Punta Arenas

We are now in Chile. After a leisurely breakfast we took the tender in to the port. Irunu collared a local woman in the terminal and got the low down on what to see and do. 

On her recommendation we walked the few blocks to the main square, where there is a permanent crafts market, then on to a handicrafts shop, Ramas. Ralph and Jim waited next door at an internet café. Punta Arenas is a sheep ranching area, so many of the crafts were woolen – woven or handknit. There are many older buildings with intricate, European style architecture, legacy of the wealthy families of the 19th century. 

Then we backtracked to the Municipal market near the psort where we had a wonderful seafood lunch. King crab and conger are two of the most popular local catches that we sampled in the restaurant up on the third level. Fresh seafood is much more popular in Chile than in Argentina, at least as far as we can tell from the menus we've seen. The market is amazingly clean and well cared for. On the first level fresh fish, fruits and other foods are sold. Level 2 has several handicraft/gift shops and several small eating establishments. It was a pleasant place to visit, as the weather was not as sunny as we had enjoyed in Ushuaia, raining a bit on and off.