February 20 Puerto Montt, Chile
Puerto Montt is the capital of the Lake District (Los Largos) and it was easy to see why. The lakes are huge and numerous. The area has a distinct German flavor as German immigrants came here in large numbers in the 19th century. Ironsmiths, watchmakers, carpenters, brewers, tailor and others contributed much to the development of commerce and industry. Today a large amount of the architecture, music, language , surnames and food retain the German heritage.
While still at home and planning the trip, I pondered long and hard over whether to take a shore excursion to Osorno Volcano and Petrohue Rapids finally deciding not to go because
The excursion was 8 .5 hours long
It involved a 150 mile bus ride, much of it over bumpy roads. That’s 150 miles each way.
3. It required an hour walk up a rough path.
4. It was $139.
However, once on the ship, hearing the shore excursion manager (read salesperson), and seeing the pictures, I decided why not? So off I went at 9 am, leaving Alan to his coffee and pastry.
Once again we traveled on the Pan American Highway---the continuous string of national scenic highways that stretches more than 16,000 miles from Alaska to the Southern tip of Chiloe Island. Scenery on the bus ride was very pretty…..think mountains rising out of lakes, alpine style cabins, picturesque resorts and hotels, lakes with beaches and boat rentals, and checkerboard fields of crops.
After a photo stop at Lago Llanquihue, Chile’s second largest lake, we continued on to Osorno Volcano. At 8,500 feet the volcano isn’t the highest mountain in the area but it’s snow capped peak dominates the horizon. And we were fortunate to have a clear day.
Thankfully, since the excursion brochure had been printed the road had been paved. If you think you have seen switchbacks and hairpin curves, you haven’t seen anything! I can’t imagine what it had been like when it was unpaved.
I guess I hadn’t read the brochure carefully for I expected to trek up the mountain and peer over the edge of the crater into the ashes and whatever else was in there. Wrong.
We were at the base of a ski area….a couple of chair lifts went up (for $10 you could ride the lower on about one-third of the way up the mountain), a simple ski and souvenir shop was at the base as well as a snack bar. A 30 minute walk a short way up the mountain and back down was offered but it was pretty windy and cool up there so I sat in the sun and looked at postcards. Those who walked said the view wasn’t any more spectacular than from my vantage point. But it was pretty spectacular from any point. Both up and down.
It was then on to the Hotel Ensenda, a quaint, charming little hotel. The grounds were lovely (think spring in New England) and the hotel dining room, bathrooms, and lobby filled with every piece of household goods, equipment, farm implement, game, toy, etc., made in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was like a Cracker Barrel. Only better because they weren’t selling anything.
We had a wonderful lunch starting with the national drink a pisco sour, then a pastry filled with a dollop of melted cheese, salmon with a spinach sauce, tiny boiled potatoes, wine, a wonderful German desert and coffee.
Fully stuffed, we traveled on to the Petrohue Rapids. Road construction and one lane traffic extended our traveling time but once again the scenery was worth the trip. The rapids/falls were not at their peak judging from all the crevices and rocky areas we saw but it was an interesting site. I would guess the park containing the rapids is a very popular place as there were many families and groups enjoying the day.
On the way back to Puerto Montt we made a 20 minute stop at a small pretty town nicknamed the Town of Roses so people could take a picture of a cathedral. I spent the 20 minutes trying to buy a good hand cream. The antiseptic we are required to use before returning to the ship, entering a food line or the dining room is really drying out everyone’s hands. I had no Chilean pesos, therefore no luck. Luckily both Alan and one of our table mates, knew of my predicament and came back to the ship with lotions.
Our bus arrived back at the ship too late for the Folkloric Show, or as it is stated in the daily program, “your local flavor immersion program.” The folkloric shows have been very entertaining and it’s nice to have a short time to chat with the local performers before they have to leave the ship.
And so ended day 50 of the voyage.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Feb. 19 I think
I am so far behind I haven't even proof read this one.
A correction....the rapids were in Puerto Montt...
February 19 Puerto Chacabuco
I wrote up this port several days ago and then lost it. Not that there was much to tell about the town itself. The sail up and back was spectacular as Puerto Chacabuco is at the head of the Aysen Fjord. At one time Puerto Aisen was the only port in fjord but in the mid 1950 a series of fires devastated Aisen. More bad luck followed and in 1960 a powerful tsunami struck the town --- three waves within four hours ---making the harbor unusable and by necessity Puerto Chacabuco became the port.
There is nothing in Puerto Chacabuco but containers, docks and a hotel perched on a hill top. Not a store, not a postcard, not a gas station that I could see. It is, however, the jumping off place to the interior and the Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael and other natural parks and areas. One reserve is a popular fly-fishing site and a few of the passengers organized a trip to the fishing area.
After tendering in in the very small harbor (it was like a watery cul de sac) Alan and I walked up the two lane road to nowhere (in the rain) until the top of the hill where I quit and went back to the Prinsendam. Alan continued on….but not for long.
We spent a leisurely afternoon doing next to nothing until we went out on we deck for the sail down the fjord which was reminiscent of Norway but not as stunning. What fjords could top Norway’s?
Today we received notice of ANOTHER PRINSENDAM FIRST!
Many cruise ships, including this one, offer a tour of the gallery. They are usually when the galleries are cleaned up and devoid of both food and crew. Interesting but bland. Tomorrow we will have a chance to tour the “back of the house” including the prep-galley, the bakery, crew’s mess room, garbage rooms, provision storage area and more and see where the “soup magic” happens.
We’ve signed up and will let you know what it’s like below the waterline.
A correction....the rapids were in Puerto Montt...
February 19 Puerto Chacabuco
I wrote up this port several days ago and then lost it. Not that there was much to tell about the town itself. The sail up and back was spectacular as Puerto Chacabuco is at the head of the Aysen Fjord. At one time Puerto Aisen was the only port in fjord but in the mid 1950 a series of fires devastated Aisen. More bad luck followed and in 1960 a powerful tsunami struck the town --- three waves within four hours ---making the harbor unusable and by necessity Puerto Chacabuco became the port.
There is nothing in Puerto Chacabuco but containers, docks and a hotel perched on a hill top. Not a store, not a postcard, not a gas station that I could see. It is, however, the jumping off place to the interior and the Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael and other natural parks and areas. One reserve is a popular fly-fishing site and a few of the passengers organized a trip to the fishing area.
After tendering in in the very small harbor (it was like a watery cul de sac) Alan and I walked up the two lane road to nowhere (in the rain) until the top of the hill where I quit and went back to the Prinsendam. Alan continued on….but not for long.
We spent a leisurely afternoon doing next to nothing until we went out on we deck for the sail down the fjord which was reminiscent of Norway but not as stunning. What fjords could top Norway’s?
Today we received notice of ANOTHER PRINSENDAM FIRST!
Many cruise ships, including this one, offer a tour of the gallery. They are usually when the galleries are cleaned up and devoid of both food and crew. Interesting but bland. Tomorrow we will have a chance to tour the “back of the house” including the prep-galley, the bakery, crew’s mess room, garbage rooms, provision storage area and more and see where the “soup magic” happens.
We’ve signed up and will let you know what it’s like below the waterline.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
pictures
.JPG)
The rapids at Puerto Arenes
One of the glaciers as seen from the deck of the Prinsendam.
Puerto Chacabuco. I told you there was nothing there.
Charts of a portion of Chilean Straits
hope this is legible.
This one shows when we went out into the Pacific and then back in to Puerto Chacabuco.
The one on the left is more southern.
Feb. 17 and 18
Feb. 17 and 18 Cruising the Chilean Fjords. (I thought they spelled fjords with an “I” in place of a “j” down here but the map says fjords.)
It is 6:45 pm and for the past half hour I have been up on deck and am now looking out our cabin window at the Skua Glacier, also known as the Amalia Glacier. It is a tidewater glacier located in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. From the Daily Program--
“It originates in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and from 1945 to 1986
Its terminus retreated four miles making it, along with the receding of
O’Higgins Glacier, the most dramatic retreat of glaciers of this ice field during that period of time.
I don’t know who Amalia was but the Skuas were a wealthy South American family who commissioned a yacht and sailed it to this glacier. Sometime in the late 20th century. It is very frustrating to have bits and pieces of stories but because of the exorbitant e-mail costs, not be willing to google them.
It’s been a quiet day. Lectures in the morning, bridge morning and afternoon and e-mail and blog catching up.
If you’re checking a map (you’ll need a detailed one of Patagonia and the Chilean Fiords) here’s where we have sailed. After leaving Ushuaia, we sailed westward on the Beagle Channel, around the north of Isle O’Brien, through Canal Ballenero, around the south side of Pla. Brecknock, westerly through the Cl. Cockburn to the southern end of Aracena, north up the Canal Magdallena. It was then northwest through Estrecho de Magallanes then north into the Cl Smith and generally northward to Is Esperanza.
For you navigators, directions are approximate.) In the next post I'll try to put in a picture of the chart we have posted on the ship.
Somewhere along the way we altered course to get up pretty close and personal to two more glaciers. Days are longer and we have enough light at dinner time to rush up from the table, run to a window or outside and snap away. Alan was outside for so long, one of the ladies at our table became worried and offered to have one of the men check the men’s room for him. He returned shortly thereafter, safe, sound and dry.
Because the Prinsendam has “soft” propellers, it cannot be backed out of the tight spots the Captain navigates but must be turned 360° and headed back the way we came. Those on the bridge are constantly monitoring the glaciers to make sure there are no great chunks of ice sliding off into our path. The colors in the glaciers are spectacular, all range of blues, with brown of rocks and soils thrown into the mix.
Both sides of all the channels are mountainous, (up to 1,500 feet) faced with sheer rock cliffs and GREEN trees. Some of the tops are snow covered and we’ve seen a few small waterfalls. It is quite a comparision to the pure ice, snow and rock we saw in Antarctica.
We continued up this inland water route until it was no more and we had to go out into the Pacific Ocean for about 6 hours. We popped in again between Isla Rivero and I. Isquiliac .
I have a note on a scrap of paper that at 4:50 pm on Feb. 18 we were at
48° 47.15S, 075° 00.18W. That didn’t agree with what I figured on the chart but who I am to argue with the captain. Besides, they don’t let us up on the bridge. At that time we had traveled 112,702.3 miles from Ft. Lauderdale.
Our route then took us south east to the little coastal town of Puerto Chacobuca.
As the port lecturer and shore excursion people kept tell us….there ain’t nothing there. And they were correct.
It is 6:45 pm and for the past half hour I have been up on deck and am now looking out our cabin window at the Skua Glacier, also known as the Amalia Glacier. It is a tidewater glacier located in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. From the Daily Program--
“It originates in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and from 1945 to 1986
Its terminus retreated four miles making it, along with the receding of
O’Higgins Glacier, the most dramatic retreat of glaciers of this ice field during that period of time.
I don’t know who Amalia was but the Skuas were a wealthy South American family who commissioned a yacht and sailed it to this glacier. Sometime in the late 20th century. It is very frustrating to have bits and pieces of stories but because of the exorbitant e-mail costs, not be willing to google them.
It’s been a quiet day. Lectures in the morning, bridge morning and afternoon and e-mail and blog catching up.
If you’re checking a map (you’ll need a detailed one of Patagonia and the Chilean Fiords) here’s where we have sailed. After leaving Ushuaia, we sailed westward on the Beagle Channel, around the north of Isle O’Brien, through Canal Ballenero, around the south side of Pla. Brecknock, westerly through the Cl. Cockburn to the southern end of Aracena, north up the Canal Magdallena. It was then northwest through Estrecho de Magallanes then north into the Cl Smith and generally northward to Is Esperanza.
For you navigators, directions are approximate.) In the next post I'll try to put in a picture of the chart we have posted on the ship.
Somewhere along the way we altered course to get up pretty close and personal to two more glaciers. Days are longer and we have enough light at dinner time to rush up from the table, run to a window or outside and snap away. Alan was outside for so long, one of the ladies at our table became worried and offered to have one of the men check the men’s room for him. He returned shortly thereafter, safe, sound and dry.
Because the Prinsendam has “soft” propellers, it cannot be backed out of the tight spots the Captain navigates but must be turned 360° and headed back the way we came. Those on the bridge are constantly monitoring the glaciers to make sure there are no great chunks of ice sliding off into our path. The colors in the glaciers are spectacular, all range of blues, with brown of rocks and soils thrown into the mix.
Both sides of all the channels are mountainous, (up to 1,500 feet) faced with sheer rock cliffs and GREEN trees. Some of the tops are snow covered and we’ve seen a few small waterfalls. It is quite a comparision to the pure ice, snow and rock we saw in Antarctica.
We continued up this inland water route until it was no more and we had to go out into the Pacific Ocean for about 6 hours. We popped in again between Isla Rivero and I. Isquiliac .
I have a note on a scrap of paper that at 4:50 pm on Feb. 18 we were at
48° 47.15S, 075° 00.18W. That didn’t agree with what I figured on the chart but who I am to argue with the captain. Besides, they don’t let us up on the bridge. At that time we had traveled 112,702.3 miles from Ft. Lauderdale.
Our route then took us south east to the little coastal town of Puerto Chacobuca.
As the port lecturer and shore excursion people kept tell us….there ain’t nothing there. And they were correct.
Feb. 16, Punta Arenas, Chile
February 16 Punta Arenas, Chile
Rumors abounded all day about our late departure the night before. Two were most prevalent. One, two bodies (not everyone finishes a cruise horizontally) were taken from the ship and the paper work was not done properly. Two, two crew members were caught by the drug sniffing dog with drugs. (Alan later asked the ship’s doctor about the drug story and was told it was not true.)
I can with almost certainty attest to the fact that at least one poor soul left the ship. I was waiting for an elevator and overheard some of the ship’s officers by the gangway talking about getting “his” passport, the procedure, etc. The captain, who we have never seen at the gangway, was also there in his uniform as were the doctor and other officers. And finally, as we were going down the gangway, shore personal were bringing up one of those board things they use for accident victims. At least if you die on board, the captain sees you off.
The captain made good time over night and we arrived only an hour or so late.
We are in the Patagonian Region and our first port in Chile, Punta Arenas, which means Sand Point in Spanish. It is on the Strait of Magellan (he’s all you hear about down here). The climate is very harsh and the area was not easily settled or developed.
Today the main industry is sheep farming, meat processing and wool. Three hundred sheep were originally brought over from the Falklands.
Punta Arenas has a very mixed ethnic culture with a great many Croatians. The four indigenous tribes of the area, the Onas, Haush, Yahan and Alacaluf, were virtually wiped out by explorers and settles and their disease and cultural influences.
The region also had natural gas and the largest methadone plant in the world. I think the guide said methadone. 30% of the cars and taxis in the region run on natural gas.
Before the construction of the Panama Canal the harbor at Punta Arenas was once one of the most important in the world. Now it is mostly used by tourist cruise ships and scientific expeditions but it used to be the last stop for ships provisioning for the treacherous passage around Cape Horn.
Before leaving the Prinsendam we had to fill out a Chilean Declaration form swearing we weren’t bringing in animals, fresh fruits, meats, plants, lab specimens, goods other than personal luggage or over $1,000. We are supposed to carry the form with us at all times when ashore in Chile. Our carry-off bags and backpacks were given a cursory look-over by Chilean officials as we departed the ship.
Alan opted for a HAL tour of museums and the like while I went on a Cruise Specialist tour to the Otway Penguin Reserve.
The bus ride was over an hour…all but twenty minutes of it on bumpy dirt roads. What could be seen out the bus windows was pretty desolate and very, very rural. People who had been inland in Australia said it reminded them of Australia. The bus stopped so we could see emus (or something similar), cattle, sheep, the upland goose, and some native animal whose name I can’t remember. (remember, English isn’t the native language of our guides but they do very well.)
I enjoyed my time at the Otway Reserve but once back on the bus realized I was disappointed in the tour. After walking an hour and a half over a wooden walkway to viewing sites, we saw only a few penguins….probably less than 50. I had anticipated almost frolicking on the beach with thousands. It was explained that the climate changes (down here they don’t say global warming) are changing the breeding and nesting habits of the penguins and many had left the area.
However, our guide was very good, the people on the bus friendly and fun, and we made a quick pass through the town before returning to the Prinsendam.
Alan returned from the tour he took-----museums, the town square and a cemetery to rival the one in Buenos Aires. Well, almost.
Rumors abounded all day about our late departure the night before. Two were most prevalent. One, two bodies (not everyone finishes a cruise horizontally) were taken from the ship and the paper work was not done properly. Two, two crew members were caught by the drug sniffing dog with drugs. (Alan later asked the ship’s doctor about the drug story and was told it was not true.)
I can with almost certainty attest to the fact that at least one poor soul left the ship. I was waiting for an elevator and overheard some of the ship’s officers by the gangway talking about getting “his” passport, the procedure, etc. The captain, who we have never seen at the gangway, was also there in his uniform as were the doctor and other officers. And finally, as we were going down the gangway, shore personal were bringing up one of those board things they use for accident victims. At least if you die on board, the captain sees you off.
The captain made good time over night and we arrived only an hour or so late.
We are in the Patagonian Region and our first port in Chile, Punta Arenas, which means Sand Point in Spanish. It is on the Strait of Magellan (he’s all you hear about down here). The climate is very harsh and the area was not easily settled or developed.
Today the main industry is sheep farming, meat processing and wool. Three hundred sheep were originally brought over from the Falklands.
Punta Arenas has a very mixed ethnic culture with a great many Croatians. The four indigenous tribes of the area, the Onas, Haush, Yahan and Alacaluf, were virtually wiped out by explorers and settles and their disease and cultural influences.
The region also had natural gas and the largest methadone plant in the world. I think the guide said methadone. 30% of the cars and taxis in the region run on natural gas.
Before the construction of the Panama Canal the harbor at Punta Arenas was once one of the most important in the world. Now it is mostly used by tourist cruise ships and scientific expeditions but it used to be the last stop for ships provisioning for the treacherous passage around Cape Horn.
Before leaving the Prinsendam we had to fill out a Chilean Declaration form swearing we weren’t bringing in animals, fresh fruits, meats, plants, lab specimens, goods other than personal luggage or over $1,000. We are supposed to carry the form with us at all times when ashore in Chile. Our carry-off bags and backpacks were given a cursory look-over by Chilean officials as we departed the ship.
Alan opted for a HAL tour of museums and the like while I went on a Cruise Specialist tour to the Otway Penguin Reserve.
The bus ride was over an hour…all but twenty minutes of it on bumpy dirt roads. What could be seen out the bus windows was pretty desolate and very, very rural. People who had been inland in Australia said it reminded them of Australia. The bus stopped so we could see emus (or something similar), cattle, sheep, the upland goose, and some native animal whose name I can’t remember. (remember, English isn’t the native language of our guides but they do very well.)
I enjoyed my time at the Otway Reserve but once back on the bus realized I was disappointed in the tour. After walking an hour and a half over a wooden walkway to viewing sites, we saw only a few penguins….probably less than 50. I had anticipated almost frolicking on the beach with thousands. It was explained that the climate changes (down here they don’t say global warming) are changing the breeding and nesting habits of the penguins and many had left the area.
However, our guide was very good, the people on the bus friendly and fun, and we made a quick pass through the town before returning to the Prinsendam.
Alan returned from the tour he took-----museums, the town square and a cemetery to rival the one in Buenos Aires. Well, almost.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Feb. 15
Previews of pictures for Feb, 16
Punta Arenas. Penguins on beach, sign you probably can't read.
February 15 Ushuaia/Tierra del Fuego.
No one agrees on the pronunciation. Most say You Shway ah.
Ushuaia claims to be the southernmost city in the world. Imagine my surprise when one of the first things I saw after getting off the ship was a bed of pansies. Of course it is summer down here. A balmy 50 degrees
Ushuaia once was the location for an Argentine prison for serious criminals. The site was chosen as escape was virtually impossible. A railroad was built by the forced labor and today is a tourist attraction known as Tren del Fin del Mundo, Train at the End of the World.
After our catamaran cruise in the Beagle Channel (more later) we had about an hour to wander the town. I’ve never been to Alaska but Ushuaia was what I think of when I think of Alaska. The town had a definite “frontier” feel to it. Other than the obvious cruise ship passengers (think blue fleece jackets) and backpackers (think long hair, beards and proper clothing), most of the people in the streets looks Indian, with darkish completions, and dark straight hair.
The streets went uphill from the docks. Many of them had a series of steps built parallel to the sidewalk so if you wanted you could walk steps instead of the incline of the sidewalk. As you can imagine, most of the souvenirs in the shops proclaimed that we were at the end of the world. Once again, all we bought was a post card.
The Beagle Channel.
Our Cruise Specialists Shore Excursion left at 11 am or so and after a short walk down the pier we boarded a motor catamaran for our 4.5 hour cruise. The boat was very comfortable and easily accommodated our group with plenty of extra seats. Alan opted for the upper deck and stayed outside most of the day. The rest of us alternated between the warmth of the cabin and the outer decks. The temperature was in the high 40s and sunny so it was quite comfortable even with the breeze/wind on the decks.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and kept us informed of the species of birds and seals we were seeing. The boat was able to get very close to shore --close enough for us to smell the seals. We were served coffee, tea and cookies (those on the HAL tours weren’t).
After a couple of hours we arrived off a house, shed and dock on what looked like a small island. Out came a small boat powered by an outboard engine. It brought the postmistress who once safely onboard proceeded to give us all a free stamped post card, and a “ passport’. We all wrote our cards (we were able to buy extras from the catamaran as well as stamps from the postmistress), she cancelled them, and collected them in a sack for mailing from the local post office. (HAL tours didn’t get that service either.) I wonder how long it will take for postcards to get to Massachusetts from the end of the world.
We saw birds!!!!! And seals!!!!! And more birds! And more seals! And a lighthouse. And a tiny rusted bit of a shipwreck.
The next day our neighbors across the hall laughing told us that on their HAL tour they approached a rocky island and spotted hundreds of penguins. After taking about 200 pictures (their estimate), some of the penguins flew away. Well……penguins don’t fly. What they were seeing were blue eyed cormorants. They are similar to our northern hemisphere cormorants but are black and white like penguins. Hopefully, I’ll be able to post pictures of the cormorants and seals.
After our boat trip we wandered the little town for the hour we had left and returned to the Prinsendam for the 5 pm departure.
At 5:15 the cruise director came over the PA system and announced that we were almost ready to leave but a couple of people had not yet returned….one of them being the captain. It seems there was a little paper work to clear up.
At 6:00 another announcement --virtually the same. And at 6:30 with the added comment that it was a Sunday and almost nothing official gets done on a Sunday in Ushuaia. Finally about 8 pm we left the dock.
And thus ended day 45.
No one agrees on the pronunciation. Most say You Shway ah.
Ushuaia claims to be the southernmost city in the world. Imagine my surprise when one of the first things I saw after getting off the ship was a bed of pansies. Of course it is summer down here. A balmy 50 degrees
Ushuaia once was the location for an Argentine prison for serious criminals. The site was chosen as escape was virtually impossible. A railroad was built by the forced labor and today is a tourist attraction known as Tren del Fin del Mundo, Train at the End of the World.
After our catamaran cruise in the Beagle Channel (more later) we had about an hour to wander the town. I’ve never been to Alaska but Ushuaia was what I think of when I think of Alaska. The town had a definite “frontier” feel to it. Other than the obvious cruise ship passengers (think blue fleece jackets) and backpackers (think long hair, beards and proper clothing), most of the people in the streets looks Indian, with darkish completions, and dark straight hair.
The streets went uphill from the docks. Many of them had a series of steps built parallel to the sidewalk so if you wanted you could walk steps instead of the incline of the sidewalk. As you can imagine, most of the souvenirs in the shops proclaimed that we were at the end of the world. Once again, all we bought was a post card.
The Beagle Channel.
Our Cruise Specialists Shore Excursion left at 11 am or so and after a short walk down the pier we boarded a motor catamaran for our 4.5 hour cruise. The boat was very comfortable and easily accommodated our group with plenty of extra seats. Alan opted for the upper deck and stayed outside most of the day. The rest of us alternated between the warmth of the cabin and the outer decks. The temperature was in the high 40s and sunny so it was quite comfortable even with the breeze/wind on the decks.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and kept us informed of the species of birds and seals we were seeing. The boat was able to get very close to shore --close enough for us to smell the seals. We were served coffee, tea and cookies (those on the HAL tours weren’t).
After a couple of hours we arrived off a house, shed and dock on what looked like a small island. Out came a small boat powered by an outboard engine. It brought the postmistress who once safely onboard proceeded to give us all a free stamped post card, and a “ passport’. We all wrote our cards (we were able to buy extras from the catamaran as well as stamps from the postmistress), she cancelled them, and collected them in a sack for mailing from the local post office. (HAL tours didn’t get that service either.) I wonder how long it will take for postcards to get to Massachusetts from the end of the world.
We saw birds!!!!! And seals!!!!! And more birds! And more seals! And a lighthouse. And a tiny rusted bit of a shipwreck.
The next day our neighbors across the hall laughing told us that on their HAL tour they approached a rocky island and spotted hundreds of penguins. After taking about 200 pictures (their estimate), some of the penguins flew away. Well……penguins don’t fly. What they were seeing were blue eyed cormorants. They are similar to our northern hemisphere cormorants but are black and white like penguins. Hopefully, I’ll be able to post pictures of the cormorants and seals.
After our boat trip we wandered the little town for the hour we had left and returned to the Prinsendam for the 5 pm departure.
At 5:15 the cruise director came over the PA system and announced that we were almost ready to leave but a couple of people had not yet returned….one of them being the captain. It seems there was a little paper work to clear up.
At 6:00 another announcement --virtually the same. And at 6:30 with the added comment that it was a Sunday and almost nothing official gets done on a Sunday in Ushuaia. Finally about 8 pm we left the dock.
And thus ended day 45.
Feb. 14
pictures above left to right....seals in Beagle Channel, cormorants in Beagle Channel, just a little of what we saw in Antarctica....
I just noticed that there is no Feb. 13. I'll have to check it out .....after all it was Friday the 13th
Feb. 14, Valentine’s day At Sea
Day 44
Today is a bit rough. I was able to stay in the Queen’s Lounge for only a small part of the forum by the Captain, the Ice Pilot and our Expedition Leader as they told about the construction of the Prinsendam (not built for ice), maneuvering around the icebergs, etc.
The Expedition Leader, John Splettstoesser has been wonderful on the bridge as we cruised in and out of icebergs and glaciers. He gives names to places and facts on the wildlife. In addition, he has given several talks on life in Antarctica.
Yesterday we saw one or two small cruise ships that take less than 100 people and are small enough to get in closer to the shoreline. On some of the smaller ships, passengers are allowed ashore ----under strict conditions of course.
Because of the sea conditions, the Captain’s Valentine’s Day Ball was postponed. It wasn’t rough enough for people to take to their beds, but dancing would have been a little rocky.
It’s hard to believe that I can’t write much about the last three days as we have been awe struck by the scenery….wildife….and overall experience of Antarctica. Even the air has a sharpness and clarity to it that we don’t often see.
What we have seen in the past few days has been beyond belief. Did I mention that the ship showed both the March of the Penguins and Happy Feet this week. We could really relate to them. We could actually recognize the various species of penguins and birds in Happy Feet.
Feb. 14, Valentine’s day At Sea
Day 44
Today is a bit rough. I was able to stay in the Queen’s Lounge for only a small part of the forum by the Captain, the Ice Pilot and our Expedition Leader as they told about the construction of the Prinsendam (not built for ice), maneuvering around the icebergs, etc.
The Expedition Leader, John Splettstoesser has been wonderful on the bridge as we cruised in and out of icebergs and glaciers. He gives names to places and facts on the wildlife. In addition, he has given several talks on life in Antarctica.
Yesterday we saw one or two small cruise ships that take less than 100 people and are small enough to get in closer to the shoreline. On some of the smaller ships, passengers are allowed ashore ----under strict conditions of course.
Because of the sea conditions, the Captain’s Valentine’s Day Ball was postponed. It wasn’t rough enough for people to take to their beds, but dancing would have been a little rocky.
It’s hard to believe that I can’t write much about the last three days as we have been awe struck by the scenery….wildife….and overall experience of Antarctica. Even the air has a sharpness and clarity to it that we don’t often see.
What we have seen in the past few days has been beyond belief. Did I mention that the ship showed both the March of the Penguins and Happy Feet this week. We could really relate to them. We could actually recognize the various species of penguins and birds in Happy Feet.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
three at a time seems to work
ice berg rusted tanks on So. Georgia Abandoned whaler on S. Geo.
Can you see tiny spots on the iceberg? If I used the correct picture they are penguins.
Hopefully pictures
If pictures post give thanks to the wonderful fellow who is in charge of the internet on the ship.
left to right. molting seal. molting penguin, little fur seal
Feb 11 At Sea
February 11 At Sea
Our position at 2:26 pm whatever time zone we are in.
62° 27.15S 56° 20.40W
Seas 4 - 7.5 feet
Air temp 35.6° F Relative humidity 100%
Wind 5 knots from the east across the deck
Day 41 of our journey. 10,731 miles traveled since Ft. Lauderdale
871 Miles traveled from South Georgia
1,222 Miles to go to our next port Ushuaia ( no one agrees on the pronunciation but most say You shy ah) It’s the southernmost city in the world. Anyone need a stamp?
Next sunset 8:25 pm
Next sunrise 4:58 am
Ship’s heading 220.1
Ship’s speed 13.3 knots
Our daily program is headed OUR ANTARCTIC EXPERIENCE BEGINS. What it doesn’t mention is that we are surrounded by thick fog with little chance of seeing anything until it lifts.
I’ll just have to fill the time with telling you about Antarctica, the southernmost continent. It is 5.4 million square miles, making it the fifth largest continent. 98% of Antarctica is covered with ice and it is the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth. It has the highest average elevation of all the continents and the interior because of it’s lack of precipitation is the largest desert on earth. There are no permanent residents. However, more than 4,000 scientist from all our the world are currently conducting research experiments on Antarctica.
No one owns Antarctica although many nations have claimed it. The 1959 Ataractic Treaty prohibiting military activity and mineral mining has been signed by 45 countries.
I just realized that we will be in Ushuaia on a Sunday. I wonder if the post office is open. Our shore excursion takes us there.
It is now 5:45 and we’ve had much going on since I started writing earlier this afternoon.
I was sitting in the cabin writing this blog when an announcement came over the pa system. "Iceberg on the port side."
I hadn't realized the heavy fog had lifted but it had so I quickly put on a jacket, socks, sneakers, hat, and gloves, grabbed the camera and rain up the stairs to deck 7. As I came panting around the corner from the stern.....there it was
A very large flat topped iceberg right beside the ship. Everyone was taking pictures, some people had even run outside without putting on jackets. IT WAS COLD. AND WINDY. WITH SNOW FLURRIES. I took plenty of pictures and went back to the cabin to get rid of the outside clothes and get a cup of tea to warm up the icy hands.
Fortunately, I kept the camera with me because a second announcement came through about our next iceberg. The fellow making the announcements said the captain would turn the ship so both sides would have a view. (I guess some of the passengers can’t or don’t want to walk to the other side of the ship.)
We were told this the second iceberg had a brown area on it….a sign of penguins.
Sure enough, as it came closer we could see many, many little spots develop into many, many big penguins.
Now, as I write this, icebergs of all size are floating by the cabin window. No announcements. Just one that the officers on the bridge were busy watching for growlers, the pieces of ice that break off the larger iceberg. I suspect that by dinner tonight, no one will even look out the windows, let alone take pictures.
The captain will take the ship as far into the waters of the Antarctic Peninsular as he feels is safe, then turn around and head toward Yankee Harbor and Half Moon Island.
Later: I was wrong. At dinner we all spent the evening swiveling ours head to look out all the windows at the icebergs silently floating past
The evening entertainment was the movie Happy Feet. It meant so much more now we have seen the glaciers and icebergs and could identify the penguin types, the seal and birds.
Our position at 2:26 pm whatever time zone we are in.
62° 27.15S 56° 20.40W
Seas 4 - 7.5 feet
Air temp 35.6° F Relative humidity 100%
Wind 5 knots from the east across the deck
Day 41 of our journey. 10,731 miles traveled since Ft. Lauderdale
871 Miles traveled from South Georgia
1,222 Miles to go to our next port Ushuaia ( no one agrees on the pronunciation but most say You shy ah) It’s the southernmost city in the world. Anyone need a stamp?
Next sunset 8:25 pm
Next sunrise 4:58 am
Ship’s heading 220.1
Ship’s speed 13.3 knots
Our daily program is headed OUR ANTARCTIC EXPERIENCE BEGINS. What it doesn’t mention is that we are surrounded by thick fog with little chance of seeing anything until it lifts.
I’ll just have to fill the time with telling you about Antarctica, the southernmost continent. It is 5.4 million square miles, making it the fifth largest continent. 98% of Antarctica is covered with ice and it is the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth. It has the highest average elevation of all the continents and the interior because of it’s lack of precipitation is the largest desert on earth. There are no permanent residents. However, more than 4,000 scientist from all our the world are currently conducting research experiments on Antarctica.
No one owns Antarctica although many nations have claimed it. The 1959 Ataractic Treaty prohibiting military activity and mineral mining has been signed by 45 countries.
I just realized that we will be in Ushuaia on a Sunday. I wonder if the post office is open. Our shore excursion takes us there.
It is now 5:45 and we’ve had much going on since I started writing earlier this afternoon.
I was sitting in the cabin writing this blog when an announcement came over the pa system. "Iceberg on the port side."
I hadn't realized the heavy fog had lifted but it had so I quickly put on a jacket, socks, sneakers, hat, and gloves, grabbed the camera and rain up the stairs to deck 7. As I came panting around the corner from the stern.....there it was
A very large flat topped iceberg right beside the ship. Everyone was taking pictures, some people had even run outside without putting on jackets. IT WAS COLD. AND WINDY. WITH SNOW FLURRIES. I took plenty of pictures and went back to the cabin to get rid of the outside clothes and get a cup of tea to warm up the icy hands.
Fortunately, I kept the camera with me because a second announcement came through about our next iceberg. The fellow making the announcements said the captain would turn the ship so both sides would have a view. (I guess some of the passengers can’t or don’t want to walk to the other side of the ship.)
We were told this the second iceberg had a brown area on it….a sign of penguins.
Sure enough, as it came closer we could see many, many little spots develop into many, many big penguins.
Now, as I write this, icebergs of all size are floating by the cabin window. No announcements. Just one that the officers on the bridge were busy watching for growlers, the pieces of ice that break off the larger iceberg. I suspect that by dinner tonight, no one will even look out the windows, let alone take pictures.
The captain will take the ship as far into the waters of the Antarctic Peninsular as he feels is safe, then turn around and head toward Yankee Harbor and Half Moon Island.
Later: I was wrong. At dinner we all spent the evening swiveling ours head to look out all the windows at the icebergs silently floating past
The evening entertainment was the movie Happy Feet. It meant so much more now we have seen the glaciers and icebergs and could identify the penguin types, the seal and birds.
Feb 9 and 10
February 9 and 10 At Sea
The laughs just keep coming. Yesterday, the Captain came on the loud speakers for his mid-day address. He started off with his usual, “Hello, it me again. Our noon position was” We then had about a minute of dead air with everyone smiling and laughing until “ah, here it is…..the position is--------“followed by whatever it was. If you’re not smiling, I guess you had to be there.
My morning started off with a bang. Or a blast. Alan was off to breakfast and I had just gotten out of the shower and dressed when the fire alarm whistles went off. I’m pretty proud of myself. I changed out of sandals into socks and sneakers, got the life jackets down from the closet shelf and opened the door to hear the announcement. While I was wondering if Alan would come back to the cabin for a jacket and hat, and whether I had time to get the safe open and get out my little bit of good jewelry, the Cruise Director came on and announced, “This is a drill for the crews. This is not a real emergency.”
It appears that there was an earlier announcement to that effect but I didn’t hear it in the shower. I had to wonder how many late sleepers were jolted out of bed by the alarms.
About 3 pm an announcement came from the bridge that whales were spotted on the starboard side. About a dozen people went out to look. Me included. No whales. Fifteen minutes later…..“whales ahead, dolphins on both sides, seals on the port.” I grabbed my jacket, the binoculars, and a camera and went to the bow area. After 15 minutes, two sightings of whales blowing, I went inside with a new respect for the whalers who stood for hours in the crow’s nest. Off I went to tea and while sitting with my scone and tea cup what went by the window than more seals than I could count.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Today is very foggy. Very, very foggy. We’re traveling at a slower rate of speed, looking out for ice bergs, I guess. Everyone is hoping it will be clear by early tomorrow morning as we want to see Elephant Island in the distance.
Here’s a little about penguins.
Early Antarctic explorers thought penguins were fish and classified them as such. We now know they are birds, superbly designed for flying underwater. The breastbone makes an excellent keel and with massive paddle muscles they can swim at speeds up to 25 miles an hour. Their heads are a perfect hydrodynamic shape. When swimming, penguins can leap out of the water every few feet. This action, porpoising, enables them to breath and helps them escape from predators. Sometimes.
There are 17 species of penguins. Only four breed in Antarctica: the Adelie, the Emperor, the Chinstrap and the Gentoo. Some species spend as much as 75% of their lives at sea yet they all breed on land or sea ice. Some species can reach depths of 1000 feet or more and stay submerged for up to 25 minutes.
Believe me, it’s hard to follow them when they dive as they come up every where but where you’re looking.
It is estimated that on South Georgia there are over 450,000 pairs of King Penguins, 12,000 pairs of Chinstrap Penguins, 22 million Antarctic Prions, 77,500 Wandering albatrosses, 10 yellow billed teals, and 3.8 million common diving petrels. There are a few reindeer, ancestors of the herds introduced from Norway for food and hunting.
End of lesson.
The laughs just keep coming. Yesterday, the Captain came on the loud speakers for his mid-day address. He started off with his usual, “Hello, it me again. Our noon position was” We then had about a minute of dead air with everyone smiling and laughing until “ah, here it is…..the position is--------“followed by whatever it was. If you’re not smiling, I guess you had to be there.
My morning started off with a bang. Or a blast. Alan was off to breakfast and I had just gotten out of the shower and dressed when the fire alarm whistles went off. I’m pretty proud of myself. I changed out of sandals into socks and sneakers, got the life jackets down from the closet shelf and opened the door to hear the announcement. While I was wondering if Alan would come back to the cabin for a jacket and hat, and whether I had time to get the safe open and get out my little bit of good jewelry, the Cruise Director came on and announced, “This is a drill for the crews. This is not a real emergency.”
It appears that there was an earlier announcement to that effect but I didn’t hear it in the shower. I had to wonder how many late sleepers were jolted out of bed by the alarms.
About 3 pm an announcement came from the bridge that whales were spotted on the starboard side. About a dozen people went out to look. Me included. No whales. Fifteen minutes later…..“whales ahead, dolphins on both sides, seals on the port.” I grabbed my jacket, the binoculars, and a camera and went to the bow area. After 15 minutes, two sightings of whales blowing, I went inside with a new respect for the whalers who stood for hours in the crow’s nest. Off I went to tea and while sitting with my scone and tea cup what went by the window than more seals than I could count.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Today is very foggy. Very, very foggy. We’re traveling at a slower rate of speed, looking out for ice bergs, I guess. Everyone is hoping it will be clear by early tomorrow morning as we want to see Elephant Island in the distance.
Here’s a little about penguins.
Early Antarctic explorers thought penguins were fish and classified them as such. We now know they are birds, superbly designed for flying underwater. The breastbone makes an excellent keel and with massive paddle muscles they can swim at speeds up to 25 miles an hour. Their heads are a perfect hydrodynamic shape. When swimming, penguins can leap out of the water every few feet. This action, porpoising, enables them to breath and helps them escape from predators. Sometimes.
There are 17 species of penguins. Only four breed in Antarctica: the Adelie, the Emperor, the Chinstrap and the Gentoo. Some species spend as much as 75% of their lives at sea yet they all breed on land or sea ice. Some species can reach depths of 1000 feet or more and stay submerged for up to 25 minutes.
Believe me, it’s hard to follow them when they dive as they come up every where but where you’re looking.
It is estimated that on South Georgia there are over 450,000 pairs of King Penguins, 12,000 pairs of Chinstrap Penguins, 22 million Antarctic Prions, 77,500 Wandering albatrosses, 10 yellow billed teals, and 3.8 million common diving petrels. There are a few reindeer, ancestors of the herds introduced from Norway for food and hunting.
End of lesson.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
pictures from South Georgia
I can't get the pictures to post. I'll try later. Sorry. The seals are really cute.
Feb. 8
February 8, Cumberland Bay, South Georgia
Where to begin?
First with a correction. I think I mentioned that we would be seeing sea lions. Wrong. It should have been elephant seals.
Once again, we’ve cast off our role as tourists and become part of an expeditionary force.
We’re about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience (unless you’re a scientist you will probably never get to South Georgia.) Here’s what we’ve been told in our daily program.
Required: A sense of adventure!
This is not a “port of call” in any traditional definition of the word. You are about to experience an “expedition” call on South Georgia. Grytviken is not “improved” nor does it have terribly friendly terrain. MANY hours have been invested, both here on the ship and on the island to prepare for our arrival. It is, however, the inevitable “unknown factor”….what we cannot foresee….whether it is weather, wildlife or other force of nature that can affect these plans.
Our tender operations will not be business as usual. FLEXIBILITY is the name of the game. Everyone who wishes to and is able will go ashore. Be realistic about your abilities.
Combine that with the instructions we received a day or two ago and we were wondering what we were in for.
We started off by seeing ice bergs ----large ones. Then seals swimming past the ship. And then we sailed into Cumberland Bay---probably one of the most beautiful, awesome, desolate places we’ve seen. No trees, just cliffs of ice and rock, fields of tussock grass, a tiny, white, quaint church, abandoned, rusted fuel tanks and equipment, and rotting piers and derelict half sunken ships.
And PENGUINS, AND FUR SEALS AND ELEPHANT SEALS. It was impossible to stay the requisite five years from the penguins and seals as they littered the beach, slopes and rough path. As we approached the small cemetery on the hill, the smell from the elephant seals greeted us. And what a smell! I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what caused the smell.
It is molting season so the penguins and seals are quite lethargic. We were happy for this for when they opened their mouths to yawn their teeth were very, very big.
And pointy. And sharp.
We were extremely lucky. The weather cooperated and instead of snow, wind, rain or extremely cold temperatures, we had a little wind, partial sun and temperatures above freezing., Our fluffy fleece jackets from Holland America were almost too much. We ended up taking off the gloves in order to take pictures and our hands were quite comfortable.
I’ll let the pictures tell the story. Whenever and however I can get them posted
The whaling station at Grytviken is no longer. It has been allowed to blow away, rust away and crumble. Slowly the storage tanks are being drained, metal roofs have been removed due to the danger of them flying off, and the rest of the place left to revert back to nature. Of course, it never will. The only people there are a dozen or so scientists who lead a very cold, lonely existence.
Only the captain can say Grytviken like he isn’t struggling. But after all, he’s Norweigan. Phonetically its Grits veek en.
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic journey took on new meaning when we saw the rugged, unforgiving mountains he crossed in his final effort to rescue his men. We’ve been reading many of numerous books on his ill-fated expedition. Most have astonishing photographs taken by a member of the crew. I found a very small volume in the library here called Escape from the Antarctic by Ernest Shackleton. It is published by Penguin Books and is an excerpt from South, the Endurance Expedition. It takes about an hour to read and I highly recommend it. Hopefully, you will be able to visualize the terrain and terrible seas.
Here’s a bit from the book I liked. It sounds like Shackleton had a sense of humor, even under conditions that would make most of us just curl up and hope to die.
When the James Caird (the small boat they hoped to sail to South
Georgia) was afloat in the surf she nearly capsized among the rocks
before we could get her clear, and Vincent and the carpenter, who
were on the deck, were thrown into the water. This was really bad luck,
for the two men would have small chance of drying their clothes
before we got under way. Hurley, who had the eye of the professional
photographer for “incidents” secured a picture of the upset, and I
firmly believe he would have liked the two unfortunate men to remain
in the water until he could get a “snap” at close quarters; but we
hauled them out immediately, regardless of his feelings.
As we were leaving Grytviken, I looked down and there was Alan unknowingly breaking the law. (Did I mention that we had to sign a form saying that we had read the rules and would abide by them?) Sometime during his trek through the grass his sneakers and socks had picked up some type of large round burrs. Fortunately we noticed them and he was able to pick and scrap them off.
While Alan was de-burring we noticed two members of the medical staff sitting on the dock beside medical bags and stacks of emergency food supplies. It was a strange assortment-----bottles of water (I can understand that) but dozens of large cans of peanuts, cases of Twix bars, cans of pear halves and things we couldn’t figure out? If the picture gets posted, take note of the Publix bag.
We now begin a week of sailing into Antarctica.
Where to begin?
First with a correction. I think I mentioned that we would be seeing sea lions. Wrong. It should have been elephant seals.
Once again, we’ve cast off our role as tourists and become part of an expeditionary force.
We’re about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience (unless you’re a scientist you will probably never get to South Georgia.) Here’s what we’ve been told in our daily program.
Required: A sense of adventure!
This is not a “port of call” in any traditional definition of the word. You are about to experience an “expedition” call on South Georgia. Grytviken is not “improved” nor does it have terribly friendly terrain. MANY hours have been invested, both here on the ship and on the island to prepare for our arrival. It is, however, the inevitable “unknown factor”….what we cannot foresee….whether it is weather, wildlife or other force of nature that can affect these plans.
Our tender operations will not be business as usual. FLEXIBILITY is the name of the game. Everyone who wishes to and is able will go ashore. Be realistic about your abilities.
Combine that with the instructions we received a day or two ago and we were wondering what we were in for.
We started off by seeing ice bergs ----large ones. Then seals swimming past the ship. And then we sailed into Cumberland Bay---probably one of the most beautiful, awesome, desolate places we’ve seen. No trees, just cliffs of ice and rock, fields of tussock grass, a tiny, white, quaint church, abandoned, rusted fuel tanks and equipment, and rotting piers and derelict half sunken ships.
And PENGUINS, AND FUR SEALS AND ELEPHANT SEALS. It was impossible to stay the requisite five years from the penguins and seals as they littered the beach, slopes and rough path. As we approached the small cemetery on the hill, the smell from the elephant seals greeted us. And what a smell! I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what caused the smell.
It is molting season so the penguins and seals are quite lethargic. We were happy for this for when they opened their mouths to yawn their teeth were very, very big.
And pointy. And sharp.
We were extremely lucky. The weather cooperated and instead of snow, wind, rain or extremely cold temperatures, we had a little wind, partial sun and temperatures above freezing., Our fluffy fleece jackets from Holland America were almost too much. We ended up taking off the gloves in order to take pictures and our hands were quite comfortable.
I’ll let the pictures tell the story. Whenever and however I can get them posted
The whaling station at Grytviken is no longer. It has been allowed to blow away, rust away and crumble. Slowly the storage tanks are being drained, metal roofs have been removed due to the danger of them flying off, and the rest of the place left to revert back to nature. Of course, it never will. The only people there are a dozen or so scientists who lead a very cold, lonely existence.
Only the captain can say Grytviken like he isn’t struggling. But after all, he’s Norweigan. Phonetically its Grits veek en.
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic journey took on new meaning when we saw the rugged, unforgiving mountains he crossed in his final effort to rescue his men. We’ve been reading many of numerous books on his ill-fated expedition. Most have astonishing photographs taken by a member of the crew. I found a very small volume in the library here called Escape from the Antarctic by Ernest Shackleton. It is published by Penguin Books and is an excerpt from South, the Endurance Expedition. It takes about an hour to read and I highly recommend it. Hopefully, you will be able to visualize the terrain and terrible seas.
Here’s a bit from the book I liked. It sounds like Shackleton had a sense of humor, even under conditions that would make most of us just curl up and hope to die.
When the James Caird (the small boat they hoped to sail to South
Georgia) was afloat in the surf she nearly capsized among the rocks
before we could get her clear, and Vincent and the carpenter, who
were on the deck, were thrown into the water. This was really bad luck,
for the two men would have small chance of drying their clothes
before we got under way. Hurley, who had the eye of the professional
photographer for “incidents” secured a picture of the upset, and I
firmly believe he would have liked the two unfortunate men to remain
in the water until he could get a “snap” at close quarters; but we
hauled them out immediately, regardless of his feelings.
As we were leaving Grytviken, I looked down and there was Alan unknowingly breaking the law. (Did I mention that we had to sign a form saying that we had read the rules and would abide by them?) Sometime during his trek through the grass his sneakers and socks had picked up some type of large round burrs. Fortunately we noticed them and he was able to pick and scrap them off.
While Alan was de-burring we noticed two members of the medical staff sitting on the dock beside medical bags and stacks of emergency food supplies. It was a strange assortment-----bottles of water (I can understand that) but dozens of large cans of peanuts, cases of Twix bars, cans of pear halves and things we couldn’t figure out? If the picture gets posted, take note of the Publix bag.
We now begin a week of sailing into Antarctica.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Feb. 5, 6, 7.
February 5, Stanley, Falkland Islands
We were told by many people that there was nothing to see on the Falkland Islands. In fact, the joke on the ship told in an incredulous tone was “England gave away Hong Kong, and fought over the Falklands?”
If it wasn’t for the war between Great Britain and Argentina in 1982, most of us probably would have no idea where the Falklands are. During the 77 day war the island was heavily mined by the Argentine forces, and mines still remain, along with warning signs.
The Falkland Islands are made up of 33 islands, two of them large. There are about 3 thousand people living on the islands, 1800 of them live in Port Stanley. The archipelago is approximately 500 nautical miles northeast of Cape Horn and about 350 miles off the coast of Argentina. All land beyond Port Stanley is referred to as “the camp” and the majority of the people in the camp are sheep farmers. Strangely, Stanley observes daylight savings time in the winter but the camp does not.
We arrived later than scheduled but earlier than we would have had not the captain changed course yesterday and pushed the Prinsendam for all it was worth. Sailing in we were reminded of Cape Cod….white sandy beaches with scrub vegetation on dunes. The comparison ended there as the Falklands have large outcroppings of rock.
The Amsterdam was anchored in the bay when we arrived having just sailed up from Antarctica. We were ashore by 11 and began to walk Port Stanley. I don’t know why people said there is nothing here. It is a charming town, with narrow streets, English looking houses with flower gardens in the front yard and vigorously growing vegetable gardens in the back, plenty of pubs, gift shops and a decent size market. There are no native trees…..but several very large imported ones around the cathedral. The Anglican Christ Church Cathedral is the southernmost cathedral in the world and was quite impressive being built of brick and wood. Outside the church was an arch made of whale’s jaw bones.
We had a slight mishap shortly after beginning our stroll down the main street. Alan didn’t see the change in level between the sidewalk and the street, took a step and went flat on his face, breaking his fall with his nose. I was walking ahead of him, heard a thud but didn’t look back until people started gasping. Turned around and there was Alan sprawled face down in the street. Motionless. He must have had the wind knocked out but as people tried to help him, he managed to get to his feet. Luckily there was a bench outside the shop so he sat down. Within seconds a woman had handed me a packet of Neosporen, a man an alcohol wipe and another woman a Band-Aid. Or a plaster as they call it in this English town. A tissue took care of the blood and we continued on.
(several hours later: the nose is swollen, scratched, and raw looking with newly formed scabs and the left knee a little scratched and a lot swollen. It could have been a lot worse. Alan is soldiering on with his favorite pain killer.
Many of the roofs are painted bright orange, red or green making a very colorful approach from the sea.
We took a local tour to Gypsy Cove and after a 20 or so minute ride over the bumpiest roads you can imagine there they were -----the penguins. Three people kayaking in the waters below us were joined by three dolphins who stayed with the kayaks for quite a while. We saw the penguins only from a bluff (and behind ropes and land mine warning signs) but people who took other tours saw them up close and personal….within a few feet. Hopefully, we’ll get that opportunity later.
The ranger at Gypsy Cove told us the penguins we saw were youngsters waiting for the parents to come back and feed them. According to him, the penguins are getting their “oily feathers” early this year. Once they have all this type of feather they will take to the water.
There are several penguin species. We saw the Gentoo and Magellanic. We also saw Geese, (not Canadian), ducks and the albatross.
February 6 and 7 At sea
It’s getting colder. People are now dressed in sweaters, socks and even hats.
Only a few hardy souls are out on deck…and the wind is blowing!
I’m off to a mandatory lecture on South Georgia. In Brazil we were inundated with warnings about pickpockets…..now it about not touching the wildlife, staying on the paths and not taking anything ashore. Or anything off the island.
.
This is the last year that ships with more than 500 passengers will be allowed to go to land passengers on South Georgia Island in Cumberland Bay. The new regulation is in effect but the Prinsendam is being allowed to send passengers ashore because the cruise was booked before the new regulations.
Here are our instructions.
No wheelchairs and walkers are permitted ashore. You will be assigned a departure time for your tour. Changes will not be allowed. At any time the local authorities can change the content or duration of our call on South Georgia without warning. Your group will have at least two Prinsendam crew members as leader -- they are not guides and are with each group as a requirement of our visit to ensure everyone stays together and follows designated paths.
There are no restrooms ashore.
There are no medical facilities.
Smoking is strictly forbidden on the island.
It is strictly forbidden to take food ashore.
Groups must stay at least 5 yards clear of all wildlife.
Guests are not allowed to stray from the group and group leader.
Guests are not allowed to stray from the paths/tracks.
Guests are not allowed to go ashore unless on an organized complimentary tour.
Rocks, plants and artifacts should not be touched.
Please ensure that your footwear is scrubbed in the boot washing station, removing all soil and organic material before going ashore.
Inspect all of your clothing for soil, seeds, and insects, especially cuffs, Velcro pockets, seams and hoods. This includes walking sticks, ski poles and camera tripods.
Empty, vacuum and inspect inside all bags that you take ashore to ensure the absence of soil, seeds and insects.
In the remote chance the weather turns severe
Carry three days worth of medication..
It can be extremely cold, windy and possibly wet. Wear warm waterproof clothing and good footwear.
At any time due to a sudden change of weather, the tenders may stop operating, so in that even and the remote possibility of staying overnight, the ship and local personnel have organized an emergency contingency plan. However it will be a Spartan experience --lodging and food wise.
Now doesn’t that sound like a fun trip!!!!
Actually, it is rare experience to be allowed onto the island. Here’s a brief description and history.
It is long and narrow and everywhere the snow covered mountains rise straight from the water, reaching near the center of the island, to a height of over 9,000 feet.
1676 South Georgia sighted by a British merchant
1756 Second sighting by the Spanish
1775 Captain Cook lands in Possession bay and claims So. Georgia for England
1786 Sealing industry begins
Plenty of history but we’ll skip to
1904 C.A Larsen of Norway establishes the whaling station at Grytviken and the whaling era begins.
1916 Sir Ernest Shackle ton and five companions reach So. Georgia from Elephant Island. (great book with plenty of pictures--The Endurance, Shackle ton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander.)
1922 Shackleton ides on board Quest at Grytviken. His body starts the journey home but his widow notifies the ship that he wishes to be buried at Grytviken so he is taken back and buried there.
1965 Closure of the last shore based whaling station in South Georgia.
1982 Argentine military forces occupy South Georgia for 22 days. Some land mines are still on the island.
2009 Alan and Sandra visit South Georgia (we hope…..last report---it’s snowing there.
We have just received a notice that there may not be satellite service in South Georgia or Antarctica so if you don’t hear from us we’re out consorting with the penguins.
We were told by many people that there was nothing to see on the Falkland Islands. In fact, the joke on the ship told in an incredulous tone was “England gave away Hong Kong, and fought over the Falklands?”
If it wasn’t for the war between Great Britain and Argentina in 1982, most of us probably would have no idea where the Falklands are. During the 77 day war the island was heavily mined by the Argentine forces, and mines still remain, along with warning signs.
The Falkland Islands are made up of 33 islands, two of them large. There are about 3 thousand people living on the islands, 1800 of them live in Port Stanley. The archipelago is approximately 500 nautical miles northeast of Cape Horn and about 350 miles off the coast of Argentina. All land beyond Port Stanley is referred to as “the camp” and the majority of the people in the camp are sheep farmers. Strangely, Stanley observes daylight savings time in the winter but the camp does not.
We arrived later than scheduled but earlier than we would have had not the captain changed course yesterday and pushed the Prinsendam for all it was worth. Sailing in we were reminded of Cape Cod….white sandy beaches with scrub vegetation on dunes. The comparison ended there as the Falklands have large outcroppings of rock.
The Amsterdam was anchored in the bay when we arrived having just sailed up from Antarctica. We were ashore by 11 and began to walk Port Stanley. I don’t know why people said there is nothing here. It is a charming town, with narrow streets, English looking houses with flower gardens in the front yard and vigorously growing vegetable gardens in the back, plenty of pubs, gift shops and a decent size market. There are no native trees…..but several very large imported ones around the cathedral. The Anglican Christ Church Cathedral is the southernmost cathedral in the world and was quite impressive being built of brick and wood. Outside the church was an arch made of whale’s jaw bones.
We had a slight mishap shortly after beginning our stroll down the main street. Alan didn’t see the change in level between the sidewalk and the street, took a step and went flat on his face, breaking his fall with his nose. I was walking ahead of him, heard a thud but didn’t look back until people started gasping. Turned around and there was Alan sprawled face down in the street. Motionless. He must have had the wind knocked out but as people tried to help him, he managed to get to his feet. Luckily there was a bench outside the shop so he sat down. Within seconds a woman had handed me a packet of Neosporen, a man an alcohol wipe and another woman a Band-Aid. Or a plaster as they call it in this English town. A tissue took care of the blood and we continued on.
(several hours later: the nose is swollen, scratched, and raw looking with newly formed scabs and the left knee a little scratched and a lot swollen. It could have been a lot worse. Alan is soldiering on with his favorite pain killer.
Many of the roofs are painted bright orange, red or green making a very colorful approach from the sea.
We took a local tour to Gypsy Cove and after a 20 or so minute ride over the bumpiest roads you can imagine there they were -----the penguins. Three people kayaking in the waters below us were joined by three dolphins who stayed with the kayaks for quite a while. We saw the penguins only from a bluff (and behind ropes and land mine warning signs) but people who took other tours saw them up close and personal….within a few feet. Hopefully, we’ll get that opportunity later.
The ranger at Gypsy Cove told us the penguins we saw were youngsters waiting for the parents to come back and feed them. According to him, the penguins are getting their “oily feathers” early this year. Once they have all this type of feather they will take to the water.
There are several penguin species. We saw the Gentoo and Magellanic. We also saw Geese, (not Canadian), ducks and the albatross.
February 6 and 7 At sea
It’s getting colder. People are now dressed in sweaters, socks and even hats.
Only a few hardy souls are out on deck…and the wind is blowing!
I’m off to a mandatory lecture on South Georgia. In Brazil we were inundated with warnings about pickpockets…..now it about not touching the wildlife, staying on the paths and not taking anything ashore. Or anything off the island.
.
This is the last year that ships with more than 500 passengers will be allowed to go to land passengers on South Georgia Island in Cumberland Bay. The new regulation is in effect but the Prinsendam is being allowed to send passengers ashore because the cruise was booked before the new regulations.
Here are our instructions.
No wheelchairs and walkers are permitted ashore. You will be assigned a departure time for your tour. Changes will not be allowed. At any time the local authorities can change the content or duration of our call on South Georgia without warning. Your group will have at least two Prinsendam crew members as leader -- they are not guides and are with each group as a requirement of our visit to ensure everyone stays together and follows designated paths.
There are no restrooms ashore.
There are no medical facilities.
Smoking is strictly forbidden on the island.
It is strictly forbidden to take food ashore.
Groups must stay at least 5 yards clear of all wildlife.
Guests are not allowed to stray from the group and group leader.
Guests are not allowed to stray from the paths/tracks.
Guests are not allowed to go ashore unless on an organized complimentary tour.
Rocks, plants and artifacts should not be touched.
Please ensure that your footwear is scrubbed in the boot washing station, removing all soil and organic material before going ashore.
Inspect all of your clothing for soil, seeds, and insects, especially cuffs, Velcro pockets, seams and hoods. This includes walking sticks, ski poles and camera tripods.
Empty, vacuum and inspect inside all bags that you take ashore to ensure the absence of soil, seeds and insects.
In the remote chance the weather turns severe
Carry three days worth of medication..
It can be extremely cold, windy and possibly wet. Wear warm waterproof clothing and good footwear.
At any time due to a sudden change of weather, the tenders may stop operating, so in that even and the remote possibility of staying overnight, the ship and local personnel have organized an emergency contingency plan. However it will be a Spartan experience --lodging and food wise.
Now doesn’t that sound like a fun trip!!!!
Actually, it is rare experience to be allowed onto the island. Here’s a brief description and history.
It is long and narrow and everywhere the snow covered mountains rise straight from the water, reaching near the center of the island, to a height of over 9,000 feet.
1676 South Georgia sighted by a British merchant
1756 Second sighting by the Spanish
1775 Captain Cook lands in Possession bay and claims So. Georgia for England
1786 Sealing industry begins
Plenty of history but we’ll skip to
1904 C.A Larsen of Norway establishes the whaling station at Grytviken and the whaling era begins.
1916 Sir Ernest Shackle ton and five companions reach So. Georgia from Elephant Island. (great book with plenty of pictures--The Endurance, Shackle ton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander.)
1922 Shackleton ides on board Quest at Grytviken. His body starts the journey home but his widow notifies the ship that he wishes to be buried at Grytviken so he is taken back and buried there.
1965 Closure of the last shore based whaling station in South Georgia.
1982 Argentine military forces occupy South Georgia for 22 days. Some land mines are still on the island.
2009 Alan and Sandra visit South Georgia (we hope…..last report---it’s snowing there.
We have just received a notice that there may not be satellite service in South Georgia or Antarctica so if you don’t hear from us we’re out consorting with the penguins.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Feb. 3 and 4 At Sea
samba show
cemetery
February 3 and 4. At Sea
A chance to sleep in and most people do. The Lido is pretty empty until about 9 am. Our table of eight is back at full strength. One couple had been off overnight to visit relatives in Montevideo, one for a 14 hour trip to Iguazu Falls ($1299 per person) , and one gone 4 or 5 days to do his own touring.
Our friends Kate Ross and her husband Carl have left to return to Rochester, NY. Kate was an Exploration Speaker and her stint aboard the Prinsendam is over. They were not looking forward to Rochester’s snow. About 80 new passengers came on board and close to a similar number left. We’ve picked up a little child. An adorable little girl about 3 who is accompanied by her parents and what looks like a grandmother. She’ll be the darling of the ship.
During one night, accompanied by spectacular lightening we had heavy, heavy rain. As the story goes, the drains on the 12th deck were clogged so the water ran down onto deck 11. The pool flooded and overran its sides. One side of the Lido dining room was flooded so they removed all the furniture and brought in the wet vacs and fans. We talked to a couple whose cabin is under the Lido and they had an impromptu and unwelcome shower from their cabin ceiling. They were offered another cabin until theirs dried but decided it was too much bother to move their stuff. Other than the noise from the fans, they don’t seem too distressed.
Last night we received heavy blue fleece jackets for Antarctica. They are very nice and have sleeves that zip off to form a vest. We’re waiting to see when the first one appears on deck.
The captain announced yesterday that he “steaming” at full speed but only traveling at 18 knots because of the strong currents. Today he came on and said he has changed course and we’re traveling at 22 knots but will be an hour or so late arriving in the Falklands. We’ll stay an hour later than our scheduled departure and then head toward Cumberland Bay, South Georgia. And Shackelton’s grave. Few ships are able to anchor at Cumberland Bay but our captain is Norwegian and Shackelton one of his heros so we stand a good chance.
A chance to sleep in and most people do. The Lido is pretty empty until about 9 am. Our table of eight is back at full strength. One couple had been off overnight to visit relatives in Montevideo, one for a 14 hour trip to Iguazu Falls ($1299 per person) , and one gone 4 or 5 days to do his own touring.
Our friends Kate Ross and her husband Carl have left to return to Rochester, NY. Kate was an Exploration Speaker and her stint aboard the Prinsendam is over. They were not looking forward to Rochester’s snow. About 80 new passengers came on board and close to a similar number left. We’ve picked up a little child. An adorable little girl about 3 who is accompanied by her parents and what looks like a grandmother. She’ll be the darling of the ship.
During one night, accompanied by spectacular lightening we had heavy, heavy rain. As the story goes, the drains on the 12th deck were clogged so the water ran down onto deck 11. The pool flooded and overran its sides. One side of the Lido dining room was flooded so they removed all the furniture and brought in the wet vacs and fans. We talked to a couple whose cabin is under the Lido and they had an impromptu and unwelcome shower from their cabin ceiling. They were offered another cabin until theirs dried but decided it was too much bother to move their stuff. Other than the noise from the fans, they don’t seem too distressed.
Last night we received heavy blue fleece jackets for Antarctica. They are very nice and have sleeves that zip off to form a vest. We’re waiting to see when the first one appears on deck.
The captain announced yesterday that he “steaming” at full speed but only traveling at 18 knots because of the strong currents. Today he came on and said he has changed course and we’re traveling at 22 knots but will be an hour or so late arriving in the Falklands. We’ll stay an hour later than our scheduled departure and then head toward Cumberland Bay, South Georgia. And Shackelton’s grave. Few ships are able to anchor at Cumberland Bay but our captain is Norwegian and Shackelton one of his heros so we stand a good chance.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Feb 1 and 2 (I think)
We're having such a good time I added an extra day to January in the last post.
February 1 and 2 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires is a city I would love to visit again. And again. Eva Peron, the disappeared, the avenues, the tango, Florida Street, the diverse neighborhoods, the Rio de la Plata, and of course Super Bowl XLIII in the Queen’s Lounge. Just kidding, I skipped the Super Bowl but Alan went.
First a bit of background. Buenos Aires, Argentina, is on one side of the Rio de la Plata and Montevideo, Uruguay, on the other. The Rio de la Plata is the estuary formed by the combination of the Uruguay River and the Parana River and forms the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The muddy water (think light coffee) is a result of 2 billion cubic feet of silt carried into the estuary each year. Constant dredging is required to keep the shipping channels open. And there is plenty of shipping. In the port area the containers stretch for miles and are stacked as high as the condos.
Argentina has had a troubled political and economic history but it is a beautiful city. They now have a stable government (and a woman president). Most of the boulevards are six lanes wide. Trees and parks are everywhere. We saw elegant old mansions, high rises, modest homes and terrible slums. The architecture is a mix of every style you can imagine.
When the first explorer/settlers arrived the area was covered with pampas grass….no trees at all. That is hard to believe as the city is probably now one of the greenest we have seen…..with every type of tree…..all imported years ago. One interesting tree is called the drunken stick because the trunk flairs out into a bulb shape and then narrows again giving the appearance of a bottle. They are actually kapok trees.
Like many cities we visit, we were at a very commercial port and by law had to take a small shuttle bus to the passenger terminal. At one point our little bus was almost wiped out by a speeding truck carrying a container. On foot you wouldn’t have a chance.
Three cruise ships were at the commercial docks, with a fourth one at a different terminal. We stepped off the shuttle into the terminal building and absolute chaos. Hundreds of passengers were disembarking from a Costa cruise ship ---with luggage, porters, cabs, buses, all screaming in Spanish or belching diesel. At least two thousand, possibly more, were trying to get into the terminal to embark on a MCS cruise liner. The passengers beginning their cruise consisted of several generations of families from Grandma down to tiny infants. Equally large family groups were on hand to see them off. It was pure bedlam. If you have a choice, NEVER, start or end a cruise in Buenos Aires. All any of us could say was thank goodness we weren’t on either ship.
After we had pushed and shoved our way though the masses, we started the first of our exhausting two days with a Cruise Specialist tour. Our bus ride took us to the many neighborhoods of Buenos Aires including the Italian section La Boca with its colorful houses; government house - -- the pink Casa Rosa where Evita Person stood on the balcony and charmed the people of Buenos Aires; the magnificent cathedral across the square; and the Plaza de Mayo where the mothers of the disappeared still don their white kerchiefs and gather once a week. We saw parks and parks and parks. At one we boarded horse drawn carriages and for a relaxing ride around the park.
The highlight of the day (if not the cruise so far) was an all too short visit to the cemetery in the section of the city known as Recoleta. At one time the cemetery grounds were a garden park attached to a church owned by an order of priests or monks. When things got too hot for Catholics in Argentina they returned to Europe and the gardens were bought by the very wealthy for a cemetery. (hot as in turmoil, opposition, etc., not temperature)
The cemetery was described as a city within a city and it truly is. As you pass through the gates of the brick wall surrounding the cemetery your jaw drops. Narrow streets branch off the center of the cemetery and its streets contains mausoleums and tombs of every size and style you can imagine and more. It’s one of those places you have to see to believe. It is like trying to describe the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat or the slums of Delhi. Or maybe not, the first two were spiritual experiences, the slums horrendous, but this cemetery cannot be described.
There are 7,500 mausoleums in the cemetery and it is still used for burials. How many bodies I have no idea but it’s been there for a very long time.
When Eva Peron was buried there many of the city‘s wealthy were offended. First, it is a cemetery for the very wealthy and influential families and although she became both she had humble origins. Second, Evita took from the rich and gave to the poor so while she is loved and revered even today by the poor she is not a favorite of the wealthy. However, her father was a member of the wealthy class.
When Eva Peron died in the early 1950s (while in her early 30s) she was embalmed and put on display for two or three years. Yes, on display in a glass covered coffin. Juan Peron was thrown out of office, Eva’s corpse stolen by the military and sent to Europe (I forget which country) where her body remained for 14 years until Peron returned to Argentina. He brought her body back with him but died within a year or two. Evita’s father’s family took control of her body and put it in the Duarte family mausoleum. Fifty plus years later fresh flowers are still placed at her resting place every day.
Don’t read the next part if you are at even a tiny, tiny bit squeamish.
Evita is the only embalmed body in the cemetery. People are buried in what I thought were pretty fancy coffins. After 10 years the body is taken out of the tomb and cremated. The cremains are then placed in small coffins or urns and put back into the mausoleums. It is possible to peak into some of the mausoleums and see the stairs to the lower level, some caskets, and flowers. And cobwebs.
In the early evening we re-boarded our bus for a trip to a tango show. HAL’s shore excursions featured a dinner and tango show but we opted to eat on board (we know what to expect for food on the ship) and join Cruise Specialists for just a show. The show was held in an interesting theater….quite small and quite dark. A balcony ringed the upper level with a row of chairs at the rail. When we were served our free glass of wine (awful) or beer (very good) we placed it on the foot rest of the railing. We were quickly told to “not on the railing, use the little table behind you.” The staff were quite militant but I guess they have a limited amount of time to get the people in, served drinks before the show, sell their CDs and get them out before the next show. The ground floor was level, not graduated like a theatre, with a very small stage. We all marveled at how the dancers didn’t fall of the stage as they shared it with five or six musicians.
The show was very good. The tango certainly is not ballroom dancing (except I guess for dancing with the stars). We were not allowed to take pictures inside (everyone managed to sneak a few). The one almost worth posting doesn’t show much……but it’s better than nothing.
Day two in Buenos Aries
Another early morning tour ---this time to the north of the city, the outskirts of Buenos Aires, and a river boat ride.
Passing through wealthy suburbs with streets lined with flowering trees and elegant homes, our first stop was another cathedral in San Isidror’s center square. Then it was on to the UNESCO owned home of a former Argentine intellectual Victoria Ocampo. It seems that Victoria was ahead of her times, wanted to be an actress, to write books and to do all the things wealthy young ladies of her era did not do. She married at 22 to escape the confines of her father only to discover that her husband was just as conservative. On her two-year honeymoon, she met a cousin of her husband, they fell in love and remained discrete companions for 14 years. Upon returning to Argentina from Europe, Victoria lived apart from her husband. She eventually inherited a large mansion outside the city and entertained the up and coming authors, artists and musicians of the time. Victoria is said to have been the first woman in Buenos Aires to wear slacks and the first to have a driver’s license. She died in the early 1940s at 80something.
The house and grounds were lovely, and contained photographs, books and memorabilia, all signed by the famous of the time. If you want to see the house and learn about Victoria go on line at www.villaocampo.org.
Next came our river boat ride on the river and canals where the Tigre river flows into the Parana River delta. The area was reminiscent of Florida or any other place with homes built on waterway. All type of boats ply the waters, from the trash boat (leave your garbage on the end of your dock), to the supermarket boat (prices 10% higher than ashore)to the bus boat which will pick you and your luggage up at your dock to canoes, motor boats and launches. The houses were for the most part modest with a few pricey places and shacks added to the mix. Most of the houses were on stilts because of the changes in the level of the river. Little resorts (pay by the day or the week) could also be seen. And the water was very, very tan.
Most of the homes are vacation homes and the population of the delta area is about 3,000. With just about as many huge dogs. It seemed that every dock had a dog on it….each one larger than the last.
We arrived back at the ship in time for an ice tea and then it was off in the H. Stern’s shuttle for a stroll down the famous pedestrian mall, Florida Street. We replenished my wine supply skipping the costly vino shoppes and finding a tiny doorway-wide shop that sold just about everything. For $21 US we got four bottles of wine, a large bottle of beer and two packages of Mentos. We have to wonder what the wine will taste like. However, a bottle of the cheapest wine on the ship is $32 so I can drink $4 wine smiling. Oh, the shop keeper threw in two key chains.
We caught the third from the last terminal shuttle back to the Prinsendam just in time for the life boat drill. US law requires that a drill for the passengers be held every 30 days. As usual, nothing went as planned.
When the announcement came for the crew member (and possibly our leader on the life boat should we have to abandon ship) to demonstrate how to put on the life jacket the fun began. First he couldn’t get his arms in. Off it came and he twisted it around. He tried again. Of course it was twisted worse than before. After about the fourth try an officer came along, laughing so hard he could hardly stand. He tried to help. No luck. Finally they got the straps straighten out and unkinked, the crew member held the jacket over his head and marched off. Of course, all this time the captain is on the pa system telling people they must be quite during the drill, stand in the proper place with the men at the back, etc.
Another dinner, another show and off to bed looking forward to two sea days before the Falkland Islands. We’ve been told that if it is too windy the tenders will not be able to be launched and we’ll miss out on going ashore. The Amsterdam, our world cruise ship, will also be anchored at the Falklands. Word has it that the Amsterdam just came around the horn and encountered terrible sea and wind conditions. Hope they got it out of the way for us.
February 1 and 2 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires is a city I would love to visit again. And again. Eva Peron, the disappeared, the avenues, the tango, Florida Street, the diverse neighborhoods, the Rio de la Plata, and of course Super Bowl XLIII in the Queen’s Lounge. Just kidding, I skipped the Super Bowl but Alan went.
First a bit of background. Buenos Aires, Argentina, is on one side of the Rio de la Plata and Montevideo, Uruguay, on the other. The Rio de la Plata is the estuary formed by the combination of the Uruguay River and the Parana River and forms the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The muddy water (think light coffee) is a result of 2 billion cubic feet of silt carried into the estuary each year. Constant dredging is required to keep the shipping channels open. And there is plenty of shipping. In the port area the containers stretch for miles and are stacked as high as the condos.
Argentina has had a troubled political and economic history but it is a beautiful city. They now have a stable government (and a woman president). Most of the boulevards are six lanes wide. Trees and parks are everywhere. We saw elegant old mansions, high rises, modest homes and terrible slums. The architecture is a mix of every style you can imagine.
When the first explorer/settlers arrived the area was covered with pampas grass….no trees at all. That is hard to believe as the city is probably now one of the greenest we have seen…..with every type of tree…..all imported years ago. One interesting tree is called the drunken stick because the trunk flairs out into a bulb shape and then narrows again giving the appearance of a bottle. They are actually kapok trees.
Like many cities we visit, we were at a very commercial port and by law had to take a small shuttle bus to the passenger terminal. At one point our little bus was almost wiped out by a speeding truck carrying a container. On foot you wouldn’t have a chance.
Three cruise ships were at the commercial docks, with a fourth one at a different terminal. We stepped off the shuttle into the terminal building and absolute chaos. Hundreds of passengers were disembarking from a Costa cruise ship ---with luggage, porters, cabs, buses, all screaming in Spanish or belching diesel. At least two thousand, possibly more, were trying to get into the terminal to embark on a MCS cruise liner. The passengers beginning their cruise consisted of several generations of families from Grandma down to tiny infants. Equally large family groups were on hand to see them off. It was pure bedlam. If you have a choice, NEVER, start or end a cruise in Buenos Aires. All any of us could say was thank goodness we weren’t on either ship.
After we had pushed and shoved our way though the masses, we started the first of our exhausting two days with a Cruise Specialist tour. Our bus ride took us to the many neighborhoods of Buenos Aires including the Italian section La Boca with its colorful houses; government house - -- the pink Casa Rosa where Evita Person stood on the balcony and charmed the people of Buenos Aires; the magnificent cathedral across the square; and the Plaza de Mayo where the mothers of the disappeared still don their white kerchiefs and gather once a week. We saw parks and parks and parks. At one we boarded horse drawn carriages and for a relaxing ride around the park.
The highlight of the day (if not the cruise so far) was an all too short visit to the cemetery in the section of the city known as Recoleta. At one time the cemetery grounds were a garden park attached to a church owned by an order of priests or monks. When things got too hot for Catholics in Argentina they returned to Europe and the gardens were bought by the very wealthy for a cemetery. (hot as in turmoil, opposition, etc., not temperature)
The cemetery was described as a city within a city and it truly is. As you pass through the gates of the brick wall surrounding the cemetery your jaw drops. Narrow streets branch off the center of the cemetery and its streets contains mausoleums and tombs of every size and style you can imagine and more. It’s one of those places you have to see to believe. It is like trying to describe the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat or the slums of Delhi. Or maybe not, the first two were spiritual experiences, the slums horrendous, but this cemetery cannot be described.
There are 7,500 mausoleums in the cemetery and it is still used for burials. How many bodies I have no idea but it’s been there for a very long time.
When Eva Peron was buried there many of the city‘s wealthy were offended. First, it is a cemetery for the very wealthy and influential families and although she became both she had humble origins. Second, Evita took from the rich and gave to the poor so while she is loved and revered even today by the poor she is not a favorite of the wealthy. However, her father was a member of the wealthy class.
When Eva Peron died in the early 1950s (while in her early 30s) she was embalmed and put on display for two or three years. Yes, on display in a glass covered coffin. Juan Peron was thrown out of office, Eva’s corpse stolen by the military and sent to Europe (I forget which country) where her body remained for 14 years until Peron returned to Argentina. He brought her body back with him but died within a year or two. Evita’s father’s family took control of her body and put it in the Duarte family mausoleum. Fifty plus years later fresh flowers are still placed at her resting place every day.
Don’t read the next part if you are at even a tiny, tiny bit squeamish.
Evita is the only embalmed body in the cemetery. People are buried in what I thought were pretty fancy coffins. After 10 years the body is taken out of the tomb and cremated. The cremains are then placed in small coffins or urns and put back into the mausoleums. It is possible to peak into some of the mausoleums and see the stairs to the lower level, some caskets, and flowers. And cobwebs.
In the early evening we re-boarded our bus for a trip to a tango show. HAL’s shore excursions featured a dinner and tango show but we opted to eat on board (we know what to expect for food on the ship) and join Cruise Specialists for just a show. The show was held in an interesting theater….quite small and quite dark. A balcony ringed the upper level with a row of chairs at the rail. When we were served our free glass of wine (awful) or beer (very good) we placed it on the foot rest of the railing. We were quickly told to “not on the railing, use the little table behind you.” The staff were quite militant but I guess they have a limited amount of time to get the people in, served drinks before the show, sell their CDs and get them out before the next show. The ground floor was level, not graduated like a theatre, with a very small stage. We all marveled at how the dancers didn’t fall of the stage as they shared it with five or six musicians.
The show was very good. The tango certainly is not ballroom dancing (except I guess for dancing with the stars). We were not allowed to take pictures inside (everyone managed to sneak a few). The one almost worth posting doesn’t show much……but it’s better than nothing.
Day two in Buenos Aries
Another early morning tour ---this time to the north of the city, the outskirts of Buenos Aires, and a river boat ride.
Passing through wealthy suburbs with streets lined with flowering trees and elegant homes, our first stop was another cathedral in San Isidror’s center square. Then it was on to the UNESCO owned home of a former Argentine intellectual Victoria Ocampo. It seems that Victoria was ahead of her times, wanted to be an actress, to write books and to do all the things wealthy young ladies of her era did not do. She married at 22 to escape the confines of her father only to discover that her husband was just as conservative. On her two-year honeymoon, she met a cousin of her husband, they fell in love and remained discrete companions for 14 years. Upon returning to Argentina from Europe, Victoria lived apart from her husband. She eventually inherited a large mansion outside the city and entertained the up and coming authors, artists and musicians of the time. Victoria is said to have been the first woman in Buenos Aires to wear slacks and the first to have a driver’s license. She died in the early 1940s at 80something.
The house and grounds were lovely, and contained photographs, books and memorabilia, all signed by the famous of the time. If you want to see the house and learn about Victoria go on line at www.villaocampo.org.
Next came our river boat ride on the river and canals where the Tigre river flows into the Parana River delta. The area was reminiscent of Florida or any other place with homes built on waterway. All type of boats ply the waters, from the trash boat (leave your garbage on the end of your dock), to the supermarket boat (prices 10% higher than ashore)to the bus boat which will pick you and your luggage up at your dock to canoes, motor boats and launches. The houses were for the most part modest with a few pricey places and shacks added to the mix. Most of the houses were on stilts because of the changes in the level of the river. Little resorts (pay by the day or the week) could also be seen. And the water was very, very tan.
Most of the homes are vacation homes and the population of the delta area is about 3,000. With just about as many huge dogs. It seemed that every dock had a dog on it….each one larger than the last.
We arrived back at the ship in time for an ice tea and then it was off in the H. Stern’s shuttle for a stroll down the famous pedestrian mall, Florida Street. We replenished my wine supply skipping the costly vino shoppes and finding a tiny doorway-wide shop that sold just about everything. For $21 US we got four bottles of wine, a large bottle of beer and two packages of Mentos. We have to wonder what the wine will taste like. However, a bottle of the cheapest wine on the ship is $32 so I can drink $4 wine smiling. Oh, the shop keeper threw in two key chains.
We caught the third from the last terminal shuttle back to the Prinsendam just in time for the life boat drill. US law requires that a drill for the passengers be held every 30 days. As usual, nothing went as planned.
When the announcement came for the crew member (and possibly our leader on the life boat should we have to abandon ship) to demonstrate how to put on the life jacket the fun began. First he couldn’t get his arms in. Off it came and he twisted it around. He tried again. Of course it was twisted worse than before. After about the fourth try an officer came along, laughing so hard he could hardly stand. He tried to help. No luck. Finally they got the straps straighten out and unkinked, the crew member held the jacket over his head and marched off. Of course, all this time the captain is on the pa system telling people they must be quite during the drill, stand in the proper place with the men at the back, etc.
Another dinner, another show and off to bed looking forward to two sea days before the Falkland Islands. We’ve been told that if it is too windy the tenders will not be able to be launched and we’ll miss out on going ashore. The Amsterdam, our world cruise ship, will also be anchored at the Falklands. Word has it that the Amsterdam just came around the horn and encountered terrible sea and wind conditions. Hope they got it out of the way for us.
January 32 Montevideo
January 31 Montevideo, Uruguay
Did you know that Uruguay has 12 million cows? Nine million sheep, 5 million horses, and 3 million people. And every family has the right to own a horse. 1.5 million of the country’s population live in Montevideo.
The name Montevideo means “I see a mountain,” and was supposedly uttered by one of the first explorers to the area. We had the mountain pointed out to us and it isn’t much of a mountain. A few miles from the capital, is Punta del Este, a world famous resort area.
We docked in a commercial area. In fact, when looking ashore from the ship what I thought were condominiums turned out to be miles of containers.
Montevideo and Uruguay are know for fine leathers so instead of the H. Stern jewelry company shuttle we took a leather company shuttle to their shop in Independence Square.
The shop wasn’t much…..a room not much bigger than our living room, and up a flight of steep stairs. I didn’t see enough buying to warrant the vans which ran all day but it must work for them.
We wandered around Plaza Independencia, looked at the statute of liberator Jose Gervasio Artigas on his black marble horse (he’s buried underneath it), bought a post card, and walked along the main avenue. Several people stopped to see if they could give us directions and all told us to watch our wallet and purse.
What I saw of Montevideo didn’t impress me but people who took tours said it is a lovely city. The areas around the dock reminded me of pictures of war zones ----after the shelling. Things improved as we got closer to Independence Square but it wouldn’t be on my list of favorite places.
Did you know that Uruguay has 12 million cows? Nine million sheep, 5 million horses, and 3 million people. And every family has the right to own a horse. 1.5 million of the country’s population live in Montevideo.
The name Montevideo means “I see a mountain,” and was supposedly uttered by one of the first explorers to the area. We had the mountain pointed out to us and it isn’t much of a mountain. A few miles from the capital, is Punta del Este, a world famous resort area.
We docked in a commercial area. In fact, when looking ashore from the ship what I thought were condominiums turned out to be miles of containers.
Montevideo and Uruguay are know for fine leathers so instead of the H. Stern jewelry company shuttle we took a leather company shuttle to their shop in Independence Square.
The shop wasn’t much…..a room not much bigger than our living room, and up a flight of steep stairs. I didn’t see enough buying to warrant the vans which ran all day but it must work for them.
We wandered around Plaza Independencia, looked at the statute of liberator Jose Gervasio Artigas on his black marble horse (he’s buried underneath it), bought a post card, and walked along the main avenue. Several people stopped to see if they could give us directions and all told us to watch our wallet and purse.
What I saw of Montevideo didn’t impress me but people who took tours said it is a lovely city. The areas around the dock reminded me of pictures of war zones ----after the shelling. Things improved as we got closer to Independence Square but it wouldn’t be on my list of favorite places.
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