December 31, 2024
In Punta Arenas, we were treated to a free excursion with Cruise Specialists. It was a tour of the city ending with a nice lunch. We began the tour with a visit to the Palace of Sara Braun. The home is beautifully preserved inside and gives a glimpse of how the wealthy lived in the early 20th century.
Nearby was the other Braun-Menendez residence which is now the Magallanes Regional Museum.
Next we visited the Ferdinand Magellan memorial in the main square of Punta Arenas. It was built in 1920 for the anniversary of his famous circumnavigation of the world. This bronze memorial also includes statues representing the native Ona and Tehuelches people of Patagonia. The foot of the Ona Indian shines as a local legend says rubbing or kissing the foot will give sea travelers a safe, calm crossing and bring them back to Punta Arenas.
Also on the main square were old buildings with intriguing historical architecture such as the Hotel Plaza.
the Sacred Heart Cathedral
and the Palace of Palace of Jose Montes Pello.
Our next stop was the natural history museum. We saw a variety of taxidermy showcasing the wildlife of the area in one section.
Another section features displays of how the native peoples of Chile lived in the past.
Next we visited the Maria Auxiliadora Church. It was still decorated for the Christmas season.
After the church, we went to the Sara Braun Municipal Cemetery. It was founded in 1894 and Sara Braun donated the door for the main entrance. However, legend says that a condition of the donation was that only she could enter through the main door. So, even now decades after her death, that door is permanently closed and people enter through side entrances.
Like the cemetery in Buenos Aires, the cemetery contains many impressive mausoleums.
There were other more modest graves. Many were covered with flowers or mementos of the deceased loved ones.
There was a wall of stacked tombs with windows displaying pictures or other memories of the departed.
One of the most popular locations in the cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknown Indian. Legends have grown up around the tomb that prayers will be granted. A statue was built in his honor and plagues thanking him for "favors granted" surround the statue.
We ended the tour with lunch at La Yegua Loca (Crazy Horse).
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