to pick it up. I paid an extra $200 to express it here but probably didn't need to buy the Amazon estimate time said I might. Better safe than sorry.

We went to top up propane one last time before we head into the wilderness. 

We went to pick up our unfolded laundry from the laundromat.

We then went to visit the museum of the the Nao Victoria, the one surviving ship from Magellan's voyage. It is a replica. As we are on the strait of Magellan, it seemed appropriate. Amazingly there were five ships that sailed with Magellan and only one made it back; 250 men down to 18.

The ship was tiny by today's standards and we marveled how terrible the ride must have been. I was terribly sick during the Drake pass and I can't imagine the conditions these men faced.

There was also a replica of the HMS Beagle which carried Darwin on his voyage and the lifeboat that carried Shackleton and five of his men toward a whaling camp and rescue.

The kids had a great time climbing over the ships and there were wild rabbits all over the place. I used the toilet to dump the cassette.

We then headed back to the mall and let the kids play before dinner and camped in the same spot.