Monday Feb 23.  Our day began with an air of expectation.  Our estimated arrival time at Cape Horn was 2PM in the afternoon.  The day started out cruising Tierra Del Fuego and the islands approaching Cape Horn.  As scheduled at 2 PM in the afternoon we began our circumnavigation of Cape Horn.  Ken was as excited as a kid with a new train and truly in his element.    The day was cloudy and foreboding until the weather peaked mid our Cape Horn "caper" when we experienced 17 foot swells and 56 knots of wind.  Visibility was low but that did nothing to quell the enthusiastic appreciation of the 3,000 passengers aboard this ship.  It was an awesome occasion, even for people like ourselves who have done it before.  Our last trip provided a bright sunny day and seas as glassy as a lake.  What a difference!  On our prior trip, our view of the islands and Cape Horn were spectacular and we could easily see the Chilean flag waving in a distance as the statute of the albatross stood magically above the sea on the shores of Cape Horn.    This trip the weather was a mixture of rain, sleet and some even swore there were flakes of snow at its height. Waves crushed against our cabin windows and the ship gently rolled from side to side.  It was an adventure made to order for Ken, who felt somewhat cheated with our prior adventure.  After many years of hearing the folklore of "rounding the horn" handed down by fellow sailors, Ken has finally experienced a "bit" of the real thing.    The day provided anticipation, exhilaration and fulfillment of many a sailor's dream.  A visit to Cape Horn provides a rare trek into the ultimate adventure, sans the white sails of an actual sailing vessel. To commemorate our accomplishment, a tender was launched from the ship for a shore visit to Cape Horn by our ship's professional staff" which we hope will provide us with a commemorative stamp of the occasion.  Whether that will happen is not yet clear.    Our next port of call is Ushuaia, where we will visit and explore the Beagle Channel by land and sea.  It has been an interesting and exciting day on this our 24th day of this 49 day excursion.  (We are disembarking in Long Beach so it will be 47 days for us.)  Until again we meet via Patsgazette, may the wind be to your back and the sun shine bright on your face.    Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be