the last gate --in the lock next to us ----starting to close. the water has drained out and the ship left the lock.
Monday, March 9, 2009
pictures
outhouse in Santa Marta
Car carrier ship in lock
water filing lock
Car carrier ship in lock
water filing lock
Gatun lock ---the last one we used with our tug in it waiting for the gates to open. You can just see the little split where the gate is opening
pictures
The bow lines. We usually have two. A few extras were added because of the strong winds in Santa Marta.
March 5 Fuerte Amador (Panama City), Panama
We had been in Fuerte Amador last year, going in the opposite direction and didn’t find much that interested us then so we decided to just look around the terminal building (for more gin, if the truth must be known).
Panama is very hot, the tender ride in was a bit rough and we didn’t stay long in the terminal.
The ladies from Fed Ex are on board so we decided to start the packing to see how much will be shipped to Florida and how much to Lochstead. We shipped five bags down and were under our 200 pound allowance so imagine our surprise when we only received shipping tags for four bags. I checked with the ladies and there in small print it said 100 pounds per passenger (in our cabin category) up to 2 bags. I guess we just got lucky when we shipped five.
Try sorting through things and putting them in suitcases in a little cabin not much bigger than a good size bathroom. Not fun.
Some folks went off on a boat tour (a small boat) of the Canal and the boat broke down. Not a good place to be dead in the water.
Our last folkloric show, the Panama Danzas Hoy. I think it is the same one we saw last year….at least the costumes looked the same.
March 6, Panama Canal Transit.
No matter how many times people go through the Panama Canal they are still excited about it and up on deck most of the time. For our third trip, we were no exception.
I’m sure everyone knows the story of the Panama Canal. The idea of digging a passage cross the isthmus of Panama uniting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean goes back as far as Vasco de Balboa. The French and then the United States continued the idea. When the canal opened in 1914 the final combined cost was $639,000,000 but the toll in human lives greater. It is estimated that more than 30,000 people died from disease or accidents.
A few statistics for the interested:
Maximum dimensions of ships allowed:
Beam 106 feet
Length 965 feet
Draft 39.5 feet
Top Countries by origin and destinations of cargo
United States
Peoples Republic of China
Chile
Japan
South Korea
Ecuador
Peru
Mexico
Colombia
Canada
On December 31, 1999 control of the canal and the canal zone was turned over to Panama. Panama is doing extremely well: the canal’s income rose from 4769 million in 2000 to $1.4 billion in 2006. Accidents are down and traffic has increased.
Tolls charged vary---it costs almost a quarter of a million dollars for the Prinsendam to transit the canal.
If you want to read more about the history and construction of the canal, David McCullough has a wonderful book The Path Between the Seas.
We began our transit about 7 am. Waiting on the docks between the locks were the ship’s photographers who had been up since 4 am to get off onto the pilot boat.
Things went smoothly with only a few delays as we waited our turn and we exited the Gatun Lock just at dusk.
We had been told that webcams were stationed along the canal so we quickly e-mailed family and friends to watch the Prinsendam go through. Kenneth told us he would be watching the starboard stern for us at the last lock. Alan and stood there (in the rain) for an hour, waving like fools. Every time I waved at what we thought was the camera the man operating the mule (towing locomotive) waved back. I wonder what story he had to tell when his shift ended.
The Prinsendam provided a great commentary all the way through the passage. If only we could have it in print.
Alan swam the Panama Canal, in the Lido pool. Five more Dam Dollars.
March 7, San Blas Islands, Panama.
Rough seas delayed tender operations but we finally made it to shore on one of the larger San Blas Islands. There are 365 of the San Blas Islands located just a few miles off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Some of them are inhabited by the Kuna Indians who still live in simple thatched roof huts and wear their colorful, traditional outfits, including the now popular world-wide molas. About 50 of the islands have permanent communities.
Some are just tiny specks of sand with a few trees.
Mola means blouse, and they are made by the women in this martriarcal society . Molas are hand made and consist of a number of different pieces of cotton cloth laid one on top of the other. The maker cuts down through the layers forming primitive designs of natural figures such as birds, fish and frogs, as well as mythological or geometric patterns. The layers are then sewn together with incredibly tiny and intricate stitching. They are then used on clothing, purses, pot holders and framed.
Molas used to be a great buy until one of the larger upper end department stores discovered them, bought up a tremendous supply and featured them in their Christmas catalog. The Kuna Indians caught on that they had a very marketable products and prices soared.
The Kuna live much the same as they did hundreds of years ago with the exception of cell phones, electricity and TV. The main street in the village is about 10 feet wide, made of packed dust, and lined with small thatched roof huts. The huts I was able to peek into were bare of anything but a table or two, and a couple of hammocks. Small dirt alleyways with more huts lead off the “main street.” It is very simplistic life but when you see a woman dressed in a colorful skirt, mola blouse with a yellow or red scarf on her head, a ring in her nose, and a black stripe down the center of her face talking on a cell phone you feel like you are in the twilight zone.
In the center of the village was the town square, a tiled floor surface with more huts around it. The molas of all sizes from 3x3” to 2’x2.5’ hung on ropes outside of each hut. Some were crudely made and others with very fine stitching and design.
A couple of huts advertised cold beer. I have never seen so many little kids in my life. Or puppies or kittens. The kids who couldn’t crawl were in wash tubs at their mother’s feet while Mom sold molas. Kids a year old and up ran around in the dust, playing like kids do. Each kid who could talk had mastered “one dollar” very well. Poor little kittens were dressed in doll clothes and held up for pictures. One dollar.
I spent more than a few dollars for molas and then asked the woman if I could take her picture. She replied, “one dollar.” I should have made that part of the deal before I handed over my money. Other passengers had the same experience.
The huts built right along the shoreline had a little walkway/pier out to a tiny hut over the water. Yep, those were the outhouses, with “plumbing” that went directly into the water.
We caught the last tender back to the ship….a rather rough ride….and set sail for Santa Marta, Colombia.
March 8, Santa Marta, Colombia Day 66
If they published one, the ship’s newspaper could read
CRUISE SHIP BATTERED BY GALE WINDS.
With winds at 50 knots, gusting to 80, seas and swells up to 19 feet, the valiant Prinsendam made her way slowly toward Santa Marta, Colombia from the San Blas Islands. It was the Prinsendam's first stop every at the Colombian port.
The high winds began yesterday as the ship was anchored in the San Blas Islands.
At one point tender operations had to be halted as the Prinsendam dragged her anchor.
Because of sea and wind conditions the Prinsendam cruised at under 14 knots all night and consequently was several hours late arriving in Santa Marta. Some of the longer tours were canceled but most tours went as planned....just a few hours later than expected.
As the Prinsendam entered the harbor she was greeted with the sight of a Chiquita banana boat at her dock. Tugs soon moved the banana boat (we’re talking a large container vessel, not a Harry Belafonte type banana boat) to another dock and with great seamanship, the Captain docked the Prinsendam in 30-40 knots of wind. Extra lines were put out and the gang way lashed into place with additional lines.
Although barf bags were put out yesterday, warnings continually broadcast to stay inside, and seasickness pills dispensed frequently, there were no injuries and only a couple of falls.
It was a very rough night, and an even rougher day. People in the Crow's Nest Lounge on Deck 12 reported spray washing over the windows. This morning all decks, railings and outside stairways are white with salt. Two windows in the Ocean Bar Lounge shattered as well as one in the dining room.
More of the same weather is predicted for the next two days, as the elegant Prinsendam
makes her way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In spite of the delays and being uncomfortable, the hardy mariners on board are still smiling and enjoying the last four days of the cruise.
The end
As I was sitting writing the above we hit a wave or a wave hit us and I literally bounced off the little stool I was sitting on to use the computer. At 2pm, just after we left San Blas, the Captain announced that we were sailing in a gale and could expect gale winds, high seas with swells up to 15 feet.
Our cabin is on deck 5. Deck 4 is the first one about the water line and has no passenger cabins so you can see we are pretty low in the ship. The waves were splashing up over our window. I would never, never, never, get a cabin any higher than we are. Funny, how the most expensive cabins have the most motion. They are larger, and probably very nice on calm sea days but I wouldn’t take a chance even if we could afford the penthouse.
We had several announcements that the ship was bouncing "violently" and to be sure and use the hand rails.
Dinner was a challenge. Just after we were seated a very powerful lurch occurred and water and wine glasses on several tables went flying. We were lucky and only lost a glass of water. Several guests at other tables were drenched in wine.
As dinner progressed we all became very adept at eating with one hand on the wine glasses. Occasionally we would relax but as we felt a pitching motion coming, eight hands simultaneously reached up and grabbed the glasses. It was probably the most fun dinner we have had.
Remember the photo contest? Well, guess who won First Place in the people category. No, not Alan. My portrait shop will open when I return to real life. The prize is the Antarctic Wildlife DVD. Be prepared to watch one hour of penguins and seals.
Alan went on a Cruise Specialists tour and I wandered the small shore front which housed a few stalls of handmade goods.
When I returned back to the ship (having been almost blown off the pier getting there) I went up near the bow to take a picture of the many lines holding us to the pier. As I snapped the picture, a security guard came up and by gestures told me to go back to the gangway as I would be cut in half if a line snapped.
Two sea days and it’s Ft. Lauderdale and the end of our journey.
We had been in Fuerte Amador last year, going in the opposite direction and didn’t find much that interested us then so we decided to just look around the terminal building (for more gin, if the truth must be known).
Panama is very hot, the tender ride in was a bit rough and we didn’t stay long in the terminal.
The ladies from Fed Ex are on board so we decided to start the packing to see how much will be shipped to Florida and how much to Lochstead. We shipped five bags down and were under our 200 pound allowance so imagine our surprise when we only received shipping tags for four bags. I checked with the ladies and there in small print it said 100 pounds per passenger (in our cabin category) up to 2 bags. I guess we just got lucky when we shipped five.
Try sorting through things and putting them in suitcases in a little cabin not much bigger than a good size bathroom. Not fun.
Some folks went off on a boat tour (a small boat) of the Canal and the boat broke down. Not a good place to be dead in the water.
Our last folkloric show, the Panama Danzas Hoy. I think it is the same one we saw last year….at least the costumes looked the same.
March 6, Panama Canal Transit.
No matter how many times people go through the Panama Canal they are still excited about it and up on deck most of the time. For our third trip, we were no exception.
I’m sure everyone knows the story of the Panama Canal. The idea of digging a passage cross the isthmus of Panama uniting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean goes back as far as Vasco de Balboa. The French and then the United States continued the idea. When the canal opened in 1914 the final combined cost was $639,000,000 but the toll in human lives greater. It is estimated that more than 30,000 people died from disease or accidents.
A few statistics for the interested:
Maximum dimensions of ships allowed:
Beam 106 feet
Length 965 feet
Draft 39.5 feet
Top Countries by origin and destinations of cargo
United States
Peoples Republic of China
Chile
Japan
South Korea
Ecuador
Peru
Mexico
Colombia
Canada
On December 31, 1999 control of the canal and the canal zone was turned over to Panama. Panama is doing extremely well: the canal’s income rose from 4769 million in 2000 to $1.4 billion in 2006. Accidents are down and traffic has increased.
Tolls charged vary---it costs almost a quarter of a million dollars for the Prinsendam to transit the canal.
If you want to read more about the history and construction of the canal, David McCullough has a wonderful book The Path Between the Seas.
We began our transit about 7 am. Waiting on the docks between the locks were the ship’s photographers who had been up since 4 am to get off onto the pilot boat.
Things went smoothly with only a few delays as we waited our turn and we exited the Gatun Lock just at dusk.
We had been told that webcams were stationed along the canal so we quickly e-mailed family and friends to watch the Prinsendam go through. Kenneth told us he would be watching the starboard stern for us at the last lock. Alan and stood there (in the rain) for an hour, waving like fools. Every time I waved at what we thought was the camera the man operating the mule (towing locomotive) waved back. I wonder what story he had to tell when his shift ended.
The Prinsendam provided a great commentary all the way through the passage. If only we could have it in print.
Alan swam the Panama Canal, in the Lido pool. Five more Dam Dollars.
March 7, San Blas Islands, Panama.
Rough seas delayed tender operations but we finally made it to shore on one of the larger San Blas Islands. There are 365 of the San Blas Islands located just a few miles off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Some of them are inhabited by the Kuna Indians who still live in simple thatched roof huts and wear their colorful, traditional outfits, including the now popular world-wide molas. About 50 of the islands have permanent communities.
Some are just tiny specks of sand with a few trees.
Mola means blouse, and they are made by the women in this martriarcal society . Molas are hand made and consist of a number of different pieces of cotton cloth laid one on top of the other. The maker cuts down through the layers forming primitive designs of natural figures such as birds, fish and frogs, as well as mythological or geometric patterns. The layers are then sewn together with incredibly tiny and intricate stitching. They are then used on clothing, purses, pot holders and framed.
Molas used to be a great buy until one of the larger upper end department stores discovered them, bought up a tremendous supply and featured them in their Christmas catalog. The Kuna Indians caught on that they had a very marketable products and prices soared.
The Kuna live much the same as they did hundreds of years ago with the exception of cell phones, electricity and TV. The main street in the village is about 10 feet wide, made of packed dust, and lined with small thatched roof huts. The huts I was able to peek into were bare of anything but a table or two, and a couple of hammocks. Small dirt alleyways with more huts lead off the “main street.” It is very simplistic life but when you see a woman dressed in a colorful skirt, mola blouse with a yellow or red scarf on her head, a ring in her nose, and a black stripe down the center of her face talking on a cell phone you feel like you are in the twilight zone.
In the center of the village was the town square, a tiled floor surface with more huts around it. The molas of all sizes from 3x3” to 2’x2.5’ hung on ropes outside of each hut. Some were crudely made and others with very fine stitching and design.
A couple of huts advertised cold beer. I have never seen so many little kids in my life. Or puppies or kittens. The kids who couldn’t crawl were in wash tubs at their mother’s feet while Mom sold molas. Kids a year old and up ran around in the dust, playing like kids do. Each kid who could talk had mastered “one dollar” very well. Poor little kittens were dressed in doll clothes and held up for pictures. One dollar.
I spent more than a few dollars for molas and then asked the woman if I could take her picture. She replied, “one dollar.” I should have made that part of the deal before I handed over my money. Other passengers had the same experience.
The huts built right along the shoreline had a little walkway/pier out to a tiny hut over the water. Yep, those were the outhouses, with “plumbing” that went directly into the water.
We caught the last tender back to the ship….a rather rough ride….and set sail for Santa Marta, Colombia.
March 8, Santa Marta, Colombia Day 66
If they published one, the ship’s newspaper could read
CRUISE SHIP BATTERED BY GALE WINDS.
With winds at 50 knots, gusting to 80, seas and swells up to 19 feet, the valiant Prinsendam made her way slowly toward Santa Marta, Colombia from the San Blas Islands. It was the Prinsendam's first stop every at the Colombian port.
The high winds began yesterday as the ship was anchored in the San Blas Islands.
At one point tender operations had to be halted as the Prinsendam dragged her anchor.
Because of sea and wind conditions the Prinsendam cruised at under 14 knots all night and consequently was several hours late arriving in Santa Marta. Some of the longer tours were canceled but most tours went as planned....just a few hours later than expected.
As the Prinsendam entered the harbor she was greeted with the sight of a Chiquita banana boat at her dock. Tugs soon moved the banana boat (we’re talking a large container vessel, not a Harry Belafonte type banana boat) to another dock and with great seamanship, the Captain docked the Prinsendam in 30-40 knots of wind. Extra lines were put out and the gang way lashed into place with additional lines.
Although barf bags were put out yesterday, warnings continually broadcast to stay inside, and seasickness pills dispensed frequently, there were no injuries and only a couple of falls.
It was a very rough night, and an even rougher day. People in the Crow's Nest Lounge on Deck 12 reported spray washing over the windows. This morning all decks, railings and outside stairways are white with salt. Two windows in the Ocean Bar Lounge shattered as well as one in the dining room.
More of the same weather is predicted for the next two days, as the elegant Prinsendam
makes her way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In spite of the delays and being uncomfortable, the hardy mariners on board are still smiling and enjoying the last four days of the cruise.
The end
As I was sitting writing the above we hit a wave or a wave hit us and I literally bounced off the little stool I was sitting on to use the computer. At 2pm, just after we left San Blas, the Captain announced that we were sailing in a gale and could expect gale winds, high seas with swells up to 15 feet.
Our cabin is on deck 5. Deck 4 is the first one about the water line and has no passenger cabins so you can see we are pretty low in the ship. The waves were splashing up over our window. I would never, never, never, get a cabin any higher than we are. Funny, how the most expensive cabins have the most motion. They are larger, and probably very nice on calm sea days but I wouldn’t take a chance even if we could afford the penthouse.
We had several announcements that the ship was bouncing "violently" and to be sure and use the hand rails.
Dinner was a challenge. Just after we were seated a very powerful lurch occurred and water and wine glasses on several tables went flying. We were lucky and only lost a glass of water. Several guests at other tables were drenched in wine.
As dinner progressed we all became very adept at eating with one hand on the wine glasses. Occasionally we would relax but as we felt a pitching motion coming, eight hands simultaneously reached up and grabbed the glasses. It was probably the most fun dinner we have had.
Remember the photo contest? Well, guess who won First Place in the people category. No, not Alan. My portrait shop will open when I return to real life. The prize is the Antarctic Wildlife DVD. Be prepared to watch one hour of penguins and seals.
Alan went on a Cruise Specialists tour and I wandered the small shore front which housed a few stalls of handmade goods.
When I returned back to the ship (having been almost blown off the pier getting there) I went up near the bow to take a picture of the many lines holding us to the pier. As I snapped the picture, a security guard came up and by gestures told me to go back to the gangway as I would be cut in half if a line snapped.
Two sea days and it’s Ft. Lauderdale and the end of our journey.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Catch up March 1 --4
March 1, Salaverry/Trujillo, Peru
Salaverry is the third most populous city in Peru and the capital of the La Libertad Region. It is also the port of call for people who wish to visit Trujillo in northwestern Peru.
"houses" on the side of the road going from the dock to Salaverry.
Trivia note: Peru is the world’s leading asparagus exporter and much of it goes through Trujillo.
A very comfortable double decker bus provided a shuttle to Trujillo Major Square in the center of Salaverry. It was a lovely square, surrounded by old mansions, the cathedral, and several business. The large statute in the center was under renovation and “roped” off with tall green screening. Too bad, the pictures would have been nice.
We entered the church where Mass was being held. I couldn’t recognize the song they were singing until someone said it was I’d rather be a hammer than a nail. The church was very crowded, something we don’t often see. But, this was a Sunday and it’s a very Roman Catholic country.
Alan hired a cab and went off to see the ruins at Chen Chen, as well as the temple of the sun and temple of the moon. After wandering around for about a half hour I hooked up with four ladies from the ship who were being escorted to the local market by an armed guard. It seems they showed him their map, pointed to the market, and he decided to take them there himself.
The market was the typical local market with plenty of fish, meats and vegetables. There were plenty of stalls with kid’s clothes, as well as adult clothing, and many with underwear. After searching unsuccessfully in several ports for a camisole to wear under an eyelet top, I found a man outside the market on the street selling men’s undershirts/
The ladies said, offer him a dollar, I did. He gave me an undershirt. It worked fine and I finally wore my new top bought weeks ago in some city in Brazil.
When he saw my undershirt purchase, Alan wanted to know why I didn’t buy a dozen.
We tried to have lunch at a nice looking hotel but the dining room was closed so it was back on the bus and back to the dock.
Several stalls/vendors had set up shop on the dock so I picked up a couple of necklaces made of local products.
Alan made the next to last shuttle after a successful trip to the archeological sites of the area.
Before we sailed we were treated to another “afternoon of local cultural entertainment.”
Most of the dances of this part of the world involve a great deal of waving of white handkerchiefs.
March 2, At Sea in the Pacific.
The newest group of speakers continues to give talks on the Panama Canal, Ecuador, and Spanish lessons continue.
One of the Explorations speakers is a former Rockport, MA neighbor of our friends Penny and Larry Olson. Small world,
Tonight was the final “dress ball” of the voyage, the Black and Gold Ball. Streamers, balloons, gold sequin tuxedos on the waiters, guests in gold and black all made it a festive occasion. There will be a couple more formal nights, but no more balls.
March 3, Manta, Ecuador.
I think Manta was on the itinerary so people could go to Quito and stand on the equator but so few signed up for the pricey excursion that it was cancelled. We stood on the equator a few weeks ago in Macapa.
Manta is an interesting city in its own right. It has a population of over 250,000 and has the largest seaport in Ecuador.
Contrary to the name, Panama Hats are not from Panama but originated in Manta. There are panama hats for sale everywhere! At every price from $5 to thousands. Yes, thousands. Dollars, not pesos. The US dollar is the official currency of Ecuador.
It is believed that when Teddy Roosevelt went to Panama he saw the hats (which had come over from Ecuador) liked them, bought a few for friends and took them home saying, look what I bought you in Panama. Hence the name.
Hat making is a cottage industry although there are factories which mass produce them. Reeds or grasses are boiled in water to soften. The softened strands are then pulled apart into long strands which are then woven into the hats. A very good, very expensive panama hat should last for years and may be tightly rolled up and kept in a wooden coffin shaped box.
Another interesting product of Manta is buttons. Supposedly, most of the world’s buttons are made in Manta. Two of the three button factories have closed but one is still going strong.
The buttons are made from the tagua nut which is also called vegetable ivory. The "nuts" are really seeds and are about the size of a chicken's egg. The nuts grow very hard and can then be carved into small statutes, little cups, chess pieces, key rings and buttons.
To make buttons the nuts are sliced into the shape and size needed and then colored with vegetable dyes.
Some of the carvings were very intricate, and of course some quite simple.
After exploring the artisan’s market place in downtown Manta, we hired a cab and rode out to the nearby city of Monti Cristo, supposedly to visit a Panama hat factory.
It is pretty much the same in whatever country we visit. Someone who speaks pretty good English hustles (and hassles) customers and negotiates the price. Then a second person (usually “my brother”) appears and leads you to the cab around the corner . The air conditioned cab promised almost always turns out to be air conditioned by opening the windows.
Manta was no exception but “my brother” the driver was personable and friendly so off we went. The “factory” turned out to be a small shop with a woman sitting on the steps weaving a Panama hat. Needless to say, Alan was not happy. Not at all happy. So off we went to the top of a mountain to see the view of Monti Cristo, more buttons and tagua nut carvings, and the local church
On the way back to the dock we passed the symbol of Manta, a 50 foot model tuna. Tuna fishing is now the main economic activity in Manta, with large commercial fishing boats complete with helicopters for spotting lining the harbor. Smaller, older, traditional fishing boats also fill the harbor. We knew when we passed the tuna processing plant, a rather odorous place.
We had the cab drop us at the supermarket where I bought a can of tuna fish to see if there is any difference. Premium white in water --$1.07. A hot 15 minute walk ---finally a walk downhill) took us back to the dock and the shuttle out to the ship.
While waiting for the shuttle we observed 50 or so Volkswagons of various models being driven off the dock parking lot ---off to the dealer we guessed. Tied up along the Prinsendam was a strange looking ship….very high with no ports, cranes or markings…that someone said was an automobile cargo ship. Wish I’d gotten a picture for confirmation. (We're in the Panama canal as I'm posting this and I got a picture of a similar ship. Will post it later.)
After lunch, I decided I wanted to go back to the market place and buy silly, useless gifts for the grandchildren. Something else to pack. They will have to wait for Camp Grandma 2009 for them.
So many of the places we’ve visited have been very poor. We’ve been told not to give to the beggars. It’s hard not to but Alan gave money to a kid in a wheelchair and didn’t even get a smile. We gave chocolates to a couple of kids, and watched them run off without an acknowledgement, eat the candy and throw the wrappers on the ground. None of the passengers expect anything from these kids but all wonder if we’re doing them any favors. I know they are poor and some not healthy, and I may be cynical but I think they practice the sad face for the tour bus arrivals.
March 4, At Sea We crossed the equator again last night.
Yesterday afternoon I gave the picture of the “garbage men” to the dining room hostess to give to them. Tonight at dinner, she brought one of them into the dining room as he wanted to thank me. I don’t know how many rules were broken as you never see the below deck help on the passenger decks but I think she went to extra mile to make the fellow happy. The crew on the ship are wonderful, from the deck officers to the men painting the sides in port. They are all away from their homes and families for months but are always cheerful and helpful.
Alan and I spent a portion of the day trying to earn Dam Dollars. Two or three times a day on sea days, “sports” activities are held and each participant receives a monopoly money Dam dollar or two. We’ve never bothered with Dam Dollars but we each earned five for the equator swim and that got me started. I decided I wanted a cap…..valued at $30 Dam Dollars. We did the Antarctica swim….five more each. Then a couple of golf putting games. Believe it or not I won six in golf putting. We passed the 30 goal so I decided to go for a 45 dollar beach towel. Passed that. Decided to go for 60 for the sweatshirt. Yesterday we earned enough for the sweatshirt so we’re calling it quits.
Halfway through the cruise some people had over 200 Dam Dollars…..let’s get a life folks. But it’s fun and you met people so we can’t knock it.
Tomorrow Fuerte Amador, Panama. We’ll be there from 7 am until 2:30 am the next day(Friday). Then we pull up the anchor and head for the entrance to the canal.
Salaverry is the third most populous city in Peru and the capital of the La Libertad Region. It is also the port of call for people who wish to visit Trujillo in northwestern Peru.
"houses" on the side of the road going from the dock to Salaverry.
Trivia note: Peru is the world’s leading asparagus exporter and much of it goes through Trujillo.
A very comfortable double decker bus provided a shuttle to Trujillo Major Square in the center of Salaverry. It was a lovely square, surrounded by old mansions, the cathedral, and several business. The large statute in the center was under renovation and “roped” off with tall green screening. Too bad, the pictures would have been nice.
We entered the church where Mass was being held. I couldn’t recognize the song they were singing until someone said it was I’d rather be a hammer than a nail. The church was very crowded, something we don’t often see. But, this was a Sunday and it’s a very Roman Catholic country.
Alan hired a cab and went off to see the ruins at Chen Chen, as well as the temple of the sun and temple of the moon. After wandering around for about a half hour I hooked up with four ladies from the ship who were being escorted to the local market by an armed guard. It seems they showed him their map, pointed to the market, and he decided to take them there himself.
The market was the typical local market with plenty of fish, meats and vegetables. There were plenty of stalls with kid’s clothes, as well as adult clothing, and many with underwear. After searching unsuccessfully in several ports for a camisole to wear under an eyelet top, I found a man outside the market on the street selling men’s undershirts/
The ladies said, offer him a dollar, I did. He gave me an undershirt. It worked fine and I finally wore my new top bought weeks ago in some city in Brazil.
When he saw my undershirt purchase, Alan wanted to know why I didn’t buy a dozen.
We tried to have lunch at a nice looking hotel but the dining room was closed so it was back on the bus and back to the dock.
Several stalls/vendors had set up shop on the dock so I picked up a couple of necklaces made of local products.
Alan made the next to last shuttle after a successful trip to the archeological sites of the area.
Before we sailed we were treated to another “afternoon of local cultural entertainment.”
Most of the dances of this part of the world involve a great deal of waving of white handkerchiefs.
March 2, At Sea in the Pacific.
The newest group of speakers continues to give talks on the Panama Canal, Ecuador, and Spanish lessons continue.
One of the Explorations speakers is a former Rockport, MA neighbor of our friends Penny and Larry Olson. Small world,
Tonight was the final “dress ball” of the voyage, the Black and Gold Ball. Streamers, balloons, gold sequin tuxedos on the waiters, guests in gold and black all made it a festive occasion. There will be a couple more formal nights, but no more balls.
March 3, Manta, Ecuador.
I think Manta was on the itinerary so people could go to Quito and stand on the equator but so few signed up for the pricey excursion that it was cancelled. We stood on the equator a few weeks ago in Macapa.
Manta is an interesting city in its own right. It has a population of over 250,000 and has the largest seaport in Ecuador.
Contrary to the name, Panama Hats are not from Panama but originated in Manta. There are panama hats for sale everywhere! At every price from $5 to thousands. Yes, thousands. Dollars, not pesos. The US dollar is the official currency of Ecuador.
It is believed that when Teddy Roosevelt went to Panama he saw the hats (which had come over from Ecuador) liked them, bought a few for friends and took them home saying, look what I bought you in Panama. Hence the name.
Hat making is a cottage industry although there are factories which mass produce them. Reeds or grasses are boiled in water to soften. The softened strands are then pulled apart into long strands which are then woven into the hats. A very good, very expensive panama hat should last for years and may be tightly rolled up and kept in a wooden coffin shaped box.
Another interesting product of Manta is buttons. Supposedly, most of the world’s buttons are made in Manta. Two of the three button factories have closed but one is still going strong.
The buttons are made from the tagua nut which is also called vegetable ivory. The "nuts" are really seeds and are about the size of a chicken's egg. The nuts grow very hard and can then be carved into small statutes, little cups, chess pieces, key rings and buttons.
To make buttons the nuts are sliced into the shape and size needed and then colored with vegetable dyes.
Some of the carvings were very intricate, and of course some quite simple.
After exploring the artisan’s market place in downtown Manta, we hired a cab and rode out to the nearby city of Monti Cristo, supposedly to visit a Panama hat factory.
It is pretty much the same in whatever country we visit. Someone who speaks pretty good English hustles (and hassles) customers and negotiates the price. Then a second person (usually “my brother”) appears and leads you to the cab around the corner . The air conditioned cab promised almost always turns out to be air conditioned by opening the windows.
Manta was no exception but “my brother” the driver was personable and friendly so off we went. The “factory” turned out to be a small shop with a woman sitting on the steps weaving a Panama hat. Needless to say, Alan was not happy. Not at all happy. So off we went to the top of a mountain to see the view of Monti Cristo, more buttons and tagua nut carvings, and the local church
On the way back to the dock we passed the symbol of Manta, a 50 foot model tuna. Tuna fishing is now the main economic activity in Manta, with large commercial fishing boats complete with helicopters for spotting lining the harbor. Smaller, older, traditional fishing boats also fill the harbor. We knew when we passed the tuna processing plant, a rather odorous place.
We had the cab drop us at the supermarket where I bought a can of tuna fish to see if there is any difference. Premium white in water --$1.07. A hot 15 minute walk ---finally a walk downhill) took us back to the dock and the shuttle out to the ship.
While waiting for the shuttle we observed 50 or so Volkswagons of various models being driven off the dock parking lot ---off to the dealer we guessed. Tied up along the Prinsendam was a strange looking ship….very high with no ports, cranes or markings…that someone said was an automobile cargo ship. Wish I’d gotten a picture for confirmation. (We're in the Panama canal as I'm posting this and I got a picture of a similar ship. Will post it later.)
After lunch, I decided I wanted to go back to the market place and buy silly, useless gifts for the grandchildren. Something else to pack. They will have to wait for Camp Grandma 2009 for them.
So many of the places we’ve visited have been very poor. We’ve been told not to give to the beggars. It’s hard not to but Alan gave money to a kid in a wheelchair and didn’t even get a smile. We gave chocolates to a couple of kids, and watched them run off without an acknowledgement, eat the candy and throw the wrappers on the ground. None of the passengers expect anything from these kids but all wonder if we’re doing them any favors. I know they are poor and some not healthy, and I may be cynical but I think they practice the sad face for the tour bus arrivals.
March 4, At Sea We crossed the equator again last night.
Yesterday afternoon I gave the picture of the “garbage men” to the dining room hostess to give to them. Tonight at dinner, she brought one of them into the dining room as he wanted to thank me. I don’t know how many rules were broken as you never see the below deck help on the passenger decks but I think she went to extra mile to make the fellow happy. The crew on the ship are wonderful, from the deck officers to the men painting the sides in port. They are all away from their homes and families for months but are always cheerful and helpful.
Alan and I spent a portion of the day trying to earn Dam Dollars. Two or three times a day on sea days, “sports” activities are held and each participant receives a monopoly money Dam dollar or two. We’ve never bothered with Dam Dollars but we each earned five for the equator swim and that got me started. I decided I wanted a cap…..valued at $30 Dam Dollars. We did the Antarctica swim….five more each. Then a couple of golf putting games. Believe it or not I won six in golf putting. We passed the 30 goal so I decided to go for a 45 dollar beach towel. Passed that. Decided to go for 60 for the sweatshirt. Yesterday we earned enough for the sweatshirt so we’re calling it quits.
Halfway through the cruise some people had over 200 Dam Dollars…..let’s get a life folks. But it’s fun and you met people so we can’t knock it.
Tomorrow Fuerte Amador, Panama. We’ll be there from 7 am until 2:30 am the next day(Friday). Then we pull up the anchor and head for the entrance to the canal.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Feb 21 to Feb. 28
this is the area around the temples in Peru. Pretty desolate country. 
I know, I know. I am very far behind. However, I have an excuse as I’ve been operating at about 20% capacity due to a lousy cold and cough. It’s a good thing Florida doesn’t have a quarentine or they wouldn’t let me in. If it was Ellis Island of the old days, I would be sent back to somewhere. Antarctica?
This is a great deal to read. You can skip it and I’ll never know.
February 21, At Sea in the Pacific Ocean
This morning was the back of the house tour. Groups of about 20 left the Queen’s Lounge every 10 minutes until all 340 who signed up had toured the galleys, crews mess hall, etc.
Now would be the time to tell how many dozens of eggs, bottles of wine, pounds of lobsters, and so on the passengers consume but I don’t remember so I can’t tell you.Maybe someone will have the figures later.
As we went through the swinging doors from the atrium on deck 4, the carpeted floors gave way to tile, the paneled walls to metal and stainless steel and the fancy lighting to utilitarian. The various “shops” were off a long corridor. We saw the pastry shop (and sampled cookies), the butcher shop where two butchers were cutting up a side of something, the shop where crew members were making huge vats of soups, and a shop with hundreds of salad plates garnished with greens and ready for fruits slices to be placed on them.
All the prep work is done in the galleys on deck four and the plates and containers then taken to the kitchens on decks 7 and 11 for assembling and finishing.
We visited the crew's mess hall. It was a pleasant place with tables for 6, 8 and 12. The room also contained a couple of TVs, some computers for games, computers for the internet, and a few comfortable chairs. Service in this area is cafeteria style.
Further down the corridor we passed the garbage and recycling rooms. The Prinsendean and probably all cruise ships are very “green” conscious and recycle everything possible.
Recycling starts in the passenger cabins where we have an attachment for paper hooked to the waste basket. In the dining rooms the bus boys and waiters clear the tables and then sort the contents of the trays in a room just off the dining room. Left over food goes into yellow bins, paper and metal into grey bins, and glass into blue.. Below deck, in the garbage area, the bins are again sorted, using the same color scheme.
Paper is then compacted. Glass crushed, metals recycled and food stuffs go into a “blender” where it is liquefied. At varying times and in varying locations the liquefied food stuffs are emptied into the ocean where it becomes food for the sea life.
Standards are very strict and once a food enters the dining room it is considered waste. Breads not eaten are not made into croutons, left-over strawberries are not made into jams, or pats of butter used in sauces. The amount of waste is staggering.
Also staggering was the amount of wine and liquor originally in the provision storage area. It was pretty much depleted by now but according to the man in charge, at the beginning of a long cruise the cases reach the ceiling and spill out into the hallway.
Today we continue our journey up the long coast of Chile. Chile is quite a mix of climates and landscapes.
The central region is fertile and contains orchards, vineyards and sheep and cattle ranches. Most of the country’s population live in this area and the main cities are located here. In the north is the Atacama Desert, one of the world's driest areas. The south contains the fjords, islands and glaciers. To the east are the Andes, marking a fault in the earth’s crust which causes frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. It is said that there is at least one earthquake a day in Chile…most of them hardly felt.
A little bit about the Atacama Desert.
The desert lies mainly in Chile and Peru and stretches along the west coast of South America from the equator to about 20° latitude for approximately 1875 miles. It is rarely more than 125 miles wide, the distance between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains, its natural boundaries. The Andes, which rise more than 19,700 feet, block the passage of moist winds coming from the east. Running up from Antarctica is the Humboldt Current which along with the cold air above it creates a thermal inversion. The thermal inversion dries the air by extracting moisture and condensing it into insubstantial mist. Sometimes stratus clouds are formed in the higher air layers but these clouds produce no rain, making the Atacama the driest location on earth. Arica once went with rain for 14 years.
As everyone knows, the native South American people, including the Incas, were conquered by the Spanish. In 1818 a revolution led by a Chilean with the unlikely name of Bernardo O’Higgins overthrew the Spaniards. The country was in military and economic turmoil off and on until 1990 when Pinochet’s military regime was ousted and a democratically elected government restored.
February 22, Valparaiso, Chili
Once again the elegant Prinsendam, as the cruise director likes to call it, is docked at a commercial port, sharing space with freighters, tugs, cranes and containers.
And once again, we’re in a city with port facilities along the waterfront and businesses and residential areas clinging to hills that rise abruptly from the shore. The are no less than sixteen funicular railways to get folks up the steep hills.
We are here on a Sunday but a large mall a short walk from the dock entrance is open so we venture over to pick up some cold medications for me. I think I am one of the last to come down with a cold and I’ve gotten it with a vengeance.
Because this is a commercial port, we had to be bussed a couple of miles from our dock to the terminal, a large metal building with a couple of shops in it.
It was an adventure crossing several major highways to get to the mall ----especially since there was a bicycle race through the town with special traffic control people stopping pedestrians from stepping off the sidewalks and being run down by the racers.
My second adventure was trying to get cold medications from a pharmacist who spoke no English. Who knows what I am taking?
The dock section was a tad seedy and given that I didn’t feel like hiking up hills, I went back to the ship and Alan continued on.
After a bowl of soup, I took the laptop into the terminal and for $2 had an hour to check e-mails and post pictures on the blog. Unfortunately, in my haste to get back to the terminal I deleted several days worth of blog.
A stand in the terminal also sold telephone cards ----90 minutes for $5. I took advantage of it, sat in a comfortable chair and called the kids.
A shop in the terminal sold wine and bottled pisco sours so we now have a bottle of pisco sours. They are the national drink of Chile (Peru claims the same thing) and are made from pisco (a regional brandy made of Quebranta or Muscat Grapes), lemon juice, egg whites, simple syrup and regional bitters. Our port lecturer claims that three will knock you right out. We’ll see.
Tomorrow, Coquimbo. Who has ever heard of these towns?
Feb. 23. Coquimbo and La Serena, Chile
The port city of Coquimbo, along with neighboring La Serena, have a population of more than 300,000. Pretty small compared to many of the places we have visited. Coquimbo is an industrial and shipping center while La Serena is a beachside resort town.
We hired Pedro and his taxi for three or four hours and after seeing the Fuerte de Coquimbo ---a small fort at the harbor entrance, drove the 10 or so miles along the waterfront roadway to La Serena. We arrived at the end of school vacation on a cloudy, cool day so the beaches were pretty much deserted. The most activity was a soccer camp practicing on the beach in front of El Faro, the lighthouse.
The drive was a typical beach town drive, small hotels on one side of the road, the beach on the other, restaurants with outside seating and a few cottages. And wind. And stinging sand.
Pedro parked in La Serena and Alan and I wandered the town. I don’t think I will ever get used to the noise of the cities and towns in South America. Every block or so has a musician playing on the sidewalks, two, three and four piece groups performing on the corners, loud speakers blasting music from each and every store. A group playing in the Plaza de Armas (every city and town has a Plaza de Armas and an Avda O’Higgins) was so good we bought their CD.
We traveled back to Coquimbo on yet another stretch of the Pan American Highway, spent some time there and then returned to the Prinsendam.
February 24 At Sea, steaming up the Chilean coast toward Arica.
I don’t have much to write about as I spent almost all of the day in bed, barking like one of the sea lions we saw in Antarctica.
The dining room (and the staff) were colorfully decorated for Mardi Gras and Mardi Gras beads and silly hats were given to everyone. The waiters are so good natured about getting dressed up in sequins and Liberace type outfits.
The ship has announced a Grand Voyage Photo Contest. Passengers are being encouraged to submit the best of their photos…you are allowed one in each of three categories: Landscape, Wildlife and Portrait/People. You may not touch up the photos, and the photo department takes them off your memory card. There is a charge of $5 per entry and you get an 8 x 10 of your photo to keep. Balloting will be done by the passengers sometime next week. I am going to enter the shot I took of the crew members in the open doorway of the ship. I don’t know if I mentioned that they are the garbage men and I had hoped to have a print made to give to them. I had no luck having a print made (you had to have a minimum order of $12) so this is my way to get a picture for them. Our assistant dining room manager has promised to get it to them.
February 25, Arica, Chile
Arica, our last port in Chile, is only eleven miles south of the border with Peru. Until 1880 it was part of Peru when it was taken by Chile during the War of the Pacific.
Nearby is the Potosà silver mine --the largest silver mine of its kind in world history. Because of silver being shipped from Arica, the area became a hunting ground for pirates such as Sir Francis Drake, Thomas Cavendish and Simon de Cordes. Legend has it that Drake's treasure, estimated at ten billion dollars in gold and jewelry is buried near Arica.
IT’S HOT AGAIN.
Once again, we were bused out of the dock area to where we only had to cross a street to be in a pretty little park lined with stalls of souvenirs and sweaters. Dominating the park, the town and the dock area is a large, (very large) hill with a fort and military museum on the top. The hill looks like an excavation site in a sand pit but is actually gravel and rock. Since there is next to no rainfall in Arica, there isn’t much chance of landslides.
Arica has a very pretty church designed by Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame. I believe the church was constructed in France, shipped to Arica, and reassembled.
We walked to the commercial district in search of a place where I could get my hair cut.In what was called the mall, a main street with a series of small alley-like streets running off it, we found an entire alley way of uni-sex haircutting shops. I picked out one, and since they didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Spanish we managed to establish that I needed a haircut. For 4,000 pesos, (about $6.50US and that includes the tip) I got a great haircut. In desperation about three weeks ago I paid $69.00 on the ship for a lousy hair cut….really lousy.
Alan wandered off to go up to the military museum and I wandered around the city, ending up at the Mercado Central where everyone was buying sweaters and jewelry. I can’t tell what I bought but I’m pleased. I know what I bought but I can’t spoil the surprise for someone.
February 26, At Sea
Another lazy sea day. After Antarctica everyone seems to be just hanging out and relaxing.
February 27 and 28, Callao (Lima) Peru
Once again, our port lecturer has warned us on how to act in Lima, (try to blend in), what to wear (dress down), what not to wear (leave the jewelry on the ship, and what to do if someone grabs your purse or watch (let them go). I’d like to know how a bunch of elderly, white haired, fair skinned, bent over grandmothers and grandfathers are going to blend in with black haired, dark skinned, stocky Peruvians. Not to mention the cameras that are around everyone’s neck or wrist.
In any event, we’re back safely after two days of Lima, none the worse for wear. We took Frank’s warnings to heart and were able to pick up a second tour from Cruise Specialists. Actually, since they can’t sell tours on board, we bought tickets from two of their passengers who weren’t able to use their tickets.
A bit of background you probably don’t care about.
Lima is the largest city in Peru and its capital. It is the fourth largest city in South America. And very poor! Out of 8 million people, 50% of them are classified as poor….not poor as in only have two televisions, one cell phone, an old car and hand me down clothes but poor as in living in shanties and barely having enough to eat.
Lima is divided into several districts. Among them, Callao is the port area and the poorest. Centro is the historic district and contains the Presidential Palace, and St. Francis Cathedral. Miraflores is wealthy and upscale and Pachacamac a mix of desert, pre Inca ruins and beaches.
We started our visit to Lima with an 8 am CSI tour, the City of the Kings. The name was given to the city when wealthy Spanish nobility controlled Lima but we saw little signs of wealth….just miles and miles of dirty, dusty streets, lined with two and three story small houses. Because there is no rain in Lima many of the houses had open roofs.
To give the government credit, there are some splendid parks, all kept green by constant watering. After a 45 minute ride to the city center we left the bus and visited the Church and Convent of San Francisco de Asis. The church is still in use and 40 monks or priests or whatever they are called live within the walls.
The church is typical of catholic churches of the period, ornate, gilded and huge. Under the church floors are the catacombs which contain the bones of 70,000 of the city’s dead.During the “social unrest” when the church was in disfavor with Socialists or Communists, the church opened a small portion of the catacombs to raise money. We saw only 10% of what is there. The bones were just piled in wooden cases except for a pit of skulls arranged in a sunflower pattern. Pretty weird.
The church also has a chapel containing the tomb and bones of Francisco Pizarro. Or so they thought ----it seems that it is now believed that the bones aren’t Pizzaro’s but a mix of bones from over a dozen people. There is a small casket which at one time held the head of Spanish founder of Lima.
It was back to the sunlight and a walk to Casa Aliaga, South American’s best preserved colonial mansion which has been inhabited continuously by descendants of Jeronimo de Aliaga, one of Lima’s co-founders. The house was entered from the street by a small door in a large wooden portal. Inside it had an inner courtyard open to the sky where a fountain splashed and breezes breezed around.
This is earthquake country so most of the buildings are not the originals but put-back-together with original material and slightly different designs.
Back in the coach we drove to the Pacific and as we came within a few blocks of the water, the fog rolled in so thick that in most places we couldn’t see the water. It’s difficult to describe but picture breakers rolling onto a wide sandy beach bordered by a narrow road. On the other side of the road, gravel and rock cliffs rise straight up into the air. They look like a butterfly could create a breeze and they would come down but they don’t. In the wealthy areas, the cliffs have been planted with morning glories which completely cover the ugly surface.
It was a long ride back to the ship and the price of a cab (plus Frank’s warnings) kept us from going back to town. Our old friends, H. Stern, the jewelers, ran a shuttle but the last one was a 4 pm, which didn’t give us enough time to make the round trip.
We had a late lunch, hung around, took in the barbeque on the Lido deck, saw the local folkloric show and went to bed in preparation for another early tour.
It was up early this morning, the 28th for our second tour of Lima. This one was to view temple ruins of pre-Columbian Peru.
In less than an hour we were southeast of the city and in what could be used as the set for an outer space movie that takes place on a desolate, hot, arid planet. As the bus negotiated up seemingly impossible twists and turns we found ourselves in the midst of miles and miles of gray desert and the ruins of early pre-Inca and Inca temples. Lack of funds has halted most of the excavation and restoration but we were able to see walls, roads, plazas, the Women’s House and a temple to the sun god Pachacamac. The temple and surrounding area are believed to be one of the main pilgrimage centers, similar to Cusco. We climbed over 100 rough stone steps to the top of the temple (most of us did), and were able to take a dusty path down the backside of the temple rather than negotiate the steps down.
Our next stop was a private museum which houses the collection of Larco Herrera. We saw pre-Columbian art, pottery, fabrics, tools, precious metals, ceramic and other relics.One section of the museum was devoted to ancient erotica.
Back to the ship…..we’re beginning to recognize the neighborhoods, one more stroll through the stalls set up on the pier and we set sail at 6 pm for Salaverry (Trujillo).
I know, I know. I am very far behind. However, I have an excuse as I’ve been operating at about 20% capacity due to a lousy cold and cough. It’s a good thing Florida doesn’t have a quarentine or they wouldn’t let me in. If it was Ellis Island of the old days, I would be sent back to somewhere. Antarctica?
This is a great deal to read. You can skip it and I’ll never know.
February 21, At Sea in the Pacific Ocean
This morning was the back of the house tour. Groups of about 20 left the Queen’s Lounge every 10 minutes until all 340 who signed up had toured the galleys, crews mess hall, etc.
Now would be the time to tell how many dozens of eggs, bottles of wine, pounds of lobsters, and so on the passengers consume but I don’t remember so I can’t tell you.Maybe someone will have the figures later.
As we went through the swinging doors from the atrium on deck 4, the carpeted floors gave way to tile, the paneled walls to metal and stainless steel and the fancy lighting to utilitarian. The various “shops” were off a long corridor. We saw the pastry shop (and sampled cookies), the butcher shop where two butchers were cutting up a side of something, the shop where crew members were making huge vats of soups, and a shop with hundreds of salad plates garnished with greens and ready for fruits slices to be placed on them.
All the prep work is done in the galleys on deck four and the plates and containers then taken to the kitchens on decks 7 and 11 for assembling and finishing.
We visited the crew's mess hall. It was a pleasant place with tables for 6, 8 and 12. The room also contained a couple of TVs, some computers for games, computers for the internet, and a few comfortable chairs. Service in this area is cafeteria style.
Further down the corridor we passed the garbage and recycling rooms. The Prinsendean and probably all cruise ships are very “green” conscious and recycle everything possible.
Recycling starts in the passenger cabins where we have an attachment for paper hooked to the waste basket. In the dining rooms the bus boys and waiters clear the tables and then sort the contents of the trays in a room just off the dining room. Left over food goes into yellow bins, paper and metal into grey bins, and glass into blue.. Below deck, in the garbage area, the bins are again sorted, using the same color scheme.
Paper is then compacted. Glass crushed, metals recycled and food stuffs go into a “blender” where it is liquefied. At varying times and in varying locations the liquefied food stuffs are emptied into the ocean where it becomes food for the sea life.
Standards are very strict and once a food enters the dining room it is considered waste. Breads not eaten are not made into croutons, left-over strawberries are not made into jams, or pats of butter used in sauces. The amount of waste is staggering.
Also staggering was the amount of wine and liquor originally in the provision storage area. It was pretty much depleted by now but according to the man in charge, at the beginning of a long cruise the cases reach the ceiling and spill out into the hallway.
Today we continue our journey up the long coast of Chile. Chile is quite a mix of climates and landscapes.
The central region is fertile and contains orchards, vineyards and sheep and cattle ranches. Most of the country’s population live in this area and the main cities are located here. In the north is the Atacama Desert, one of the world's driest areas. The south contains the fjords, islands and glaciers. To the east are the Andes, marking a fault in the earth’s crust which causes frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. It is said that there is at least one earthquake a day in Chile…most of them hardly felt.
A little bit about the Atacama Desert.
The desert lies mainly in Chile and Peru and stretches along the west coast of South America from the equator to about 20° latitude for approximately 1875 miles. It is rarely more than 125 miles wide, the distance between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains, its natural boundaries. The Andes, which rise more than 19,700 feet, block the passage of moist winds coming from the east. Running up from Antarctica is the Humboldt Current which along with the cold air above it creates a thermal inversion. The thermal inversion dries the air by extracting moisture and condensing it into insubstantial mist. Sometimes stratus clouds are formed in the higher air layers but these clouds produce no rain, making the Atacama the driest location on earth. Arica once went with rain for 14 years.
As everyone knows, the native South American people, including the Incas, were conquered by the Spanish. In 1818 a revolution led by a Chilean with the unlikely name of Bernardo O’Higgins overthrew the Spaniards. The country was in military and economic turmoil off and on until 1990 when Pinochet’s military regime was ousted and a democratically elected government restored.
February 22, Valparaiso, Chili
Once again the elegant Prinsendam, as the cruise director likes to call it, is docked at a commercial port, sharing space with freighters, tugs, cranes and containers.
And once again, we’re in a city with port facilities along the waterfront and businesses and residential areas clinging to hills that rise abruptly from the shore. The are no less than sixteen funicular railways to get folks up the steep hills.
We are here on a Sunday but a large mall a short walk from the dock entrance is open so we venture over to pick up some cold medications for me. I think I am one of the last to come down with a cold and I’ve gotten it with a vengeance.
Because this is a commercial port, we had to be bussed a couple of miles from our dock to the terminal, a large metal building with a couple of shops in it.
It was an adventure crossing several major highways to get to the mall ----especially since there was a bicycle race through the town with special traffic control people stopping pedestrians from stepping off the sidewalks and being run down by the racers.
My second adventure was trying to get cold medications from a pharmacist who spoke no English. Who knows what I am taking?
The dock section was a tad seedy and given that I didn’t feel like hiking up hills, I went back to the ship and Alan continued on.
After a bowl of soup, I took the laptop into the terminal and for $2 had an hour to check e-mails and post pictures on the blog. Unfortunately, in my haste to get back to the terminal I deleted several days worth of blog.
A stand in the terminal also sold telephone cards ----90 minutes for $5. I took advantage of it, sat in a comfortable chair and called the kids.
A shop in the terminal sold wine and bottled pisco sours so we now have a bottle of pisco sours. They are the national drink of Chile (Peru claims the same thing) and are made from pisco (a regional brandy made of Quebranta or Muscat Grapes), lemon juice, egg whites, simple syrup and regional bitters. Our port lecturer claims that three will knock you right out. We’ll see.
Tomorrow, Coquimbo. Who has ever heard of these towns?
Feb. 23. Coquimbo and La Serena, Chile
The port city of Coquimbo, along with neighboring La Serena, have a population of more than 300,000. Pretty small compared to many of the places we have visited. Coquimbo is an industrial and shipping center while La Serena is a beachside resort town.
We hired Pedro and his taxi for three or four hours and after seeing the Fuerte de Coquimbo ---a small fort at the harbor entrance, drove the 10 or so miles along the waterfront roadway to La Serena. We arrived at the end of school vacation on a cloudy, cool day so the beaches were pretty much deserted. The most activity was a soccer camp practicing on the beach in front of El Faro, the lighthouse.
The drive was a typical beach town drive, small hotels on one side of the road, the beach on the other, restaurants with outside seating and a few cottages. And wind. And stinging sand.
Pedro parked in La Serena and Alan and I wandered the town. I don’t think I will ever get used to the noise of the cities and towns in South America. Every block or so has a musician playing on the sidewalks, two, three and four piece groups performing on the corners, loud speakers blasting music from each and every store. A group playing in the Plaza de Armas (every city and town has a Plaza de Armas and an Avda O’Higgins) was so good we bought their CD.
We traveled back to Coquimbo on yet another stretch of the Pan American Highway, spent some time there and then returned to the Prinsendam.
February 24 At Sea, steaming up the Chilean coast toward Arica.
I don’t have much to write about as I spent almost all of the day in bed, barking like one of the sea lions we saw in Antarctica.
The dining room (and the staff) were colorfully decorated for Mardi Gras and Mardi Gras beads and silly hats were given to everyone. The waiters are so good natured about getting dressed up in sequins and Liberace type outfits.
The ship has announced a Grand Voyage Photo Contest. Passengers are being encouraged to submit the best of their photos…you are allowed one in each of three categories: Landscape, Wildlife and Portrait/People. You may not touch up the photos, and the photo department takes them off your memory card. There is a charge of $5 per entry and you get an 8 x 10 of your photo to keep. Balloting will be done by the passengers sometime next week. I am going to enter the shot I took of the crew members in the open doorway of the ship. I don’t know if I mentioned that they are the garbage men and I had hoped to have a print made to give to them. I had no luck having a print made (you had to have a minimum order of $12) so this is my way to get a picture for them. Our assistant dining room manager has promised to get it to them.
February 25, Arica, Chile
Arica, our last port in Chile, is only eleven miles south of the border with Peru. Until 1880 it was part of Peru when it was taken by Chile during the War of the Pacific.
Nearby is the Potosà silver mine --the largest silver mine of its kind in world history. Because of silver being shipped from Arica, the area became a hunting ground for pirates such as Sir Francis Drake, Thomas Cavendish and Simon de Cordes. Legend has it that Drake's treasure, estimated at ten billion dollars in gold and jewelry is buried near Arica.
IT’S HOT AGAIN.
Once again, we were bused out of the dock area to where we only had to cross a street to be in a pretty little park lined with stalls of souvenirs and sweaters. Dominating the park, the town and the dock area is a large, (very large) hill with a fort and military museum on the top. The hill looks like an excavation site in a sand pit but is actually gravel and rock. Since there is next to no rainfall in Arica, there isn’t much chance of landslides.
Arica has a very pretty church designed by Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame. I believe the church was constructed in France, shipped to Arica, and reassembled.
We walked to the commercial district in search of a place where I could get my hair cut.In what was called the mall, a main street with a series of small alley-like streets running off it, we found an entire alley way of uni-sex haircutting shops. I picked out one, and since they didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Spanish we managed to establish that I needed a haircut. For 4,000 pesos, (about $6.50US and that includes the tip) I got a great haircut. In desperation about three weeks ago I paid $69.00 on the ship for a lousy hair cut….really lousy.
Alan wandered off to go up to the military museum and I wandered around the city, ending up at the Mercado Central where everyone was buying sweaters and jewelry. I can’t tell what I bought but I’m pleased. I know what I bought but I can’t spoil the surprise for someone.
February 26, At Sea
Another lazy sea day. After Antarctica everyone seems to be just hanging out and relaxing.
February 27 and 28, Callao (Lima) Peru
Once again, our port lecturer has warned us on how to act in Lima, (try to blend in), what to wear (dress down), what not to wear (leave the jewelry on the ship, and what to do if someone grabs your purse or watch (let them go). I’d like to know how a bunch of elderly, white haired, fair skinned, bent over grandmothers and grandfathers are going to blend in with black haired, dark skinned, stocky Peruvians. Not to mention the cameras that are around everyone’s neck or wrist.
In any event, we’re back safely after two days of Lima, none the worse for wear. We took Frank’s warnings to heart and were able to pick up a second tour from Cruise Specialists. Actually, since they can’t sell tours on board, we bought tickets from two of their passengers who weren’t able to use their tickets.
A bit of background you probably don’t care about.
Lima is the largest city in Peru and its capital. It is the fourth largest city in South America. And very poor! Out of 8 million people, 50% of them are classified as poor….not poor as in only have two televisions, one cell phone, an old car and hand me down clothes but poor as in living in shanties and barely having enough to eat.
Lima is divided into several districts. Among them, Callao is the port area and the poorest. Centro is the historic district and contains the Presidential Palace, and St. Francis Cathedral. Miraflores is wealthy and upscale and Pachacamac a mix of desert, pre Inca ruins and beaches.
We started our visit to Lima with an 8 am CSI tour, the City of the Kings. The name was given to the city when wealthy Spanish nobility controlled Lima but we saw little signs of wealth….just miles and miles of dirty, dusty streets, lined with two and three story small houses. Because there is no rain in Lima many of the houses had open roofs.
To give the government credit, there are some splendid parks, all kept green by constant watering. After a 45 minute ride to the city center we left the bus and visited the Church and Convent of San Francisco de Asis. The church is still in use and 40 monks or priests or whatever they are called live within the walls.
The church is typical of catholic churches of the period, ornate, gilded and huge. Under the church floors are the catacombs which contain the bones of 70,000 of the city’s dead.During the “social unrest” when the church was in disfavor with Socialists or Communists, the church opened a small portion of the catacombs to raise money. We saw only 10% of what is there. The bones were just piled in wooden cases except for a pit of skulls arranged in a sunflower pattern. Pretty weird.
The church also has a chapel containing the tomb and bones of Francisco Pizarro. Or so they thought ----it seems that it is now believed that the bones aren’t Pizzaro’s but a mix of bones from over a dozen people. There is a small casket which at one time held the head of Spanish founder of Lima.
It was back to the sunlight and a walk to Casa Aliaga, South American’s best preserved colonial mansion which has been inhabited continuously by descendants of Jeronimo de Aliaga, one of Lima’s co-founders. The house was entered from the street by a small door in a large wooden portal. Inside it had an inner courtyard open to the sky where a fountain splashed and breezes breezed around.
This is earthquake country so most of the buildings are not the originals but put-back-together with original material and slightly different designs.
Back in the coach we drove to the Pacific and as we came within a few blocks of the water, the fog rolled in so thick that in most places we couldn’t see the water. It’s difficult to describe but picture breakers rolling onto a wide sandy beach bordered by a narrow road. On the other side of the road, gravel and rock cliffs rise straight up into the air. They look like a butterfly could create a breeze and they would come down but they don’t. In the wealthy areas, the cliffs have been planted with morning glories which completely cover the ugly surface.
It was a long ride back to the ship and the price of a cab (plus Frank’s warnings) kept us from going back to town. Our old friends, H. Stern, the jewelers, ran a shuttle but the last one was a 4 pm, which didn’t give us enough time to make the round trip.
We had a late lunch, hung around, took in the barbeque on the Lido deck, saw the local folkloric show and went to bed in preparation for another early tour.
It was up early this morning, the 28th for our second tour of Lima. This one was to view temple ruins of pre-Columbian Peru.
In less than an hour we were southeast of the city and in what could be used as the set for an outer space movie that takes place on a desolate, hot, arid planet. As the bus negotiated up seemingly impossible twists and turns we found ourselves in the midst of miles and miles of gray desert and the ruins of early pre-Inca and Inca temples. Lack of funds has halted most of the excavation and restoration but we were able to see walls, roads, plazas, the Women’s House and a temple to the sun god Pachacamac. The temple and surrounding area are believed to be one of the main pilgrimage centers, similar to Cusco. We climbed over 100 rough stone steps to the top of the temple (most of us did), and were able to take a dusty path down the backside of the temple rather than negotiate the steps down.
Our next stop was a private museum which houses the collection of Larco Herrera. We saw pre-Columbian art, pottery, fabrics, tools, precious metals, ceramic and other relics.One section of the museum was devoted to ancient erotica.
Back to the ship…..we’re beginning to recognize the neighborhoods, one more stroll through the stalls set up on the pier and we set sail at 6 pm for Salaverry (Trujillo).
Friday, February 27, 2009
Feb. 20 ---another one not proof read
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.
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.
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