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Published: February 9th 2010
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Isla Robinson Crusoe and Puerto Montt, Chile
It took us from 5PM Thursday until 9AM on Saturday to sail from Valparaiso to Isla Robinson Crusoe, Chile, one of the most remote populated islands in the world. We were barely proceeding a storm front, so we had a rock and roll night making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep as our sliding bathroom door kept slamming shut - then open - then shut again. We did make it, of course, and are here to tell the story.
Although Daniel Defoe never visited the Isla Robinson Crusoe, he was inspired by explorers’ journals and especially the story of Alejandro Selkirk, the shipwrecked Scottish sailor marooned on the Isla for four months. Selkirk was, of course, the model for Defoe’s famous 1719 novel, “The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.” The Isla was also the site of a WWI battle - the German warship Dresden was sunk here in 1915.
We were not sure we would be able to go ashore because of the large swells between us and the shore, but the captain found a passable spot to anchor and the tenders started taking people to the Isla. I decided
to stay aboard while Bruce ventured forth. He took some pictures of the large dish and radio tower, some interesting houses, cars, and streets. There is not much else there. He had more trouble getting on and off the tender than anything else. The swells increased during the day, making the return a challenge. With a low tide, the distance between the tender and the platform on the ship became rather large, and many people had difficulty making the step. They had to step when the swell was high, not as it ebbed. On man sprained his ankle as the crew said, “step,” he did, and the swell didn’t cooperate. It took about 20-30 minutes to unload the tender that time. The pictures can’t reflect the condition of the swells, but trust me, they were big. Twice, the crew had to change sides of the ship for the tenders to dock. I’m sure the last boat had trouble as the weather picked up.
Now we headed back to the mainland toward Puerto Montt, taking another day at sea to return. Our sea day was Sunday , not just any Sunday, but SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! The ship went all out
for the occasion. The game began at 8PM here, and activities began about 7:30 with raffle tickets being sold for buckets of beer ($6 for 6.)
The show lounge was decorated in team colors, and three screens were ready to show the game. The food lines contained chicken wings, nachos, sandwiches, crudités, and desserts. The game began with the National Anthem, and everyone stood and sang, clapped, and we seemed part of the real crowd. We stayed down through the third quarter and decided to go back to out cabin for the rest of the game as it was getting late and our tour began early on Monday morning. We’re happy the Saints won and knew the people of New Orleans were ecstatic.
Morning came early, so we had breakfast in our room before going on tour. We have been to this port before, but we didn’t remember much about it. Our tour took us out of town into the countryside to a resort town of Puerto Varas, and on to Petrohue (with a tilde) Falls. The day was cloudy and noticeably cooler, but the rain held off until our return. The walk to the Falls was beautiful. We
had plenty of time to get to the Falls and enjoy the rush of the water and the views. From there we returned to Puerto Varas to walk around a bit and visit an Artisan Market. Our bus parked in front of the casino because this was about the only street large enough for buses. No, we did not go in; however, the ship’s casino is closed until the 14th of Feb. because Chilean law prohibits gambling within 12 miles of its shore. Since we will be sailing between and around fjords and islands for the nest few days, there’s no casino action until then. The town is called the City of Roses for all of the roses grown in the short summer. They were still in bloom, but it is the end of the season pretty soon. School starts again in March, and their winter begins in May through October. Another interesting fact about Chile is that everyone eligible to vote must do so or be fined about $50.
Enough digressing. After leaving Puerto Varas, we returned to the tender and the ship. This time the seas were smooth and the trip uneventful. We sail to our last
Chilean port, Chacabuco, tonight, then it’s on to the Chilean Fjords and some spectacular scenery.
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