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Thurs./Fri. 2/14/15
Our 5PM flights aboard Delta 767-300s to Atlanta/Santiago, Chile were uneventful, despite the horrendous security
check in JFK and the utter confusion at JFK and particularly Atlanta airports regarding the allocation of
seating assignments due to major overbooking. Our arrival at 9AM in Santiago was a nightmare. 4 airplanes
arrived at virtually the same time, depositing thousands of passengers bound for cruise ships in the
Port of Valparaiso. It took over 2 hours to sort out the traffic jam surrounding the payment of entry
fees into Chile, and another 1 1/2 hours to finally get us on busses to our glamorous hotel, the Inter
Continental. In the hot, sunny afternoon, we strolled busy streets to change money and dine at a lovely
restaurant, Angus, where we enjoyed memorable salads after some humorous language mis-communication with
our solicitous waiter. Later we had an orientation meeting with our tour guides, and early to bed.
Sat. 2/16
Santiago is a city of 5,000,000 nestled between the mountains of the Andes and the Coastal Range.
It boasts a dry Mediterranean climate which means summers of hot days and cool nights. Our city tour
included most of the highlights with stops at the Plaza de Armas, the heart of the city since its origin
in 1541, and the beautiful Iglesia Cathedral located therein. We struggled up the 2000 ft. steep winding
St. Christopher Hill by bus for a panoramic view of the city. At its summit is the striking white statue
of the Virgin Mary, accessed by a very great number of stone steps. Awesome! Our final stop was at a
shop specializing in Lapis lazuli, native to Chile, with tantalizing offerings only quelled by the
pressure of time. 5PM mass at Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles, within walking distance of our hotel was
followed by a quickie Spanish lesson to help us on our journey. This evening was spent enjoying a
(mediocre) dinner and colorful, vibrant folkloric dance show at the very atmospheric Balihai restaurant.
Sun. 2/17
The 2 hour drive from Santiago to the coast wove thru the fertile CURACAVI valley, verdant with grape
vines and fruit trees, thru several long tunnels dug thru the mountains. En route, we tasted CHICHA, a
local sweet alcoholic beverage, at a highway stop. After exiting the last tunnel thru the coastal mountains
we left the sunshine behind, and emerged into cold, foggy weather that stayed with us throughout the morning.
Predictably, the sun re-emerged about 1 PM as we were dining in a seaside restaurant in Vina del Mar.
This is a beach resort city akin to those on the Riviera with staircase like houses built into the cliffs.
We toured the city as well as adjacent Valparaiso, before boarding the Norwegian Dream for a 5:30PM departure.
Disaster developed almost immediately upon setting sail. The cold wind picked up and the seas became very
rough with 6-8' swells and whitecaps. Of course, I suffered mal de mer, which persisted into the night.
Mon. 2/18
Calmer seas today, still cloudy, cold and windy. Today is a sea day, with all the usual shipboard
activities, plus a marvelous lecture on the history of maritime travel by Lawrence Rudner (with additional
lectures to come, on sailing days). We are trying out the new freestyle dining option - eating anywhere
and with anyone you choose, whatever time. Quite interesting, but the verdict is out. High tea, captain's
champagne cocktail party and a spirited concert featuring Elvy Rose, highlighted the day.
Tues. 2/19
The attractive harbor of PUERTO MONTT is actually the coldera of an ancient volcano. The small city of
85,000 is surrounded by 3 presently dormant volcanoes. In the morning we walked to the ANGELMO
handicraft market and spent quite some time inspecting the colorful wares of the many street vendors.
The beautiful handmade sweaters, blankets etc. were a great temptation and only the impracticality of
transporting them back home saved us from spending lots of money. After lunch we took a bus tour of the
nearby lake district, stopping first in PUERTO VARAS, the city of roses on the shore of crystal clear
LAKE LLANQUIHUE, with the snow capped volcanoes of ORSORNO and CALBUCO off in the distance.
We then
visited FRUTILLAR, a beautifully kept village founded by German innigrants, and even visited the tiny
German museum there. This village was also on the lake, and many inhabitants were sunning themselves
on the shore or venturing into the cold water to take advantage of this uncommonly balmy day. We are
told that this is quite exceptional weather for this region that only celebrates about 80 sunny days a
year. Evening entertainment was a spirited production number "Sea legs at Sea" featuring the talented
Jan Ann Ryan Co.
Continue...
This trip to cruise the Straits of Magellan was made Feb. 14 - Mar. 8, 2002 by a New York State couple.
Your comments are welcome.
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