Antarctica & South America

Today we began our next big adventure. I got up and went to exercise while Hugh stayed home and exercised a bit before showering and getting the house ready for the trip. I showered and did the last-minute things that have to be done. Gayle, our friendly limo service driver, best friend, and neighbor showed up a bit early and we were off to Charlotte. The drive was easy and we were all checked in and at the gate well within the 2.5-3-hour limit. We decided to have a bowl of soup to warm up and celebrate the fact that we got our upgrade to business/first for the whole trip. Our flight began boarding a little late but we had no worries as we had over 90 minutes in Miami. When we arrived in Miami we found our gate and it was just a short while before we boarded. We had wonderful pods across from each other and we took our time settling in and organizing so we did not have to get any baggage down during the flight. Hugh put on the provided Bose noise-cancelling headphones and was in his own world. I read until take off and then I played games until the wine and appetizers were served and then I watched travel shows until dinner. The food was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed my ice cream sundae. It was then time to wash my face and get ready for bed. We set our clocks ahead to Argentinian time and slowly settled in for the night. It seemed to be the popular thing to do as it was very quiet. I must have slept well because Hugh said they tried to wake me for breakfast but had no luck. I was up just in time to have a cup of coffee and brush my teeth before we landed. We had no trouble with immigration and found what we thought were our bags, (more on this later) and got a taxi to our hotel.

We checked in at 8:15 am and were in our room ready to shower when we discovered we had a bag that was not ours. We are not sure when it was switched but this required another trip to the airport. We were very blessed that our bag was waiting at customs and we soon made the switch. Everyone was happy and we were back in the hotel in time to shower and go out to explore before lunchtime. We headed to the very grand train station we could see from our room and it was just as grand inside. We had coffee and tea while we explored. We then headed to the shopping avenue called Florida Ave. this is a pedestrian street and lined with all sorts of leather shops, clothing shops, and some gift shops. Everything is high-end and lovely to look at. The temperature had climbed to 90 by this point and we decided to walk down by the river in the newest section of Buenos Aires. We enjoyed our time here but after an hour or so we headed back to the hotel hot and sweaty. It was 97F and humid as we walked back and we were dehydrated and ready for cold showers and a rest. We rested for a bit and then showered again and dressed to go out for dinner. We ate Argentine steak at Dora’s where we had eaten on our last trip. The service and the food was excellent. We then walked up to the largest shopping mall seeking some cool. It was still decorated for Christmas and very beautiful. This mall was filled with high-end stores and again we looked but were not tempted. We left as they were closing for the evening and made our way back to our room and our comfy beds. We wanted to be rested for our all-day tour and Tango show. WELCOME TO BUENOS AIRES!!

This morning we slept in a bit and showered and dressed for our tour of the city. After the sunny hot day we had yesterday, today is rainy and only in the 70’s. We had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and it was fabulous; Holland America has nothing on the Park Tower. We went down to meet our tour and met several couples that are on our cruise. One of the couples from Seattle are on today's tour also and we enjoyed talking to them. Our tour pickup was later than we expected but the guide was great. She was a tiny dynamo named Sophia and she kept up a running commentary in 3 languages, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Our first part of the tour was a boat trip on the Tigre’ River. As we made our way to the port we travelled through several of the states of Buenos Aires including Palermo. We stopped to pick up another group at a park with a huge aluminum flower that opened and closed with the sunlight. At the dock, we boarded our boat for our trip on the river. We went through a lot of area that was mainland on one side and island on the other. The people on the island had all the modern conveniences except running water. They filtered the river water for household use and purchased their drinking water. The other thing that they did not have was road access to the mainland. They traveled by boat or had the shops come to them. The homes were lovely and well-tended but too isolated for me. There was a lot of traffic on the river which flows into the large La Plata River. After the cruise, we were dropped off at a hotel and given 45 minutes to have lunch before we were to be picked up for our city tour. We found a cute restaurant and discovered too late that they did not speak English and the service was slow. We had a good time talking and found out that one gentleman was from my hometown of Sheffield and graduated in 1967. We knew a lot of the same people. He was easily identified because he wore an Alabama hat.

We had to rush through our lunch but it was delicious. We made it back to the hotel and as is often the case in Argentina the guide was late picking us up. The city tour included all the city highlights and our favorite stops were at The Recoletta Cemetery, The Pink House, the Church on the square there, and La Boca. On our drive, we saw soccer stadiums that held 40,000, polo fields, and many local sports clubs. The drive also took us past the Teatro Colon and the obelisk which we will visit on our own tomorrow. Our last stop in San Telmo and La Boca provided great photo opportunities. We made our way back to our drop off point with a drive through the newest state, Puerto Modera. This is an area along the river filled with restaurants, high-rises, and apartments. This is reportedly the most expensive place to live in the city. We were dropped off at the Pacifico mall and we walked back to the hotel. We had time to have dinks with our new friends before we headed up to dress for the tango show. We arrived at the Café Los Angelitos and were seated close to the stage. This was the perfect place to see the intricate steps of the dances. The food was great and the service was exceptional. The show started at 10:15 and it was a walk through the progression of the tango from the 1800’s to modern times. The singers and dancers we fabulous and the costumes were colorful and accurate to the times. The show ended at 12:15am and we were all so glad we had come. Back at the hotel we fell into bed exhausted from a very full day!

This morning we slept in and had time only to dress and get to breakfast before the service ended. We decided to go to the ship late and made plans to tour the Teatro Colon at 1. We walked around the city and realized we were close to a lot of the things we had seen on our tour. We saw the obelisk and shopped on Florida Avenue before arriving back at the theater for our tour. This tour lasted an hour and the magnificence of the building is hard to describe. This is one of the finest opera houses in the world and has the best acoustics in the world. The performers wear no microphones and you can’t tell a secret there because everyone would hear. We made great photos. We have been to all the top opera houses now... Manaus, Paris, Sydney, and Buenos Aires. We walked back to the hotel and showered and did some computer work before we packed and checked out around 5. We had a delayed check-in at the port but we were in our cabin by 6 and getting unpacked. We sent things to the laundry for pressing and decorated our door. We ate in the Lido because we did not want to dress for the dining room as we had skipped lunch and we were hungry! After dinner we walked on the promenade deck for a mile and explored the ship. We were on this ship in Alaska last summer so it was just getting reacquainted. We grabbed jackets and went to the 9:30 show. We enjoyed meeting Nathan our cruise director, and Casey, Cassie, Stephen, and Brianne our singers. The dancers and the band were also excellent. This should be a wonderfully entertaining cruise. After another stroll on deck we headed to the cabin to read and upload pictures.

This morning we had great plans to get up and go to the stretch class at 7 but we decided to stay in bed a bit longer. We finally made it to breakfast by 9:30 and then took a 3 mile walk on deck and then a few quick laps on the running track. We then went to the port side of the ship and found our home for the next few hours, comfy deck chairs. We culled our pictures, caught up on our journaling while looking at the BA cityscape. We decided to stay on board and just relax as our days ahead will be busy. We had lunch late and returned to our journaling and photo editing after a mile walk around deck. We went up to the top deck for the sail out and it was lovely with a great breeze. It took a while to navigate the narrow channel and we had a river pilot and 2 harbor pilots on board. We decided to go to the main dining room for dinner so we rushed to the room and showered, dressed, and arrived in time to get a fabulous table at the aft of the ship with a great view. The meal was wonderful and we even had time for dessert before the show. We took our dessert wine with us and the gaucho show was wonderful with a lot of tango dancing and some great bolo dancing and tricks. After the show we walked out on deck for a bit but it was getting dark so we headed to our cabin and settled in for the evening. We laid out our clothes, tickets, and backpacks for our tour tomorrow and then it was off to bed. Neither of us have been sleeping very well.

ROLL TIDE ROLL
GO DAWGS
We woke up early this morning and prepared for the day before heading off to breakfast. We were in the showroom ready for our tour early but our arrival was delayed by a large cargo ship leaving the narrow channel. I went out on deck to make some arrival pictures and found that I had some wi-fi and caught up with my email. It was connected to the buses waiting for our tours so that encouraged me to take my phone. Once we were cleared we headed to our bus for the city highlights tour. Our guide was Ana and she was delightful and provided information about all aspects of living in Uruguay. She entertained and informed in equal measure. It was a great tour; not rushed but included the things we wanted to be sure to see. We began our tour at Independence Square and the statue of Artigas the father of independence. We also saw the city gate from the early 1800’s, the theater Solis, and some beautiful architecture and gardens. From the square we drove along the city’s wonderful beaches and parks at the water edge. We stopped for pictures at the Montevideo sign and the Plaza de la Armada with its statue to the men who served on the sea. Our next stop was at the La Cerreta Monument showing a bronze wagon pulled by oxen. We passed the beautiful parliament building on our way to the large market that was our last stop. This was a fun place to explore and all to soon our tour was over.

We boarded the ship to cool off and have some lunch before we took off on our own to old town and the cathedral. The streets are palm tree lined and we stopped in a lot of great shops as we made our way to cathedral square. The church was lovely and after spending some time there we slowly made the trip back to the ship stopping only once to buy a nativity we had seen in one of the shops along the way. We made it back on board just as they were closing up the gangway. We stayed outside and enjoyed the view as we made our way out of the narrow harbor. We decided to rest and journal before showering and dressing for dinner. We went to the main dining room and were lucky enough to get a table for 2 in the aft window. We had a lovely view and fabulous food as we made our way out to sea. We finished in time to go to the first show and it was wonderful. The duo, X-Over provided us with film scores, jazz standards, and opera classics in their well-trained voices which were in perfect harmony. We could have sat there for hours but of course they had a second show to do. We purchased one of their cd’s before we headed to the bar to watch the big college football game, Alabama vs Georgia for the national championship. It was a great game and Alabama won in overtime. Off to bed well after 3 am.

ROLLTIDE: NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
This morning we slept in after a very late evening... 2:30 am game ended. We missed breakfast and by the time we showered it was lunch time. We had our lunch and then found some seats outside on deck 3 and journaled, read, and enjoyed the view. Hugh was sleepy again mid-afternoon so we went to the cabin and rested and read. Tonight is gala night and Hugh has a cold so we debated just going to the Lido. We decided to dress up and go to the main dining room where we had a wonderful table for 6 and enjoyed lively conversation and delicious food. We excused ourselves before dessert and went to the first show. This was a show with the singers and dancer and featured classical pop hits and opera classics. This troupe is so talented and there is not a weak voice in the group. After the show, we walked around the ship and then it was bed time for us.

Today we slept in and went to the dining room for breakfast. We were to report to our tour at 9:45 but we were an hour late being cleared and able to start getting the tours off the ship. We waited patiently in the showroom with most of the ship and were very happy when we were able to go to our buses. We were on bus 4 and had a great guide. As we travelled to Punta Tomba she told us that the town only had 5,000 people until 40 years ago when they built a dam so that an aluminum plant could be built here. The population has grown to 100,000 people and tourism is still the number one employer. It took us 2.5 hours to get to the nature reserve and we made only one stop. Punta Tomba is perhaps the world’s largest nesting colony for Magellanic penguins. We were able to walk amongst them in their natural habitat and it was fun watching them dig burrows, play, and even see moms feeding their chicks. The chicks are almost as big as the adults at this time and the colony will migrate further north in April. These penguins colonize close to the water for food and live in burrows which can be a good distance from the water. They seem to be social and not afraid of us. There are signs telling everyone that the penguins have the right of way and to stop and let them cross because when you move they stay still. We had 2 hours to watch and make photos and it was wonderful. We will have a hard time going through these pictures. Back on the bus we were given a box meal for a late lunch. The bus ride back to the ship passed uneventfully and we did not even make a stop.

We made it back to the ship, dropped off our gear, and headed up for our sail away. We decided to eat in the Lido and enjoy the view as it was almost 7 when we started sailing out of the gulf. The gulf is large but the entrance is narrow so the sail is slow and the sun on the water lovely. We finished our meal in time to go to the first show. We did not even change clothes just went in and enjoyed Duo Yalba. These two fellows played all sorts of instruments and all sorts of music. It was very entertaining and they received a standing ovation. We have been blessed with excellent entertainment. We then went to the Shops for the nightly drawing but did not win. We went out on deck and walked a mile while enjoying the gorgeous sunset. We readied ourselves for bed and enjoyed looking over our pictures for the day.

This morning I played the good wife and got up early to get in line for tender tickets for the Falklands. The line was over 200 strong with 25 minutes to go and I took my place. By the time I got up to the table they were at 11:25 tickets and our tour is at 11:15. Fortunately, they looked at my key and said “you are 4-star mariner... you do not need a ticket.” Seems all we have to do is show up... yeah us! I went back to the cabin and Hugh was still asleep but he awoke when I came in the door. After he showered we headed to breakfast and then off to the cooking program on the use of chilies. It was very informative and finished in time for us to get to the showroom for the lecture on Argentina by one of the adventure staff, Peter. This was a great lecture and we agreed with our seat mates that if our teachers had been that concise and entertaining we would be a lot smarter now. We went outside to walk and made a mile before the wind got to us and we headed inside. It was early for lunch but we decided to have some soup and just eat early and light. We then went to the cabin and worked on the penguin pictures from Tomba and rested some before the lecture at 4. This was a lecture on the Falkland war from the Argentine view and it gave some insights that our press did not cover. After the lecture, we walked some and then watched some news and showered before heading to the dining room. 6:30 seems to be a good time and we were seated immediately and shared the table with 5 Aussies who were very friendly. We even had time for dessert before the show. This evening’s entertainment was a singing group of 3 guys from Canada who sang Latin music very well. They were entertaining and had great harmony. We left the theater again saying how blessed we have been with the excellent entertainment. We walked about the ship and then headed to the room to get ready for our big adventure in the Falklands.

Again this morning I awoke well before the clock went off. The ship had slowed and I was afraid I would miss something. I dressed quickly and left Hugh in the shower as I went to see the landscape of the Falkland Islands as we sailed to our anchorage. The landscape is stark and as we were told to expect the wind was fierce. Hugh joined me and we went to breakfast and were in our room and ready when the first tender was called. We were seated quickly and soon we were off to explore. We got an early start because we did not have any idea how quickly they would find seats for us. We were in Stanley before 9 and had lots of time to walk along the shore and see the monuments. I felt as if I was about to be blown away at times but the temperature was not bad. We looked in the shops once they opened and even had time for tea and pastries before our 11:15 tour. Our tour left promptly and our guide Stella drove us in her minivan for about 20 minutes outside the town. The area is rocky and the only things we saw were a quarry and 3 storage tanks for the towns drinking water. The paved road ended and we were told that the first paved road was in 1984 and was built to go to the military base. We met our 4x4’s and our driver was Keith. He was a man of few words but I mentioned I was a nurse and his wife is head of nursing and a midwife at the local hospital. He could not tell me enough about her. We arrived at Bluff Cove Penguin rookery and when we stepped out of the Land Rover we immediately had to put our heavy jackets back on. We were amazed at how close we could get to the penguins. We saw 3 types, Gentoo, King, and Magellanic. The Gentoo and the King seemed to coexist fine but the Magellanic ones were given the cold shoulder. We got to see lots of chicks, some King penguin’s still protecting some eggs and some with their chicks still protected. The Gentoo chicks were almost as large as the adults. They romped and played, pushed and shoved, and barked loudly. We got to walk down to the beach and see them playing in the surf. We stayed outside with the penguins until the last 15 minutes when we took time to purchase some mugs in the gift shop and then have a cup of tea and a cake in the café. Our drivers picked us up right outside the café and we made the long off-road trip back to our minibus. One of the Rover’s got stuck and Keith had a good laugh. He said that particular driver had been stuck about 4 days before... "a real hot-rodder"!

The trip back to town was filled with facts on the Falklands and their ties to England. Back in town we walk down main street and purchased our Christmas ornament we had seen earlier. Then it was back on the tender for the 35 minute ride back to the ship. The docking area was calm but it was windy and rough at the ship. It always takes much longer for people to get off the tenders than you would expect. Back in our cabin Hugh was downloading our pictures when he ran out of storage space on his hard drive. He worked to delete somethings but the computer was not giving up the space. Frustration was setting in so we took a break and had some chips and salsa to get us to dinner. Then it was back to the cabin and more computer work. We dressed and went to dinner and as always, the meal was great. We finished in time for the show and the comedian was fabulous. His impersonations were excellent and his humor was hilarious and clean. We stopped to hear Adagio before heading to the cabin. We looked at all of our penguin pictures but it was too much to tackle tonight. There is always tomorrow.

Today was a sea day and we decided to sleep in. Unfortunately, neither of us slept well and we were up before we wanted to be. We showered and decided to have a light breakfast but had a hardy one instead as we joined some friends in the LIDO. We then went to the 2 lectures on Antarctica. The first was on penguins which we adore and the other was on the icy waters of Antarctica. Peter is so organized and easy to follow and had us anxious to see more penguins but the lecturer from New Zealand was much harder to follow. After the lectures, we got down to business and really worked on the penguin pictures and I culled mine down from 427 to under 100. It is hard to get rid of such cute faces and funny poses. It was a good day to be in the cabin as the ship is rocking. They keep making the announcement to keep your hands free and be careful. We stopped for a little salsa and chips to get by until dinner. Funny how our stomachs get priority on our time when we sail but not at home. There were a lot of people taking drinks and crackers to their cabins for those with mal de mare. We read and journaled and even fell asleep... imagine that! I did my hair and by the time we were ready for the Gala evening it was late and we decided to go to the LIDO even though we were dressed in our finest. We finished in time to get to the 8 pm show and the singers and dancers did a great job. It was a rock show but done very well. We listened to Adagio before we headed back to the cabin to finally finish yesterday’s pictures. Tomorrow is our first day in Antarctica and I know we will make a lot of pictures.

Today we awoke with great anticipation. It is our day to begin our Antarctic adventure. Hugh dressed quickly and went to the Crow’s Nest to get us seats. These will be our home base all day as we move from place to place. We got coffee and sweet rolls to enjoy as the ship gets closer to Admiralty Bay our first encounter with the South Shetland Island's King George Island. We went out on the bow of the ship and on all the open decks to get our best shots. We saw penguins swimming around the ship, orca’s, and petrol’s. There were bergies, and slush ice, bluish icebergs, and even supply ships to provide color. The sea is calm and the temperature is around 30 degrees. The sky remained grey and there was a definite merge of snow and sky in our pictures. We had only a touch of sun here and there. We saw the American research area called Copacabana and also some zodiacs in the water. By lunch time we were making our way out of the bay and on our way to Hope Bay our afternoon destination. Along the way we encountered orcas and icebergs of all sizes and shapes. Hugh took a nap but I stayed to keep our seats and also not to miss anything. Weather conditions are getting worse and it is now snowing.

We were approaching Hope Bay but the navigation officer and the captain said that the winds are too high to enter the bay and the visibility is very low due to the snow. We are going Berg watching instead. There are some very large tabular icebergs that have drifted up from the Southern Sea. We saw humpback whales, Adelie penguins, and petrols as well. We stayed until time to dress for dinner to see all the bergs in the area. We dressed for the dining room and we were seated immediately at a table by the window. During our meal, a berg went by with a large number of penguins enjoying the resting spot. What a great way to finish our day. The show tonight was Rogeria Tutti, a showman, conductor, and composer from Brazil. After a walk around the ship we headed to our cabin to prepare for tomorrow and look over our pictures from today. He was fabulous and we are excited that we will see him again.

The sun never set and the light coming in our window awoke me about 6:15 am. We got up, dressed warmly, and headed to the Crow’s Nest to firmly plant ourselves in our chairs for the day. I got coffee for us and we settled in. The views everywhere we look is breathtaking. The light is wonderful and I got the sunshine I wanted yesterday. Shadows make the ice so much more interesting and the definition between snow and sky is so much better. We are sailing in Wilhelmina Bay and the icebergs are very close to the ship. We have seen several pods of humpback whales in front of the ship. There is very deep snow on all the land and this is very different from our last trip. It is earlier in the summer so there has not been so much melt. We can see areas of snow sliding down the mountains into the sea. The water is glassy and we can see a lot of greasy ice as we make our way into the bay. As we were sailing in we could see mountains in the distance that are over 7200 ft tall. This continent is very mountainous. The views are amazing and on the flat ice we see lots of crab-eater seals resting. They are varied colors ranging from almost white to darkish grey. People are literally walking around with their mouths hanging open. We had lunch in the Crow’s Nest and then Hugh went to take a nap. While he was sleeping we started our transit out of Wilhelmina Bay. It went very slow because of all the ice we had to navigate. We will be 2.5 hours later getting to Cuverville Island which is our next stop. As we move about we see penguins frolicking on icebergs as we sail by. We also saw more whales.

In the midafternoon, we arrived at Cuverville Island where there was a Gentoo penguin colony of over 5000 breeding pairs. The weather stated to deteriorate and we had to start making our way back to the channel where we will be for the night. The clouds have taken over and there is wind and snow to contend with. The weather did not improve although we stayed in the Crow’s Nest until almost dinner time. We had wine at happy hour and then went to the cabin to bathe and prepare for dinner. We ate at a table for 2 and enjoyed a lite meal and then went to play cards and listen to Adagio. We went to the show and it was a very enthusiastic juggler and he was most entertaining despite the violent ship movement. After the show we walked around the ship before going below and editing our pictures from the day.

This morning we awoke at 6 and it was cloudy and raining so we went back to sleep for a bit. The weather improved slightly and we headed to the forward deck on 6 to get some pictures. The view from our window was misleading as the temperature and wind took our breath away. We hurriedly got our photos and then headed for coffee and seats in the Crow’s Nest. It was a grey morning but the views we still lovely. We saw a lot of whale pods and hard-blowing snow. The wind continued to buffet the ship so they closed the bow area for several hours for safety. We were visited by a team from Palmer Station, the American research station for the Antarcticic Pennensula. Hugh went to their presentation while I stayed and made some whale pictures and listened to the commentary. We were not able to go into Lemaire Channel, this was supposed to be our destination today, because the entrance was blocked by icebergs.

We continued our exploration of the area and ended up this afternoon in the Neumeyer Channel. The sun cooperated and the scenery was enough to take your breath away. No picture can capture the beauty we have seen but we have tried. We tried the forward decks again but the wind is over 40 mph and the temp around 30 so we could not stay long. At one point the wind blew Hugh’s toboggan into the sea. As we sailed along we saw the permanent research station as we continued in the channel. We also saw the highest mountain in the area. We travelled between Winky Island and Andvers Island and we saw snow slides and glaciers on the voyage. We saw several Gentoo penguin rookeries and also penguins floating by on ice flows. We had wine during happy hours and then went to the cabin to dress for dinner. We had reservations in Canaletto and were blessed with a window table. We saw several pods of whales and some gorgeous scenery as we enjoyed our meal. We finished a little late but hurried to the showroom and the show had not started. The venue was not packed and we had great seats for the show "Dance" performed by the singers and dancers. As always we are amazed at the energy and talent of this group. We went to the Crow’s Nest and realized we were in much more open water and there was not much to see even though it is still daylight. Off to the cabin to look at pictures and prepare for tomorrow.

This morning we were up at 6:30 and off to the Crow’s Nest. We claimed our chairs and nested in for the day. Our course is taking us to Paradise Harbour today and the trip is very lovely. We saw lots of whales in groups of 2 and 3 and penguins floating by on ice flows. We also saw crabeater seals, a leopard seal, and Waddell seals. We made our way to a Chilean research facility and the largest colony of Gentoo penguins we will be able to see. They were everywhere and we could even smell them from the deck. The researchers came out to make our pictures as we sailed by and we even got some waves.

In another part of the cove we saw an abandoned research facility in the distance. We saw a lot of greasy ice on the water and it even looked thick as we sailed through it. There were penguins climbing up snowy walls and we could see them and also their pinkish brown trail. The seas have remained calm but the sky has also remained cloudy. The scenes are too lovely for words and even the lack of sun does nothing to hurt it. The ship staged a "Penguin Plunge" on the stern deck so people could take the cold plunge in Antarctica. I went to the plunge while Hugh took photos of scenery. We stayed in the Crow’s Nest until the last iceberg disappeared and the ship sailed into open ocean. The seas definitely were rougher and walking on the ship was a challenge. We dressed for dinner and went to the dining room. We ate with 2 lovely couples and finished a little late but were still able to get seats for the show Duo Yablo. These two gentlemen have so much fun and put on a great show. They are so talented and play a variety of instruments and music. After the show, we walked around and then headed to the cabin as the seas were rougher and walking was more difficult….just what I expected for this area.

Today we slept in and took our time getting to the LIDO fr breakfast. The ship is still rocking some and we expected less people but we were surprised as the whole place was full. Everyone must have had the same idea. With breakfast done, we went to a lecture on geology of Antarctica and sat with a lovely Australian couple. They have concourse quality MG’s which they restore and travel in and race. After the lecture we went to the gym and had a great workout. We did not let a little ship movement slow us down. We had a light lunch and then sat by a window and knitted and watched videos. Hugh got sleepy so we headed to the cabin. I read and Hugh napped. We showered and then went to dinner. We were seated with a couple from DC and had a long pleasant dinner finishing just in time to go to the show. It was a repeat performance... all new show... of the group Bailamos. We enjoyed their first show and this was just as good. Amazing how 3 guys from Canada do so well with Latin style music. They aren’t bad to look at either. By the end of the show the seas were getting higher and we walked until it was just too much trouble, especially in heels; did I mention that it was gala night. Back in the cabin we looked at the news and put out our coffee order before crawling into our fresh sheets and being rocked to sleep.

Today we get the experience of sailing around Cape Horn. The stories we have always heard made us expect high wind, rough seas, and bad weather. It did not disappoint. We awoke to rain and fog, with rolling seas. The decks were blocked off so we did not get to experience the wind but we are sure it was present because when we were sheltered by the mountain the seas calmed. We went to breakfast early and barely made it to the Crow’s Nest for the first sighting of this fabled point. The Chileans have a naval base here and there is also a love monument to lost sailors. We sailed slowly to the point and the captain blew the horn in respect of all the sailors who have made or attempted this journey. Our expedition guide told us some perks that were given to sailors in the 1800’s if they sailed around the horn. The first time they made it they were allowed to put one foot up on the dinner table. If they went around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope they could put 2 feet up; guess we can put both feet on the table tonight... wont that be fun for everyone! The sailors also wore a gold earring in the ear nearest the cape as they rounded it. After we passed the Horn we turned and headed up the Beagle Channel toward Ushuaia. We went to the gym and had a hard workout and left very hot and sweaty an hour later. We cooled off in the cabin before showering. We looked at our morning pictures, read, and journaled as we continued to cool down. We had lunch in the LIDO before heading to the library to look at some future cruises. With no decision made we went to the showroom to hear a lecture on Magellan from a tour group on board. It was excellent and we will go to the next one on the 23rd. So happy our new friends invited us. We then went to the cabin and read and played games until time for dinner. We were sailing into Ushuaia as we finished our meal and we headed out on deck for some sail in pictures. It will be 8:30pm by the time we dock but it is still daylight and we will get off and walk around. A week at sea makes one want to feel land under one's feet. The ship sailed into Ushuaia and the wind was strong and the temp low. We were out on deck and needed all of our winter wear. We had cell service so we checked in with the family and friends while the ship readied for us to disembark. Although the wind was over 40 mph we weathered the blast and walked into town. Once we were off the dock the wind died down some and the rain slowed so we spent the next several hours just walking around town and window shopping. The restaurants were full of families and the food looked fabulous. About 11:25 we decided to head back to the ship and we went to the Lido to get hot tea and found that they had a marvelous midnight buffet that we have never been to before. Hugh had some cake and I drank my tea before we headed off to the cabin and bed.

This morning we slept in a bit and headed to the dining room around 8:30. We were seated with a lovely Argentinian gentleman who was a fun person to share stories with. We then walked into town and spent the rest of the morning looking at the lovely mountains surrounding the city and also picking up a few little gifts for friends. Hugh also replaced his beanie that was blown off his head earlier in the trip. We had fabulous weather and it did not feel extremely cold except in the windy areas. We did some browsing but mostly explored the green areas and parks around the town. There is a Falkland (Malvinas) memorial, an Evita memorial, and a lovey botanical garden area and we visited them all. We made it back to the ship with 15 minutes before sail time and were greeted with a line of about 150 people waiting to board. Needless to say, we were late sailing as the line contoured to grow well past our 1 pm sail time. We made it back on the ship and had a late lunch.

We went to the Crow’s Nest for the sail away and a sail through Glacier Alley and the Beagle Channel. We sat with a nice Australian couple and went outside only to make pictures of the glaciers as it was raining and windy. The rain stopped but the wind continued as we made our slow passage. The glaciers we magnificent, some in fjords or with cascades. I got some knitting done and Hugh watched videos on his phone. We were still sailing through a lovely area at dinner time so we decided to eat in a window seat in the Lido so we could continue to enjoy the view. After dinner we hustled to the showroom to get some good seats for the movie which was Frozen Planet, a BBC production with live music by our Zaandam band. This was an amazing production and the house was packed. Then it was off to our cabin to upload pictures and journal. The captain announced that we would be in open seas around 10 and that it could get rough. We went to bed around 11 and it was just gently rocking. We found out the next day that the winds were from 77-90 knots per hour and the seas were 6-8 meters.

We slept in this morning as we had all day to explore Punta Arenas and we had no schedule. We had a late breakfast and exited the ship around 10 fully prepared for cold, wet, and wind. Guess what... we had it all. We saw an advertisement for a city tour of 3 hours and decided to take it. The bus was ready to leave so we were on our way. Our first stop was a maritime museum, Nao Victoria Museum, where we saw life-size replicas of Ferdinand Magellan’s ship and the ship The Beagle which had Charles Darwin sailing on it. We climbed aboard these ships and quickly discovered we were not meant for this type of sailing! Our next stop was at the cemetery. This was a grand place on the order of Recolleta in Buenos Aires. From the cemetery, we travelled to La Cruz hill for a scenic panoramic view of the city. We then traveled out of the city to a ski resort where we had coffee, cokes, or beer. It started to rain so we did not get to hike in the area but we saw them preparing meat on an open fire, most likely to be served in the restaurant. We then made our way back into the city and stopped at the Plaza de Armas, the main square in town. Almost everyone headed to an ATM for pesos and after paying our driver we decided to stay in town. It was Sunday and nothing and I do mean nothing was open. We saw the beautiful mansions around the square, most of which are government offices or museums now. We walked down to the strait of Magellan and saw cormorants bobbing in the water or sitting on a pier. From our view point we spotted a large hotel on the water and decided to walk there and see if they had internet services. They had a wonderful History Coffee shop and we sat and had tea and coffee and caught up on our email although the wi-fi was slow. We then made our way back to the square and caught the shuttle back to the ship.

It was raining and windy at the pier so we hustled on the ship and sat on the pool deck under the cover where it was warm and dry for lunch. As we were eating the sun came out for a bit and really warmed us up. We then went to the cabin to dry off and read for a while. We ended up napping as it was so windy the ship was vibrating. The captain later announced that the wind was around 45-50 knots and he had to call for 2 tugs to keep us on the dock. We showered and dressed up for dinner and had a lovely meal in the dining room. We have been so good on this trip about going to the dining room. We took our wine to the show, well I did, and Hugh stopped in the sports bars to see the final minutes of the playoff game between the Jaguars and the Patriots. He joined me later in the show and we enjoyed Five O’clock Somewhere, an Irish duo that played different instruments and sang eclectic music. They were good but not our favorites. We then went up to the Crow’s Nest to see where we were on the seas but there was nothing to see but the sea. We grabbed some popcorn from the theater and headed to our cabin to upload pictures, journal, and watch the game between the Eagles and the Vikings. The captain warned of rough seas and high wind early in the morning so we may sleep until 7 and hope to avoid it. Goodnight!

This morning after breakfast we headed to the Crow’s Nest for our sail through Summer Pass a narrow passage where we have only 2.2 m of water under the keel. We stayed on top and enjoyed the beautiful views until it was time for the lecture on "Chile, Where the Land Ends". This was a great historical overview of this exciting country. We stayed in the Lounge and listened to the Q∓A with the Captain. This was most interesting and the Captain was a charming man with well thought out answers. We then took our computers and knitting to the room and headed to the gym for a hard workout. From the gym, we went to lunch and barely finished in time to go to the lecture on Everything Chocolate. Unfortunately, when we arrived it was 3 deep standing room only and the short girl didn’t have a chance. We decided to watch it tomorrow on TV. We headed back up top but it was raining and there was not a lot to see. We relaxed in the cabin until time to shower and dress for the evening. We went to a lecture on our next 2 ports and this made us happy with our decision not to book an excursion in one of them.

We then quickly went to the Crow’s Nest for the scenic afternoon cruising to the Brujo glacier. The sail to the glacier had wonderful cascades that were blowing in the wind and a lot of bergie bits in the water. The glacier was magnificent and so very tall. It was at least as tall as deck 7 on the ship and a lovely blue color. There was a lot of growler bergs and frazzle ice close to the glacier. The peaks around are all snow covered and outside the wind is howling and the temp is in the low 40’s. It was a day to run in and out to make the perfect picture. After we had sailed out of the fjord we went to dinner and thought we had finished early enough to get a great seat for the magician show. We arrived at the showroom to find out 30 minutes is not early enough to have your pick of seats. We got the best available and played kings on the corner until show time. Joe Devlin is called the matador of magic and his magic is very good. He is humorous but not nearly as funny as he thinks he is. After the show we shopped for watches for each of us as we have almost $500 left on our shipboard credit. We picked out a couple but no decisions were made. It was off to the cabin to edit pictures and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is a busy sea day!

We woke up this morning with great anticipation... the Chilean fjords! We had our breakfast and immediately went to the Crow’s Nest to get our seats. With front row seats we waited for the snowy mountains and glaciers and not a one came into sight. It is summer this far up and everything is green or rocky. The vistas are wonderful but compared to what we saw in Antarctica not as breathtaking. We saw waterfalls and slick rock areas from snow slides as well as the wreck of the Messier. This ship has been sitting in the middle of the channel since the 1960’s. It is rusted and at one time used for target practice and now has a navigational device on it.

At 11:30 we went to the showroom for the Mariner’s party and there were not as many 2-5 star mariners as usual. Forty-two people got their bronze medallion and 4 got their silver. One lady with over 800 nights aboard was recognized. I met a lady from Alabama and after we talked a bit she said she was born in Russellville just like me. She was an Auburn fan but we still had lunch with she and her husband. The luncheon was very nice but drinking champagne, even mixed with OJ, in the middle of the day puts a halt to a lot of activity. We went to a lecture on Sir Francis Drake at 2:30 but had to leave before the end as Hugh was falling asleep and I was freezing. It is warmer outside and they have switched to AC instead of heat. We read, looked at our pictures, and napped until about 4:30. We showered and dressed for our gala night and were surprised that we were seated easily in the dining room (sometimes it is crowded on gala night). We had dinner with 2 other couples and the conversation was lively. One couple live in Auburn, AL where he was a math professor and the other couple was from Washington State. We finished just in time for the show and we joined our friends from Calgary. The entertainer was Andrea Amat an internationally known flautist from Valencia Spain. Her music was beautiful and she was very entertaining in her presentation. After the show, we went to the shop and bought watches with our left over on-board credit. We will pick them up tomorrow evening since both of the bands had to be adjusted. We then went to the cabin to get ready for our shore excursion tomorrow. We were so blessed not to have to spend the afternoon in lines to get tender tickets. Being 4 star mariners, we can go at any time. Off to bed looking forward to a wonderful day in Chacabuco Chile.

This morning we were up early, had our breakfast, and arrived in the showroom just in time to get our tour stickers and head to the tenders. As usual people are congregated near or on the stairwells making it hard and slow to board. The sun is out and the sky is blue and the projected temperature is in the low 70’s, just about perfect. It still felt cold this morning and we have on lots of layers. The tender ride was short and the pier is easy to navigate. We found our bus and our guide Sebastian easily and we were soon on our way. Sebastian is a college student in engineering and has lived here his whole life. He speaks good English and is adorable in his presentations. He informs us that Chacobuco has only 2500 residents and that the weather is more temperate than we would expect with temps dipping only to around -10C and getting as high as 28C. It is protected by the Andes and we still saw a lot of snow covered peaks. The area is lush and green with almost all the mountains tree covered to a point. We saw a lot of monkey puzzle trees and beautiful flowers as we made our way to our first spot at the Simpson River Reserve or park. The Simpson River, named for an English gentleman who first explored it, is long and has many recreational areas on it including kayaking, rafting, and fishing. This park had some nice areas to explore and we walked down to the river, photographed some of the lovely flowers, and then watched a short movie on the area. Our next stop was a scenic view of the Aysen valley and the city of Coyhaique. There were great views everywhere we looked and even some small green birds playing on a branch just above our heads.

We finished our 50-mile drive in the city of Coyhaique. We were able to get some poor Wi-Fi and I checked my emails as we walked around the central square. We ventured down what looked one of the main roads and found a Patagonia store, imagine that in Patagonia. There was also a North Face store but nothing else except small shops selling to locals and a few handicraft stalls selling lovely knitted items but the wool is very heavy and not appropriate for SC. We made it back to the bus on time and our next stop was at a restaurant where we were served meat skewers, fruit skewers, empanadas, both meat and cheese, and lots of wine, pisco sours, and fruit juice. This stop was enjoyed by everyone as the scenery was lovely and the sun warm. From here we made our way along the Carretera Austral Highway to a lovely waterfall. The falls were very high and we hope we got some good shots but the sun was at a bad angle and it is hard to tell. I purchased some copper earrings from a vendor and I think the guy had a good day as almost everyone was buying. The cooper is mined nearby and it makes a great remembrance of the area. We then made our way back to the port. After saying our goodbyes to Sebastian, we walked around the area and found there was not a lot to see or do. We then tendered to the ship and had ice cream before retiring to our cabin to upload pictures and rest a bit before dinner. Hugh fell asleep and I read. We did not get out to dinner until 7 but still had time to make it to the show. Our entertainer was Simon Palomares, a comedian. He was quite funny and we were glad we made the show. We then went to the shop to pick up our watches. We wore them out of the shop and after some ship exploration and card playing Hugh felt his was too tight. He had links put back in and we played more cards while the work was being done. We finally retired to our cabin and were shocked that it was after 11 and still light outside. We read for a bit before turning in.

Today was one of the few days we did not have an excursion. We awoke late and went to the dining room for breakfast. We were seated with 2 other couples and we hit it off immediately and we ended closing the dining room down, actually we were 30 minutes past closing when we left. We grabbed our backpacks and because of our 4 star status we did not have to wait for a tender ticket but could get right onboard. It was a quick sail to the pier and we soon found ourselves in another port with very poor Wi-Fi. We gave up and headed out on a very long hike. We walked down the waterfront past the hillside road to the square and on around the shore till we reached the houses on stilts called traditional palafitos. These were first built by fishermen who moved into the area and could not afford to buy land to build their houses. They built out on the water with stilts and today this is a thriving community still. It is colorful and picturesque and we walked down to the waters edge to get a great picture. From there we made the long hike back and up the hill into the town square. It is dominated by the Plaza de Armas de Castro and the imposing Church of San Francisco built in 1906. This church is large and covered on the outside with corrugated metal painted a bright yellow and two bell towers painted purple. Inside it is a masterpiece of wooden workmanship with incredible arches high above. In the square we visited some vendors and then walked along the hillside for a view of the surrounding area. We then made our way down the hillside and went to the local market which was filled with artisans selling their wares. There were beautiful knitted items and lovely organically dyed yarn but it was all way to heavy and thick for SC. We walked along the shore because one of the guides said there were usually sea lions here but there were none today. We tried the Wi-Fi one more time and still nothing.

It was 2:30 before we headed back to the ship. We had a very late lunch. After lunch we headed to the movie and it sounded like something we would like, a movie on Jacque Cousteau. It was a French film and had subtitles. It moved so slow that people were filing out constantly. I left and then shortly Hugh joined me. In the cabin we spent some time journaling and reading before sail away. We sailed at 4:30 and it was calm and sunny and the waters smooth. There are rolling hills now and the sharp snow-covered peaks are only seen in the distance. It is much warmer in the middle of the day but still cool at night. We showered and went to the Lido for dinner. We headed to the Mondrian Lounge and had time for a couple of hands of Kings on the Corner before it started. The entertainers were Five O’clock Somewhere and we decided to try it again although they were not a favorite the first time. This show was better and we were happy we made the choice. We visited with friends and listened to Adagio before going out on deck for the sunset which is around 9:50. It was lovely but it was too chilly to stay out on the deck and walk without a jacket which was in the room.

Today we were up early and already dressed when the coffee arrived. We had breakfast before getting our excursion sticker and heading for our tender. It was a short ride in and we were soon on our bus and meeting our guide for the day, Gabriel. His English is very good and as we leave the port he begins his almost non-stop commentary. We headed out of Puerto Montt on the Pan American Highway. We were told all the important history of Chile, the economics of the region, etc as we travelled. We soon found ourselves following the shores of Lake Llanquihue, which is one of the most visited sites in Chile. Our first stop was on Lake Todos for a boat ride around the lake. One of the sites we were hoping to see from the boat was the Osorno volcano but the cloud cover kept it pretty well hidden. This volcano erupted in the past 5 years and there still are huge ash beds on the side of the road and everything seems to have a fine coat of grey on it. We caught glimpses of the top off and on but no true view. It was very overcast when we started but seemed to be lighter at the end of our 60-minute cruise. There was a bus jam as we were leaving so we were delayed a bit before we could make our way to the Petrohue river and the river rapids at Ensanada. This was a nice nature walk and there were some major rocky areas to traverse. I was amazed at how well all the people with canes made it. The views were fabulous and we hope we got some great shots. We took our time walking back to the bus and even stopped in the shops at the visitor center. This was our second shot at seeing the volcano and still the clouds kept it partially covered.

From the rapids we made our way into Puerto Veras, the city of roses, for our lunch. Before we arrived in the town we stopped at a roadside park and made photos of some llamas. At the restaurant we were greeted with pisco sours, wine, and water, wonderful bread, salmon and potatoes that were excellent, and even German kugel for dessert. This area was settled by the Germans and has remained a bastion for the German people. The different districts even have German high schools. After lunch, they took us to the heart of the city and gave us time to explore. Standing on the banks of Lake Llanquihue we got our first real look at the Orsorno volcano and it was impressive. We made pictures, looked in a couple of shops, and walked around the town square before heading back to the bus. At the port we said goodbye to Gabriel and joined the long tender line. The Wi-Fi was pretty good and we got a little business done. It was slow going as each package or backpack had to be x-rayed. The tender ride was short once we were on board. The sun played peekaboo all afternoon but came out almost fully at sail time. There was a sailboat race taking place as we sailed away and also a lovely rainbow from one of the 4 hills to the sea. We showered and dressed for dinner as it was already after 6. We had dinner in the Lido and finished some of our wine package. We took our wine to the show which was the singers and dancers. It was called Variations and they did a great job. We went to a raffle in the jewelry shop but did not win and then we walked around for a bit before heading to our cabin. We are both dreading tomorrow and having to pack to leave the ship on Sunday morning. This has been a wonderful trip and we will miss all of our new friends and the adventures we shared.

This morning we slept in. We love sea days for this reason. We had coffee delivered late and sat around enjoying our coffee and juice. We then showered and dressed for the day. We had breakfast and finished just in time to go the cabin and get our bag for our day out of the cabin. We then went to the showroom and enjoyed a meet and greet with the Zaandam singers and dancers. We have a lot of southern talent on board. The two male singers are southern, Savannah and Myrtle Beach, and one of the dancers is from Raleigh. We went backstage to see the workings of the shows and it is well organized but tiny. After this we did our pictures from yesterday while we waited on the lecture by one of the expedition staff. Peter's lectures have been consistently good and this one did not disappoint. We stayed for the next lecture even though the lecturer is not our favorite. This lecture is a personal account of her expeditions to Antarctica. She did this lecture so well and we were so amazed at what all she has done. The living conditions she described and showed pictures of made me glad I was not a geologist. We then went to see the future cruise person and booked a cruise for Jan. 2019. Then it was off to lunch and a walk around the outside deck. It is sunny and warm and the wind will not blow you off the deck…. what a change. We finally made it back to the cabin to start the heinous job of packing. When we finished we were surprised that it was almost dinner time. All of this stuff came in these bags why does it not want to go back????? We showered and then went to a late dinner. After dinner, we shopped to use up the last of our shipboard credit and then went to the variety show at 9:30. This show featured the comedian, the magician, and the flutist, and they all did a fantastic job. We then went around the ship saying goodbye to new friends and then it was time to put the bags out and go to bed. Not looking forward to our cruise ending.

This morning we got up early and finished packing. We headed off to breakfast and said goodbye to our favorite servers. We drank coffee as long as we could but finally we had to release the cabin to be cleaned. We sat in the atrium until our departure was called and then made our way off the ship getting our priceless ship cards swiped one last time... they are now worthless. It was a simple transit through xray and our bags were waiting for us at black 3. We were out of the hangar and looking for a taxi in record time. We negotiated a taxi to our hotel which is 2 hours away. It was a fast drive as it is Sunday and the roads are not clogged. Our driver did not know our hotel and used his phone for directions. It was funny, he was sitting in the driveway of the hotel and he rolled down his window and asked for directions. The check-in was easy and we were able to go right to our room. We brushed our teeth and unpacked a bit before we headed out.

It was a blue sky, high heat day in Santiago but we ventured out for a walk to a large park, Parque Arucano, where we planned to spend some time. We walked among the rose garden, watched the children play and then we were roasting. This heat was so different from what we had been having on our cruise. We walked across the street and then took some time to explore the largest mall I have seen in a while. It had every American store and so many we had not seen before. It was time for a late lunch so we stopped at an outdoor restaurant and had crepes. We then walked around some more and I played Pokemon to get some different ones. We then took a long walk and ended back at the hotel. We sat and did some computer work and then went upstairs and read and cooled off. We both slept for a little while and then showered and ventured out again. We walked a lot before we stopped at a great Italian restaurant and shared a pizza. It was still so warm that it made us not very hungry. We arrived back at the hotel around 10 and it was still light. We showered again and then it was off to bed to be ready for our early tour tomorrow.

This morning we packed for our trip into the mountains. We were picked up at 8 and when we got on the bus our friends Paul and Bev from the cruise were on it also. What a great way to start a day. We headed out of Santiago and our first Andean town of San Jose de Maipo. From here we followed the Maipo River through the cajon del maipo (canyon). The mountains were high and vast with an arid look to them. We passed an old copper mining town that is now deserted and also the new and modern labs for the copper mines. The roads we travelled on was single car wide with mountain on one side and nothing on the other but a very long drop. Bev had to close her eyes for this part of the trip and it did not get better as we climbed even higher. We were so glad Rod brought his best driver. It was most alarming when we started meeting very large dump trucks coming down the mountain; guess who had to back up.

We passed waterfalls and hanging glaciers and we were told we would stop on our way back. Our first real stop was at the beautiful Embalse el Yeso lagoon at 8400 feet. This is a reservoir for drinking water for the area and glacier fed. It is vast and has some great walks around it. We climbed on the rocks, saw horses, and campers and even climbed up a moraine on the other side of the road. The views were fabulous. When we arrived back at our van at the appointed time there was a table full of treats for us including Chilean wine. The one thing we heard the most on this trip is the rivalry with Argentina in the wine making process. Everything was good and we enjoyed our group time. We were all English speakers and that made it easier. When we left the lagoon we made the same trip down the mountain. We stopped for empanadas and also at a waterfall. We arrived back in town dusty and happy for a day well spent. We said goodbye to our new friends and headed for the showers. Once we were clean we took a long walk and explored some more of the city. We stopped for crepes as a late dinner and then went to our room to pack up and get a good nights rest.

Today our next adventure begins. We are up very early and bags downstairs as our taxi is picking us up at 6:15 am. We arrived at the airport without incident and not a lot of traffic. We get checked in quickly and security was not too bad. We still had time to grab some breakfast at Dunkin Donuts which are everywhere in Chile. We were on a Lan flight and we boarded easily. They are great about boarding back to front so there is much less waiting in the aisles. We took off on time and the service was good. It was a little over 2 hours and we were landing in La Paz. We exited the plane and immediately realized we were over 13,000 ft up. Heart rates were rapid and breathing was shallow. We got in line to clear immigration and realized we had not purchased a Visa. We got in the line to do so and then didn’t have the right amount of money. The security guy was so helpful and took Hugh to the ATM while I claimed our luggage. With all the forms done and visas in the passports it was a quick trip through immigration and we only had one more stop. When they x-rayed the bags, they did not recognize what Hugh’s powerful long-range camera lens was. It was quickly taken care of and we were told to get some great pictures as we left.

We got a taxi to our hotel and we drove through the most crowded, potholed streets you can imagine and then we started into the city. La Paz is in a bowl in the heart of the Andes and our view of it was spectacular as we made our way down into the city. It is unlike anything we have seen before and we cannot wait to explore. Sitting in the taxi we thought we were fine but when we arrived at the hotel Rosario and started moving bags and walking about we realized it would have to be a slow day for us. We got checked in and our host told us to unpack slowly, drink plenty of water, and take it easy. He said to come back to see him about local sights after we rested. We thought this was silly until we got to our room and were so short of breath and our pulse so rapid we had to lie down for a while. After we unpacked a little, rested a bit, we went to get our map orientation and walked out into the city. Our first stop was the famous Witches Market and we looked at some great alpaca wraps here and some adorable nativity scenes. From there we slowly, and I do mean slowly, made our was down the hill to San Franciscan Cathedral. It is a glorious site and we made lots of pictures. By the time we finished this we were exhausted and hungry. We started slowly back up the hill and stopped a at wonderful Café Monde for lunch. It was a travel- themed café and we loved the soups and sandwiches. We realized something very quickly at lunch, you do not want carbonated liquids at this altitude. They expand in you tummy and you feel even worse. We made our way back to the hotel and did some computer work, journaled, and read. We tried so hard not to fall asleep for fear that we would not rest well anyway from the altitude. About 6:30 we decided to go for another walk and we went back to the market and looked around and were back at the hotel around 9. We readied ourselves for sleep and both of us went right to sleep but woke up off and on all night.

Today begins our 4-day tour of La Paz and we awoke ready to go. We both felt so much better and after a good breakfast we headed out for a walk and even attempted some hills to make sure we were OK. Our guide picked us up at 10:30 and he is a friendly guy named Ricky. He is from La Paz and will be with us the next 4 days. We started our tour walking and as we walked he told us some about the city. He explained that all the stalls selling costumes are for Carnival which starts next week. They are doing a booming business and Ricky says this is something that is celebrated by everyone! We next arrived at the Witches Market and he explained that the name comes from the fact that the shops here sell the items people use in worship. The country is Catholic but mixed with the indigenous peoples’ gods. He told us if they go to build a house they set up an altar and but a clay god on it, a mother earth statue, and the fetus of a llama. They then burn it and bury it and put the first stone of the house on that spot. It is hard to imagine but there are mother earth statues everywhere, most with Mary’s face on them. From here we walked to get our van and driver, Alesandro.

We drove across the city to the southern area where the middle and upper-class people live. The Americans that are here live in this area. It was chosen because it is lower in altitude and easier for them to breathe. Our first stop was Valley de Luna or the moon valley. This area is created by erosion and is constantly changing. It is just dust if you touch it. The name was given to it by Neil Armstrong. Neil evidently saw a large white area on Bolivia from his trip to the moon. He made picture and came to see what it was. The mayor thought it might be this area and Neil said this looks like the moon. They discovered what he had seen from space was the salt flats however.

Up at 5:30 after a sleepless night. The altitude makes me feel like I cannot breathe when I lay down. I am ok when I am up and moving slowly. Bags are packed to be stored and our small bag is ready for our trip to Lake Titicaca and the Salar de Unuyi. Tonight, we will be at the Salar de Luna Salada salt hotel where everything is made out of blocks of salt. We were dressed and ready early so we took the bags down and went for breakfast. We met Ricky at 7 am and off we went to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. Our driver Luis is a speed demon and we were zipping in and out of stop and go traffic. The traffic here is unbelievable as there are not many lane lines and no one pays any attention to the ones there are. Red lights and stop signs are for decorative purposes only and a large part of the time a two-lane road will have cars and trucks and buses 4 across with people darting in and out and vendors on the sidewalk. After about 2 hours we had our first look at Lake Titicaca. We came to an area of the lake that we had to cross by ferry. The ferries are these floating wooden pallets and the ramps are just mud and planks. Each one takes 2 cars or one truck or bus. We got in line and it was an adventure. The ferry pilots are as crazy as the drivers and there is a lot of bumping and banging. The trip is short and soon we are jockeying for an exit ramp. Next to us is a ferry piloted by a child who looks around ten. We get off the ferry and continue our drive into Copacabana. Here is a small resort type town where the Bolivians like to holiday. We boarded a small boat for a trip to Isla del Sol but even the though the name indicates sun we had pouring rain and poor visibility. We made the decision to turn back and I think the driver was happy as he was sitting outside. We went to a lovely restaurant for lunch. We had trout from the lake and it was delicious but the soups have been my favorites. After lunch the sun came out and we headed into the town where there was a festival going on. We got out and walked and got to see the cathedral, no photos allowed inside, and all the action out in the courtyard. There were bands playing, people in costume dancing, and even a street parade. Festivals are a way of life in the country and we were so blessed to get to see one.

On our way back to La Paz we stopped at the Kon Tiki Museum. This was interesting because we have been to the one in Norway. We found out that the man who made the boats here was a friend of Thor Heyerdahl. He improved on the structure of the Ra II after the first reed ship Ra (built in Egypt) all but disintegrated in the Atlantic Ocean just short of reaching its destination. When Heyerdahl successfully enlisted the aid of this Aymara Indian from Bolivia; the second attempt with the Ra II reached Barbados a year later. The correctly constructed inwardly curled stern also discerned in ancient Egyptian pictures was not ornamental but rather essential to a vessel's elasticity. Small models of the reed ships are available in the museum shop, made by the son of the very Aymara who constructed the large ships. We got to see some of the larger ships he made also. At last we had to say goodbye and make our way back to La Paz for our flight to Unuyi. We had to take the ferry and fight the traffic but we made it to the airport in plenty of time. We checked in at BOA airline, Boliviana de Aviacion, and had some dinner at a Subway. When you are in a small airport you go with what you know. The flight was under 1 hour but we were served drinks and a muffin, not like USA planes. We landed in Unuyi and Jorge was waiting for us. We made our way to the salt hotel Luna Salada. We checked in and this hotel is so lovely. The walls are all salt blocks and the furniture in the rooms as well as the floors are made of salt. We were happy to see a very modern non-salt bathroom. The shared areas have comfy seating and there is a game room, a lovely restaurant, and a bar. We unpacked our small bag and then went to the bar for a glass of wine and to look at our pictures. Then it was off to bed for us.

Today we had a 9 am pickup so we slept in a bit and had a lovely breakfast. Our driver and guide were a bit late but considering the roads or mud tracks we travelled to get here it is not a problem. Our guide is Mauricio and he is young and energetic and speaks good English. He is a University student. We headed in to Uyuni and a visit to the train cemetery. Near the end of the 19th century, British engineers came to the country with the Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway Company, which was building a railroad to carry minerals from the Bolivian capital of La Paz to Chilean ports on the Pacific Coast. In the 1940s, the mining industry declined, leading to the creation of the Cementerio de Trenes, or train graveyard. Just outside the city of Uyuni, in southwestern Bolivia, dozens of abandoned steam trains are scattered around as if a giant child dropped them there. The "cemetery" marked only by a small sign that explains very little, has become a minor attraction for tourists visiting the nearby Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. The trains have been buffeted by wind for decades and just a few miles away is an enormous natural stockpile of salt, and it's obvious. They're rusted out, long ago stripped for useful parts, and covered in graffiti yet they're strangely beautiful relics of an industry left behind. When we arrived there were tourists everywhere but it started to rain and they all left. As if by magic the rain stopped and we had the place to ourselves. We had a great time photographing them but had a little scare at the end when we could not find our guide and driver, not even the car. As we were pondering what to do they drove up with snacks and drinks for us and also our lunch for our salt flats picnic. We then traveled to the town of Colchani to visit a salt processing plant. This is a small plant run by a family and the process is done mostly by hand. We got to see how the slat once it is dried had iodine added and then ground and bagged. We got to spend some time visiting all the vendors in the town and we looked in the small museum and even bought a decorative llama from one of the ladies. From Colchani we headed to the Uyuni Salt Flats.

We arrived and drove right into the water to make our way out to a small museum about a 45-minute drive away. The water was deep and we had to go slow. The water is calm and clear and you cannot tell the sky from the water. National Geographic said of this area, “Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni", is considered one of the most extreme and remarkable vistas in all of South America, if not Earth. Stretching more than 4,050 square miles of the Altiplano, it is the world’s largest salt flat, left behind by prehistoric lakes evaporated long ago. Here, a thick crust of salt extends to the horizon, covered by quilted, polygonal patterns of salt rising from the ground. At certain times of the year, nearby lakes overflow and a thin layer of water transforms the flats into a stunning reflection of the sky. This beautiful and otherworldly terrain serves as a lucrative extraction site for salt and lithium—the element responsible for powering laptops, smart phones, and electric cars". Our first stop was to some bubbling pools that looked like they should be hot but were very cool. From here we continued our drive and we found this to be otherworldly and took so many pictures as we drove. We arrived at the closed hotel/museum and Mauricio fitted us with wellies so we could walk around and get some reflection shots. While we were exploring he and the driver went to set up the tent and table for our picnic. Just as they got it set up a very heavy rain came and Hugh and I hustled inside and waited but Mauricio and our driver had to take everything down and bring it inside. We had a lovely lunch on real plates with crystal wine glasses and made it the best we could. I imagine it would have been spectacular in the water but what can you do? When we finished with our picnic the rain had stopped and we went out to explore as they packed up the car. From the museum, we drove another 30 minutes out in to flats to an area with still water and a little sun and some clouds which gave beautiful vistas. Mauricio is a great videographer and photographer and he set up some scenes with us and we had the most fun just playing and acting silly. Soon our time had disappeared and we had to head back to the airport for our flight to La Paz. It was a long drive back but we had no regrets. We even got to see some flamingoes and Tunupa Volcano which we had been told we would not see because of the clouds. We could not drive to the flamingo area at the base because it is not a safe water level in the rainy season which is now. We were amazed that a flock of flamingoes flew over while we were acting silly and the clouds parted for a view of the volcano... what a day! We got to the airport with an hour to spare. We said goodbyes and hustled in to get our bag on board. We paid our airport tax and then went out to the plane. Again, the service was prompt and inflight service excellent. We arrive back in La Paz at 9:10 but it was well after 10 when we checked into the Gloria Hotel. This is more of an adventurer’s hotel but has a great view of the San Francisco Cathedral and was clean and comfy. We took off our slat stained clothes, cleaned up and crawled in bed.

HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY HUDSON!!!!!!
Today we were up early after a good night's sleep. We packed our bag, had breakfast with a view of the city, and met Ricky at 8 am. We are driving out of La Paz today to see the Archeological site at Tiahuanaco. We had to fight traffic for the first hour but then we were on a highway, the best we have seen. We arrived at the site and Ricky was quick to start his explanation for this historic place. Tiwanaku (also spelt Tiahuanaco and Tiahuanacu) was founded around 200 BC and after many years it grew from a small village to much larger city with population estimated anywhere between 200,000 to 1.4 million inhabitants in the period around 600 to 800 AD. At its peak Tiwanaku was the most important city and civilization center in the whole continent and its influence can be seen in vast areas of modern day Bolivia, Peru and Argentina. It is believed that the people of the city of Tiwanaku where more advanced in pottery, astronomy, and math than the Incas whom they predated. This World Heritage Site is being preserved but lack of money has the process stopped on and off. We were able to walk to all three of the historical areas, the heaven temple, the earth temple, and the underworld temple. We saw monoliths, the Sun Gate, and the Kon Tiki monolith. We climbed to the top of the heaven temple for a panoramic view.

From here we drove a sort distance to Pumapunku. The Pumapunku complex consists of an unwalled western court, a central unwalled esplanade, a terraced platform mound that is faced with stone, and a walled eastern court. This place confounds archeologists because no one can figure out how it was built. The stones weigh over 100 tons and are cut so precisely that archeologist think that only diamond tools could make something this precise. It is not beautiful to look at but it's historical significance is great. We then went to a lovely restaurant for lunch and the chef/owner gave us keychains with monoliths to commemorate our visit. Then we had the long drive back to La Paz. When we arrived at the Rosario, we said good by to Ricky and Luis, although we will see Luis again on Monday for our trip to the airport. We checked in and we had our old room. We decided to stay in and get some journaling and pictures done since it was sprinkling rain and the old folks were tired. Hugh did some laundry to get our salty clothes cleaned before we have to pack. We worked through over a thousand pictures and at dinner time went to the hotel restaurant and had pizza. It has been raining all afternoon and we got a lot of work done.

Today was a free day for us and we slept in and had a late breakfast at the hotel. We then put on our sneakers and headed out to explore on our own. We felt like our fitness is better and we are acclimatized to the altitude. We walked through the Witch’s Market and then up the hill through the clothes market for the Bolivian people. It seemed that down vest and jackets were the hot item today as they were displayed everywhere. We then walked back down the hill and over to the main square for another look at the cathedral and the president’s palace. On our way back we stopped for crepes as our late lunch. It started to rain as we walked through the Witch’s Market to pick out a doll. We found our doll and headed back as the rain was harder. We journaled, packed, and read until later in the afternoon. The rain stopped and we walked some more. We were disappointed that we still got winded when we encountered a large hill. We made it back to the hotel at dinner time and had a great meal in the restaurant. Then it was off to bed because our flight out is at 4:30 am.

This morning we were up at 1:15 am and left the hotel at 2 for the airport. Everything had gone so well on this trip we were surprised when we got to the airport and they said we did not have seats on the 4:30 flight but on the 10:45 one. After much arguing we were able to get seats but had to pay a fee to change. All this occurred even though I had our flight confirmation from American on my phone. I will have to call when we get home. The flight left on time and it was less than 2 hours. We got to Lima and got a taxi to the hotel in San Isidro. Our room was ready and we moved in and immediately when to bed. We slept until noon and then showered and headed out to explore.

We decided to walk to the El Malecon. We walked down a large avenue with a wide median with walking and bike paths. There were large beautiful homes on each side. We then entered Miraflores and it became a town. We walked in several shop and found the most beautiful nativity scenes made of wood. We arrived at the mall on the water in time for a late lunch. We sat looking out over the Pacific and enjoyed a great meal. We then walked through the mall and then headed out on the Cliffside walk. We walked the full 4 miles and enjoyed all the parks along the way. Our favorite was the Amores park with the famous statue of the kissing couple. From the end of the Malecon we walked back to the hotel through the neighborhoods that surround it. We washed up and regrouped before we headed out for a light dinner and a glass of wine. We made it back to the hotel and readied ourselves for tomorrows tour and went to bed.

Today we had a great breakfast at the hotel before meeting our guide Gabi and our driver Coli for our private city tour of Lima. Our first stop was Huaca Pucllana, an Administrative and ceremonial center of the Lima Culture, a society that developed at the Peruvian central coast between 200 AD and 700 AD. Today it is located in the heart of Miraflores and is one of the most important ancient monuments in Lima. On our way to our next stop we passed the very large soccer stadium. Soccer is the national sport of Peru. We stopped at the Plaza San Martin for pictures. This square was inaugurated in 1921 to honor the General Jose de San Martin who was a key leader in the struggle for independence. It is one of the largest and most beautiful in Lima and is surrounded by equally beautiful buildings. We walked into one of the historic hotels, The Hotel Bolivar, and heard the story of how the pisco sour was first served here. From the square we made our way to the Monastery of San Francisco. The large complex is a wonderful example of Spanish Baroque architecture and the tour showed us lovely art work that was original. This complex was built in the 1620’s and the ceilings are amazing; carved wooden squares hung by pressure no nails. We also saw the library which is world renowned for its 25,000 antique texts. One of the most fascinating things we saw was a painting of the last supper that included a lot of Peruvian elements including a meal with guinea pig, potatoes, and chilies. We then descended into the catacombs which were not discovered until 1943. It is estimated that 25,000 bodies were laid to rest here. From there we walked to the City Wall Park and were able to see the remains of the original city wall. In the park we got to see some llamas including one adorable baby. We then continued our walking tour. We stopped at the old train station which is now a library to admire the ceiling. When we arrived at the Government Palace we were able to see the changing of the guards. They did a kick that would make the Rockettes proud. This is a stately building built in 1535. As we were watching the guards we looked around and admired the beautiful Moorish balconies on the buildings surround the palace. Lima is known for its balconies and they are varied and beautiful. As we walked to our van we stopped in a cathedral that was just off the square.

From the square we drove to the Museum Larco. The flowers on the grounds were breathtaking. The museum was founded in 1926 and is housed in a unique vice-royal mansion and is privately owned. It houses the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru and a famous erotic archaeological collection. We were able to walk through the store house of over 45,000 classified pieces. After a wonderful tour we stopped for lunch at the Café Larco. We asked Coki and Gabi to join us and we had a wonderful long lunch getting to know one another. Since we had seen the Malecon yesterday Hugh asked if we could spend that time visiting the Harley Davidson store and that is what we did. Neither Gabi or Coki knew about these motorcycles and they took pictures while Hugh shopped for his tee shirt. We then drove to Morro Solar, a large ocean side hill that gave us a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and the public beaches below. We were up close to the Cristo Blanco statue and the shanty towns that line the hill below. From here we made our way back to our hotel and we realized on the trip 8 hours is far too little time to explore this great city. We said goodbye to our new friends and went to our room to drop off backpacks before we headed out on our own. We started a walking tour of San Isidero and found ourselves in an exclusive shopping district that we had not found before. We walked and walked until we were hungry. We stopped for dinner and a glass of wine before we walked back to our hotel and did or final packing. We will be up early in the morning for our flight home... yuk.

This morning we were downstairs at 5am and our taxi was waiting. We headed to the airport and during check-in we found out our flight was delayed an hour. The perk was that they gave us a pass to the VIP Lounge and we enjoyed fast internet, coffee, and breakfast snacks. Once our flight was called we settled into our first class seats and readied for the flight. It was an easy fight and the two meals we had were enjoyable. We had the best stewardess we have had in a long time and when we changed planes it was as if we were saying goodbye to a friend. Everything was going smoothly until we went to claim our luggage in Miami so we could go through customs. We waited an hour and fifteen minutes for the luggage to come. Several people did not make their connections. Customs was fast and we had enough time to sit for a bit before we boarded our next flight. The flight was easy, luggage came promptly, and soon we were in the car with Gayle on our way home. Friends are so wonderful. When we arrived at the house all was well and we started the arduous task of unpacking. Connie, another wonderful friend, had left soup and bread so we did not even have to go out to eat. It was an early night for us and it was nice to be in our own bed. This trip was so varied, I hope no one asks me what my favorite part was... there were so many!!!!! /susan