Over the years, the Gazette has printed many of my stories of travel in kayaks, bear boats, catamarans and sailboats, but always the kayaks were central to the story. Not this time.This time we flew into Buenos Aires and, after several nights there including a very long evening eating Argentine beef, drinking Argentine wine, and a marathon tango presentation, we shipped out on a trip around the southern tip of South America on a Viking ship. Yes, we boarded an eight-story, block-long colossus, which is still much smaller and with many fewer people than the monsters that are out there.It was a different world than we were used to. We knew it would be and prepared. Each trip out of our room was an expedition. We walked stairs (many), no elevators, to stay somewhat fit. I carried a pack with a coat, rain gear, books and even a compass.Traveling down the east coast of South America in the Atlantic, we had entire days and nights without any port. Other days, we docked somewhere in the night and looked out in the morning at small towns and sometimes even cities. Of the 15 days on the actual cruise, eight days were spent moving on the boat only.