2021 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE TOUR – Comments and pictures
Eclipse Sunrise Flight & Tours of Chile & Argentina
In this year of extreme challenges, I felt that Mark Sood of A Classic Tours Collection did a commendable job of pulling off a fine trip to Argentina and Chile, especially to the Patagonian regions of both countries. The limited number of domestic flights in both countries during the pandemic forced us to spend more than normal amounts of our time in the air, which was challenging. However, I feel that the quality of our experience did make up for this. In Argentina, we were treated to an outstanding tango performance in Buenos Aires. There was a memorable excursion to Iguazu falls, with its tropical vegetation and birds, most notably the toucans. Other highlights of the trip included visiting the Paleontological Museum and laboratory in Trelew, where our host was one of the principal investigators., whale-watching in Puerto Pirámides, observing sea lions and elephant seals, viewing Magellanic penguins and their chicks up close, traveling to Ushuaia in Tierra de Fuego with its amazing birding opportunities and taking in the Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate.
Once in Chile, we were able to enjoy the city of Santiago before heading to Punta Arenas in the extreme south of the country. We visited an estancia for a delicious lamb barbeque. The meal was followed by a visit to a nearby condor nesting area, where many adolescent condors were nestled in cliffside aeries. The icing on the cake was the eclipse flight we took from Punta Arenas out over the southern Atlantic to observe a total solar eclipse. It was an awe-inspiring experience that I will long remember. My hat is off to Mark, and also to the very skilled local guides and support professionals on the ground in both Argentina and Chile. I would recommend Classic Tours to anyone interested in nature and astronomy! – Deborah van Hecke
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“The Tour was amazing ” – Roslyn Scheer
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Mark – As for the tour , I can hardly digest the amount of incredible experiences I saw day after day. Yes it was grueling but south America is so big it was the only way to take advantage of the richness. I think it would have been easier with what should have been that direct flight from Trelew to Ushuaia and land border to Chile. But you always responded with plan B.
But any way you look at this it was a trip of a lifetime. – Best, Suzie Clark
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HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE SUCCESS : ” With borders closing and various travel restrictions, we still managed to see December 4th eclipse and that’s already a blessing”. In the end those two flights were mostly a great success. So yes all this was highly stressful and yet well worth it. – Xavier Jubeir.
