Photos!

The first morning. I woke up VERY early--and it was worth it. Sunrise.

Lucho. Your cruise director. At least nominally believes in fairies. Go, Lucho.

Obligatory photo of the ship. Every passenger took this exact same shot.

There's an open bridge. You're welcome to sit there and watch. Nice view!

The ship's library and observation lounge. When I die, this is where I am going to haunt. I have no interest in leaving here.

I'm pretty sure foul weather gear is going to be The Next Big Thing in fashion. Rusty's coat. Don't tell him.

Looks colder than it actually was. A grey and rainy day (dreech, said the Scots guy), but still stunningly beautiful.

Getting ready to be ferried to that glacier. Looks like it's right on the water, but it was 3/4ths of a mile to the glacier foot. Through fairy territory.

Every swimming pool painted light blue is trying to recapture the Am-I-Tripping color of a glacier melt pool. Fairies frolic here.

Ice ogres live here.

We can only hope that glacier fairies are not outraged by the presence of a flock of orange things. Or perhaps these are the sacrificial offerings to appease the glacier gods.

At the foot of the glacier. A nice ice bath. This is a frost ogre's pedicure treatment.

Our bubble of safety in a wild, WILD world.

The guy in the blue jacket is Eduardo, apparently-legendary Nat Geo guide. He shouted "Andean condors! Andean condors!" and the entire ship tipped forward from the weight of all the photographers who ran to the bow, painfully long lenses banging against their hips. You'll notice that Edwardo and Santi, the ornithologist on this trip, are both facing in an entirely different direction. Seconds after I took this, Edwardo shouted "Caracara! Caracara!" and the whole ship listed to port. The man has awesome powers.