After Six Days at Sea arrive at Valparaiso, Chile

 After 6 days at sea we were looking forward to touching solid ground.  Our sea days were pleasant enough,  though generally very cool.  As before the days flew by filled with the usual activities of eating, eating and more eating.  In between, we spoiled ourselves with massages and a session with a personal trainer, lots of relaxing and looking out to sea in hopes of spotting whales, dolphins and whatever called this area home.  We were lucky, we did see on several occasions dolphins frolicking and of course many sea birds.  Then there are numerous enrichment lectures to entertain and keep you busy.The topics dealt with Cartography, Easter Island and the Napa Nui People, Chinese New Year, Port Talks,History of Chile, How Whales and Dolphin eat,  Seals, Sealions and Otters, Weaving and Barkcloth in and Around the Pacific Rim,  just to mention a few.  

We had one day of rough seas at night and were once again woken by an annoying knocking sound in the wall.  We finally decided to record it to enable the crew in locating and solving the problem.  One long ceiling panel was left down and we were asked should the knocking sound happen again to please call them right a way. In other words, they could not ascertain the cause and had to address the matter while it was making the annoying knocking sound.  So it shall remain a mystery until we hit rough waters, which will likely happen when we are back out in open waters and going around Cape Horn.  


Valparaiso is considered the gateway to Santiago and played a major role as a port before the Panama Canal opened.  It is a quaint town with steeply sloped barrios linked by funiculars and winding byways.  It’s quaint Victorian-era architecture recalls the 19th century heritage.  Some of the homes seem to be ready to fall of the cliff sides.  It’s quite a site.  The crowding caused many of the affluent to move and the resort town of Vina Del Mar was founded.  It has lovely long sandy shores, attracting Chileans from Santiago and other inland cities.  

Santiago, the capital of Chile, is beautiful, clean and blends European and historic architecture with the modern.  It’s many plazas and open green space gives it a very grand and inviting feeling.  Our tour offered only a glimpse into this beautiful city and is certainly a place one should come back to to explore in greater detail.   

I was going to add a few pictures, but once again this blog will not cooperate, so they will be in a separate post.  😊😊


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