A Hot Time in Chile..
Happy Birthday to me. Whoa! 34! It has been a lovely journey down the Chilean coastline to the southernmost city of the world. We left Valparaiso, Chile last week. That was an amazing day. We got off the ship and it took quite a while to get into town. We docked right in the city and had to take a shuttle about 15 minutes out of the way to pass the security checkpoint. No problemo. We hopped on a train and took it 3 stops right to the heart of the city. We walked around the city for a bit stopping at the seaman center to get a nice cup of coffee and some good internet. After which we walked to a tram that took us up the side of the mountain to a lookout point. 
It was made out of wood and reminded me of those old elevators where you close the cage door. It was rackety and I was a bit nervous that it was going to make it up the steep incline. We got out and walked around up there for a bit soaking in the city views. We decided to grab a bite to eat and stopped at this café that was overlooking the mountainside. It had a nice patio with some spectacular views. The menu didn't look so bad for a fancy place. 
White table clothes, beautiful view, and classy settings. They started us off with some pate and toast and brought warm fresh bread shortly after. I got the filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and a mushroom sauce. It was a meal to die for. The steak was so juicy and tender it could be cut with a butter knife. The potatoes were delectable. All of it less than $15!! That would be a meal to pay $30 at least in NYC. At least!! We wrapped it up and hiked back to the city to walk around a bit before getting back on board. We sailed out of Valparaiso and headed down to Puerto Montt. It was definitely colder there than the other South American ports we've been to. You could tell we were getting closer to Antarctica and penguin country. The town was very reminiscent of Ketchikan, Alaska. 
The fishy smell in the air and the various wooden shacks and stores lining the harbor. Also a small city on the whole. We just walked around that day soaking in the atmosphere of the place. We walked down to the fishing village where you could buy your assortment of fresh fish and cheese.
Let me tell you the smell was absolutely stifling. Fresh fish AND fresh cheese. Whoa! It was off to Puerto Chacabuco next. This port was definitely a place where I believe only the Prinsendam could go. We traveled into a channel that took us into the nooks and crannies of the coast of Chile. The weather still colder yet. 
This one reminded me of Sitka, Alaska. We took a tender boat to get into town and it was farmland for miles. One hotel graced the peaks of the plateau just above the docks. Supermarkets no bigger than a house were located throughout the neighborhood. Tours in the past 2 ports were the way to go and we didn't plan for it. It was a simple day of soaking in the mountainside and taking a simple stroll in the brisk air.
We sailed out of the channel and down to see our first glacier. It was a marvel although we had to hightail it to our next port of Punta Arenas due to an unexpected heart attack by one of our passengers in the gym. We arrived early the next day (a planned sea day). By early I do mean 7pm since we weren't even supposed to get there until 12 hours later because of the scenic cruising to some more glaciers planned. As crew, we took advantage of the situation and went out for the evening and an evening it was. We went to a local pub in the college town. I just expected the same people in a bar where beer was the predominant drink of choice and smoke filling the air. Instead I strolled into a lively place filled with salsa music around 11pm and the party was just starting. Couples were burning up the floor with hot moves when I walked in and there was a whole menu of cocktails. Woo hoo!! I grabbed some dance partners and partook in the salsa dancing myself. It was a blast. The place got packed. It was amazing fun. The next day we just strolled around town. We got a late start since it was a late night. 
I could've taken a penguin excursion, but really couldn't because technically I had IPM duty. IPM is loose here if you're careful. You just don't want to get caught if you break it. So the two of us just decided to do our own thing and go out later. We sailed out of there that evening having dinner in the Pinnacle restaurant on board for one of our birthday girls. I was STUFFED. Whoa!
Today, on my birthday, I had an amazing day in port.
It was Ushuaia, Argentina and the southernmost city in the world. In fact we docked next to a ship called "The World" as well as the National Geographic ship and a few others. We took a cab up the Darwin Mountains to the Glacial Mountain Center where we got on a ski lift to take us up higher. We hiked to amazing heights seeing fantastic sights and getting whiffs of the brisk fresh air. It was a cold one today. Roughly 30 degrees I'd say without winds. I was in a T-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, and a winter coat for my hike today as well as a scarf. 
We got to the snowy peaks before we had to turn around and come down. We overlooked the city and it was so breathtaking. I was absolutely tired after hiking so hard, but it was sooo worth it. Now I'm about ready to start the other party. The cast is giving me a martini crawl. 
We're going from bar to bar on board and celebrating with a martini in each one. Woo hoo! It's supposed to be a rough one tonight as we approach Cape Horn. I'll already be stumbling. 
It was made out of wood and reminded me of those old elevators where you close the cage door. It was rackety and I was a bit nervous that it was going to make it up the steep incline. We got out and walked around up there for a bit soaking in the city views. We decided to grab a bite to eat and stopped at this café that was overlooking the mountainside. It had a nice patio with some spectacular views. The menu didn't look so bad for a fancy place. 
White table clothes, beautiful view, and classy settings. They started us off with some pate and toast and brought warm fresh bread shortly after. I got the filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and a mushroom sauce. It was a meal to die for. The steak was so juicy and tender it could be cut with a butter knife. The potatoes were delectable. All of it less than $15!! That would be a meal to pay $30 at least in NYC. At least!! We wrapped it up and hiked back to the city to walk around a bit before getting back on board. We sailed out of Valparaiso and headed down to Puerto Montt. It was definitely colder there than the other South American ports we've been to. You could tell we were getting closer to Antarctica and penguin country. The town was very reminiscent of Ketchikan, Alaska. 
The fishy smell in the air and the various wooden shacks and stores lining the harbor. Also a small city on the whole. We just walked around that day soaking in the atmosphere of the place. We walked down to the fishing village where you could buy your assortment of fresh fish and cheese.
Let me tell you the smell was absolutely stifling. Fresh fish AND fresh cheese. Whoa! It was off to Puerto Chacabuco next. This port was definitely a place where I believe only the Prinsendam could go. We traveled into a channel that took us into the nooks and crannies of the coast of Chile. The weather still colder yet. 
This one reminded me of Sitka, Alaska. We took a tender boat to get into town and it was farmland for miles. One hotel graced the peaks of the plateau just above the docks. Supermarkets no bigger than a house were located throughout the neighborhood. Tours in the past 2 ports were the way to go and we didn't plan for it. It was a simple day of soaking in the mountainside and taking a simple stroll in the brisk air.
We sailed out of the channel and down to see our first glacier. It was a marvel although we had to hightail it to our next port of Punta Arenas due to an unexpected heart attack by one of our passengers in the gym. We arrived early the next day (a planned sea day). By early I do mean 7pm since we weren't even supposed to get there until 12 hours later because of the scenic cruising to some more glaciers planned. As crew, we took advantage of the situation and went out for the evening and an evening it was. We went to a local pub in the college town. I just expected the same people in a bar where beer was the predominant drink of choice and smoke filling the air. Instead I strolled into a lively place filled with salsa music around 11pm and the party was just starting. Couples were burning up the floor with hot moves when I walked in and there was a whole menu of cocktails. Woo hoo!! I grabbed some dance partners and partook in the salsa dancing myself. It was a blast. The place got packed. It was amazing fun. The next day we just strolled around town. We got a late start since it was a late night. 
I could've taken a penguin excursion, but really couldn't because technically I had IPM duty. IPM is loose here if you're careful. You just don't want to get caught if you break it. So the two of us just decided to do our own thing and go out later. We sailed out of there that evening having dinner in the Pinnacle restaurant on board for one of our birthday girls. I was STUFFED. Whoa!Today, on my birthday, I had an amazing day in port.
It was Ushuaia, Argentina and the southernmost city in the world. In fact we docked next to a ship called "The World" as well as the National Geographic ship and a few others. We took a cab up the Darwin Mountains to the Glacial Mountain Center where we got on a ski lift to take us up higher. We hiked to amazing heights seeing fantastic sights and getting whiffs of the brisk fresh air. It was a cold one today. Roughly 30 degrees I'd say without winds. I was in a T-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, and a winter coat for my hike today as well as a scarf. 
We got to the snowy peaks before we had to turn around and come down. We overlooked the city and it was so breathtaking. I was absolutely tired after hiking so hard, but it was sooo worth it. Now I'm about ready to start the other party. The cast is giving me a martini crawl. 
We're going from bar to bar on board and celebrating with a martini in each one. Woo hoo! It's supposed to be a rough one tonight as we approach Cape Horn. I'll already be stumbling. 
posted by Chris | 10:26 PM
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