By Richard Richmond, 9-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador, Winchester, Massachusetts
My abiding interest in travel began in the third grade. My teacher, Mrs. Ireland, was teaching a unit on Central Africa when we first learned of elephants, monkeys, and gorillas. It was then that I decided I would go there one day. After a 60-year wait, I arrived in Africa for the first time in 1999, returning again in 2008 and 2010, each time with OAT.
Until recently, I’ve always traveled with my wife, Nancy. We’ve been to such wonderful places as Tanzania, Egypt, China, Machu Picchu and the Galápagos, and Scandinavia. Although Nancy really enjoyed all of these trips, she decided last year that she wasn’t able to take the long flights anymore—but she encouraged me to continue exploring the world as an OAT solo traveler.
Traveling solo could seem lonesome—especially for those, like me, who are close with family and friends at home. But I’ve never felt that way when traveling among fellow OAT travelers because I’ve always been welcomed into the group and been rewarded by the camaraderie that quickly develops—which was exactly the case during my recent The Wilderness Beyond: Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego & the Chilean Fjords Small Ship Adventure.
A view of Perito Moreno Glacier in the distance, with the upper arm of Lago Argentino in the foreground.
I’d never been to southernmost South America, and it was a destination still on my must-see list. It offered the rare opportunity to see Cape Horn. I’m also very interested in wildlife, and was attracted by an opportunity to see and photograph the penguins, condors, guanacos, and other unusual wildlife.
Buenos Aires was mild, of course—but temperatures further south became rather brisk, and the wind was always very strong. We hiked through snow showers in Tierra del Fuego, but had no rain, and the seas around Cape Horn were no problem at all for anyone in our group. We were able to land via twelve-person Zodiac boat on Cape Horn Island, and at Ainsworth Bay, Tucker Islet, Pia Fjord, and Wulaia Bay. I’ll never forget looking around at the smiling faces of everyone in the group as we departed by Zodiac together for a hike up the side of the Pia Glacier in Tierra del Fuego, Chile.
Richard (on right) with his new friends aboard a Zodiac, ready for their trip to—and up—the side of the Pia Glacier.
During our two weeks together, I shared good conversations with everyone in the group. I found one of my fellow travelers—Dr. Russ Gardner of Madison, Wisconsin—especially interesting because he traveled not with a camera, but with pens and a sketchpad. His work proved to be unique and every bit as telling of our adventure as any of his fellow travelers’ photos.
One of Richard’s fellow travelers—Dr. Russ Gardner—captures his impressions of Glacier Alley with his sketching pens and a few blank cards.
Throughout the course of my Patagonia adventure, I saw towering granite monoliths in Torres del Paine National Park, glaciers in Tierra del Fuego, and regional wildlife everywhere. But for me, the Rio Verde Estancia—a sheep ranch—was a new and fascinating experience. The estancia dormitory was rough, but comfortable. Lamb was roasted on an open fireplace in the dining hall. In a shearing shed, we watched as a sheep shearer relieved a sheep of its heavy winter coat of wool, which was soon to become part of a 250-kilogram bale of wool bound for China. During our one-hour hike around a tiny portion of the vast estate, we saw a soaring Andean Condor, a large flock of Black-faced Ibises with nesting chicks, fox dens, free range horses, a newborn lamb not yet able to stand in the wind, and working Border Collies with their very energetic, untrained puppies. These are the moments I’ll cherish.
Richard and his group hike at the Rio Verde Estancia. “It was a very windy, overcast day,” Richard said.
I’ve been grateful for the fine company of fellow travelers on my recent OAT trips. I always meet such interesting and considerate people—and people I’d never otherwise have the opportunity to meet if I didn’t travel. It’s this part of the adventure—the people one meets along the way—that truly make my OAT adventures so special. But it’s not over yet, I’ll soon be off to Bhutan and India with OAT, outward bound once again with high expectations!
Encounter the awe-inspiring landscapes, unique weather patterns, and OAT’s special brand of camaraderie on our The Wilderness Beyond: Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego & the Chilean Fjords Small Ship Adventure.