1-30 Day 25 Cape Horn and Drake Passage
This morning around 7a.m., we arrived at Cape Horn. From our last trip here, I learned that Cape Horn is not the southern tip of S. America. It is really a large rock y island a little south of that. It is a dangerous passage to go around because of the dangerous winds and consequent waves.
When we came upon it this morning, it was raining. After just a little bit, the sun came out. It was great to be able to take pictures of the Horn with both backgrounds. But that wasn't all. It then snowed and hailed. The back deck of the ship had little bits of ice on it. And then the grand finale was a double rainbow that our ship went under. It was spectacular. I've never seen anything quite like it. And all this happened within 30 minutes. It was unbelievable to think the weather conditions could change so quickly and last for such a short time. When we were here two years ago, there were hurricane winds. So, we were able to see the Horn this time under very different conditions. It was windy and cold, however, out on deck most of the time. So, we'd come in while it snowed and rained and then ran out to get pictures when it stopped.
The captain thought while the weather was sunny and calm that we'd be able to go all the way around the entire Horn, but as he was making a turn, an unexpected wind came at the same time as an unexpected huge swell. As a result, the ship literally tilted to one side so much that from inside, Doug said he could no longer see the horizon, just the ocean as he looked out a large window by the pool. I was looking the other way and trying to keep things from falling off the table I was standing by. Apparently, some of the water in the pool came flying out and created a couple of inches of standing water on the other side. We also heard lots of crashing of dishes and things falling. We later heard other stories about all the things that broke as they fell off counters, etc. We didn't hear about anyone getting hurt. At this point, the captain decided we would not be able to go around the whole thing. We had seen a lot of it, but were not able to see the little houses and chapel on the island. It was quite an experience.
After all the excitement, we had breakfast and went to hear a presentation about upcoming ports. Following that, we heard a presentation about the marine ecosystem in Antarctica. The speaker was a very experienced marine scientist in this part of the world. We learned a lot about glaciers and ice bergs. He also told us what kinds of wildlife to expect – so we should have no problems seeing lots of penguins, seals and hopefully whales. We will only be seeing the peninsula part of Antarctica, which is where 90% of the land is – the rest being just ice. We will not go as far south as the Antarctic Circle because there is nothing more to see there than up in the peninsula area.
We had lunch with a couple from Loveland, CO whom I had met yesterday. They like to travel, so it was fun sharing stories – and made me a bit homesick for the mountains in CO.
Another presentation at 2 p.m. about Antarctica. We are getting lots of info about this continent – although this presentation was our least favorite. He talked as much about Alaska and polar bears (which aren't in Antarctica) as he did Antarctica.
By this time we were pooped – had been up early and so we were physically tired, as well as mentally on overload. A two hour nap before dinner refreshed us. Dinner was enjoyable with our group of 8. Had lots to catch up on since we didn't dine with them last night.
After we left Cape Horn, we spent the rest of the afternoon in the Drake Passage – the area between the Cape and Antarctica. During the summer, it can be smooth and easy or very turbulent. You just have no idea until you're there. We were lucky! It was smooth sailing!!! The Holland America ship that was here right before us (and we passed in the Beagle Channel didn't have such good luck. They had 6 inches of snow and visibility was poor so couldn't see much of Antarctica. And the ocean was choppy. We feel fortunate.
The next three days will be quite active with lots to see (hopefully!) We will be going back and forth from port to starboard to see everything around us. And because it is light for so long, the nights will be short, so not much sleep is expected. I think it is going to be THE MOST FUN!!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Special Info
CONTACT DURING ANTARTICA TRAVEL
We are not sure whether or not we will have Internet availability during our time in Antarctica. If not, we will be back in contact via the Blog and e-mails as soon as possible but no later than February 7.
We are not sure whether or not we will have Internet availability during our time in Antarctica. If not, we will be back in contact via the Blog and e-mails as soon as possible but no later than February 7.
1-29 Ushuaia,
1-29 Day 24 Ushuaia, Argentina
THE END OF THE WORLD
The alarm was set for 6:30, but when I happened to wake up at 5:30 and saw that it was already light outside and that snow capped mountains were passing by our cabin window, I was up in a flash. Raced to get ready to go watch the most beautiful scenery go by. It was overcast, but still beautiful. During the night, we had wound our way around tiny little islands in channels of all sizes until we arrived into the Beagle Channel. Because most of it is relatively narrow, you could see tall snow capped mountains on both sides of the ship – some with their tops covered by clouds.
Before we were to arrive in Ushuaia, we were going to pass four glaciers on the port side of the ship. With cameras and binoculars in hand, we were ready. During this passage it rained some and was always overcast. The first glacier we passed was called Alemania. It was receding, but was still large, and the amazing thing was the huge waterfall coming down in a torrent into the canal. It was pretty spectacular. You could see a bluish color in parts of the glacier itself, but the waterfall was an ashy white. The contrast was interesting to see.
The second glacier was not nearly as impressive and was called Francia. It truly was receding and was pretty far back from the water. No waterfalls. The only amazing thing we saw was the distinct line in the channel that separated the channel water from the glacier water. The glacial waters from the previous glacier was putting so much water into the channel, it was changing the color of a whole section of it. The four glaciers are very close to each other.
The third glacier was the largest one and called Italia. It was a huge mass of ice coming right down into the water. There was evidence of recent calving (parts of the glacier breaking off) as hunks of ice floated in the water around it. It too had a bluish cast to it . It was the most impressive in size.
The fourth and last was the Holanda glacier. It too was very much receding and no where near the water – even though it was fairly large.
As we passed the last glacier, we also passed the large Gordon island which had been on our starboard side the whole time. After we passed the end of that island, you could see where other waters met and joined the Beagle Channel. It was also after the glaciers that we passed from Chilean waters into Argentinian waters. Our ship's travel guide had been commenting on what we were passing during the hour or so and explaining to us about the different glaciers. When her presentation was over, we went to get some breakfast.
Before we arrived in Ushuaia, the Antarctic Ice Pilot who had just joined our ship gave a presentation about what to expect and what we will see in Antarctica. Capt. Pat Toomey is very experienced with ships and the sea as he made it his lifetime career. It was after he retired that he decided to be the ice pilot for cruise ships. He has been to Antarctica 31 times, and our ship's captain has been there a number of times, so we have experienced leaders in the helm!
The main point of his talk was to tell us that while they have a plan of travel, it can change minute by minute and is determined by the ice and the weather. What you might see one day wouldn't be possible the next if the ice moved or the weather worsened. So, at the end of our three long days in the southernmost point of the world, the ship will give us a map marking where we ended up going in that area. He also said that there would be only a few hours of dark each day, so we will be spending a lot of time outside (or by windows) watching all there is to see – and there is a lot apparently. It sounds so exciting, but very tiring. We will need some sea days afterwards to rest up.
By the time his presentation ended we were arriving in Ushuaia. We had been here before and really liked it a lot. In the winter it is a ski resort, so it is surrounded by mountains. Even in summer, the mountains all have snow on top. It is the most southern city in the world, thus it is called the End of the World. And there are tons of souvenirs with that printed on them!
We had arranged to spend our time here with another couple we had met, and so off we went to explore, shop, and have lunch in this town. The last time we were here, we had seen restaurants that had open pit fires at the front (near the window so you could see) with chickens, beef, and lamb cooking on racks. So, this time we decided we would try it out for lunch. Well, it was OK. The food was not as good as it smelled. I had lamb, which looked like BBQ ribs with not much meat on them, but a lot of fat. The meat had a great flavor, but there wasn't that much of it. The beef Doug had was tough, but the chicken was moist and good. They also had a buffet so you could get potatoes, veggies, and salad too. It was an experience. We'll leave it at that.
After that we shopped around the town for all kinds of things. It was fun, but it got colder and started to rain off and on. We got back to the ship about 5 p.m. so decided there was no way we wanted to make the 5:30 dinner, so we are having dinner up in the Italian restaurant again with another couple from our normal group of 8 whom we enjoy.
After that we may take in the ship's movie or entertainment – not sure yet. We know we have to start stockpiling lots of sleep for the days ahead. We sail off from Ushuaia around 7 p.m. and head for Cape Horn. There has not been too much talk about how rough or smooth this will be. It can go either way. So, tomorrow is our day at sea on the way to Antarctica. It only takes a day by ship to get there.
THE END OF THE WORLD
The alarm was set for 6:30, but when I happened to wake up at 5:30 and saw that it was already light outside and that snow capped mountains were passing by our cabin window, I was up in a flash. Raced to get ready to go watch the most beautiful scenery go by. It was overcast, but still beautiful. During the night, we had wound our way around tiny little islands in channels of all sizes until we arrived into the Beagle Channel. Because most of it is relatively narrow, you could see tall snow capped mountains on both sides of the ship – some with their tops covered by clouds.
Before we were to arrive in Ushuaia, we were going to pass four glaciers on the port side of the ship. With cameras and binoculars in hand, we were ready. During this passage it rained some and was always overcast. The first glacier we passed was called Alemania. It was receding, but was still large, and the amazing thing was the huge waterfall coming down in a torrent into the canal. It was pretty spectacular. You could see a bluish color in parts of the glacier itself, but the waterfall was an ashy white. The contrast was interesting to see.
The second glacier was not nearly as impressive and was called Francia. It truly was receding and was pretty far back from the water. No waterfalls. The only amazing thing we saw was the distinct line in the channel that separated the channel water from the glacier water. The glacial waters from the previous glacier was putting so much water into the channel, it was changing the color of a whole section of it. The four glaciers are very close to each other.
The third glacier was the largest one and called Italia. It was a huge mass of ice coming right down into the water. There was evidence of recent calving (parts of the glacier breaking off) as hunks of ice floated in the water around it. It too had a bluish cast to it . It was the most impressive in size.
The fourth and last was the Holanda glacier. It too was very much receding and no where near the water – even though it was fairly large.
As we passed the last glacier, we also passed the large Gordon island which had been on our starboard side the whole time. After we passed the end of that island, you could see where other waters met and joined the Beagle Channel. It was also after the glaciers that we passed from Chilean waters into Argentinian waters. Our ship's travel guide had been commenting on what we were passing during the hour or so and explaining to us about the different glaciers. When her presentation was over, we went to get some breakfast.
Before we arrived in Ushuaia, the Antarctic Ice Pilot who had just joined our ship gave a presentation about what to expect and what we will see in Antarctica. Capt. Pat Toomey is very experienced with ships and the sea as he made it his lifetime career. It was after he retired that he decided to be the ice pilot for cruise ships. He has been to Antarctica 31 times, and our ship's captain has been there a number of times, so we have experienced leaders in the helm!
The main point of his talk was to tell us that while they have a plan of travel, it can change minute by minute and is determined by the ice and the weather. What you might see one day wouldn't be possible the next if the ice moved or the weather worsened. So, at the end of our three long days in the southernmost point of the world, the ship will give us a map marking where we ended up going in that area. He also said that there would be only a few hours of dark each day, so we will be spending a lot of time outside (or by windows) watching all there is to see – and there is a lot apparently. It sounds so exciting, but very tiring. We will need some sea days afterwards to rest up.
By the time his presentation ended we were arriving in Ushuaia. We had been here before and really liked it a lot. In the winter it is a ski resort, so it is surrounded by mountains. Even in summer, the mountains all have snow on top. It is the most southern city in the world, thus it is called the End of the World. And there are tons of souvenirs with that printed on them!
We had arranged to spend our time here with another couple we had met, and so off we went to explore, shop, and have lunch in this town. The last time we were here, we had seen restaurants that had open pit fires at the front (near the window so you could see) with chickens, beef, and lamb cooking on racks. So, this time we decided we would try it out for lunch. Well, it was OK. The food was not as good as it smelled. I had lamb, which looked like BBQ ribs with not much meat on them, but a lot of fat. The meat had a great flavor, but there wasn't that much of it. The beef Doug had was tough, but the chicken was moist and good. They also had a buffet so you could get potatoes, veggies, and salad too. It was an experience. We'll leave it at that.
After that we shopped around the town for all kinds of things. It was fun, but it got colder and started to rain off and on. We got back to the ship about 5 p.m. so decided there was no way we wanted to make the 5:30 dinner, so we are having dinner up in the Italian restaurant again with another couple from our normal group of 8 whom we enjoy.
After that we may take in the ship's movie or entertainment – not sure yet. We know we have to start stockpiling lots of sleep for the days ahead. We sail off from Ushuaia around 7 p.m. and head for Cape Horn. There has not been too much talk about how rough or smooth this will be. It can go either way. So, tomorrow is our day at sea on the way to Antarctica. It only takes a day by ship to get there.
1-29 Ushau8ak n
1-29 Day 24 Ushuaia, Argentina
THE END OF THE WORLD
The alarm was set for 6:30, but when I happened to wake up at 5:30 and saw that it was already light outside and that snow capped mountains were passing by our cabin window, I was up in a flash. Raced to get ready to go watch the most beautiful scenery go by. It was overcast, but still beautiful. During the night, we had wound our way around tiny little islands in channels of all sizes until we arrived into the Beagle Channel. Because most of it is relatively narrow, you could see tall snow capped mountains on both sides of the ship – some with their tops covered by clouds.
Before we were to arrive in Ushuaia, we were going to pass four glaciers on the port side of the ship. With cameras and binoculars in hand, we were ready. During this passage it rained some and was always overcast. The first glacier we passed was called Alemania. It was receding, but was still large, and the amazing thing was the huge waterfall coming down in a torrent into the canal. It was pretty spectacular. You could see a bluish color in parts of the glacier itself, but the waterfall was an ashy white. The contrast was interesting to see.
The second glacier was not nearly as impressive and was called Francia. It truly was receding and was pretty far back from the water. No waterfalls. The only amazing thing we saw was the distinct line in the channel that separated the channel water from the glacier water. The glacial waters from the previous glacier was putting so much water into the channel, it was changing the color of a whole section of it. The four glaciers are very close to each other.
The third glacier was the largest one and called Italia. It was a huge mass of ice coming right down into the water. There was evidence of recent calving (parts of the glacier breaking off) as hunks of ice floated in the water around it. It too had a bluish cast to it . It was the most impressive in size.
The fourth and last was the Holanda glacier. It too was very much receding and no where near the water – even though it was fairly large.
As we passed the last glacier, we also passed the large Gordon island which had been on our starboard side the whole time. After we passed the end of that island, you could see where other waters met and joined the Beagle Channel. It was also after the glaciers that we passed from Chilean waters into Argentinian waters. Our ship's travel guide had been commenting on what we were passing during the hour or so and explaining to us about the different glaciers. When her presentation was over, we went to get some breakfast.
Before we arrived in Ushuaia, the Antarctic Ice Pilot who had just joined our ship gave a presentation about what to expect and what we will see in Antarctica. Capt. Pat Toomey is very experienced with ships and the sea as he made it his lifetime career. It was after he retired that he decided to be the ice pilot for cruise ships. He has been to Antarctica 31 times, and our ship's captain has been there a number of times, so we have experienced leaders in the helm!
The main point of his talk was to tell us that while they have a plan of travel, it can change minute by minute and is determined by the ice and the weather. What you might see one day wouldn't be possible the next if the ice moved or the weather worsened. So, at the end of our three long days in the southernmost point of the world, the ship will give us a map marking where we ended up going in that area. He also said that there would be only a few hours of dark each day, so we will be spending a lot of time outside (or by windows) watching all there is to see – and there is a lot apparently. It sounds so exciting, but very tiring. We will need some sea days afterwards to rest up.
By the time his presentation ended we were arriving in Ushuaia. We had been here before and really liked it a lot. In the winter it is a ski resort, so it is surrounded by mountains. Even in summer, the mountains all have snow on top. It is the most southern city in the world, thus it is called the End of the World. And there are tons of souvenirs with that printed on them!
We had arranged to spend our time here with another couple we had met, and so off we went to explore, shop, and have lunch in this town. The last time we were here, we had seen restaurants that had open pit fires at the front (near the window so you could see) with chickens, beef, and lamb cooking on racks. So, this time we decided we would try it out for lunch. Well, it was OK. The food was not as good as it smelled. I had lamb, which looked like BBQ ribs with not much meat on them, but a lot of fat. The meat had a great flavor, but there wasn't that much of it. The beef Doug had was tough, but the chicken was moist and good. They also had a buffet so you could get potatoes, veggies, and salad too. It was an experience. We'll leave it at that.
After that we shopped around the town for all kinds of things. It was fun, but it got colder and started to rain off and on. We got back to the ship about 5 p.m. so decided there was no way we wanted to make the 5:30 dinner, so we are having dinner up in the Italian restaurant again with another couple from our normal group of 8 whom we enjoy.
After that we may take in the ship's movie or entertainment – not sure yet. We know we have to start stockpiling lots of sleep for the days ahead. We sail off from Ushuaia around 7 p.m. and head for Cape Horn. There has not been too much talk about how rough or smooth this will be. It can go either way. So, tomorrow is our day at sea on the way to Antarctica. It only takes a day by ship to get there.
THE END OF THE WORLD
The alarm was set for 6:30, but when I happened to wake up at 5:30 and saw that it was already light outside and that snow capped mountains were passing by our cabin window, I was up in a flash. Raced to get ready to go watch the most beautiful scenery go by. It was overcast, but still beautiful. During the night, we had wound our way around tiny little islands in channels of all sizes until we arrived into the Beagle Channel. Because most of it is relatively narrow, you could see tall snow capped mountains on both sides of the ship – some with their tops covered by clouds.
Before we were to arrive in Ushuaia, we were going to pass four glaciers on the port side of the ship. With cameras and binoculars in hand, we were ready. During this passage it rained some and was always overcast. The first glacier we passed was called Alemania. It was receding, but was still large, and the amazing thing was the huge waterfall coming down in a torrent into the canal. It was pretty spectacular. You could see a bluish color in parts of the glacier itself, but the waterfall was an ashy white. The contrast was interesting to see.
The second glacier was not nearly as impressive and was called Francia. It truly was receding and was pretty far back from the water. No waterfalls. The only amazing thing we saw was the distinct line in the channel that separated the channel water from the glacier water. The glacial waters from the previous glacier was putting so much water into the channel, it was changing the color of a whole section of it. The four glaciers are very close to each other.
The third glacier was the largest one and called Italia. It was a huge mass of ice coming right down into the water. There was evidence of recent calving (parts of the glacier breaking off) as hunks of ice floated in the water around it. It too had a bluish cast to it . It was the most impressive in size.
The fourth and last was the Holanda glacier. It too was very much receding and no where near the water – even though it was fairly large.
As we passed the last glacier, we also passed the large Gordon island which had been on our starboard side the whole time. After we passed the end of that island, you could see where other waters met and joined the Beagle Channel. It was also after the glaciers that we passed from Chilean waters into Argentinian waters. Our ship's travel guide had been commenting on what we were passing during the hour or so and explaining to us about the different glaciers. When her presentation was over, we went to get some breakfast.
Before we arrived in Ushuaia, the Antarctic Ice Pilot who had just joined our ship gave a presentation about what to expect and what we will see in Antarctica. Capt. Pat Toomey is very experienced with ships and the sea as he made it his lifetime career. It was after he retired that he decided to be the ice pilot for cruise ships. He has been to Antarctica 31 times, and our ship's captain has been there a number of times, so we have experienced leaders in the helm!
The main point of his talk was to tell us that while they have a plan of travel, it can change minute by minute and is determined by the ice and the weather. What you might see one day wouldn't be possible the next if the ice moved or the weather worsened. So, at the end of our three long days in the southernmost point of the world, the ship will give us a map marking where we ended up going in that area. He also said that there would be only a few hours of dark each day, so we will be spending a lot of time outside (or by windows) watching all there is to see – and there is a lot apparently. It sounds so exciting, but very tiring. We will need some sea days afterwards to rest up.
By the time his presentation ended we were arriving in Ushuaia. We had been here before and really liked it a lot. In the winter it is a ski resort, so it is surrounded by mountains. Even in summer, the mountains all have snow on top. It is the most southern city in the world, thus it is called the End of the World. And there are tons of souvenirs with that printed on them!
We had arranged to spend our time here with another couple we had met, and so off we went to explore, shop, and have lunch in this town. The last time we were here, we had seen restaurants that had open pit fires at the front (near the window so you could see) with chickens, beef, and lamb cooking on racks. So, this time we decided we would try it out for lunch. Well, it was OK. The food was not as good as it smelled. I had lamb, which looked like BBQ ribs with not much meat on them, but a lot of fat. The meat had a great flavor, but there wasn't that much of it. The beef Doug had was tough, but the chicken was moist and good. They also had a buffet so you could get potatoes, veggies, and salad too. It was an experience. We'll leave it at that.
After that we shopped around the town for all kinds of things. It was fun, but it got colder and started to rain off and on. We got back to the ship about 5 p.m. so decided there was no way we wanted to make the 5:30 dinner, so we are having dinner up in the Italian restaurant again with another couple from our normal group of 8 whom we enjoy.
After that we may take in the ship's movie or entertainment – not sure yet. We know we have to start stockpiling lots of sleep for the days ahead. We sail off from Ushuaia around 7 p.m. and head for Cape Horn. There has not been too much talk about how rough or smooth this will be. It can go either way. So, tomorrow is our day at sea on the way to Antarctica. It only takes a day by ship to get there.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
1-27 Chilean Fjords (2nd day)
1-27 At sea Chilean Fjords
Another early morning to see the beautiful fjords – but unfortunately it was raining, dreary, and very overcast. So, while we had great seats in the Crow's Nest, there was not much to see – at least to start off. It was not long before we came to the Amalia Glacier which comes down right to the water. The captain spent a lot of time here allowing all passengers to get a great view and lots of pictures.
We had moved on by 8 a.m., so once again, we decided to try breakfast in the main dining room – surely we would meet someone new (and nice!) today. We had a great table again with views of the glacier, and we were seated with a nice couple we had met on a previous tour. And then, we couldn't believe who joined our table – no other than Elaine and Lavar – the snooty couple from our dinner table of 8!!!! I thought Doug might just get up and walk out!! Thank goodness for the other couple and a nice breakfast.
I had a cooking class (hands-on) with Mark Bittman this morning. We were in small groups each making part of the meal. Between the 12 of us, we made Pear “Crostini” with Spiced Pecans and Blue Cheese, Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette, Caramelized Leeks with Gently Cooked Scallops, and dessert was Mango Crisp. It was fun, but it was my least favorite meal so far. When he said, “gently cooked scallops,” that was an understatement. The only way they “cooked” was by pouring hot olive oil over them once they were thinly sliced on the serving plate! I was surprised that they were good (but not great.) The best part of the meal was the pear and the dessert.
At 1 p.m., Doug and I went to the secular humanist meeting to try it out again. It was OK – the discussion was about evil – there were some pretty opinionated people “sharing” their thoughts as well as some interesting discussions from more reasonable people.
After that Doug did all the uploading/downloading of e-mails, etc. while I went to my creative writing group. Learned about writing dialogue today – very interesting and helpful.
The captain announced around lunch time that our charted course was going to change. We were supposed to go back out to the open sea again this afternoon, but because of 18 – 20 foot waves, he decided to continue on in the inside passages. So, we enjoyed the pretty scenery as well as not bouncing around! We even saw an old shipwrecked boat half in,half out of the water near a rocky area. I met a lady who said she had seen seals, small whales, and lots of birds during the same time I was searching out the front of the ship for wildlife. She said you had to be closer to the water to see them. So, from now on, that is where I'll be. I was bummed out that I had missed it, but maybe there will be more to see later on.
Dinner with “the group” again tonight. I had such a good meal – they called it lobster pot pie. There were huge hunks of lobster in a wonderful sauce under a light, flaky pastry. Wish I knew how to make that dish! Since I was behind on my Blog, I spent my after dinner time typing – and looking out our window at the scenery. The further south we go, the longer the daylight. It is now just about 10 p.m. and it is just starting to get too dark to see much.
Our night will end with watching Obama's State of the Union – if CNN picks it up here.
Another early morning to see the beautiful fjords – but unfortunately it was raining, dreary, and very overcast. So, while we had great seats in the Crow's Nest, there was not much to see – at least to start off. It was not long before we came to the Amalia Glacier which comes down right to the water. The captain spent a lot of time here allowing all passengers to get a great view and lots of pictures.
We had moved on by 8 a.m., so once again, we decided to try breakfast in the main dining room – surely we would meet someone new (and nice!) today. We had a great table again with views of the glacier, and we were seated with a nice couple we had met on a previous tour. And then, we couldn't believe who joined our table – no other than Elaine and Lavar – the snooty couple from our dinner table of 8!!!! I thought Doug might just get up and walk out!! Thank goodness for the other couple and a nice breakfast.
I had a cooking class (hands-on) with Mark Bittman this morning. We were in small groups each making part of the meal. Between the 12 of us, we made Pear “Crostini” with Spiced Pecans and Blue Cheese, Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette, Caramelized Leeks with Gently Cooked Scallops, and dessert was Mango Crisp. It was fun, but it was my least favorite meal so far. When he said, “gently cooked scallops,” that was an understatement. The only way they “cooked” was by pouring hot olive oil over them once they were thinly sliced on the serving plate! I was surprised that they were good (but not great.) The best part of the meal was the pear and the dessert.
At 1 p.m., Doug and I went to the secular humanist meeting to try it out again. It was OK – the discussion was about evil – there were some pretty opinionated people “sharing” their thoughts as well as some interesting discussions from more reasonable people.
After that Doug did all the uploading/downloading of e-mails, etc. while I went to my creative writing group. Learned about writing dialogue today – very interesting and helpful.
The captain announced around lunch time that our charted course was going to change. We were supposed to go back out to the open sea again this afternoon, but because of 18 – 20 foot waves, he decided to continue on in the inside passages. So, we enjoyed the pretty scenery as well as not bouncing around! We even saw an old shipwrecked boat half in,half out of the water near a rocky area. I met a lady who said she had seen seals, small whales, and lots of birds during the same time I was searching out the front of the ship for wildlife. She said you had to be closer to the water to see them. So, from now on, that is where I'll be. I was bummed out that I had missed it, but maybe there will be more to see later on.
Dinner with “the group” again tonight. I had such a good meal – they called it lobster pot pie. There were huge hunks of lobster in a wonderful sauce under a light, flaky pastry. Wish I knew how to make that dish! Since I was behind on my Blog, I spent my after dinner time typing – and looking out our window at the scenery. The further south we go, the longer the daylight. It is now just about 10 p.m. and it is just starting to get too dark to see much.
Our night will end with watching Obama's State of the Union – if CNN picks it up here.
1-26 Chilean Fjords
1-26 Day 21 At sea (Chilean Fjords)
Last night all guests were given maps of the area our ship would be traveling through the Chilean Fjords. We would be starting early with the ship's travel guide starting a commentary at 7 a.m. We went up to the Crow's Nest (front of ship with big panels of windows) so we could see both sides of the waterway. We watched the passing scenery for about two hours. It is similar to Alaska with the steep hillsides coming right down to the water. It was so green with beautiful trees that turn autumn colors in August (their Fall.) We saw a salmon farm along the way, plus a lighthouse out on a somewhat lonely rock area. It was very peaceful to watch this beautiful scenery go by.
About 9 a.m. we headed back out into the open sea (Pacific) where the water immediately became rougher. It had been so calm in the inner passage way. We grabbed a quick breakfast in the Lido restaurant before heading back to the cabin to get cleaned up for the day.
A famous (seriously) guest chef is now on board for about 10 days. It is Mark Bittman ,who has written many cookbooks, created the New York Times cooking column, and has made many TV appearances. He had a demo class in which he made a cassoulet with lots of vegetables (he really believes we should eat less meat and more veggies), a whole grain flatbread, and a mango sorbet. We were able to taste a little of all of it – and it was yummy. The great thing is that he cooks with simple ingredients and simple recipes so that it is easy to make at home. But it is all highly flavored and tastes wonderful. I immediately signed up for his two cooking classes – and barely got in because they filled up so quickly.
Doug was ready for lunch after this class, so we went to the regular dining room hoping to meet more new people. We had a wonderful view at the back of the ship and were the first to the table. Another single gentleman joined us who was very nice and friendly, and then wouldn't you know . . . the boring museum couple also joined us . . . again!!!! How could this happen with a roomful of people dining?!?!?! Oh well . . . The only excitement was the crash of a tray of dishes and glasses that fell when we hit a huge wave; also the table behind us had to move to another table after all their red wine spilled out of their glasses with the same wave! It truly was a bumpy day at sea.
We spent the rest of the day being lazy and watching the scenery go by – and of course a nice nap with so much rocking of the ship. The captain said we had 12 foot waves.
We weren't hungry after a larger than normal lunch, so we went to the 6 p.m. movie, In the Loop, which was like Monty Python humor. Doug enjoyed it. The regular ship's entertainment was postponed because of the high seas, so they showed Julie and Julia (the movie) instead. Since I had not seen it yet, I went and really enjoyed it. I'm really into a cooking thing, I guess! Doug enjoyed good reading time.
Knowing we would be up early again tomorrow, we tried to get to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour.
Last night all guests were given maps of the area our ship would be traveling through the Chilean Fjords. We would be starting early with the ship's travel guide starting a commentary at 7 a.m. We went up to the Crow's Nest (front of ship with big panels of windows) so we could see both sides of the waterway. We watched the passing scenery for about two hours. It is similar to Alaska with the steep hillsides coming right down to the water. It was so green with beautiful trees that turn autumn colors in August (their Fall.) We saw a salmon farm along the way, plus a lighthouse out on a somewhat lonely rock area. It was very peaceful to watch this beautiful scenery go by.
About 9 a.m. we headed back out into the open sea (Pacific) where the water immediately became rougher. It had been so calm in the inner passage way. We grabbed a quick breakfast in the Lido restaurant before heading back to the cabin to get cleaned up for the day.
A famous (seriously) guest chef is now on board for about 10 days. It is Mark Bittman ,who has written many cookbooks, created the New York Times cooking column, and has made many TV appearances. He had a demo class in which he made a cassoulet with lots of vegetables (he really believes we should eat less meat and more veggies), a whole grain flatbread, and a mango sorbet. We were able to taste a little of all of it – and it was yummy. The great thing is that he cooks with simple ingredients and simple recipes so that it is easy to make at home. But it is all highly flavored and tastes wonderful. I immediately signed up for his two cooking classes – and barely got in because they filled up so quickly.
Doug was ready for lunch after this class, so we went to the regular dining room hoping to meet more new people. We had a wonderful view at the back of the ship and were the first to the table. Another single gentleman joined us who was very nice and friendly, and then wouldn't you know . . . the boring museum couple also joined us . . . again!!!! How could this happen with a roomful of people dining?!?!?! Oh well . . . The only excitement was the crash of a tray of dishes and glasses that fell when we hit a huge wave; also the table behind us had to move to another table after all their red wine spilled out of their glasses with the same wave! It truly was a bumpy day at sea.
We spent the rest of the day being lazy and watching the scenery go by – and of course a nice nap with so much rocking of the ship. The captain said we had 12 foot waves.
We weren't hungry after a larger than normal lunch, so we went to the 6 p.m. movie, In the Loop, which was like Monty Python humor. Doug enjoyed it. The regular ship's entertainment was postponed because of the high seas, so they showed Julie and Julia (the movie) instead. Since I had not seen it yet, I went and really enjoyed it. I'm really into a cooking thing, I guess! Doug enjoyed good reading time.
Knowing we would be up early again tomorrow, we tried to get to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour.
1-25 Puerto Montt, Chile
1-25 Day 20 Puerto Montt, Chile
We did not have a tour planned for this port since we had been here before, so we decided to wing it. Usually we find another couple or two to rent a van and explore, but today, lots of people had not been here, so they went to see what we saw the last time we were here. So, we ended up with a van just for the two of us. Our driver was a young woman (Jeannette) who has lived here all her life. She speaks not only Spanish, but English and Portuguese (so she can tour the Brazilians when they come for holiday.) She owns her own agency, so she could afford to take just the two of us around for a good price (for us!)
We drove out of Puerto Montt since there is not much to see here – mainly just a big port city, which we had seen before. There is a strong German influence in this area due to the many German immigrants who came and settled here in the mid 19th century. The country side is pretty with wonderful views of the two inactive volcanoes in this area – the larger one is Osorno and dominates the horizon; the closer but smaller one is Calbuco. Osorno reminded us of Mt. Fuji with its shape and snow on top.
We wanted to go back to the little town of Puerto Varas, which is on the 2nd largest lake in Chile – Lake Llanquihue. We were only able to spend a short time here before, so we wanted to spend a bit more time here this visit. We thought we would have lunch here, but Jeannette convinced us that the the next town we wanted to see would be a better spot (and she was right.) So, we saw the square in Puerto Varas with its beautiful roses (Plaza de Armas), heard a flute (pan) player again, and walked around the little shops. We also walked back out on the pier of the beautiful lake. It is a stunning view with the volcanoes on both sides of this huge lake.
Our next stop was about 12 or so more miles further out into the country, but still along the lake. We saw lots of fields and farm land on the way. - again with both volcanoes always in sight. The town we had not been to before was called Frutillar, another popular lakeside resort. This town is divided into two parts: higher up on the hill is the business district. Down below is the resort area on the lake. It was a darling little town. We strolled up the lakefront with the shops and restaurants on the other side of the street. There were lots of vacationers out enjoying the day - lying out on the sandy beach and swimming (in cold water!) There was a pier here as well that we walked out on and at the end was a great view of the Osorno Volcano. There were beautiful and bountiful flowers everywhere. We went in and out of the little shops, and then met our guide for lunch.
She suggested the “Guten-Appetit” restaurant for lunch. The tables outside were taken, so we ate inside, but had a great view of the lake and volcano. They had luncheon specials, so Doug tried the pork and I had the salmon. We started with a little chicken salad (just fair), and then came the main course with really good bread. Doug really liked his pork, and my salmon was the best I've had in ages. No fancy sauces, just really fresh grilled salmon from this area (it is the major export from this area.) Dessert was included and was fruit in a light pastry (kuchen). It was sweet and good. We also tried the Pisco Sours here, but they were so strong, we could hardly drink them. Jeannette had lunch with us, so we had time to talk with her about Chile, her family, etc. It was very interesting.
After lunch, we headed back to the ship. It took about 30 minutes to get back. We had taken the more scenic route on the way out of town, and the highway going back. It was a delightful way to spend the day in this area.
After dinner with our regular group of 8, we went to the ship's entertainment. Dan Bennett was the guest, and he had a special blend of comedy and juggling. His semantics were the most entertaining as he described mundane things in a very sophisticated way.
The ship was really rocking a lot tonight as we headed back to our cabin. No problem letting it rock us right to sleep.
We did not have a tour planned for this port since we had been here before, so we decided to wing it. Usually we find another couple or two to rent a van and explore, but today, lots of people had not been here, so they went to see what we saw the last time we were here. So, we ended up with a van just for the two of us. Our driver was a young woman (Jeannette) who has lived here all her life. She speaks not only Spanish, but English and Portuguese (so she can tour the Brazilians when they come for holiday.) She owns her own agency, so she could afford to take just the two of us around for a good price (for us!)
We drove out of Puerto Montt since there is not much to see here – mainly just a big port city, which we had seen before. There is a strong German influence in this area due to the many German immigrants who came and settled here in the mid 19th century. The country side is pretty with wonderful views of the two inactive volcanoes in this area – the larger one is Osorno and dominates the horizon; the closer but smaller one is Calbuco. Osorno reminded us of Mt. Fuji with its shape and snow on top.
We wanted to go back to the little town of Puerto Varas, which is on the 2nd largest lake in Chile – Lake Llanquihue. We were only able to spend a short time here before, so we wanted to spend a bit more time here this visit. We thought we would have lunch here, but Jeannette convinced us that the the next town we wanted to see would be a better spot (and she was right.) So, we saw the square in Puerto Varas with its beautiful roses (Plaza de Armas), heard a flute (pan) player again, and walked around the little shops. We also walked back out on the pier of the beautiful lake. It is a stunning view with the volcanoes on both sides of this huge lake.
Our next stop was about 12 or so more miles further out into the country, but still along the lake. We saw lots of fields and farm land on the way. - again with both volcanoes always in sight. The town we had not been to before was called Frutillar, another popular lakeside resort. This town is divided into two parts: higher up on the hill is the business district. Down below is the resort area on the lake. It was a darling little town. We strolled up the lakefront with the shops and restaurants on the other side of the street. There were lots of vacationers out enjoying the day - lying out on the sandy beach and swimming (in cold water!) There was a pier here as well that we walked out on and at the end was a great view of the Osorno Volcano. There were beautiful and bountiful flowers everywhere. We went in and out of the little shops, and then met our guide for lunch.
She suggested the “Guten-Appetit” restaurant for lunch. The tables outside were taken, so we ate inside, but had a great view of the lake and volcano. They had luncheon specials, so Doug tried the pork and I had the salmon. We started with a little chicken salad (just fair), and then came the main course with really good bread. Doug really liked his pork, and my salmon was the best I've had in ages. No fancy sauces, just really fresh grilled salmon from this area (it is the major export from this area.) Dessert was included and was fruit in a light pastry (kuchen). It was sweet and good. We also tried the Pisco Sours here, but they were so strong, we could hardly drink them. Jeannette had lunch with us, so we had time to talk with her about Chile, her family, etc. It was very interesting.
After lunch, we headed back to the ship. It took about 30 minutes to get back. We had taken the more scenic route on the way out of town, and the highway going back. It was a delightful way to spend the day in this area.
After dinner with our regular group of 8, we went to the ship's entertainment. Dan Bennett was the guest, and he had a special blend of comedy and juggling. His semantics were the most entertaining as he described mundane things in a very sophisticated way.
The ship was really rocking a lot tonight as we headed back to our cabin. No problem letting it rock us right to sleep.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
1-24 At sea Happy Birthday Doug
1-24 Day 19 At Sea HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG!!!
Since this was Doug's birthday, it was his day to decide how he wanted to spend it – with some limitations since it was a sea day. We started by sleeping in really late!
He loved his gift from all the kids – a massage – since he's never had one.
As we were leaving our cabin for the morning, our cabin stewards sang Happy Birthday to him, so his day began very well!
Since it was so late, we decided to just get fancy coffee in the lounge with a donut and save up for lunch. It was so pleasant having that while we uploaded our e-mails.
We decided to have lunch in the formal dining room for the first time on this cruise thinking it would be very pleasant. Well, the food was OK, but the company could have been better. I sat next to an insufferable Canadian who didn't even have lunch with his wife because he wanted to linen tablecloth and service. He spent the hour telling us about all his travels, work, etc. Obnoxious doesn't quite convey it. The other couple from Indiana could put you to sleep they were so boring. He worked for museums for almost 40 years, so I thought it would be interesting to pick his brain about how they work, what was his favorite, etc. He hated museums and never goes in them on trips, etc. It wasn't at all clear why he worked for them for so many years. So, since lunch was pretty much a bust, we decided to spend the rest of the day just the two of us until dinner!
It was a lazy day Рreading, napping, relaxing. It was a great way to spend the rest of the day. Dinner was a formal night with an orange theme for Antarctica. The dining room was decorated in orange and white with life vests all over as par of the d̩cor. The wait staff all wore orange stocking caps and some wore orange vests as well (not life vests!) We had received a bottle of champagne from our travel agent, so we shared that with our table of 8. Had a very nice dinner followed by a birthday cake for Doug. I had requested his favorite Рangel food with white icing and chocolate drippings Рand they did it!! It was a really good cake.
We went to the ship's entertainment – a piano player, Elliot Finkel. He didn't “play” the piano, he “banged” the keys! It was so loud and not melodious at all. Lots of people walked out. The positive thing I can say about him was that he had a lot of energy. The only song we enjoyed was the only modern one he played by the Black Eyed Peas.
All in all, Doug had a really nice birthday at sea.
Since this was Doug's birthday, it was his day to decide how he wanted to spend it – with some limitations since it was a sea day. We started by sleeping in really late!
He loved his gift from all the kids – a massage – since he's never had one.
As we were leaving our cabin for the morning, our cabin stewards sang Happy Birthday to him, so his day began very well!
Since it was so late, we decided to just get fancy coffee in the lounge with a donut and save up for lunch. It was so pleasant having that while we uploaded our e-mails.
We decided to have lunch in the formal dining room for the first time on this cruise thinking it would be very pleasant. Well, the food was OK, but the company could have been better. I sat next to an insufferable Canadian who didn't even have lunch with his wife because he wanted to linen tablecloth and service. He spent the hour telling us about all his travels, work, etc. Obnoxious doesn't quite convey it. The other couple from Indiana could put you to sleep they were so boring. He worked for museums for almost 40 years, so I thought it would be interesting to pick his brain about how they work, what was his favorite, etc. He hated museums and never goes in them on trips, etc. It wasn't at all clear why he worked for them for so many years. So, since lunch was pretty much a bust, we decided to spend the rest of the day just the two of us until dinner!
It was a lazy day Рreading, napping, relaxing. It was a great way to spend the rest of the day. Dinner was a formal night with an orange theme for Antarctica. The dining room was decorated in orange and white with life vests all over as par of the d̩cor. The wait staff all wore orange stocking caps and some wore orange vests as well (not life vests!) We had received a bottle of champagne from our travel agent, so we shared that with our table of 8. Had a very nice dinner followed by a birthday cake for Doug. I had requested his favorite Рangel food with white icing and chocolate drippings Рand they did it!! It was a really good cake.
We went to the ship's entertainment – a piano player, Elliot Finkel. He didn't “play” the piano, he “banged” the keys! It was so loud and not melodious at all. Lots of people walked out. The positive thing I can say about him was that he had a lot of energy. The only song we enjoyed was the only modern one he played by the Black Eyed Peas.
All in all, Doug had a really nice birthday at sea.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Pirate Alert!!
PIRATE ALERT !!!!!!!!
Just when I was sure we might have some adventure on this journey, wouldn't you know that they cancelled our stop in the Seychelles in March. I asked the desk about it because it seemed our ship was too big for those wussie pirates, but apparently that is not the case. There have been too many encounters from them with other ships (some our size), so for the safety of the passengers, we will not be attempting to go through that area. Darn! It was just the sort of adventure I was hoping for.
SO, instead, I'll just have to settle for the rough seas we are currently going through. We had 10-12 foot waves today and last night. There are “sick” bags everywhere on the ship, and it is hard to walk a straight line most of the time. We had gale force winds as well. And yesterday, before we got off the ship to explore Valparaiso, we listened to the captain conduct the drill for the entire crew – it was the “abandon ship” drill. We've never heard that one done before. Guess he suspects the passage around the Horn and near Antarctica might be a bit gusty! A lady told me today that we should stock some crackers and food supplies in our room because she was on a ship once when you weren't allowed to leave your room.
Instead of a pirate adventure, we'll have to settle for a rough sea adventure, I guess!
Just when I was sure we might have some adventure on this journey, wouldn't you know that they cancelled our stop in the Seychelles in March. I asked the desk about it because it seemed our ship was too big for those wussie pirates, but apparently that is not the case. There have been too many encounters from them with other ships (some our size), so for the safety of the passengers, we will not be attempting to go through that area. Darn! It was just the sort of adventure I was hoping for.
SO, instead, I'll just have to settle for the rough seas we are currently going through. We had 10-12 foot waves today and last night. There are “sick” bags everywhere on the ship, and it is hard to walk a straight line most of the time. We had gale force winds as well. And yesterday, before we got off the ship to explore Valparaiso, we listened to the captain conduct the drill for the entire crew – it was the “abandon ship” drill. We've never heard that one done before. Guess he suspects the passage around the Horn and near Antarctica might be a bit gusty! A lady told me today that we should stock some crackers and food supplies in our room because she was on a ship once when you weren't allowed to leave your room.
Instead of a pirate adventure, we'll have to settle for a rough sea adventure, I guess!
1-23 Isla Robinson Crusoe, Chile
1-23 Day 18 Isla Robinson Crusoe, Chile
Stranded on an island in the middle of the Pacific – that is the basis of Daniel Defoe's famous novel, Robinson Crusoe. Today we visited the island where Alexander Selkirk was truly left behind and lived on this island for four years and four months before he was rescued. And thus, the inspiration for Defoe's novel.
The Robinson Crusoe island is actually one of three islands that make up the Chilean Juan Fernandez archipelago. The mountainous terrain was formed from ancient lava flows, and severe erosion has resulted in the formation of steep valley and ridges. The islands have the distinction of being World Biosphere Reserves since 1977 because they contain endemic species of flora and fauna. There are only 500-600 people who now live on the island in the town of San Juan Bautista. They live mainlyh on their fishing and exporting of spiny lobster.
We had gone over with another couple, and after some initial walking around of the one main street, the men went back to the ship. But Lourie and I decided to climb up the hillside to see the caves. It was quite a steep path, but well worth it to see the view from that high up. When we were back down, we walked around some more and saw the little homes where the people of the island live. They mainly looked like the homes you'd find in mining towns. It was a fertile island with lots of green and beautiful flowers everywhere. The main street was partially paved (big rocks put together) and then it went back to just a dirt road. In spite of the primitive appearance, they had a huge satellite dish (most unusual -made of what looked like woven straw!) and an Internet station (very basic).
We met a young man (early 20s) who has been here for about 3 months and is serving as a Morman missionary. He has another month or so to go before he goes back to Santiago, Chile to finish his schooling. He said it was pretty boring after about the first 3 weeks and after you've hiked the island and seen all the fur sea lions, etc. He said that the Mormans have had missionaries on this island for the last 40 years.
Later, we met a man who had just returned from scuba diving with a group of islanders. Since they were all in wet suits, we figured the water was pretty chilly – even for being their summer. He has lived on the island for the last 11 years and makes his livelihood from teaching scuba diving. He did admit that they don't get many visitors, but they are hoping to gain greater popularity. He and his wife also run the youth hostel – one of the more interesting buildings on the island. That morning he had seen lots of tuna and sea lions. He is not allowed to gather any lobster – that is left to the fishermen only. He showed us their wooden crates that they use to keep the lobster alive until the ship comes to get them to export. A supply ship comes in once a month.
While it was a fun place to visit, I wouldn't want to spend more than an afternoon there! The “beach” area is a very generous term for that area. It would be fun to hike around the island although it would have been pretty difficult because of the steep terrain. So, it was fun to visit, buy some postcards from this island, meet some locals, and return to our ship after just a few hours!
Met Doug and had a late (3 p.m.) lunch back on board, and then just did some organizing of the cabin for a bit. It is amazing how two people can live in such a tiny space and yet not need much else. At 6 we went to the ship's theater to see the movie The Motorcyle Diaries. It was excellent, and we highly recommend it. It is about Che Guevara and his motorcycle journey across S. America in the early 1950s with his best friend, Alberto Granado. It was especially fun to see it now since it showed places we had just visited as well! It helped us to better understand how this journey inspired Che to become the leader of the Cuban revolution.
Stranded on an island in the middle of the Pacific – that is the basis of Daniel Defoe's famous novel, Robinson Crusoe. Today we visited the island where Alexander Selkirk was truly left behind and lived on this island for four years and four months before he was rescued. And thus, the inspiration for Defoe's novel.
The Robinson Crusoe island is actually one of three islands that make up the Chilean Juan Fernandez archipelago. The mountainous terrain was formed from ancient lava flows, and severe erosion has resulted in the formation of steep valley and ridges. The islands have the distinction of being World Biosphere Reserves since 1977 because they contain endemic species of flora and fauna. There are only 500-600 people who now live on the island in the town of San Juan Bautista. They live mainlyh on their fishing and exporting of spiny lobster.
We had gone over with another couple, and after some initial walking around of the one main street, the men went back to the ship. But Lourie and I decided to climb up the hillside to see the caves. It was quite a steep path, but well worth it to see the view from that high up. When we were back down, we walked around some more and saw the little homes where the people of the island live. They mainly looked like the homes you'd find in mining towns. It was a fertile island with lots of green and beautiful flowers everywhere. The main street was partially paved (big rocks put together) and then it went back to just a dirt road. In spite of the primitive appearance, they had a huge satellite dish (most unusual -made of what looked like woven straw!) and an Internet station (very basic).
We met a young man (early 20s) who has been here for about 3 months and is serving as a Morman missionary. He has another month or so to go before he goes back to Santiago, Chile to finish his schooling. He said it was pretty boring after about the first 3 weeks and after you've hiked the island and seen all the fur sea lions, etc. He said that the Mormans have had missionaries on this island for the last 40 years.
Later, we met a man who had just returned from scuba diving with a group of islanders. Since they were all in wet suits, we figured the water was pretty chilly – even for being their summer. He has lived on the island for the last 11 years and makes his livelihood from teaching scuba diving. He did admit that they don't get many visitors, but they are hoping to gain greater popularity. He and his wife also run the youth hostel – one of the more interesting buildings on the island. That morning he had seen lots of tuna and sea lions. He is not allowed to gather any lobster – that is left to the fishermen only. He showed us their wooden crates that they use to keep the lobster alive until the ship comes to get them to export. A supply ship comes in once a month.
While it was a fun place to visit, I wouldn't want to spend more than an afternoon there! The “beach” area is a very generous term for that area. It would be fun to hike around the island although it would have been pretty difficult because of the steep terrain. So, it was fun to visit, buy some postcards from this island, meet some locals, and return to our ship after just a few hours!
Met Doug and had a late (3 p.m.) lunch back on board, and then just did some organizing of the cabin for a bit. It is amazing how two people can live in such a tiny space and yet not need much else. At 6 we went to the ship's theater to see the movie The Motorcyle Diaries. It was excellent, and we highly recommend it. It is about Che Guevara and his motorcycle journey across S. America in the early 1950s with his best friend, Alberto Granado. It was especially fun to see it now since it showed places we had just visited as well! It helped us to better understand how this journey inspired Che to become the leader of the Cuban revolution.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
1-22 Valpraiso, Chile
1-22 Day 17 Valparaiso, Chile
We are getting more adventuresome in our old age! We began our S. American cruise a few years ago from Valparaiso, so we didn't feel we needed/wanted a tour of this huge port city. We decided to just roam around on our own and mainly find an Internet cafe where we could spend a lot of time on our computer checking out things and downloading upgrades we hadn't been able to do for a while. So after a lazy morning, we headed out.
Because of new security issues at the port, we had to take the shuttle bus from our ship to the main terminal – which was a long ride – and didn't put us out in the part of town we wanted to explore. So, after some searching around, we found a local train that took us to the part of town we wanted. It was an adventure – no one spoke much English, so we did the best we could and boarded an extremely nice and clean train that 10 minutes or so later delivered us to our destination. - all this for $2 each – roundtrip!
We walked around and found only Internet spots, but no WiFi. When we went to exchange some dollars for Chilean pesos, we found a nice man who gave us a map and suggestion for lunch. And what a great suggestion it was. We walked about 4 blocks through the city down a street that mainly had huge banks on both sides of the street. Since it was Friday, there were lots of people coming in and out. We found the restaurant – called Cin Z Ano. It has been around since it was built in 1896. It had a lot of character and we really enjoyed it. We were the only English speaking people there. The menu was a bit of a challenge, but our server was nice and tried to help us out best he could. We ordered a local beer called Kunstmann which was very good. Doug ordered what he thought would be a Chilean pork sandwich with french fries. I ordered what I thought would be a bowl of chicken vegetable soup. We were a bit surprised when our dishes arrived! Doug's “sandwich” looked like a huge roll of pork – no bread. My soup was a big bowl of broth with ¼ chicken sitting on top along with a huge hunk of potato and hunk of squash. The fries were the only thing we recognized! Well, after we got into the meal, we really liked it. The flavors were good. And I learned to eat soup with a spoon, knife and fork!
Off to find a place to work on our computer – and it wasn't that easy to find. But luck was with us and I spotted a sign advertising WiFi in an ice cream shop. The only thing we had to do was have something to eat – and that wasn't too hard to do at all – great flavors to choose from! So, for about an hour, we did our computer. By this time we needed to get back to the train station to take us back to the terminal to catch the shuttle to our ship.
The streets were so crowded that it was hard to take pictures of “local color” like I enjoy doing. I was only able to get some pics of statues, a clock tower, and some of the city. On the shuttle bus back, we passed the entrance to another ship docked there, and there were tons of local people out enjoying a fair type environment – they had horses for the kids to ride and music and food.
Once back on ship we took pictures of the sprawling city and a huge freighter that came in and docked near us. It was loaded with cargo boxes. We watched as the tugs helped push it to the dock. Very interesting to watch the process from beginning to end.
Dinner options included Chilean selections. Since part of it was what the chef demonstrated recently, I was most interested in trying it. So, I had the empanada (which I had previously tried) and the seafood soup, and the duck. It was all great. The mango sorbet (while not Chilean) was a great way to end the meal.
The show was a magician who had a five year run in Vegas recently. He was also a comedian. He was British and was extremely funny. His magic was VERY basic – it was what Ted did his first year of practicing magic! So, while the magic was disappointing, the humor had us laughing. He is going to do a morning show tomorrow and talk about the mind of a magician. Should be interesting!
The shop was really rocking and rolling as we headed back to our room – and it continues to do so. So, I think I'll now let it rock me to sleep.
We are getting more adventuresome in our old age! We began our S. American cruise a few years ago from Valparaiso, so we didn't feel we needed/wanted a tour of this huge port city. We decided to just roam around on our own and mainly find an Internet cafe where we could spend a lot of time on our computer checking out things and downloading upgrades we hadn't been able to do for a while. So after a lazy morning, we headed out.
Because of new security issues at the port, we had to take the shuttle bus from our ship to the main terminal – which was a long ride – and didn't put us out in the part of town we wanted to explore. So, after some searching around, we found a local train that took us to the part of town we wanted. It was an adventure – no one spoke much English, so we did the best we could and boarded an extremely nice and clean train that 10 minutes or so later delivered us to our destination. - all this for $2 each – roundtrip!
We walked around and found only Internet spots, but no WiFi. When we went to exchange some dollars for Chilean pesos, we found a nice man who gave us a map and suggestion for lunch. And what a great suggestion it was. We walked about 4 blocks through the city down a street that mainly had huge banks on both sides of the street. Since it was Friday, there were lots of people coming in and out. We found the restaurant – called Cin Z Ano. It has been around since it was built in 1896. It had a lot of character and we really enjoyed it. We were the only English speaking people there. The menu was a bit of a challenge, but our server was nice and tried to help us out best he could. We ordered a local beer called Kunstmann which was very good. Doug ordered what he thought would be a Chilean pork sandwich with french fries. I ordered what I thought would be a bowl of chicken vegetable soup. We were a bit surprised when our dishes arrived! Doug's “sandwich” looked like a huge roll of pork – no bread. My soup was a big bowl of broth with ¼ chicken sitting on top along with a huge hunk of potato and hunk of squash. The fries were the only thing we recognized! Well, after we got into the meal, we really liked it. The flavors were good. And I learned to eat soup with a spoon, knife and fork!
Off to find a place to work on our computer – and it wasn't that easy to find. But luck was with us and I spotted a sign advertising WiFi in an ice cream shop. The only thing we had to do was have something to eat – and that wasn't too hard to do at all – great flavors to choose from! So, for about an hour, we did our computer. By this time we needed to get back to the train station to take us back to the terminal to catch the shuttle to our ship.
The streets were so crowded that it was hard to take pictures of “local color” like I enjoy doing. I was only able to get some pics of statues, a clock tower, and some of the city. On the shuttle bus back, we passed the entrance to another ship docked there, and there were tons of local people out enjoying a fair type environment – they had horses for the kids to ride and music and food.
Once back on ship we took pictures of the sprawling city and a huge freighter that came in and docked near us. It was loaded with cargo boxes. We watched as the tugs helped push it to the dock. Very interesting to watch the process from beginning to end.
Dinner options included Chilean selections. Since part of it was what the chef demonstrated recently, I was most interested in trying it. So, I had the empanada (which I had previously tried) and the seafood soup, and the duck. It was all great. The mango sorbet (while not Chilean) was a great way to end the meal.
The show was a magician who had a five year run in Vegas recently. He was also a comedian. He was British and was extremely funny. His magic was VERY basic – it was what Ted did his first year of practicing magic! So, while the magic was disappointing, the humor had us laughing. He is going to do a morning show tomorrow and talk about the mind of a magician. Should be interesting!
The shop was really rocking and rolling as we headed back to our room – and it continues to do so. So, I think I'll now let it rock me to sleep.
1-21 Coquimbo & La Sarena, Chile
1-21 Day 16 Coquimbo & La Serena, Chile
The priest on board the ship has been organizing some group tours, and Bob (new friend from Louisiana) had told us about this and asked us to join them in this port. And so we did. The ship's excursion for the trip we took charged $79 per person and did not include some of the things we saw. Our tour cost us (with tip) $35 per person. I love these great bargains, and the trip is really more of an adventure. Our group for today consisted of 10 passengers and our guide, who was from Australia.
First we explored the port town of Coquimbo which is rather small and a very typical port town. We drove out to the old fort where the Spaniards watched out for pirates. They had a high vantage point so they could see them coming from several directions, and with their cannons were able to attack them. They have modernized the area now with street lamps and a cafe.
Coquimbo sits on a hillside and there are narrow, windy streets going up the hillside. We headed up to see the famous Millenium Cross that can be seen anywhere from town and the bay area. The homes on the way up represented middle and poorer class people. To us, it seemed to be more of the latter. Some of the homes looked like shanties made of corrugated metal. Others were a bit nicer – but not much. There is a main street area with shops, but that was just opening up as we went by.
Near the top of the hillside, we arrived at the cross. It was put up in 2000 (thus called the Millenium Cross.) It reminded me a bit of the St. Louis arch in that you can take an elevator up to the “arms” of the cross and look out all over the city and bay area. We did not do that, but instead climbed the steps to the chapel that is at the bottom of the cross. The roof was all concrete and the interior was rather simple. In one part of the entrance there was a copy of Michelangelo's statue of the Mary holding Jesus across her lap. (the name of it is slipping my mind at the moment) . When back outside, you really could see across the bay at the town of La Serena. Unfortunately, we had an overcast day, so it was harder to see. On a clear day you can see the lighthouse and the Mosque (the only one in the town). But even without the sun, it was a great view of the city below.
From there we made our way down and out of town toward the much prettier town of La Serena. Our guide goes to the University there and had planned to show us a great view from a spot on campus, but because of the fog, we would not have been able to see anything. So, we headed straight into the town. It has a huge mall and many stores. While it is more a place that people come for vacation because of the beach, it has all the amenities one would need to live there. La Serena means “peaceful” and with all the parks in the city, it seemed just that.
We stopped at a park, took pictures of a fountain that had won an art contest, and then went into the Cathedral of Serena which faced this park. No pictures were allowed, but we able to take a picture from the main door looking into the church. The most interesting thing was a crypt on the floor that held the bodies of bishops.
From the cathedral, we walked several blocks to the La Recova handicraft market. The architecture was very interesting – a colonial style for the most part. We passed lots of little shops and stores. La Recova is an area for local handicrafts and caters mainly to the tourists – although we saw many locals shopping as well. Besides lots of the typical souvenirs, they sold food products, mainly papaya. While we were there, some musicians played while a young girl in costume danced. It was a pleasant experience.
After that we went to the Archeological Museum to see artifacts from the Diaguita and Molle cultures. While it was a fairly small museum, it was wonderful, and I could have spent a lot more time there. One of the main attractions is an original Moai sculpture from Easter Island. It was about 12 feet tall and about 5-6 feet wide. It was the head and chest of one of these statues that were found on Easter Island, but that no one has been able to explain where they came from or who made them. In addition to this, we saw more mummies (more detailed than the previous ones we saw) and skeletons that were found in the area. We took lots of pictures since we didn't have time to really spend time at the different exhibits. Also, all the descriptions were in Spanish, so we're hoping to get someone to translate it for us when we get home.
On the way back to the ship, we went to the beach and saw what many people come to this town for. We stopped at the place where the Old Lighthouse stands (no longer used.) While the beach is long and wide in many places, the sand is not a pretty white color, and no one was in the water because it was much too cold. As we drove further down on the Ocean Road, we saw lots of little restaurants and condos across from the water. By this time it had cleared up, so we could easily see the Cross across the bay (La Herradura de Guaycan Bay) and our ship docked in front of it. Made a great picture.
It was a fun outing and we saw and learned more about this area. But we were glad to be back at the ship because it was getting later and we were getting hungry. So, after a quick lunch, we went back to our cabin and took a nap (guess all the fresh air makes us more tired.) Had dinner with our regular group of 8 and then went to the ship's show. It was quite good – a combo of some of the previous entertainers. We had only seen the soprano who sang arias, but were delighted to hear her again because she was so good. We also saw a group called LiveWire (a guitar player and violin player), and they were really good – we were sorry we had missed their full show. The other entertainer was a harmonica player, and while that sounded somewhat lame, he was very good. We just didn't really like his selection of music.
All in all, it was a fun day. We were told before retiring that the ship would be tossing around a bit in 10 foot waves. We found it to be smoothing enough to rock us to sleep!
The priest on board the ship has been organizing some group tours, and Bob (new friend from Louisiana) had told us about this and asked us to join them in this port. And so we did. The ship's excursion for the trip we took charged $79 per person and did not include some of the things we saw. Our tour cost us (with tip) $35 per person. I love these great bargains, and the trip is really more of an adventure. Our group for today consisted of 10 passengers and our guide, who was from Australia.
First we explored the port town of Coquimbo which is rather small and a very typical port town. We drove out to the old fort where the Spaniards watched out for pirates. They had a high vantage point so they could see them coming from several directions, and with their cannons were able to attack them. They have modernized the area now with street lamps and a cafe.
Coquimbo sits on a hillside and there are narrow, windy streets going up the hillside. We headed up to see the famous Millenium Cross that can be seen anywhere from town and the bay area. The homes on the way up represented middle and poorer class people. To us, it seemed to be more of the latter. Some of the homes looked like shanties made of corrugated metal. Others were a bit nicer – but not much. There is a main street area with shops, but that was just opening up as we went by.
Near the top of the hillside, we arrived at the cross. It was put up in 2000 (thus called the Millenium Cross.) It reminded me a bit of the St. Louis arch in that you can take an elevator up to the “arms” of the cross and look out all over the city and bay area. We did not do that, but instead climbed the steps to the chapel that is at the bottom of the cross. The roof was all concrete and the interior was rather simple. In one part of the entrance there was a copy of Michelangelo's statue of the Mary holding Jesus across her lap. (the name of it is slipping my mind at the moment) . When back outside, you really could see across the bay at the town of La Serena. Unfortunately, we had an overcast day, so it was harder to see. On a clear day you can see the lighthouse and the Mosque (the only one in the town). But even without the sun, it was a great view of the city below.
From there we made our way down and out of town toward the much prettier town of La Serena. Our guide goes to the University there and had planned to show us a great view from a spot on campus, but because of the fog, we would not have been able to see anything. So, we headed straight into the town. It has a huge mall and many stores. While it is more a place that people come for vacation because of the beach, it has all the amenities one would need to live there. La Serena means “peaceful” and with all the parks in the city, it seemed just that.
We stopped at a park, took pictures of a fountain that had won an art contest, and then went into the Cathedral of Serena which faced this park. No pictures were allowed, but we able to take a picture from the main door looking into the church. The most interesting thing was a crypt on the floor that held the bodies of bishops.
From the cathedral, we walked several blocks to the La Recova handicraft market. The architecture was very interesting – a colonial style for the most part. We passed lots of little shops and stores. La Recova is an area for local handicrafts and caters mainly to the tourists – although we saw many locals shopping as well. Besides lots of the typical souvenirs, they sold food products, mainly papaya. While we were there, some musicians played while a young girl in costume danced. It was a pleasant experience.
After that we went to the Archeological Museum to see artifacts from the Diaguita and Molle cultures. While it was a fairly small museum, it was wonderful, and I could have spent a lot more time there. One of the main attractions is an original Moai sculpture from Easter Island. It was about 12 feet tall and about 5-6 feet wide. It was the head and chest of one of these statues that were found on Easter Island, but that no one has been able to explain where they came from or who made them. In addition to this, we saw more mummies (more detailed than the previous ones we saw) and skeletons that were found in the area. We took lots of pictures since we didn't have time to really spend time at the different exhibits. Also, all the descriptions were in Spanish, so we're hoping to get someone to translate it for us when we get home.
On the way back to the ship, we went to the beach and saw what many people come to this town for. We stopped at the place where the Old Lighthouse stands (no longer used.) While the beach is long and wide in many places, the sand is not a pretty white color, and no one was in the water because it was much too cold. As we drove further down on the Ocean Road, we saw lots of little restaurants and condos across from the water. By this time it had cleared up, so we could easily see the Cross across the bay (La Herradura de Guaycan Bay) and our ship docked in front of it. Made a great picture.
It was a fun outing and we saw and learned more about this area. But we were glad to be back at the ship because it was getting later and we were getting hungry. So, after a quick lunch, we went back to our cabin and took a nap (guess all the fresh air makes us more tired.) Had dinner with our regular group of 8 and then went to the ship's show. It was quite good – a combo of some of the previous entertainers. We had only seen the soprano who sang arias, but were delighted to hear her again because she was so good. We also saw a group called LiveWire (a guitar player and violin player), and they were really good – we were sorry we had missed their full show. The other entertainer was a harmonica player, and while that sounded somewhat lame, he was very good. We just didn't really like his selection of music.
All in all, it was a fun day. We were told before retiring that the ship would be tossing around a bit in 10 foot waves. We found it to be smoothing enough to rock us to sleep!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
1-20 At Sea
1-20 Day 15 At sea
I'm writing this a bit earlier in the day because I'm so excited about all the days' events, and probably after dinner I'll have run out of steam.
Went to my first real bridge lecture (the game, not the part of the ship!) and met a lady who wants to play party bridge too. And, I actually learned something new about No Trump!
The ship's executive chef and the Pinnacle Grill chef demonstrated how to make two South American foods. One was an empanada (stuffed with ground beef (very typical of this area) and the other was a cold duck dish served over cold, cooked sweet potatoes. Since it is best when the duck is served very rare, I may not get a lot of friends requesting this dish! We were able to sample the empanada and it wa quite good!
We had lunch in the main dining room today (our first for lunch) with the cruise critic group – that was a total waste of time. For whatever reason, we just don't really go for this group much. So, it was probably our first and last time!
Because of it we were late to a very unique meeting – have never seen this on a ship before – a meeting for secular humanists. We wanted to see what it was all about – some interesting people attended – we'll probably try it again to see what kinds of things they are going to discuss.
Immediately following that was a continuation of the Exploration Speaker series with John Palmisano, the expert marine biologist. We had heard one or two of his previous lectures and found him quite engaging. And today was no exception. We learned a lot about the marine life around S. America. Found out the origin of the word “shit” as well. It means “store high in transit.” This is from the days when they shipped guano (which is bird poop, not just bat poop like I wrote yesterday), which is used for fertilizer, in cargo ships. If the guano gets wet, it has an explosive nature and so if water leaked into the crates with guano, they exploded. Thus, the new regulation for storing it high above the potentially wet floor area! In that same lecture, I learned another interesting fact. There are these tiny little fish known as vampire catfish in the Amazon River. They are the size of a toothpick. They are called this because they feed on the blood in the gills of fish. When the chemical reaction takes place in the gills – changing the O2 to CO2, there is a gas that attracts these little fish. So, they plant themselves inside part of the gill to feed upon the blood. A similar gas reaction takes place in urine in the water. So, they have found that people who swim naked in the river and pee in it could have these little fish swim up into their uretha (sp) and attach themselves. It is a very difficult operation to have them taken out because when they attach, they put out these little arm-like extensions that hold them solidly in place. I'm not sure I have the actual chemical reactions described correctly above, but the rest is just like he told it! It seems I learned a lot about pee and poop today! Actually, I learned a lot about other fish and marine life, but these two little stories were the most interesting.
Right after that lecture, I went to my creative writing class. By now my head was swimming with all the new things I learned today in so many different areas. And this class only added to all of that. We talked about how to critique writing today and then started learning about how to develop a character. In order to write about a character, you have to “know” that person as well as you'd know a member of your family. She went through an exercise to learn how to “get to know” our character. It was really fun. So, my homework is to develop one over the next few days. I can't wait to let the creative juices start flowing on that one. In addition, one of the participants in the class is a published author – and of children's books no less. I was so excited because that is what I'd like to write. So, I'm going to get together with her soon and talk about how to do this! It was one of the major highlights of the day!
We are getting ready to meet another couple for dinner that we met a couple of days ago on an excursion. They taught in Germany for over 20 years. We are probably going to venture out with them tomorrow on our own tour of the area. Don't know if we'll go to the show tonight – it's a musical. My brain is almost on overload, so I may just come back and read. Aside: I'm not going to participate in the book club for this book selection. Couldn't get into it so will enjoy some of the books I brought from home. When we are close to India they are going to read an Indian mystery. May try that. For China, they are reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (which I've read)
I'm writing this a bit earlier in the day because I'm so excited about all the days' events, and probably after dinner I'll have run out of steam.
Went to my first real bridge lecture (the game, not the part of the ship!) and met a lady who wants to play party bridge too. And, I actually learned something new about No Trump!
The ship's executive chef and the Pinnacle Grill chef demonstrated how to make two South American foods. One was an empanada (stuffed with ground beef (very typical of this area) and the other was a cold duck dish served over cold, cooked sweet potatoes. Since it is best when the duck is served very rare, I may not get a lot of friends requesting this dish! We were able to sample the empanada and it wa quite good!
We had lunch in the main dining room today (our first for lunch) with the cruise critic group – that was a total waste of time. For whatever reason, we just don't really go for this group much. So, it was probably our first and last time!
Because of it we were late to a very unique meeting – have never seen this on a ship before – a meeting for secular humanists. We wanted to see what it was all about – some interesting people attended – we'll probably try it again to see what kinds of things they are going to discuss.
Immediately following that was a continuation of the Exploration Speaker series with John Palmisano, the expert marine biologist. We had heard one or two of his previous lectures and found him quite engaging. And today was no exception. We learned a lot about the marine life around S. America. Found out the origin of the word “shit” as well. It means “store high in transit.” This is from the days when they shipped guano (which is bird poop, not just bat poop like I wrote yesterday), which is used for fertilizer, in cargo ships. If the guano gets wet, it has an explosive nature and so if water leaked into the crates with guano, they exploded. Thus, the new regulation for storing it high above the potentially wet floor area! In that same lecture, I learned another interesting fact. There are these tiny little fish known as vampire catfish in the Amazon River. They are the size of a toothpick. They are called this because they feed on the blood in the gills of fish. When the chemical reaction takes place in the gills – changing the O2 to CO2, there is a gas that attracts these little fish. So, they plant themselves inside part of the gill to feed upon the blood. A similar gas reaction takes place in urine in the water. So, they have found that people who swim naked in the river and pee in it could have these little fish swim up into their uretha (sp) and attach themselves. It is a very difficult operation to have them taken out because when they attach, they put out these little arm-like extensions that hold them solidly in place. I'm not sure I have the actual chemical reactions described correctly above, but the rest is just like he told it! It seems I learned a lot about pee and poop today! Actually, I learned a lot about other fish and marine life, but these two little stories were the most interesting.
Right after that lecture, I went to my creative writing class. By now my head was swimming with all the new things I learned today in so many different areas. And this class only added to all of that. We talked about how to critique writing today and then started learning about how to develop a character. In order to write about a character, you have to “know” that person as well as you'd know a member of your family. She went through an exercise to learn how to “get to know” our character. It was really fun. So, my homework is to develop one over the next few days. I can't wait to let the creative juices start flowing on that one. In addition, one of the participants in the class is a published author – and of children's books no less. I was so excited because that is what I'd like to write. So, I'm going to get together with her soon and talk about how to do this! It was one of the major highlights of the day!
We are getting ready to meet another couple for dinner that we met a couple of days ago on an excursion. They taught in Germany for over 20 years. We are probably going to venture out with them tomorrow on our own tour of the area. Don't know if we'll go to the show tonight – it's a musical. My brain is almost on overload, so I may just come back and read. Aside: I'm not going to participate in the book club for this book selection. Couldn't get into it so will enjoy some of the books I brought from home. When we are close to India they are going to read an Indian mystery. May try that. For China, they are reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (which I've read)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
1-19 Arica, Chile
1-19 Day 14 Arica, Chile
Arica is the northern most town in Chile. It once belonged to Bolivia, then Peru, but in the War of the Pacific, it became part of Chile. It's original importance was due to the silver mine fields in nearby Potosi, Bolivia. The riches from the mine were sent down to the port city of Arica by mule or horseback, thus Arica was Bolivia's main link to the sea.
There is some interesting history in this small town that borders the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth. We decided to explore this area with some other people from the ship rather than on a Holland America excursion. So, we were a group of 13 in a mini van with a driver and guide. The ship's similar 4 hour tour cost $154 per person. Ours cost $15 per person!
Our first stop was to see the caves where the ancient Chinchorro tribes lived. We drove along the Pacific coastline seeing the major fish company that catches and sells anchovies. Also, we saw the beaches where families can camp with their tents during the summer months. When we arrived at the caves, we took about a 20-30 minute walk. It was very rocky and similar to the Oregon coast. We saw the openings to the various caves (higher up on the rocky hillside) but were not allowed to go into them because it was too dangerous without the proper shoes, etc. Plus, there are no remains or wall wrtiings left inside. As we approached the area, we saw one mountainside that appeared to be covered in snow. Obviously not – it was bat guano (poop) So, on one side we had the smell of fish from the bay and on the other stinky bat poop! In its own primitive way, it was quite stunning.
Next we came back near the town and went up to the huge rock that sits above the town which was the site where the military put the cannons to protect the port. It is called El Morro de Arica. From that vantage point, you could see all across the bay area and the whole town. Besides the cannons, they had a statue of Jesus with his arms spread wide apart – it was to symbolize the peace that was sought between Peru and Chile after the war.
From there we went about 12 miles out of town to Pampa Chaca where the sculptor Diaz Fleming created the Presencias Tutelares sculptures. On the hilltop where big, sturdy, modern sculpture pieces strewn across the landscape. One represented the sun, another the half moon, a man and woman and the earth (not completed because the earth isn't complete) These statues, which were just recently completed in 1997 and pay homage to the Andean people who crossed the mountians and desert to get to the coast to create a lasting culture in Chile. When we arrived young students played music while others danced in native costume.
The ride to and from this site was through dry, desert sand. There were some farming communities along one part of the road that depended upon the river for their livelihood. But the river was dry at this time of year, so it would be another two weeks before they could count on the river. The desert just seemed to go on and on.
Next on the tour was the Azapa Valley to visit the San Miguel Archaeological Museum. This smaller museum was a surprise in how well it was done. We saw the collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and mummies dating back to 5000 BC – the oldest mummies in the world. It was amazing to see how they mummified these bodies back then and how well preserved they were as a result. There was a man, woman and baby – couldn't believe how small they all were.
After that we drove by this big hill that looked like a big sombrero (Mexican hat) to see the geoglyphs on them. These are drawings made on the hill slopes either by piling up stones or scratching the surface of the hillside. They mainly depicted animals of the time (llamas) The most amazing thing is that they were meant to be viewed from the sky.
While the morning started off rather comfortably cool, after all the desert experience, we were all getting pretty hot and tired. So, we were glad the tour ended back in the town at the main square near the ship. The last thing we all wanted to see was the San Marcos church. The interesting thing about this church was that it was designed by Gustave Eiffel (of the Eiffel tower in Paris). It was built mainly from iron in Paris and then moved to Arica.
There were lots of little tent markets on the square outside the church on the square that were selling souvenirs mainly. We strolled through them as well as other markets off the main drag that were really for the locals. They have a pedestrian mall (street) that made it easy to walk up and down the shops. I wanted to buy diet coke for the room so I don't have to pay the outrageous prices on the ship, so we found a local grocery store. It was really interesting. They didn't have little coke cans or bottles, but rather just the liter size. So, Doug was kind enough to carry two big bottles back in his backpack! [Aside: I bought a soda card on the ship, but that only qualifies me to have a glass of fountain coke each time, not a whole can. I think it is really, really cheesy.]
Back on board, we had a quick lunch and then downloaded our e-mails, etc. I enjoyed some of my new diet coke in our room as I started responding to e-mails and began this entry. After dinner, we went to the show. I guess Ted has spoiled us with his showmanship and ability. This guy was a juggler, but on the whole, Ted could easily match him. The juggling for the most part was elementary and his routine needed some work! Ted, there is a place for your talent on this cruise ship!
While I realize this is another long, detailed entry, and it could be boring for anyone reading it, but it will help me to remember what we saw here in Arica today and help me label the pictures we took.
Looking forward to another sea day tomorrow.
Arica is the northern most town in Chile. It once belonged to Bolivia, then Peru, but in the War of the Pacific, it became part of Chile. It's original importance was due to the silver mine fields in nearby Potosi, Bolivia. The riches from the mine were sent down to the port city of Arica by mule or horseback, thus Arica was Bolivia's main link to the sea.
There is some interesting history in this small town that borders the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth. We decided to explore this area with some other people from the ship rather than on a Holland America excursion. So, we were a group of 13 in a mini van with a driver and guide. The ship's similar 4 hour tour cost $154 per person. Ours cost $15 per person!
Our first stop was to see the caves where the ancient Chinchorro tribes lived. We drove along the Pacific coastline seeing the major fish company that catches and sells anchovies. Also, we saw the beaches where families can camp with their tents during the summer months. When we arrived at the caves, we took about a 20-30 minute walk. It was very rocky and similar to the Oregon coast. We saw the openings to the various caves (higher up on the rocky hillside) but were not allowed to go into them because it was too dangerous without the proper shoes, etc. Plus, there are no remains or wall wrtiings left inside. As we approached the area, we saw one mountainside that appeared to be covered in snow. Obviously not – it was bat guano (poop) So, on one side we had the smell of fish from the bay and on the other stinky bat poop! In its own primitive way, it was quite stunning.
Next we came back near the town and went up to the huge rock that sits above the town which was the site where the military put the cannons to protect the port. It is called El Morro de Arica. From that vantage point, you could see all across the bay area and the whole town. Besides the cannons, they had a statue of Jesus with his arms spread wide apart – it was to symbolize the peace that was sought between Peru and Chile after the war.
From there we went about 12 miles out of town to Pampa Chaca where the sculptor Diaz Fleming created the Presencias Tutelares sculptures. On the hilltop where big, sturdy, modern sculpture pieces strewn across the landscape. One represented the sun, another the half moon, a man and woman and the earth (not completed because the earth isn't complete) These statues, which were just recently completed in 1997 and pay homage to the Andean people who crossed the mountians and desert to get to the coast to create a lasting culture in Chile. When we arrived young students played music while others danced in native costume.
The ride to and from this site was through dry, desert sand. There were some farming communities along one part of the road that depended upon the river for their livelihood. But the river was dry at this time of year, so it would be another two weeks before they could count on the river. The desert just seemed to go on and on.
Next on the tour was the Azapa Valley to visit the San Miguel Archaeological Museum. This smaller museum was a surprise in how well it was done. We saw the collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and mummies dating back to 5000 BC – the oldest mummies in the world. It was amazing to see how they mummified these bodies back then and how well preserved they were as a result. There was a man, woman and baby – couldn't believe how small they all were.
After that we drove by this big hill that looked like a big sombrero (Mexican hat) to see the geoglyphs on them. These are drawings made on the hill slopes either by piling up stones or scratching the surface of the hillside. They mainly depicted animals of the time (llamas) The most amazing thing is that they were meant to be viewed from the sky.
While the morning started off rather comfortably cool, after all the desert experience, we were all getting pretty hot and tired. So, we were glad the tour ended back in the town at the main square near the ship. The last thing we all wanted to see was the San Marcos church. The interesting thing about this church was that it was designed by Gustave Eiffel (of the Eiffel tower in Paris). It was built mainly from iron in Paris and then moved to Arica.
There were lots of little tent markets on the square outside the church on the square that were selling souvenirs mainly. We strolled through them as well as other markets off the main drag that were really for the locals. They have a pedestrian mall (street) that made it easy to walk up and down the shops. I wanted to buy diet coke for the room so I don't have to pay the outrageous prices on the ship, so we found a local grocery store. It was really interesting. They didn't have little coke cans or bottles, but rather just the liter size. So, Doug was kind enough to carry two big bottles back in his backpack! [Aside: I bought a soda card on the ship, but that only qualifies me to have a glass of fountain coke each time, not a whole can. I think it is really, really cheesy.]
Back on board, we had a quick lunch and then downloaded our e-mails, etc. I enjoyed some of my new diet coke in our room as I started responding to e-mails and began this entry. After dinner, we went to the show. I guess Ted has spoiled us with his showmanship and ability. This guy was a juggler, but on the whole, Ted could easily match him. The juggling for the most part was elementary and his routine needed some work! Ted, there is a place for your talent on this cruise ship!
While I realize this is another long, detailed entry, and it could be boring for anyone reading it, but it will help me to remember what we saw here in Arica today and help me label the pictures we took.
Looking forward to another sea day tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
1-18 At Sea
1-18 Day 13 At sea
While a day is normally 24 hours, for us we will only have a 22 hour day. We had to set our clocks forward an hour before we went to bed last night, and today around 2 p.m., we will set them an hour forward again. I'm glad it's a sea day so we don't lose time on shore!
Didn't do any ship activities today – just an easy day at sea. Arrive in Chile tomorrow at 7 a.m.
While a day is normally 24 hours, for us we will only have a 22 hour day. We had to set our clocks forward an hour before we went to bed last night, and today around 2 p.m., we will set them an hour forward again. I'm glad it's a sea day so we don't lose time on shore!
Didn't do any ship activities today – just an easy day at sea. Arrive in Chile tomorrow at 7 a.m.
Monday, January 18, 2010
1-17 2nd Day in Lima
1-17 2nd day in Lima
What a fun day of exploration.. Took the free shuttle bus into town and walked and walked and walked some more! We were looking for the Indian Market, and in the search saw a lot of the area we had not expected to see. We found a huge local market for food mainly. We strolled around inside admiring all the fresh veggies and fruits. It was very local and very little English was spoken. Fortunately, Doug's Spanish came back during the day as we kept having to ask for directions. At one point, we asked a family taking a Sunday walk, and they said (in Spanish, of course!) that they would show us part of the way since that was the way they were going. Doug and one of the ladies carried on a basic conversation – I was very impressed. My only contribution to the chat was “gracias!”
Well, we finally found the market with all the local handicrafts. It was fun walking around, but we didn't make any purchases. Instead, on the way back to the meeting spot for the bus, we stopped in a local restaurant. From the day before, we had learned that there were more Chinese restaurants in Lima than almost anywhere. Also, if it were a Chinese restaurant it would say Chiffa something. So, we found one that looked good and stopped in – it was Chiffa Hong Kong. The man who seated us was a real showman. He asked if we wanted Peruvian or Chinese food. When we weren't sure, he suggested we get one dish of each . . . and offered to select them for us. Why not! So, after a Pisco Sour (Doug's favorite S. American drink) we had Chinese egg rolls – but not like the ones we are used to in the States. These were more baked than fried and better than any we have had. Then came the Chinese shrimp dish (it was HUGE – could have easily been enough for 2) and the Peruvian fish dish. The latter was the best with the most flavor. Had no idea what kind it was (even after he told us – we had never heard of that fish) but it was delicious. We also sampled their local cola drink: Inca Kola. It reminded us a little of Mountain Dew in its color and taste. Somehow we managed to almost finish all the dishes. They were that good.
Back on board, we went out on deck to watch us sail away from Peru. We want to find out about one part of it – a tug boat was along side of us guiding us out of the protected harbor. About halfway through, it did spin arounds in the water. It was different! We thought maybe it was their way of saying “good-bye”, but who knows!
After our huge lunch, we only had a little soup and cheese for dinner. We visited with a nice couple from Louisiana we had met earlier on the bus into town. They were both teachers and had taught in Germany for about 20 years. Very interesting discussions with them.
We did attend the ship's evening show and were so glad we did. A British vocalist (Fiona Wilson) sang some of the most beautiful arias from many different composers. We were spell bound by her voice. She was a trim, small person, and we couldn't imagine how such powerful lungs were inside that body! She also told us about her life journey becoming a vocalist – which included many humorous little stories. It was a great way to end the evening.
What a fun day of exploration.. Took the free shuttle bus into town and walked and walked and walked some more! We were looking for the Indian Market, and in the search saw a lot of the area we had not expected to see. We found a huge local market for food mainly. We strolled around inside admiring all the fresh veggies and fruits. It was very local and very little English was spoken. Fortunately, Doug's Spanish came back during the day as we kept having to ask for directions. At one point, we asked a family taking a Sunday walk, and they said (in Spanish, of course!) that they would show us part of the way since that was the way they were going. Doug and one of the ladies carried on a basic conversation – I was very impressed. My only contribution to the chat was “gracias!”
Well, we finally found the market with all the local handicrafts. It was fun walking around, but we didn't make any purchases. Instead, on the way back to the meeting spot for the bus, we stopped in a local restaurant. From the day before, we had learned that there were more Chinese restaurants in Lima than almost anywhere. Also, if it were a Chinese restaurant it would say Chiffa something. So, we found one that looked good and stopped in – it was Chiffa Hong Kong. The man who seated us was a real showman. He asked if we wanted Peruvian or Chinese food. When we weren't sure, he suggested we get one dish of each . . . and offered to select them for us. Why not! So, after a Pisco Sour (Doug's favorite S. American drink) we had Chinese egg rolls – but not like the ones we are used to in the States. These were more baked than fried and better than any we have had. Then came the Chinese shrimp dish (it was HUGE – could have easily been enough for 2) and the Peruvian fish dish. The latter was the best with the most flavor. Had no idea what kind it was (even after he told us – we had never heard of that fish) but it was delicious. We also sampled their local cola drink: Inca Kola. It reminded us a little of Mountain Dew in its color and taste. Somehow we managed to almost finish all the dishes. They were that good.
Back on board, we went out on deck to watch us sail away from Peru. We want to find out about one part of it – a tug boat was along side of us guiding us out of the protected harbor. About halfway through, it did spin arounds in the water. It was different! We thought maybe it was their way of saying “good-bye”, but who knows!
After our huge lunch, we only had a little soup and cheese for dinner. We visited with a nice couple from Louisiana we had met earlier on the bus into town. They were both teachers and had taught in Germany for about 20 years. Very interesting discussions with them.
We did attend the ship's evening show and were so glad we did. A British vocalist (Fiona Wilson) sang some of the most beautiful arias from many different composers. We were spell bound by her voice. She was a trim, small person, and we couldn't imagine how such powerful lungs were inside that body! She also told us about her life journey becoming a vocalist – which included many humorous little stories. It was a great way to end the evening.
1-16 Lima
1-16 Day 11 Lima, Peru
We docked in Callao (the port of Lima) around 8 am. It is a busy port town and Lima is a vast city (about 8 million people.) We had arranged to be on a tour to see the highlights of Lima – a four hour tour by coach bus.
It takes about 30 minutes to get into Lima from the port. We saw lots of poor areas and homes along the way. Our guide gave us a lot of information about the people of Lima plus some history of the country of Peru. Following are some of the more interesting facts:
Callao means little round stones. The port city was given that name because of the rocky beaches. The first settlers moved inland about 12 kilometers to protect themselves from pirates that were along the desert coast. Lima only gets 3 inches of rain annually. They don't sell umbrellas in this town! There is one river in Lima from which they get their electricity. There are two seasons: sunny summer with blue skies; cloudy winters with gray skies. To compensate for such dullness in the sky, the people of Lima used bright colors in their construction to give life to the city. Because of the lack of rain, it is extremely dusty, so people have to daily dust and clean their homes.
There are no hurricanes, but there are a lot of tremors and earthquakes. When the Spaniards first settled in the area, they did not understand how to construct buildings to withstand these tremors. Eventually, construction was done with a type of bamboo rod inside the walls to help stabilize the buildings and to protect the interiors.
Voting is considered more than just a privilege in Lima. It is a duty. When you are 18 years old, you are considered to be an adult citizen – required to vote to maintain that citizenship. If you fail to vote, you get fined. If you fail to pay your fine, your passport is taken away, you cannot get your money out of the bank, you lo longer have your job, etc. Voting always takes place on Sundays so that everyone has the opportunity to vote. Your ID card is marked to prove you voted.
Given that the country is mostly Catholic, it came as no surprise that our first stop on our excursion was to THE Cathedral. When I asked what the name of it was, our guide just said it's the cathedral of Lima. It was a large and impressive building. We were able to take lots of pictures inside. If you are interested in more details, just Google it! We also walked a few blocks to the Franciscan monastery which used to house about 300 monks and now still has 31 residents. It was a beautiful and peaceful place. I can see why being a monk would have been a peaceful life back then with the enclosed gardens and fountains. We were not allowed to take pictures of any of it. The ceilings in the corridors were made of wood brought from Nicaragua. Beautiful mural paintings were recently found – and then even more recently paintings under paintings were discovered on these walls. It was done by cutting out little squares of the first painting to reveal the one underneath. Also,I liked seeing the refectory where the monks ate in silence – beautiful wood in there as well. There were catacombs in the basement. While we were not allowed to go down into these, they had one area uncovered so we could look down and see one. As “decoration” they had a human skull on top of it – too freaky! I enjoyed the monastery as much as anything we saw.
Lima is a city of new and old; wealthy and poor. We drove through each. One of the unique things to this country in the way of architecture is the boxed balconies – very ornately carved wood. They can only be found in Peru. Saw the main square in the heart of downtown with the Government Palace. The surprising thing to us was how many police were everywhere. We saw an armored tank, about 8-10 police types looking like they were ready to do riot control with their full length shield protection, and lots of powerful guns. That evening there was to be a big celebration of something special for the city, so all the extra protection may have been for that.
One of the more fun things we saw in the Miraflores area (the nicer shopping and park areas by the water) was their traveling cow art show. Nearly life size cows all painted and decorated were everywhere along this park area. My favorite was the red cow wearing high heels! It reminded me of the pig exhibit in Venice (FL!) and the clown exhibit that had been along he bay in Sarasota. There was also a lovers' piece of art that made our sailor kiss statue in Sarasota look like nothing. Many people get their picture taken in front of this statue of an intertwined couple (we were no exception!
After a 30-40 minute ride back to the ship, we had a quick ship lunch and then explored the little shops local merchants had set up along side the ship. There were many handicrafts of all kinds. The only thing we bought was a Peru t-shirt for Doug.
That evening, we made the mistake of not going to the show – a local Peruvian folklore show brought on board ship. Guess we were bummed out by the last one from Costa Rica. We heard it was wonderful with costumes, dancing, and great native music. Fortunately they replay it on the ship TV so we have been able to see it from our room.
Tomorrow is our day to explore on our own. We canceled the “Shoppers Delight” tour when we found out the ship offered a free shuttle bus into the main part of the shopping district.
We docked in Callao (the port of Lima) around 8 am. It is a busy port town and Lima is a vast city (about 8 million people.) We had arranged to be on a tour to see the highlights of Lima – a four hour tour by coach bus.
It takes about 30 minutes to get into Lima from the port. We saw lots of poor areas and homes along the way. Our guide gave us a lot of information about the people of Lima plus some history of the country of Peru. Following are some of the more interesting facts:
Callao means little round stones. The port city was given that name because of the rocky beaches. The first settlers moved inland about 12 kilometers to protect themselves from pirates that were along the desert coast. Lima only gets 3 inches of rain annually. They don't sell umbrellas in this town! There is one river in Lima from which they get their electricity. There are two seasons: sunny summer with blue skies; cloudy winters with gray skies. To compensate for such dullness in the sky, the people of Lima used bright colors in their construction to give life to the city. Because of the lack of rain, it is extremely dusty, so people have to daily dust and clean their homes.
There are no hurricanes, but there are a lot of tremors and earthquakes. When the Spaniards first settled in the area, they did not understand how to construct buildings to withstand these tremors. Eventually, construction was done with a type of bamboo rod inside the walls to help stabilize the buildings and to protect the interiors.
Voting is considered more than just a privilege in Lima. It is a duty. When you are 18 years old, you are considered to be an adult citizen – required to vote to maintain that citizenship. If you fail to vote, you get fined. If you fail to pay your fine, your passport is taken away, you cannot get your money out of the bank, you lo longer have your job, etc. Voting always takes place on Sundays so that everyone has the opportunity to vote. Your ID card is marked to prove you voted.
Given that the country is mostly Catholic, it came as no surprise that our first stop on our excursion was to THE Cathedral. When I asked what the name of it was, our guide just said it's the cathedral of Lima. It was a large and impressive building. We were able to take lots of pictures inside. If you are interested in more details, just Google it! We also walked a few blocks to the Franciscan monastery which used to house about 300 monks and now still has 31 residents. It was a beautiful and peaceful place. I can see why being a monk would have been a peaceful life back then with the enclosed gardens and fountains. We were not allowed to take pictures of any of it. The ceilings in the corridors were made of wood brought from Nicaragua. Beautiful mural paintings were recently found – and then even more recently paintings under paintings were discovered on these walls. It was done by cutting out little squares of the first painting to reveal the one underneath. Also,I liked seeing the refectory where the monks ate in silence – beautiful wood in there as well. There were catacombs in the basement. While we were not allowed to go down into these, they had one area uncovered so we could look down and see one. As “decoration” they had a human skull on top of it – too freaky! I enjoyed the monastery as much as anything we saw.
Lima is a city of new and old; wealthy and poor. We drove through each. One of the unique things to this country in the way of architecture is the boxed balconies – very ornately carved wood. They can only be found in Peru. Saw the main square in the heart of downtown with the Government Palace. The surprising thing to us was how many police were everywhere. We saw an armored tank, about 8-10 police types looking like they were ready to do riot control with their full length shield protection, and lots of powerful guns. That evening there was to be a big celebration of something special for the city, so all the extra protection may have been for that.
One of the more fun things we saw in the Miraflores area (the nicer shopping and park areas by the water) was their traveling cow art show. Nearly life size cows all painted and decorated were everywhere along this park area. My favorite was the red cow wearing high heels! It reminded me of the pig exhibit in Venice (FL!) and the clown exhibit that had been along he bay in Sarasota. There was also a lovers' piece of art that made our sailor kiss statue in Sarasota look like nothing. Many people get their picture taken in front of this statue of an intertwined couple (we were no exception!
After a 30-40 minute ride back to the ship, we had a quick ship lunch and then explored the little shops local merchants had set up along side the ship. There were many handicrafts of all kinds. The only thing we bought was a Peru t-shirt for Doug.
That evening, we made the mistake of not going to the show – a local Peruvian folklore show brought on board ship. Guess we were bummed out by the last one from Costa Rica. We heard it was wonderful with costumes, dancing, and great native music. Fortunately they replay it on the ship TV so we have been able to see it from our room.
Tomorrow is our day to explore on our own. We canceled the “Shoppers Delight” tour when we found out the ship offered a free shuttle bus into the main part of the shopping district.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
1-15 At Sea
1-15 Day 10 At sea
Sea days are becoming pretty predictable and busy. Start off with port lecture (this time about upcoming Valparaiso, Chile, and Ilsa Robinson Caruso.) We've been to Valparaiso before, and not sure why the ship is really going to the other LITTLE island (only 36 sq. miles) and no city, no taxis, very few cars, etc. It is a world biosphere and protected park area. The most we can do is walk around, hope we see some wildlife, and maybe get a snack. Oh well . . it's all part of the travel experience.
The guest Chef Matt gave his last hands-on class. He gets off the ship tomorrow. Today we made pork cutlets with a dijon sauce (won't bother you with the fancy name) and herb spaetzli (German dumplings) The side was a pate au choux torte with fennel, onions and goat cheese. Dessert was Nougatine Glace (light dessert with the consistency of melting ice cream). Matt realized that the ship didn't have what we needed to make the dessert, so he spent the morning making it himself improvising a way to make it work (and believe me, it worked!) It was the best part of the meal – hope I can duplicate it at home. Once again it was a fun experience and a great lunch.
Meanwhile, Doug went to a talk about how to read the ship's state of the art TRANSAS navigation monitor. He said it was short, but interesting.
I went straight from lunch to my creative writing class, but made the mistake of having two glasses of wine with lunch, so I was a bit sleepy in the class. It was still fun. When I got back to the room, all I wanted was to lie down for about an hour (which I did – for about 2!) Doug and I decided it was too much effort to get dressed, etc. for dinner with our table of 8, so we had room service for the first time. What a treat and nice convenience. All we wanted was a light meal (soup, salad) so it worked out well. Read for a bit and fell sound asleep!
Sea days are becoming pretty predictable and busy. Start off with port lecture (this time about upcoming Valparaiso, Chile, and Ilsa Robinson Caruso.) We've been to Valparaiso before, and not sure why the ship is really going to the other LITTLE island (only 36 sq. miles) and no city, no taxis, very few cars, etc. It is a world biosphere and protected park area. The most we can do is walk around, hope we see some wildlife, and maybe get a snack. Oh well . . it's all part of the travel experience.
The guest Chef Matt gave his last hands-on class. He gets off the ship tomorrow. Today we made pork cutlets with a dijon sauce (won't bother you with the fancy name) and herb spaetzli (German dumplings) The side was a pate au choux torte with fennel, onions and goat cheese. Dessert was Nougatine Glace (light dessert with the consistency of melting ice cream). Matt realized that the ship didn't have what we needed to make the dessert, so he spent the morning making it himself improvising a way to make it work (and believe me, it worked!) It was the best part of the meal – hope I can duplicate it at home. Once again it was a fun experience and a great lunch.
Meanwhile, Doug went to a talk about how to read the ship's state of the art TRANSAS navigation monitor. He said it was short, but interesting.
I went straight from lunch to my creative writing class, but made the mistake of having two glasses of wine with lunch, so I was a bit sleepy in the class. It was still fun. When I got back to the room, all I wanted was to lie down for about an hour (which I did – for about 2!) Doug and I decided it was too much effort to get dressed, etc. for dinner with our table of 8, so we had room service for the first time. What a treat and nice convenience. All we wanted was a light meal (soup, salad) so it worked out well. Read for a bit and fell sound asleep!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Blog Request
BLOG REQUEST!!!!
I know there is a space to comment on the entries I publish, but in an effort to shorten my time on-line, I'd like not to have to spend the extra minutes going through each of the blogs to see who or what was written and then respond from that. Instead, if you have any comments or questions for me personally, would you please just do it through my e-mail, which I can quickly download and then respond to off -line. My e-mail address is tauna@promail.com Thanks so much!
ASIDE: Doug “found” my Day 1 and Day 2 entries, so they will appear out of order at the end of today's entry (1-14 Day 9). Even though they are out of order, I wanted to include them so when I print this off at home at the end of the cruise, everything will be there. Hopefully all the glitches have now been worked out!
I know there is a space to comment on the entries I publish, but in an effort to shorten my time on-line, I'd like not to have to spend the extra minutes going through each of the blogs to see who or what was written and then respond from that. Instead, if you have any comments or questions for me personally, would you please just do it through my e-mail, which I can quickly download and then respond to off -line. My e-mail address is tauna@promail.com Thanks so much!
ASIDE: Doug “found” my Day 1 and Day 2 entries, so they will appear out of order at the end of today's entry (1-14 Day 9). Even though they are out of order, I wanted to include them so when I print this off at home at the end of the cruise, everything will be there. Hopefully all the glitches have now been worked out!
1-15 At Sea
1-14 Day 9 At Sea
Another fun day at sea. Started the day with a port talk about Chile – Arica and Coquimbo. Our side trip in Arica was canceled and we have none planned for Coquimbo. Up in the air about what we want to do in those two ports. One of the things I want to look up when I return home is more about the pointed nose frog which Darwin discovered and is only found in Chile. The female lays about 20-30 eggs which are then swallowed by the male frog into some special pouch he has and kept there until they become tadpoles – at which time he somehow puts them back into the water. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details and how this works, so I plan to Google this later (when I'm not paying by the minute!)
I then went on a tour of the kitchen. It was very interesting and very clean! They even gave out samples as we went along. My favorite stop was the pastry station! Unlike other ships I've been on, all the pastries are really good on this ship – especially the cookies! Probably the thing I like least is the coffee – it comes from Holland (had no idea they exported coffee) and at least the way the ship prepares it, it is VERY strong and a bit bitter. Haven't found the coffee station on the ship that makes it less strong as yet. Just as a small sample, in an average week, the consumption of the food on board is as follows: 18,040 eggs, 20,000 individual sugar packets, 12,500 pounds of fresh vegetables, 8,500 pounds of meat and meat products, and 200 gallons of ice cream.
Doug and I have started our walking program again – it really feels good to get out in the fresh air too. They have a track that is covered on the 3rd level, so you can walk rain or shine. It also has lots of lounges around it which we have found to be a great place to read during the day. There is a jogging track higher up but it has been pretty windy on most sea days, so the protected area is much preferred. After lunch, I went to a beginning Spanish class to learn very basics. Also, sampled a couple of other things in the afternoon. The arts and crafts was a joke – so many people and too simple a craft (at least today). Maybe it's better on other days. I went to observe Duplicate bridge to see how good or mean the people were. It seemed OK and there seemed to be a variety of levels. I'm just not ready to commit two hours every sea day afternoon to it if there are more interesting things to do. They also have a book club. We are going to read Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna. We will discuss it as we read it instead of waiting until we finish it. Will be interesting to see how that works out. And finally, I went to my 2nd creative writing class. I think I'm going to really enjoy this one – and learn a lot.
Tonight was a formal night. They had a theme: the Black and White Ball. The dining room was decorated really nicely, and everyone looked really super all dressed up – many in white and black to match the theme. Dinner was surf and turf with bananas foster as dessert. At 10 p.m. they had a ball in the theater area with their ship orchestra playing. Doug and I weren't interested in that. I went to the movies while Doug read. It was a very nice day . . . and tomorrow is another sea day to enjoy as well.
Another fun day at sea. Started the day with a port talk about Chile – Arica and Coquimbo. Our side trip in Arica was canceled and we have none planned for Coquimbo. Up in the air about what we want to do in those two ports. One of the things I want to look up when I return home is more about the pointed nose frog which Darwin discovered and is only found in Chile. The female lays about 20-30 eggs which are then swallowed by the male frog into some special pouch he has and kept there until they become tadpoles – at which time he somehow puts them back into the water. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details and how this works, so I plan to Google this later (when I'm not paying by the minute!)
I then went on a tour of the kitchen. It was very interesting and very clean! They even gave out samples as we went along. My favorite stop was the pastry station! Unlike other ships I've been on, all the pastries are really good on this ship – especially the cookies! Probably the thing I like least is the coffee – it comes from Holland (had no idea they exported coffee) and at least the way the ship prepares it, it is VERY strong and a bit bitter. Haven't found the coffee station on the ship that makes it less strong as yet. Just as a small sample, in an average week, the consumption of the food on board is as follows: 18,040 eggs, 20,000 individual sugar packets, 12,500 pounds of fresh vegetables, 8,500 pounds of meat and meat products, and 200 gallons of ice cream.
Doug and I have started our walking program again – it really feels good to get out in the fresh air too. They have a track that is covered on the 3rd level, so you can walk rain or shine. It also has lots of lounges around it which we have found to be a great place to read during the day. There is a jogging track higher up but it has been pretty windy on most sea days, so the protected area is much preferred. After lunch, I went to a beginning Spanish class to learn very basics. Also, sampled a couple of other things in the afternoon. The arts and crafts was a joke – so many people and too simple a craft (at least today). Maybe it's better on other days. I went to observe Duplicate bridge to see how good or mean the people were. It seemed OK and there seemed to be a variety of levels. I'm just not ready to commit two hours every sea day afternoon to it if there are more interesting things to do. They also have a book club. We are going to read Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna. We will discuss it as we read it instead of waiting until we finish it. Will be interesting to see how that works out. And finally, I went to my 2nd creative writing class. I think I'm going to really enjoy this one – and learn a lot.
Tonight was a formal night. They had a theme: the Black and White Ball. The dining room was decorated really nicely, and everyone looked really super all dressed up – many in white and black to match the theme. Dinner was surf and turf with bananas foster as dessert. At 10 p.m. they had a ball in the theater area with their ship orchestra playing. Doug and I weren't interested in that. I went to the movies while Doug read. It was a very nice day . . . and tomorrow is another sea day to enjoy as well.
1-07 At Sea
1-07 Day 2 At sea
We are really on our way, and it is so exciting – especially after a good night's sleep. We are headed for Costa Rica by way of the northern shore of Cuba, which we could see for a good part of the day. Doug slept in a bit later than I did, but I wanted to attend the 10 am initial bridge lecture to see if/how much I would be playing bridge on this trip. It didn't take long for me to realize that most of the people in the room were DEDICATED bridge players who would rather play than attend a lecture, etc. This is for the duplicate group. There were not that many interested in party bridge, so I'll just pick up a game when I can. I would rather attend the lectures! But they do have a bridge lesson every day at sea, so maybe I can pick up some good pointers at least.
We were surprised at the passenger safety briefing. In the past they have always been on the first day – before the sail away. On this cruise, it was the 2nd day – no life jackets to carry, no roll call, etc. In fact, we were told to go to station 10 – where there were only rafts, not life boats. When we asked, we were told that the assistant should have sent us down to the actual life boats (there are two station 10s – one for the passengers, one for the crew – eerily a bit like the Titanic!)
Attended our first exploration speaker series – John Palmisano – a well educated marine biologist. He had slides and was very articulate – enjoyed him very much and look forward to his next presentation. We learned that you can distinguish a marine mammal and fish by the direction of their tail. A fish's tail goes from left to right, right to left while a marine mammal's goes up and down. One of those interesting tidbits we'll know for our next trivia quiz! Brittany, you would have really enjoyed this lecture!
It is chilly on the ship, so we had lunch by the pool at the taco bar. The pool had the cover on it as it was still a bit chilly outside as well. For someone who eats very little beef, I enjoyed a big juicy cheeseburger and fries from the grill (after last night's wonderful filet mignon and baked potato.) We tried to attend another lecture by Ms Montgomery about Latin America, but her presentation put us both to sleep in our chairs, so we headed back to the cabin for an afternoons nap. (Life is so exhausting shipboard!) It was just what we needed. Had dinner at 5:30 and then went to the movie on board ship – State of Play – which we had not seen before. It was very good with lots of twists. That sounded better than the nightly entertainment. After that we checked out the ship's shops before heading back to the cabin.
Final thought: it was a lot of work to get ready for this trip with all the house stuff and the holidays, but I can say at the end of day 2 that it was well worth it. I only wish everyone reading this could be with us to share in the fun, adventure, and life on board ship.
We are really on our way, and it is so exciting – especially after a good night's sleep. We are headed for Costa Rica by way of the northern shore of Cuba, which we could see for a good part of the day. Doug slept in a bit later than I did, but I wanted to attend the 10 am initial bridge lecture to see if/how much I would be playing bridge on this trip. It didn't take long for me to realize that most of the people in the room were DEDICATED bridge players who would rather play than attend a lecture, etc. This is for the duplicate group. There were not that many interested in party bridge, so I'll just pick up a game when I can. I would rather attend the lectures! But they do have a bridge lesson every day at sea, so maybe I can pick up some good pointers at least.
We were surprised at the passenger safety briefing. In the past they have always been on the first day – before the sail away. On this cruise, it was the 2nd day – no life jackets to carry, no roll call, etc. In fact, we were told to go to station 10 – where there were only rafts, not life boats. When we asked, we were told that the assistant should have sent us down to the actual life boats (there are two station 10s – one for the passengers, one for the crew – eerily a bit like the Titanic!)
Attended our first exploration speaker series – John Palmisano – a well educated marine biologist. He had slides and was very articulate – enjoyed him very much and look forward to his next presentation. We learned that you can distinguish a marine mammal and fish by the direction of their tail. A fish's tail goes from left to right, right to left while a marine mammal's goes up and down. One of those interesting tidbits we'll know for our next trivia quiz! Brittany, you would have really enjoyed this lecture!
It is chilly on the ship, so we had lunch by the pool at the taco bar. The pool had the cover on it as it was still a bit chilly outside as well. For someone who eats very little beef, I enjoyed a big juicy cheeseburger and fries from the grill (after last night's wonderful filet mignon and baked potato.) We tried to attend another lecture by Ms Montgomery about Latin America, but her presentation put us both to sleep in our chairs, so we headed back to the cabin for an afternoons nap. (Life is so exhausting shipboard!) It was just what we needed. Had dinner at 5:30 and then went to the movie on board ship – State of Play – which we had not seen before. It was very good with lots of twists. That sounded better than the nightly entertainment. After that we checked out the ship's shops before heading back to the cabin.
Final thought: it was a lot of work to get ready for this trip with all the house stuff and the holidays, but I can say at the end of day 2 that it was well worth it. I only wish everyone reading this could be with us to share in the fun, adventure, and life on board ship.
Embarkation
1-06 Day 1 Embarkation
We made it – barely, but we did! And now we're launched. After a mere 3 hours of sleep last night (don't even ask!), we drove to Ft. Lauderdale to the pier to get on Holland America's ms Amsterdam – our home for the next 100 plus days!
We are in cabin 2642. We are on the port side because Doug realized that most of the scenery on this cruise would be on that side of the ship as we sailed. When all 7 suitcases arrived in our cabin (not including our two backpacks and two roll ons!), we never thought there would be enough room in the closets, drawers, etc. to hold all of our stuff. But lo and behold, there was – with a bit of room to spare (I guess for all those great buys we make along the way!)
While waiting for our luggage to get sent to our room, we went up and explored the library and tech center. It's my favorite place on the ship, so far. They have a specialty coffee bar there as well. There are tons of books, DVDs, and games to check out. We may never make it to an excursion!
We went to the sail away – or what should have been the sail away – but because there were still a lot of pallets of supplies and luggage to still be brought on board, we were delayed by over two hours. They did have a complimentary champagne and live music party, but just no sailing!!
From there we went to dinner (we are 1st seating with a table of 8.) We enjoyed our table companions. All of them are on for the whole 4 months. I have no idea what happens after about a month and we've exhausted all there is to say . . . but that is a ways down the road. We were just pleased no one was obnoxious and overbearing!
When we returned to our cabin, all our luggage had arrived. We did some initial unpacking and I had a chance to get one last call in to kids and grandkids before the ship's whistle blew for departure. We were so tired that we didn't explore the ship, go to the evening entertainment, etc. This is highly unusual, especially for me, so I knew we were way above exhaustion. So we went to bed early knowing we still had over a 100 days left for exploration and activities.
We made it – barely, but we did! And now we're launched. After a mere 3 hours of sleep last night (don't even ask!), we drove to Ft. Lauderdale to the pier to get on Holland America's ms Amsterdam – our home for the next 100 plus days!
We are in cabin 2642. We are on the port side because Doug realized that most of the scenery on this cruise would be on that side of the ship as we sailed. When all 7 suitcases arrived in our cabin (not including our two backpacks and two roll ons!), we never thought there would be enough room in the closets, drawers, etc. to hold all of our stuff. But lo and behold, there was – with a bit of room to spare (I guess for all those great buys we make along the way!)
While waiting for our luggage to get sent to our room, we went up and explored the library and tech center. It's my favorite place on the ship, so far. They have a specialty coffee bar there as well. There are tons of books, DVDs, and games to check out. We may never make it to an excursion!
We went to the sail away – or what should have been the sail away – but because there were still a lot of pallets of supplies and luggage to still be brought on board, we were delayed by over two hours. They did have a complimentary champagne and live music party, but just no sailing!!
From there we went to dinner (we are 1st seating with a table of 8.) We enjoyed our table companions. All of them are on for the whole 4 months. I have no idea what happens after about a month and we've exhausted all there is to say . . . but that is a ways down the road. We were just pleased no one was obnoxious and overbearing!
When we returned to our cabin, all our luggage had arrived. We did some initial unpacking and I had a chance to get one last call in to kids and grandkids before the ship's whistle blew for departure. We were so tired that we didn't explore the ship, go to the evening entertainment, etc. This is highly unusual, especially for me, so I knew we were way above exhaustion. So we went to bed early knowing we still had over a 100 days left for exploration and activities.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
1-14 Manta Ecuador
1-14 Day 8 Manta, Ecuador
Crossed over the Equator during the night, so we are now in the southern hemisphere. We arrived early into Manta (around 5 a.m.) because some of the passengers were leaving from here for the Galapagos Islands and needed an early start.
Manta is a busy port town – it has the world's largest tuna fleet. It was fun to see all the boats with their nets, buoys, etc. But it is not a pretty port and does not offer a lot to see and do. The biggest thing is a side trip to a small town, Montecristi, to see where they make Panama hats. The interesting thing is - why do they make Panama hats in Ecuador? Well, they have always made them in Ecuador, but because all the workers building the Panama canal wore them, they became known as Panama hats. We did not go to this nearby town because we knew we weren't interested in purchasing a hat!
Instead we went by shuttle bus to a craft market in Manta where they sold lots of local crafts, including Panama hats. They were not the better quality hats like the ones actually made in Montecristi, but it was fun to see all of them – and so many being bought up by tourists. Doug bought me a necklace slider made out of some of their various local stones and put in silver in an interesting design. I wore it to dinner tonight. It is different and pretty. It was very warm in the market and there was not much to see or buy, so we were only there for a short time.
After a light lunch, I spent the afternoon reading and Doug went to the movie (including popcorn!) on board ship. It was a very relaxing day.
After dinner tonight, the ship's entertainment was a group of local dancers who portrayed their culture through interpretive dance, colorful costumes, and music. It was not very good, actually – more like a high school performance that hadn't practiced enough.
An aside: I think I've mentioned that there are a LOT of older people on this ship. We heard about a poor elderly lady who wanders the halls in her nightgown and just one slipper. Don't believe she is on our floor as we haven't encountered her yet. But we did see another elderly couple again today in the dining room for lunch. The man was still wearing his shoe horn in his shoe as he made his way to the table. We weren't sure if we should say something or just let it go – we decided to just let him go on and enjoy his lunch and not worry about his feet! I truly don't know how some of these folks make it through a day. On the other end, there is a single young mom on board with her 4 year old daughter. Doug overheard her telling someone that her husband had been killed in Afghanistan – he was a navy seal. Before that, he was part of the navy seal team who eliminated the Somali pirates who had taken the American captain hostage in the Indian Ocean. So we have both ends of the spectrum here on the Amsterdam.
The next two days are sea days before we arrive in Peru, so the Blog entries will probably be pretty short!
Crossed over the Equator during the night, so we are now in the southern hemisphere. We arrived early into Manta (around 5 a.m.) because some of the passengers were leaving from here for the Galapagos Islands and needed an early start.
Manta is a busy port town – it has the world's largest tuna fleet. It was fun to see all the boats with their nets, buoys, etc. But it is not a pretty port and does not offer a lot to see and do. The biggest thing is a side trip to a small town, Montecristi, to see where they make Panama hats. The interesting thing is - why do they make Panama hats in Ecuador? Well, they have always made them in Ecuador, but because all the workers building the Panama canal wore them, they became known as Panama hats. We did not go to this nearby town because we knew we weren't interested in purchasing a hat!
Instead we went by shuttle bus to a craft market in Manta where they sold lots of local crafts, including Panama hats. They were not the better quality hats like the ones actually made in Montecristi, but it was fun to see all of them – and so many being bought up by tourists. Doug bought me a necklace slider made out of some of their various local stones and put in silver in an interesting design. I wore it to dinner tonight. It is different and pretty. It was very warm in the market and there was not much to see or buy, so we were only there for a short time.
After a light lunch, I spent the afternoon reading and Doug went to the movie (including popcorn!) on board ship. It was a very relaxing day.
After dinner tonight, the ship's entertainment was a group of local dancers who portrayed their culture through interpretive dance, colorful costumes, and music. It was not very good, actually – more like a high school performance that hadn't practiced enough.
An aside: I think I've mentioned that there are a LOT of older people on this ship. We heard about a poor elderly lady who wanders the halls in her nightgown and just one slipper. Don't believe she is on our floor as we haven't encountered her yet. But we did see another elderly couple again today in the dining room for lunch. The man was still wearing his shoe horn in his shoe as he made his way to the table. We weren't sure if we should say something or just let it go – we decided to just let him go on and enjoy his lunch and not worry about his feet! I truly don't know how some of these folks make it through a day. On the other end, there is a single young mom on board with her 4 year old daughter. Doug overheard her telling someone that her husband had been killed in Afghanistan – he was a navy seal. Before that, he was part of the navy seal team who eliminated the Somali pirates who had taken the American captain hostage in the Indian Ocean. So we have both ends of the spectrum here on the Amsterdam.
The next two days are sea days before we arrive in Peru, so the Blog entries will probably be pretty short!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
1-12 Day at Sea
1-12 Day 7 At sea
What an amazing day! This had to be one of my best at sea days ever! I had a cooking class (only 12 participants) with Chef Matthew Gennuso. He is a well known chef who now is the chef and owner of Chez Pascal, a French-American bistro in Providence, Rhode Island. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has cooked at some of the best restaurants on either coast as well as worked with other great chefs like Paul Bertolli, etc. In spite of all that, he was a real down to earth kind of guy and fun to cook with. The session started with all of us getting chef hats, aprons, and recipe cards. Everyone had the opportunity to participate in the food prep for the best lunch I've had on the ship so far! So, you are all invited now to try some of my new cuisine at Chez Tauna. Our menu was date and almond roasted chicken (the “rub” for the chicken was excellent!); potato dumplings with leeks, peas, and bacon; and crepes with caramel sauce. Everything was made from scratch. After we completed the preparation, we enjoyed eating it in one of the small, dining rooms on the ship – accompanied with a delicious white wine! From start to finish was almost 3 hours – some of the most fun three hours I've spent. I immediately signed up for his next cooking class. He will only be on the ship for one more demo class (no hands on) and one last hands-on class.
After that activity, I immediately went to a creative writing class. This is going to also be great fun and a great learning experience. Our instructor taught us two techniques to close off our left brain to let our creative right brain function at its max. We will meet every sea day from now on. Who knows – I may be writing about one of YOU before too long!!! Not to worry – everyone will remain anonymous!
Caught up getting e-mails out and writing my Blog entry from yesterday's adventure. Doug enjoyed his day relaxing, reading, and getting the e-mail complications worked out. He is also looking forward to trying some of my new recipes!
Ended with a dinner (one of the best so far!) of beef tenderloin with Bernaise sauce and wonderful veggies and roasted potatoes (not to mention the butterscotch sundae dessert!) Today was definitely a great food day! Waddle, waddle!!!
What an amazing day! This had to be one of my best at sea days ever! I had a cooking class (only 12 participants) with Chef Matthew Gennuso. He is a well known chef who now is the chef and owner of Chez Pascal, a French-American bistro in Providence, Rhode Island. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has cooked at some of the best restaurants on either coast as well as worked with other great chefs like Paul Bertolli, etc. In spite of all that, he was a real down to earth kind of guy and fun to cook with. The session started with all of us getting chef hats, aprons, and recipe cards. Everyone had the opportunity to participate in the food prep for the best lunch I've had on the ship so far! So, you are all invited now to try some of my new cuisine at Chez Tauna. Our menu was date and almond roasted chicken (the “rub” for the chicken was excellent!); potato dumplings with leeks, peas, and bacon; and crepes with caramel sauce. Everything was made from scratch. After we completed the preparation, we enjoyed eating it in one of the small, dining rooms on the ship – accompanied with a delicious white wine! From start to finish was almost 3 hours – some of the most fun three hours I've spent. I immediately signed up for his next cooking class. He will only be on the ship for one more demo class (no hands on) and one last hands-on class.
After that activity, I immediately went to a creative writing class. This is going to also be great fun and a great learning experience. Our instructor taught us two techniques to close off our left brain to let our creative right brain function at its max. We will meet every sea day from now on. Who knows – I may be writing about one of YOU before too long!!! Not to worry – everyone will remain anonymous!
Caught up getting e-mails out and writing my Blog entry from yesterday's adventure. Doug enjoyed his day relaxing, reading, and getting the e-mail complications worked out. He is also looking forward to trying some of my new recipes!
Ended with a dinner (one of the best so far!) of beef tenderloin with Bernaise sauce and wonderful veggies and roasted potatoes (not to mention the butterscotch sundae dessert!) Today was definitely a great food day! Waddle, waddle!!!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
1-10 Embera Indians
1-11 Day 6 Fuerte Amador, Panama
Imagine you live in a forest – a rain forest – with only the things from this forest for your survival – plus from the river that runs in front of your land. It is like going back in time – approximately 600 years in fact . . . and that is what we did today on our excursion to visit the Embera Indian village.
We had a full day – leaving the ship at 8 a.m., heading off in a coach for 1 ½ hours around the city of Panama with its high rises and into the mountainous countryside. Along the way, our guide described for us what we would be experiencing today.
The Embera Indians are a proud people who maintain their traditions and lifestyle as it was before the Spaniards colonized Panama. They are the keepers of the rain forest and the Chagres River. They live in the Chagres National Park. Their main duty is to keep the Park pure and undamaged with its survival more important than their own.
When we arrived at the river, we got off the bus and got into dugout canoes – the real thing – wooden boats with wooden benches holding about 8 people max. Men from the tribe greeted us and helped us into the boats. They were wearing only loin cloths and most of their bodies were tattooed (we learned later how and why). The only modern thing was a motor at the back of the dugouts. But a man was at the front with a large pole to help guide us along the more rocky and narrow parts of the river.
The ride was glorious. It was peaceful and quiet (except for the motor!) and we saw birds and green all around us. We even saw a HUGE (12-14 foot) croc glide into the water as we went by. After about 40 minutes of going through natural beauty, we arrived at the village (by this time, the original wide river had turned into a much narrower river – in fact, before we arrived at our destination, there were tribesmen in the river where it was too shallow to go through on our own, and they helped the canoes through it by hand!). As we approached, the whole tribe came out to greet us – with greetings and music. The women were wearing colorful material for skirts and native jewelry over their bare breasts. The children were dressed like the adults – young boys with little loin cloths and young girls with just the little skirts. All were barefoot. The instruments they played were all hand-made --- a flute, drum, etc.
We gathered in their big common area (a thatched roof over a large dirt area) for an introduction from their chief and an explanation of their culture. It was fascinating. Their medical needs are met with herbs from the rain forest (we noticed there were not many old people!) Their tattoos and coloring of their skin came from a seed/plant that when boiled, produced a dark color. They use the tattoos for more than just decoration. The dark color on their already dark skins help with sunburn and bugs. The women wear a tin/silver necklace (given to them by their mothers) and are passed down from generation to generation. They get their protein from the fish they catch, and grow bananas and papaya and other fruit. That is their basic diet. They looked quite healthy. They have thick, dark beautiful hair that the women let grow long. Not sure how the men cut theirs or how they “shave.” There is no wedding ceremony, but rather they just kinda decide to be man and wife and after their agreement, that is it. If they decide they no longer want to be married, they just leave the arrangement. There is not much of that, however.
There are over 100 people in this village with 26 family units. Each family lives in a thatched roof hut above the ground with a crude wooden ladder for coming and going. The rungs are cut into only one side of the ladder, so when they are not at home or want privacy, they merely turn the ladder over so there are no rungs available! They have one larger hut for cooking. We only had time to see some of these homes – from the ground. We could see the bedding (like a hammock) with colorful material for it. Lots of roosters and hens running around on the ground.
They demonstrated their dances – they especially enjoyed doing the Monkey Dance which was mainly going around in a circle to a beat of a drum while they sang more tribal sounds. They also showed how they made their ornamental artwork (for sale!). They used different types of grasses with different ways of dying them – depending upon what color you used. There was a real skill involved because they made their designs as they went along – not “penciled in” and then gone over with appropriate colors, etc. We bought one of their artifacts that was very colorful.
As for school, the children attend a school about a 30 minute walk away for all the surrounding tribes to use – it is like a one room school house. They also are supported by some church groups in Panama who will educate some of the children and give them a home for the duration of their primary education. Some gooff to the local universities, but most return to the tribe.
They served us refreshments – pineapple, papaya, and fried plantains (a type of banana) along with tilapia they fried in a big pot over their cooking fire. They served it in a “dish” that was made of palm leaves. It was all actually delicious!
While we were there, we watched the children play. There is something so universal about children. They all laugh, cry and play in such similar ways. The little boys wrestled around with each other, the little girls held hands, giggled and ran around together. It was delightful.
While we were there, it rained off and on. When it was time to leave, the sky opened and even though we all had ponchos, we were drenched just getting from the main hut to the dugouts at the bottom of the hill on the river. It was all dirt and gravel, so the rain washed lots of mud along the path. So, shoes, socks, etc. were also very wet and muddy, but we didn't care – it was worth the experience. It rained off and on while we were in the dugouts coming back as well.
It was quite an adventure. There was a young woman from the Peace Corps who was living in this village for two years. She said she really loved being there, and that all that we would consider inconveniences actually became some of her favorite parts of the experience. While I don't think I would be up to the challenge, I was glad to be part of this world for part of a day. Happiness is relative, and while many might feel sorry for these poor Indians, they were quite happy and pleased with their lives. It was very uplifting to observe all of this.
Back on the ship, we showered and got rid of all the dirt and mud – but not the memories that will last a life time.
Imagine you live in a forest – a rain forest – with only the things from this forest for your survival – plus from the river that runs in front of your land. It is like going back in time – approximately 600 years in fact . . . and that is what we did today on our excursion to visit the Embera Indian village.
We had a full day – leaving the ship at 8 a.m., heading off in a coach for 1 ½ hours around the city of Panama with its high rises and into the mountainous countryside. Along the way, our guide described for us what we would be experiencing today.
The Embera Indians are a proud people who maintain their traditions and lifestyle as it was before the Spaniards colonized Panama. They are the keepers of the rain forest and the Chagres River. They live in the Chagres National Park. Their main duty is to keep the Park pure and undamaged with its survival more important than their own.
When we arrived at the river, we got off the bus and got into dugout canoes – the real thing – wooden boats with wooden benches holding about 8 people max. Men from the tribe greeted us and helped us into the boats. They were wearing only loin cloths and most of their bodies were tattooed (we learned later how and why). The only modern thing was a motor at the back of the dugouts. But a man was at the front with a large pole to help guide us along the more rocky and narrow parts of the river.
The ride was glorious. It was peaceful and quiet (except for the motor!) and we saw birds and green all around us. We even saw a HUGE (12-14 foot) croc glide into the water as we went by. After about 40 minutes of going through natural beauty, we arrived at the village (by this time, the original wide river had turned into a much narrower river – in fact, before we arrived at our destination, there were tribesmen in the river where it was too shallow to go through on our own, and they helped the canoes through it by hand!). As we approached, the whole tribe came out to greet us – with greetings and music. The women were wearing colorful material for skirts and native jewelry over their bare breasts. The children were dressed like the adults – young boys with little loin cloths and young girls with just the little skirts. All were barefoot. The instruments they played were all hand-made --- a flute, drum, etc.
We gathered in their big common area (a thatched roof over a large dirt area) for an introduction from their chief and an explanation of their culture. It was fascinating. Their medical needs are met with herbs from the rain forest (we noticed there were not many old people!) Their tattoos and coloring of their skin came from a seed/plant that when boiled, produced a dark color. They use the tattoos for more than just decoration. The dark color on their already dark skins help with sunburn and bugs. The women wear a tin/silver necklace (given to them by their mothers) and are passed down from generation to generation. They get their protein from the fish they catch, and grow bananas and papaya and other fruit. That is their basic diet. They looked quite healthy. They have thick, dark beautiful hair that the women let grow long. Not sure how the men cut theirs or how they “shave.” There is no wedding ceremony, but rather they just kinda decide to be man and wife and after their agreement, that is it. If they decide they no longer want to be married, they just leave the arrangement. There is not much of that, however.
There are over 100 people in this village with 26 family units. Each family lives in a thatched roof hut above the ground with a crude wooden ladder for coming and going. The rungs are cut into only one side of the ladder, so when they are not at home or want privacy, they merely turn the ladder over so there are no rungs available! They have one larger hut for cooking. We only had time to see some of these homes – from the ground. We could see the bedding (like a hammock) with colorful material for it. Lots of roosters and hens running around on the ground.
They demonstrated their dances – they especially enjoyed doing the Monkey Dance which was mainly going around in a circle to a beat of a drum while they sang more tribal sounds. They also showed how they made their ornamental artwork (for sale!). They used different types of grasses with different ways of dying them – depending upon what color you used. There was a real skill involved because they made their designs as they went along – not “penciled in” and then gone over with appropriate colors, etc. We bought one of their artifacts that was very colorful.
As for school, the children attend a school about a 30 minute walk away for all the surrounding tribes to use – it is like a one room school house. They also are supported by some church groups in Panama who will educate some of the children and give them a home for the duration of their primary education. Some gooff to the local universities, but most return to the tribe.
They served us refreshments – pineapple, papaya, and fried plantains (a type of banana) along with tilapia they fried in a big pot over their cooking fire. They served it in a “dish” that was made of palm leaves. It was all actually delicious!
While we were there, we watched the children play. There is something so universal about children. They all laugh, cry and play in such similar ways. The little boys wrestled around with each other, the little girls held hands, giggled and ran around together. It was delightful.
While we were there, it rained off and on. When it was time to leave, the sky opened and even though we all had ponchos, we were drenched just getting from the main hut to the dugouts at the bottom of the hill on the river. It was all dirt and gravel, so the rain washed lots of mud along the path. So, shoes, socks, etc. were also very wet and muddy, but we didn't care – it was worth the experience. It rained off and on while we were in the dugouts coming back as well.
It was quite an adventure. There was a young woman from the Peace Corps who was living in this village for two years. She said she really loved being there, and that all that we would consider inconveniences actually became some of her favorite parts of the experience. While I don't think I would be up to the challenge, I was glad to be part of this world for part of a day. Happiness is relative, and while many might feel sorry for these poor Indians, they were quite happy and pleased with their lives. It was very uplifting to observe all of this.
Back on the ship, we showered and got rid of all the dirt and mud – but not the memories that will last a life time.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Day 5 Panama Canal
1-10 Day 5 Panama Canal
Up very early to start observing the transit of the Panama Canal. What an amazing structure. It took almost all day to go through the three sets of locks. It is a lock-type canal that is about 80 kilometers long and unites the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It officially opened the doors to international trade in 1914. Its service is available to a limited number of vessels with a year in advance reservation. Because of larger ships being built, a new canal area is being constructed to accommodate larger and more ships. Currently, the maximum dimensions for a ship are 106 feet wide, 965 feet long with a draft of 39 ½ feet.
The Canal's three sets of locks, each of which has two lanes, operates as water lifts to elevate ships 26 meters above sea level to the level of Gatun Lake, in their transit of the channel across the Continental Divide, and then lower them back to sea level on the opposite side of the Isthmus. During the lockages, miter gates seal the locks chambers and gravity drains the waster to the lower levels. Approximately 197 million liters of fresh water are used for each lockage and ultimately flushed into the sea.
When passing through the locks, ships are assisted by electric locomotives which use cables to align and tow the ships. Working in pairs, locomotives move on rails and keep the vessels in position within the lock chambers.
The first and largest lock was the Gatun Locks – a three step process. There are two lanes, and we followed a Seaborne ship most of the day. Donkeys used to help guide the ships into the compartments so the current locomotives are still referred to as donkeys. For our ship, in the compartments, we had two feet of space on each side of the ship – not a lot of wiggle room!
We sailed a few hours until we reached the next two sets of locks. They had to be divided into two separate locks because the sea floor was not strong enough to handle the weight. The next small lock was the Pedro Miguel Locks – a two-step process. The last was the Miraflores Locks.
During the Miguel Locks, I went back to the cabin and was surprised to find the room dark. As I looked out the window, I realized we were in the lock and our cabin was below the upper level. I immediately snapped tons of pictures of this perspective. Most of the rest of the pictures were taken from the Crow's Nest (highest inside point on the ship) and the 3rd level outside front deck.
I decided to take all my pictures of the last lock from the outside 3rd level bow. It took about an hour – and it was very warm out there! But I took lots of great pictures which I will share at a later time. We are still working out the kinks on getting this blog up and going from the ship.
The most amazing thing about the Canal was to realize that it is about 100 years old and still operating. It is such an important part of transportation for the world. While it is costly, it is still more economical for most ships to go through the Canal rather than sail around South America. We also saw lots of big ships in the Canal area – it is one busy place!!!
Tonight we decided not to eat with our “group of 8” - we're not interested in the nightly ship's entertainment, so we will have a later supper and try to post all my blog entries. We also need to download and respond to e-mails. So, that will be our evening's entertainment!
Up very early to start observing the transit of the Panama Canal. What an amazing structure. It took almost all day to go through the three sets of locks. It is a lock-type canal that is about 80 kilometers long and unites the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It officially opened the doors to international trade in 1914. Its service is available to a limited number of vessels with a year in advance reservation. Because of larger ships being built, a new canal area is being constructed to accommodate larger and more ships. Currently, the maximum dimensions for a ship are 106 feet wide, 965 feet long with a draft of 39 ½ feet.
The Canal's three sets of locks, each of which has two lanes, operates as water lifts to elevate ships 26 meters above sea level to the level of Gatun Lake, in their transit of the channel across the Continental Divide, and then lower them back to sea level on the opposite side of the Isthmus. During the lockages, miter gates seal the locks chambers and gravity drains the waster to the lower levels. Approximately 197 million liters of fresh water are used for each lockage and ultimately flushed into the sea.
When passing through the locks, ships are assisted by electric locomotives which use cables to align and tow the ships. Working in pairs, locomotives move on rails and keep the vessels in position within the lock chambers.
The first and largest lock was the Gatun Locks – a three step process. There are two lanes, and we followed a Seaborne ship most of the day. Donkeys used to help guide the ships into the compartments so the current locomotives are still referred to as donkeys. For our ship, in the compartments, we had two feet of space on each side of the ship – not a lot of wiggle room!
We sailed a few hours until we reached the next two sets of locks. They had to be divided into two separate locks because the sea floor was not strong enough to handle the weight. The next small lock was the Pedro Miguel Locks – a two-step process. The last was the Miraflores Locks.
During the Miguel Locks, I went back to the cabin and was surprised to find the room dark. As I looked out the window, I realized we were in the lock and our cabin was below the upper level. I immediately snapped tons of pictures of this perspective. Most of the rest of the pictures were taken from the Crow's Nest (highest inside point on the ship) and the 3rd level outside front deck.
I decided to take all my pictures of the last lock from the outside 3rd level bow. It took about an hour – and it was very warm out there! But I took lots of great pictures which I will share at a later time. We are still working out the kinks on getting this blog up and going from the ship.
The most amazing thing about the Canal was to realize that it is about 100 years old and still operating. It is such an important part of transportation for the world. While it is costly, it is still more economical for most ships to go through the Canal rather than sail around South America. We also saw lots of big ships in the Canal area – it is one busy place!!!
Tonight we decided not to eat with our “group of 8” - we're not interested in the nightly ship's entertainment, so we will have a later supper and try to post all my blog entries. We also need to download and respond to e-mails. So, that will be our evening's entertainment!
Day 4 Costa Rica
1-9 Day 4 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
We had an 8:30 a.m. Excursion planned for today – the Tortuguero Canals. We boarded a mini bus and drove out of the town area (very seaport kind of town) and into more of the country side. We learned a lot about Costa Rica from our excellent guide, Irene. For example, Costa Rica means “rich coast” in Spanish. When Christopher Columbus discovered this country, he saw that all the people had lots of gold and emeralds, so he assumed it was a rich country and thus named it accordingly. He later found out that it was a very poor country and that these valuables had been purchased fom other parts of Central America.
Costa Rica has a very high literacy rate (90 plus %) and the government pays for a very good educational system available to all citizens of the country. It provides scholarships for those who can't afford it. So, most of the people in this country are educated and aren't interested in manual labor – so their “illegal immigrants” are from surrounding poorer countries. However, the difference is, they treat them like they are citizens.
Another interesting fact: Costa Rica used to be a big coffee exporter, but is no longer. Vietnam (surprised us) is the #1 coffee bean exporter in the world. So, Costa Rica no longer competes. It concentrates on quality beans rather than quantity. Costa Rica's #1 export is Intel's microchips. A lot of their employees are trained the local universities. Bananas rank as the #2 export for Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has no standing army (similar to Switzerland) and has had universal health care for six decades. It is also known for its strict environmental laws. Limon is its busiest Caribbean port.
Our first stop was to a banana plantation. We thought this was going to be a boring stop, but were surprised by how interesting it was. First we saw lots and lots of banana plants – not trees. Banana plants (look like trees!) grow with two stalks, only one producing bunches at a time. That way, when one stalk is cut down, the other is still there producing more bananas. We saw the whole process from the bunches on the tree to the putting them in the boxes for shipment. Blue bags are put around them while they are on the tree. That is to protect the workers/pickers from tarantula and snake bites (these pesty little biters like to plant themselves on the banana bunches.) As the plastic bags are removed (and yes, recycled!), the bunches go through an extensive washing/cleaning process from being hosed down to smaller bunches being picked off and washed in huge tubs of water where they are also sorted. The too ripe ones get sent to another area to be recycled (Costa Rica is very “green” in every way!) The ones saved for market are then dried off and put in shipping boxes. This whole process takes place on the individual plantations. The workers are paid a starting salary of $300 every six months. For them, this is more than sufficient because the plantation owners pay for their food and housing. Each plantation has a little community of its workers with schools for the children (paid for by the government). And you guessed it, these are not Costa Ricans for the most part.) After the “tour,” we headed off for the canals. Aside: the Costa Ricans don't eat the bananas that are prepared for market. They eat the smaller ones with “black spots” on them because they are much sweeter and better!
We arrived at the canals and boarded little boats (Mawambas) to cruise through the jungle canals known as Costa Rica's “Amazon” because of the surrounding rain forest. It was a fun adventure. We saw different wild life: a caiman (a small crocodile), all kinds of birds, howler monkeys playing in the trees (we had seen these when we were on the lake in the Panama Canal on a former trip), iguanas, and sloths. There are two-toed and three toed sloths distinguished by their color. At first I thought the guide was trying to count their toes with the binoculars! They are VERY lazy animals (make the Australian koala bears look manic) and come down from their trees only once a week – and that is to poop at the bottom of the tree. We also saw beautiful flowers and lots of green everything along the banks of the canals. These are man-made but protected by the government. However, I was surprised to find some small homes and “restaurants” (using that term rather loosely) at different spots along the way. For the most part, however, it was mainly just muddy brown waterways with green on both sides. The weather was perfect – not too hot, no rain. Upon returning to the dock, we enjoyed a calypso band and some refreshments. We sampled watermelon, pineapple, and bananas – with a local beer – interesting combo!
Back at the pier (only a 20 minute drive), we stopped at their little market and bought a rosewood back scratcher for Ted! I tried it – you'll love it, Ted. Don't know anyone who likes a back scratched as much as I do as Ted!
Back on ship, we had a late lunch (Thai!) and then took a wee nap before dinner. We had Costa Rican dishes as menu options, so Doug enjoyed the black bean soup and I had the beer battered shrimp. Both were good. After dinner we went to see the comedian Max Dolcelli. We had never heard of him, but he was one of the comedy writers for several seasons for Saturday Night Live. He was only fair, but did give us a few laughs. Good way to end a very good day.
We had an 8:30 a.m. Excursion planned for today – the Tortuguero Canals. We boarded a mini bus and drove out of the town area (very seaport kind of town) and into more of the country side. We learned a lot about Costa Rica from our excellent guide, Irene. For example, Costa Rica means “rich coast” in Spanish. When Christopher Columbus discovered this country, he saw that all the people had lots of gold and emeralds, so he assumed it was a rich country and thus named it accordingly. He later found out that it was a very poor country and that these valuables had been purchased fom other parts of Central America.
Costa Rica has a very high literacy rate (90 plus %) and the government pays for a very good educational system available to all citizens of the country. It provides scholarships for those who can't afford it. So, most of the people in this country are educated and aren't interested in manual labor – so their “illegal immigrants” are from surrounding poorer countries. However, the difference is, they treat them like they are citizens.
Another interesting fact: Costa Rica used to be a big coffee exporter, but is no longer. Vietnam (surprised us) is the #1 coffee bean exporter in the world. So, Costa Rica no longer competes. It concentrates on quality beans rather than quantity. Costa Rica's #1 export is Intel's microchips. A lot of their employees are trained the local universities. Bananas rank as the #2 export for Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has no standing army (similar to Switzerland) and has had universal health care for six decades. It is also known for its strict environmental laws. Limon is its busiest Caribbean port.
Our first stop was to a banana plantation. We thought this was going to be a boring stop, but were surprised by how interesting it was. First we saw lots and lots of banana plants – not trees. Banana plants (look like trees!) grow with two stalks, only one producing bunches at a time. That way, when one stalk is cut down, the other is still there producing more bananas. We saw the whole process from the bunches on the tree to the putting them in the boxes for shipment. Blue bags are put around them while they are on the tree. That is to protect the workers/pickers from tarantula and snake bites (these pesty little biters like to plant themselves on the banana bunches.) As the plastic bags are removed (and yes, recycled!), the bunches go through an extensive washing/cleaning process from being hosed down to smaller bunches being picked off and washed in huge tubs of water where they are also sorted. The too ripe ones get sent to another area to be recycled (Costa Rica is very “green” in every way!) The ones saved for market are then dried off and put in shipping boxes. This whole process takes place on the individual plantations. The workers are paid a starting salary of $300 every six months. For them, this is more than sufficient because the plantation owners pay for their food and housing. Each plantation has a little community of its workers with schools for the children (paid for by the government). And you guessed it, these are not Costa Ricans for the most part.) After the “tour,” we headed off for the canals. Aside: the Costa Ricans don't eat the bananas that are prepared for market. They eat the smaller ones with “black spots” on them because they are much sweeter and better!
We arrived at the canals and boarded little boats (Mawambas) to cruise through the jungle canals known as Costa Rica's “Amazon” because of the surrounding rain forest. It was a fun adventure. We saw different wild life: a caiman (a small crocodile), all kinds of birds, howler monkeys playing in the trees (we had seen these when we were on the lake in the Panama Canal on a former trip), iguanas, and sloths. There are two-toed and three toed sloths distinguished by their color. At first I thought the guide was trying to count their toes with the binoculars! They are VERY lazy animals (make the Australian koala bears look manic) and come down from their trees only once a week – and that is to poop at the bottom of the tree. We also saw beautiful flowers and lots of green everything along the banks of the canals. These are man-made but protected by the government. However, I was surprised to find some small homes and “restaurants” (using that term rather loosely) at different spots along the way. For the most part, however, it was mainly just muddy brown waterways with green on both sides. The weather was perfect – not too hot, no rain. Upon returning to the dock, we enjoyed a calypso band and some refreshments. We sampled watermelon, pineapple, and bananas – with a local beer – interesting combo!
Back at the pier (only a 20 minute drive), we stopped at their little market and bought a rosewood back scratcher for Ted! I tried it – you'll love it, Ted. Don't know anyone who likes a back scratched as much as I do as Ted!
Back on ship, we had a late lunch (Thai!) and then took a wee nap before dinner. We had Costa Rican dishes as menu options, so Doug enjoyed the black bean soup and I had the beer battered shrimp. Both were good. After dinner we went to see the comedian Max Dolcelli. We had never heard of him, but he was one of the comedy writers for several seasons for Saturday Night Live. He was only fair, but did give us a few laughs. Good way to end a very good day.
Day 3 At Sea
1-8 Day 3 At sea
Today started with a 9 a.m. Port talk with the travel guide, Barbara. She discussed the next two ports – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica and Panama. She was very engaging with her presentation and slides. She likes to start with the country's flag because it tells so much about that country. Costa Rica's was really informative with the 3 mountain ranges separating the two seas and with coffee beans around the edge of the seal. Panama's flag was less intricate with two stars (it has been a couple of days since I heard this lecture, and sorry to say, I'll have to look this one up!)
At 10 a.m. We met with the cruise critic group I had signed on with months ago, so now we know who we are, not just an internet name. It was on OK group, but probably won't do a lot with them.
When I get home, you are invited to try some of my new recipes I picked up in the culinary demonstration. It was really fun. I learned how to make coconut vanilla prawns (the secret is using a real vanilla pod) and pork curry with bananas. We were able to sample both, so I know how delicious they are. I already signed up for the upcoming hands-on cooking class (only 12 people) this next week. We will eat what we cook afterwards – hope it's good!
Of course after that, Doug and I were hungry so we had lunch. We really like the Asian selection – it's different every day. And, of course after that, it was nap time again. We are finding just how exhausting the whole pre-trip activities were. It will take us a few days to catch up and feel rejuvenated again.
Tonight was formal night and the captain's champagne welcome reception. He is a young and very good looking captain from the Netherlands – so it is fun to listen to his announcements with that wonderful accent. Dinner was lobster and cherries jubilee. The night's entertainment was really for the older group (believe it or not, we are some of the youngest on board!) - it was Doc Severinsen (the band leader from the Johnny Carson show) and his new group. He has moved to Mexico and hooked up with a group there. Actually, a lot of their music was very good – and Doc can still play the trumpet. It was like watching a jam session. All the members were really “into” the music. We especially enjoyed the Spanish and Mexican pieces they played – all very energetic. Great way to end the day.
Today started with a 9 a.m. Port talk with the travel guide, Barbara. She discussed the next two ports – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica and Panama. She was very engaging with her presentation and slides. She likes to start with the country's flag because it tells so much about that country. Costa Rica's was really informative with the 3 mountain ranges separating the two seas and with coffee beans around the edge of the seal. Panama's flag was less intricate with two stars (it has been a couple of days since I heard this lecture, and sorry to say, I'll have to look this one up!)
At 10 a.m. We met with the cruise critic group I had signed on with months ago, so now we know who we are, not just an internet name. It was on OK group, but probably won't do a lot with them.
When I get home, you are invited to try some of my new recipes I picked up in the culinary demonstration. It was really fun. I learned how to make coconut vanilla prawns (the secret is using a real vanilla pod) and pork curry with bananas. We were able to sample both, so I know how delicious they are. I already signed up for the upcoming hands-on cooking class (only 12 people) this next week. We will eat what we cook afterwards – hope it's good!
Of course after that, Doug and I were hungry so we had lunch. We really like the Asian selection – it's different every day. And, of course after that, it was nap time again. We are finding just how exhausting the whole pre-trip activities were. It will take us a few days to catch up and feel rejuvenated again.
Tonight was formal night and the captain's champagne welcome reception. He is a young and very good looking captain from the Netherlands – so it is fun to listen to his announcements with that wonderful accent. Dinner was lobster and cherries jubilee. The night's entertainment was really for the older group (believe it or not, we are some of the youngest on board!) - it was Doc Severinsen (the band leader from the Johnny Carson show) and his new group. He has moved to Mexico and hooked up with a group there. Actually, a lot of their music was very good – and Doc can still play the trumpet. It was like watching a jam session. All the members were really “into” the music. We especially enjoyed the Spanish and Mexican pieces they played – all very energetic. Great way to end the day.
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