Antarctic Adventure

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Some thoughts on Chile: Santiago is a typical large capital city. Since it is summer, the visitors include many Chileans as well as international tourists. The people I met were friendly and patient with my lack of Spanish. Starbucks was a huge hit here, as Chile did not have anything like it. Among the beautiful 17^th and 18^thcentury buildings are modern high-rises. Earthquake damage from the 2010 quake is visible and slowly being repaired.

The main highways are in excellent repair. They are privately owned and paid for by tolls. All main highways are toll roads. The downside to this privatization is that roads get built where they will be profitable and other areas may be under served.

The resort of Vina del Mar is teaming with tourists, many from the Mendoza Province of Argentina. It is a shorter trip from there tan to Buenos Aires. While the beaches are beautiful, the water temperature averages 56 degrees due to the Humbolt current. Brrrr.

A Spanish consortium owns the Port of Valparaiso. They have determined that it is more profitable to handle container ships and have refused to upgrade to accommodate cruise ships. While that makes commercial sense to them, the town of Valparaiso could really use the tourist dollars the ships would bring in. So we check in at the cruise terminal and are bussed to the Veendam that is docked among the container ships. We haul are carryon luggage up the gangway and are able to watch the cranes unloading the containers.

Yippee and Hooray. I have been upgraded to a verandah stateroom at the stern with a view of the stern wake. From there I watch the pelicans, cormorants and seals fishing for lunch. The seal are very large and I even witnessed either and seal kiss or a seal fight as two went at it nose to nose. Though small the whirlpool tub was large enough to enjoy. It will get used on this voyage.

There was some confusion about my dinner seating. The assigned table was occupied by a group so that was out, second option was a table for six at the stern but when we got there all the seats were filled. I was then seated at a table for four occupied by Gerald and Jim, father and son from Canada. Final arrangements are to be determined tomorrow.

Now I have a decision to make. I like a large table with lots of different people to chat with. That doesn’t look like an option here because of the large group. Gerald and Jim are perfectly nice. Gerald is in the Canadian Coast Guard and Jim lost his wife a couple of years ago and this is his first cruise since then. So, what to do. I don’ want them to feel that I didn’t enjoy their company because I did but I would like a larger group to interact with.

Dinner tonight was a chilled mango, melon soup, roasted chicken breast, cappuccino and clove ice cream that rivaled my very favorite cinnamon ice cream. We saw dolphins off the port side. This is a good start.

The sea is calm yet the cabin is slowly rocking and the sound of stresses reminds me of a sailing ship. It will be interesting when we cross the Beagle Channel and the wave are routinely 25’.

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