COQUIMBO CHILE

Thursday 28^th February 2013.

We overnighted from Valparaiso in calm seas to the sea port and city of Coquimbo. It was another cold and fog shrouded day of about 18 degrees.

Coquimbo is a small seaport situated on a large bay, built on crumbling hills and consists mainly of poor shanty town areas around a main city which is not much better. This is not a very nice place, and it’s only claim to fame appears to be a large cross monument on the hillside above the shanty town area. However a 30 minute bus drive takes you to the larger city of La Serena which has a population of 190,000 people.

As the offered shore excursions were not to attractive destinations, we opted for the shuttle bus drive to La Serena for a morning land excursion. It was a nice morning once the fog lifted, and the drive was along the scenic harbour shore.

La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile, and dates back to the year 1544 when it was established by the Spanish where it acted as the gateway to Peru. The city has 29 churches and is centred around the beautifully landscaped Plaza de Armas. The city, although old, is generally well maintained, clean, and easy to find your way around. The visit was well worth the time and effort, but an area which does not lend itself to a special visit.

We now have two sea days before we reach Lima in Peru which is the jumping off point for our four day tour of Manchu Pichu.

PHOTOGRAPH COQUIMBO

Port and City of Coquimbo

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City of La Serena

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Another View of CIty of La Serena

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Cross Monument on Hillside Above Shanty Town Coquimbo

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Shanty Township on Crumbling Hillside Coquimbo

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Shanty Town Houses Coquimbo

VALPARAISO CHILE

Wednesday 27^th February 2013.

Following a day’s sailing in calm seas from Puerto Montt we reached the sea port and city of Valparaiso, gateway to the Chilean capital of Santiago. The city was carpeted in mist and fog on arrival. It was a cold day of about 15 degrees. The fog lasted for most of the day but lifted late in the afternoon before sailaway.

Valparaiso is the second largest city in Chile, of about 400,000 people, and is built along harbour side foreshores and surrounding hills. The capital of Santiago is about 70 miles inland from Valparaiso.

Again we were unable to score a land excursion as all tours were booked out, and we had to be content with a visit to the city centre, which was within walking distance from the ship. Valparaiso is apparently known as the “Poor Working Man’s City”, and it clearly shows. It is pretty dirty and grimy, with old and dilapidated buildings throughout the city. Pockets of open air and second hand markets in the city, were also, not a good look. Many stray and mangy dogs were everywhere. However the city appeared safe, and easy to get around.

As in most South American cities, pockets of poor shanty town areas dotted the landscape and to gain access to the hillside areas several inclinators had been built around the city.

Whilst we were restricted to a brief look at the city on foot, impressions were not good for a revisit to the area.

Tomorrow we overnight to Coquimbo, the final sea port in Chile.

 

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View of City of Valparaiso from Harbour

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City of Valparaiso

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View of Valparaiso City showing Inclinator

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City Street Area Valparaiso

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Open Air Market Valparaiso

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Clifftop Shanty Town Area Valparaiso

PUERTO MONTT CHILE

Monday 25^th February 2013.

Following a day’s sailing in calm and glassy seas  from Amalier Glacier we reached the port city of Puerto Montt on the west coast of Chile. The day was cold and overcast and about 12 degrees. This was another tender port

Puerto Montt is a large spread out and sprawling harbour side city of about 300,000 people.It is set on sloping hillsides with a backdrop of two volcanoes. The city centre is reasonably modern and appeared safe and easy to get around. However the middle class areas were old and extremely run down and typical of South American Cities.

We had a land excursion arranged for a city drive and a tour of the countryside areas of Frutillar and the Lake District and town of Puerto Varas. The Chilean Pan American Highway took us through green undulating hills to the shores of Lake Llanquihue  at the base of Osorno Volcano and the town of Puerto Varas, known as the “City of Roses”. It was a pretty little town with the backdrop of the lake and volcano which is known as the”Fiji of South America”.

The Frutillar area is a beautiful and idyllic tourist destination also on the lake and has a German Settler’s Museum built on the hillside overlooking the lake. We spent an hour strolling around the area and the museum and had morning tea at a local Coffee Shop and Café.

The tour gave us a good picture of the countryside and was well worth while. The area itself is worth a visit even if it is only to see the picturesque countryside.

We have another sea day tomorrow before reaching the sea port of Valpariso and the Chilean capital of Santiago. This finishes the second sector of the cruise.

PHOTOGRAPH PUERTO MONTT

Port City of Puerto Montt

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Another View of The City of Puerto Montt

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Puerto Montt From Hill Overlooking Harbour

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Top of Osorno Volcano Peeking Over Hill of Puerto Montt

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Osormo Volcano Puerto Montt

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Both Volcanoes Entering Harbour of Puerto Montt

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Me at Frutillar Lake District Puerto Montt

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Lakeside Town of Puerto Varas  Puerto Montt

AMALIA GLACIER CHILE

Saturday 23^rd February 2013.

Since leaving Punta Arenas we have been sailing in the glassy waters of the Magellan Straits and the narrow fiords before entering the Pacific Ocean on our way to the Chilean sea port of Puerto Montt. We had a cold but beautiful sunny day to view the fiords.

The scenery through the fiords was absolutely spectacular with numerous islands and rugged snow capped mountains. The day was capped off with a late afternoon scenic cruise right up to the foreshore of Amalia Glacier. This was amazing viewing and finished off a wonderful day.

We have another sea day before reaching Puerto Montt.

PHOTOGRAPH AMALIA GLACIER

Me with Amalia Glacier in Backround

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Amalia Glacier

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Rugged Mountaintops on Way to Amalia Glacier

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Spectacular Scenery on Way to Amalia Glacier

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Fiords on Way to Amalia Glacier

PUNTA ARENAS CHILE

Friday 22^nd February 2013.

As a result of problems with the tender operations in Ushuaia we left some two and a half hours late. Because of this we missed “Glacier Alley” in the Beagle Channel as we passed the area in darkness, which was another unfortunate disappointment.

After overnight sailing through the Beagle Channel  and the Magellan Straights in glassy seas we reached the seaport and city of Punta Arenas in Chile. The day was cold and overcast and the temperature was about 12 degrees. We arrived some two and a half hours late, with the ship unable to pick up the time due to speed restrictions in the channel

Punta Arenas is a city of approx. 130,000 people which has been settled on the foreshore of the “Straits of Magellan” and is the largest and southern most city of mainland Chile. Because if this it is also known as the “Uttermost Realm”. It is a wide sprawling city spread over about 15 miles along the foreshores, and has a backdrop of low and undulating hills. With no berthing facilities in Punta Arena, we were required to tender into the port.

Due to our late arrival, several shore excursions were cancelled and as a result we were restricted to a city stroll for the day’s excursion. The city is old and generally run down, but appeared safe and reasonably clean and tidy. The centre of attraction in the city is the “Plaza de Armas” which is the local park and market area. Other than this, the city itself has nothing much going for it. Apparantly  tourists are attracted to the area for trecking and wildlife visits to penguin colony’s.

Whilst this place may be great for people interested in wildlife, the city is certainly forgettable and one which doesn’t inspire a return.

We now have two relaxing sea days before reaching the seaport of Pueto Montt on the western coast of Chile. We also have scenic cruising to view the Amalia Glacier along the way.

PHOTOGRAPH PUNTA ARENAS

City of Punta Arenas

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Another view of City of Punta Arenas

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Main Street of Punta Arenas

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Mountain Scenery in Beagle Channel on Way to Punta Arenas

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Mountain Scenery in Beagle Channel on Way to Punta Arenas

USHUAIA ARGENTINA

hursday 21^st February 2013.

We overnighted from Cape Horn in reasonably calm seas to the sea port and city of Ushuaia which is the capital of Argentina’s Tierra de Fuego. It was a cold and overcast day and a temperature of about 8 degrees.

The ship was programmed to berth at the pier, however the cruise ship “Celebrity Infinity” beat us to the dock, so we had to anchor in the bay and tender into the port.

Ushuaia is a city of about 70,000 people and lays on the foreshore of the narrow Beagle Channel which separates the southern most part of Argentina from the Chilean islands of Cape Horn. The city of Ushuaia is regarded as the southern most city on earth.

What a place this is, the city is nestled in at the bottom of snow capped Martial mountain’s, which are part of the Andes range. The panoramic scenery and landscapes are spectacular with evergreen forests and rugged mountaintops.

We had a land excursion arranged for a half day city and scenic bus drive which took us along the Panamerican Highway through the Garibaldi Pass, the regions highest point of the highway about 40 miles from Ushuaia. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking and a sight to see with densely  forested areas, river valley’s and glacier and snow capped mountains. We also visited a ski lodge and hotel for morning tea, which also included a Husky training centre of about 100 dogs who are used as transport in the winter snow season. The tour was well worth the effort.

The city itself, whilst not large, was bustling with people  and easy to get around. We visited the old Military Prison and Museum which gave us a good insight into the city’s history from it’s founding in 1831.

This is a very pretty place and one which should not be missed if there is a chance of visiting this area.

Tomorrow we overnight and visit Punta Arenas in Chile.

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City Of Ushuaia

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Another View Of City Of Ushuaia

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Montain Scenery Behind Ushuaia

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Main Street Ushuaia

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Real Reason Ship Had to Tendre in :  Wharf was Unservicable Ushuaia

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Mountain Scenery Ushuaia

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Marilyn With Mountain Backdrop Ushuaia

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Lake Scenery Garibadi Pass Ushuaia

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Husky Kennels Ski lodge Ushuaia

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This is a Barbecue Ski Resort Ushuaia

CAPE HORN

Wednesday 20^th February 2013.

This is the day we reached the southern most point of South America, Cape Horn. We woke up this morning to a bitterly, cold, bleak, overcast and windy day with a temperature of about 5 degrees. Luckily it was not raining and the seas had abated overnight to reasonable conditions.

We reached Cape Horn at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and scenic cruised through the straights for 2 hours and circumnavigated Hornos Island at the southern most tip of South America. The scenery was spectacular with bleak landscapes and rugged coastlines. This is an area well worth seeing and another one off the bucket list.

We overnight to our next port of call, Ushuaia, which is the southern most city on earth.

PHOTOGRAPH CAPE HORN

Hornus Island Southern Tip of South America Cape Horn

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Us With Hornus Island in Backround Cape Horn

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Rugged Coastline Cape Horn

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Mountainous Interior Cape Horn

FALKLAND ISLANDS

Tuesday 19^th February 2013.

It’s hard to believe that we are now half way through the cruise and have sailed some 7,500 miles since leaving Fort Lauderdale 25 days ago.

I am afraid that I have nothing to report on the Falkland Islands as the visit to the islands was aborted yesterday because of strong winds and rough seas. It is disappointing that we have to miss one of the highlights of the cruise, however, it’s a fact of life that rough seas and high winds do not suit tender ports such as the Falkland’s.

Since leaving Puerto Madryn  we have sailed into rough seas, strong winds and rising and heavy swells. At the moment we are about 200 miles off the southern coast of Argentina on our way to Cape Horn for scenic cruising late tomorrow afternoon.

At the moment the wind is blowing about 40 knots outside and the temperature is about 10 degrees, however the sun is shining and we have partly cloudy skies. We also have mounting swells and it is predicted to get substantially worse by the time we reach Cape Horn at the bottom of South America. Up until now it has been smooth sailing, and we now realise we are on a ship on the high seas.

Looking forward to visiting Drake Passage and the bottom of the America’s tomorrow

PUERTO MADRYN ARGENTINA

Sunday 17^th February 2013.

After one and a half days sailing in calm seas along the southern and Atlantic coast of Argentina we reached the sea port city of Puerto Madryn. It was a beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies, but windy and very cold with a temperature of about 12 degrees.

Puetro Madryn has a population of approx. 100,000 people and is more of a  seaside township rather than a city. The township is surrounded by treeless arid countyside which is the jumping off point for the spectacular and well known wildlife parks of Peninsula Valdes and Punta Tomba.

We were unable to obtain land excursions to these parks as again they had been booked out prior to the start of the cruise , so we had to settle for a township walk of about 3 hours which did us good and gave us a bit of welcomed exercise.

As it was Sunday it was fairly quiet but most of the shops were open for the tourist invasion. It was a pleasant township, clean and tidy and obviously prosperous, with a harbour side beach and park boulevard fronting the town.

The visit was well worth while, however unless your into wildlife areas there is not much to see or do.

We now have another day and a half sailing before we reach the Falkland Islands which is the half way point of the cruise. As it is a tender off port it is hoped that good weather prevails. We heard that the Star Princess called into the Falklands a week earlier and was unable to stay due to rough seas and strong winds.

PHOTOGRAPH PUERTO MADRYN

Puerto Madryn

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Another View og Puerto Madryn

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Harbourside Puerto Madryn

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Main Street Puerto Madryn Argentina

MONTEVIDEO URUGUAY

Friday 15^th February 2013.

We overnighted from Buenos Aires across the River Plate in calm seas to the sea port of Montevideo the capital of Uruguay. It was a fine, but hot and humid day of about 30 degrees.

Montevideo is a small but thriving and charming city of about 1.8 million people, made up of 19^th century building, parks and historical monuments, one of which was situated on the dock area dedicated to the German pocket battleship “The Graf Spee”, scuttled in Montevideo after the opening naval battle of World War II.

We were unable to book a land excursions as they had been booked out prior to the start of the cruise, so we walked along the Rambla and seaside drive and up into the downtown area of the city. The city was a hive of activity  with many restaurants, Tappas bars and market areas open for business. It has a lot of narrow streets, but is very easy to get around. The city generally was clean and tidy and we spent a pleasant couple of hours exploring the city and harbour side areas.

This is a city  we would like to see more of and well worth seeing again.

Our next port of call is Puerto Madryn on the southern coast of Argentina.

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City of Montevideo

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Marilyn at Dock Area with Grand Princess in Backround