Hi Everybody! We are currently in Auckland, New Zealand on the North Island. The city is located in a spectacular location between two harbors and is surrounded by 50 extinct volcanoes. We got here on Friday and immediately started exploring the city. We are staying in the center of town and can walk to many of the attractions. The city has several different types of bus lines that are easy to use. We walked to the Victoria Park Market and found lots of interesting shops/stalls. We caught a city-link bus to the Auckland Museum. My sister-in-law, Joyce, had told me how wonderful it was, and she was right. It had 3 main exhibits dedicated to the wars that New Zealanders have participated in, the Maori Culture, and the colonization of New Zealand. The museum was located ... read more

Hi Everybody! Our bad luck didn´t end with Walt´s wallet being stolen. To put it mildly, this trip just hasn´t gone well. The cruise ship kept our passports during the two weeks that we were on the boat. They did not get Walt´s passport or immigration papers stamped. This caused us a real hassle when we tried to leave Chile. We are partly to blame for our problems because we didn´t spend enough time planning the trip. The South American guidebook that we were using stated that U.S. citizens didn´t have to have a Visa for Paraguay or Bolivia. When we got to the airport on Thursday, we couldn´t board the plane for Paraguay because we didn´t have a Visa. We rushed to the Consulate´s office in downtown Santiago and purchased Visas. for $50 US each. ... read more

Hi Everybody! While we were cruising in the Pacific, pods of whales would sometimes gather near our boat. It was fun to watch them. Yesterday, we ended the cruise when we docked in Valparaiso, Chile. We decided to go just a little farther north and stay in Vina Del Mar, a popular seaside resort town. We knew about this town from Mary Beth Suther because she lived in this area last year. Today, we toured the winery where she worked. Mary Beth has given us lots of advice about things to do and good things to eat while in Chile. We have especially enjoyed the Chilean wines. They were expensive on the boat but are very reasonable on land. The Chilean people are very friendly and helpful. If they see you looking at a map, they ... read more

Hi Everybody! When we left Montevideo, the land was flat with bluffs by the water. That was the Patagonia section. The terrain has changed as we have gone south. In the last two days, we have seen some spectacular scenery from the boat! We are currently at the tip of South America, and the Andes Mountains are beautiful with their snow caps. We had two days of very rough seas with high waves splashing against our window. Because of the weather, we were unable to stop in the Falkland Islands. Today, we are docked in Ushuaia, Argentina. This town reminds us of Alaska and Newfoundland. We have decided that we are not old enough to join the Cruisers Club. We are used to a lot more activity and hassles. We actually miss the hassles and interactions ... read more

Hi Everybody! Yesterday, we took a city tour of Buenos Aires and visited most of the sections. The city has a European flair, but at the same time the people and culture are uniquely Argentine. You see everything from the homeless on benches to designer shops here. Overall, I would consider the goods here to be expensive. Few sales people speak English which causes me a problem since I only know the Spanish numbers up to 10. The people are friendly and clean. The women are more conservatively dressed than in many European cities. I have noticed the local women often wear their purse or backpack in front. We haven´t had any problems but have been warned to be careful. The museums and public buildings offer free admission. There are many beautiful parks with interesting statues ... read more