Sunset from the Gran Torre Costanera

The Gran Torre Costanera, located in Santiago, Chile, is the tallest building in South America at 980 feet and 64 stories. It houses Latin America’s largest shopping mall, two hotels, and offices. It was completed in 2013.

In 2015, floors 61 & 62 were open to the public under the name Sky Costanera, with the latter floor being open-air from the top. The photos below were taken from these floors at sunset in November as I spent a couple of days in Santiago on my way home from Antarctica.

The weather was great, the light beautiful, and the views extensive. But perhaps more remarkably was how calm everyone was. There is something about sunsets, even more than sunrise, I’d argue, that can just chill people out and focus them in the moment (ok, some people were probably posting on Instagram or something, but the majority were soaking in the view).

The Ocean Endeavour

This is the fourth post on Antarctica. Prior posts focused on the landscapes and wildlife of Antarctica, plus Deception Island.

The Ocen Endeavour is an expedition-class ship that bounces between the poles depending on season (i.e. summer in each). It operates under long-term contracts with different tour operators (I went with Intrepid Travel).

Built originally in 1981 in Poland and has been refitted (and renamed) several times before becoming the Ocen Endeavour in 2014. It holds roughly 200 passengers (a common limit for Antarctic vessels) plus boat crew and expedition staff.

Deception Island

This is the third post on Antarctica. Prior posts focused on the landscapes and wildlife of Antarctica.

Deception Island, in the South Shetland Islands, was the first official stop we made after crossing the Drake Passage en route to the Antarctic Peninsula. It’s a relatively safe harbor, being surrounded on most sides because… it’s an active volcano. The entrance into the caldera passes through a narrow gap called Neptune’s Bellows with a submerged rock, Raven’s Rock, guarding the entrance (it makes you wonder how many boats have hit that in the past – luckily not our own).

That volcanic activity eventually led to it being abandoned. It started as a whaling station in the early 1900s, but when the price of whale oil collapsed in the 1930s it was abandoned. Various research stations have occupied the island, though the last two permanent stations left in the 1960s after two different periods of volcanic activity.

Today, there are still researchers during the summer with seismic activity constantly monitored. More so, the main visitors today are us tourists.