Antarctica
We cruised all day and night after departing Ushuaia and today we take advantage of the day at sea to attend some great lectures and enjoy the down time. We arrive in the Antarctic Penninsula early on Saturday. We are treated to gorgeous icebergs of all shapes and sizes. The sea gods have continued to be on our side as we come to Anvers Island, home to Palmer Station. The clouds have parted and the views are magnificent. We are treated to a visit by a team of scientists from the research station who give us a brief glimpse of life at the "fin del mundo". They are just happy to load up on "freshies" (fresh fruit and vegetables which are scarce around here). An afternoon lecture on the race to the pole, another one on Shackelton's expedition, and throughout the afternoon we just cruise down and up the Lemaire Channel and back out to sea. The sheer number and diversity of icebergs is numbing (as is standing out on deck taking hundreds of pictures!).
Today we awoke to Deception Island which is home to a very large penguin rookery. The landscape is hard to describe; harsh and inhospitable, everything is a different shade of white, black and every grey in between. Not much time is spent there (or is it that we kind of overslept?) and we're soon sailing again, this time en route to Hope Bay and Esperanza Island (home to the Argentinian research station).
We arrive at the bay as we are finishing our workouts and suddenly, over the loudspeaker, we hear: "whales on the starboard side at 2 o'clock". I had had the foresight to bring my camera and cold weather gear to the gym; Blake had not. We dash out of the gym, me donning my hat, jacket and gloves, Blake in a t-shirt and shorts.
I was totally unprepared for the spectacular beauty of the place - the sun broke through the clouds and we discovered that there were thousands upon thousands of Adelie penguins on the bay. Everywhere. On the icebergs, on the ice shelves, in the water. I saw a couple of sea lions cavorting next to the ship and finally... whales. We spent hours on deck and were treated to at least eight humpback whales. I was lucky to get some pictures, even one of a tail. I had been despairing about seeing any whales (a few people had already seen some on previous days) but nothing had prepared me for the sight of the whales coming up for air, blowing a few times and finally diving back down showing their tails. At first we thought they were Orcas hunting the penguins but soon realized they were Humpbacks (who do not eat penguins) who were just having their meal alongside the penguins.
It has been a most exciting day, I cannot see how it can get any better. Have I mentioned how awesome it is to look out your window and see an iceberg the size of a football field passing by? Tomorrow, Admiralty Bay and Elephant Island.
DAYS 3 AND 4
Yesterday was the first of two days at sea. We sailed through the Chilean fjords throughout the morning but low clouds prevented us from seeing much. There were a couple of good lectures, lots of rest time, a visit to the salon and finally, a glorious dinner at Prego. I had the carpaccio, the mushroom soup and the veal al limone, nicely washed down with a Primitivo. Blake had the creamy king crab tower, the mushroom soup and since he couldn't make up his mind about the pasta, they brought him two smaller servings of the lasagna and the canneloni. All capped with a dessert sampler. We then headed down to the Avenue Saloon for some piano music - this seems to have become a nightly ritual - and tried to work out our dinner on the dance floor.
Today started out with a workout, breakfast and a lecture about Antarctica. This morning the fjords are visible in all their glory, at times snow capped, sometimes flanking the ship some ways away, others hugging the ship on both sides. The weather continues to change with patches of blue sky and the sun sparkling on the small crests, only to be broken up by dark clouds and rain. The wind is howling as we sip some hot chocolate on deck.
We will soon exit the fjords and head to open water where we can expect 20 ft swells. As I write this we have the best seat in the house at the very front of the Palm Court watching the bow go up and down. There is a humbling feeling on the face of nature's wild beauty as we head towards the end of the world.
Tomorrow, Punta Arenas but for now looking forward to a tango lesson, the CC meet & mingle and another nice dinner in the main dining room.
PS. The meet & mingle was a nice way to get to know cruise critic members, some of whom we'd already met on previous days.
Punta Arenas
Today we saw penguins! lots of them! Magellanic penguins at the Otway rookery. It was a great introduction to these birds. We also saw condors flying around the area, who use the elevation from an old coal mine to launch into the air.
Punta Arenas is a coastal city which was founded primarily by Yugoslavian immigrants and had its golden age around the turn of the 20th century. It went into decline with the advent of the Panama Canal. One of its most striking features is its climate, which turns so quickly and unexpectedly as to be sunny and quite warm one minute and cold and rainy the next. The wind is the only constant although it varies in intensity. There are lovely remnants of its golden era architecture.
The Vintage Room. What an experience that was. Brigitte the sommelier did a great job introducing the wines and providing interesting information. The pairings were impeccable and the stars of the show were the truffle rissotto with the Shafer chardonnay. We had a really good time. Despite the amount of alcohol consumed there are no signs of it in the way I feel today which is the best proof of the high quality of the offerings.
Today, glaciers through the Beagle Channel. They are an amazing sight and while we are "camped" at the Palm Court I keep making photo-trips to the observation deck right above. The scenery changes every couple of hours, there is something awe-inspiring about this place. It is largely untouched, rugged, vast. In the afternoon we find ourselves bundled up with blankets on one of the aft decks, a pod of porpoises makes an appearance.
In the early evening, under a glorious sun and the calmest seas Capitan Zander has ever seen in over 70 voyages, we rounded the Horn. The southernmost point of the continent, it conjures images of treacherous and tragic voyages... even in these increadibly smooth seas it is easy to imagine the countless wrecks and lives lost. We watch the sun set while enjoying great food, wine and conversation with our tablemates.
Ushuaia
What an unexpected great port. Character abounds, nestled between the snowcapped montains and the Beagle Channel it provides a great morning of walking around. A catamaran excursion of the channel with some close visits to birds and sea lions caps the day. We are now on our way to Antarctica.
DAYS 1, 2 AND 3 ON BOARD
Our first evening on board was spent visiting our favourite spots. Met our tablemates in the main dining room (only 3 of them showed up) and had a very enjoyable dinner. The Veal Chop was outstanding. The seas had become a bit rough and we were bouncing about so the Welcome Aboard show had to be cancelled shortly after it began as it was too dangerous for the dancers. So we headed to the Avenue Saloon and had a drink listening to Martin Orbidans until about midnight when we finally started to feel pretty tired. I didn't sleep very well but it was more because I was really enjoying the rocking and rolling of the seas than anything else.
This morning started with a workout on the elliptical machine, followed by a late risers' breakfast at the Trident Grill. We were greeted very warmly by some of the Lido guys who remembered us from our previous cruise. The rest of the day was spent attending a couple of lectures, walking along the Promenade and taking a lovely, much needed nap on one of those nice sofas on the new Lido deck. The weather has been sunny and warm but a brisk breeze keeps things on the cool side.
Tonight is the Captain's cocktail party and the first formal night so we're back in our cabin getting ready for it. We're hoping the weather holds tomorrow for our first port visit at Puerto Montt where we'll visit a working ranch.
The Internet is soooooo very slow in our cabin, I'm just about to give up. Spent over 30 minutes trying to send a couple of emails and little else - perhaps I should try the computers in the computer lab and see if they are any faster than my notebook.
We're set up for the Vintage Room next Tuesday and I'm really looking forward to it. Have not received any notice of the CC meet & mingle so we'll probably swing by the front desk and ask about it - wouldn't want to miss it.
First formal night was lovely and we had two more guests at our table with whom we enjoyed a lively conversation. We seem to be one of the last tables leaving, just in time for the show, which was Million Dollar Musicals. Afterwards we wandered about a bit, danced for a while in the Starlight Club and went to Karaoke in Luxe.
Puerto Montt
Had a wonderful sleep but an early start to the day as we were to meet our tour group by 8:30. The day had started out overcast and soon there was a light rain falling, just as we tendered to port. Puerto Montt is a nice port town with a visible german influence. Lake Llanquihue was shrouded in cloud so there was no view of the mountains. During our walk around town Blake "adopted" a stray dog and even bought him a hotdog! he was a smart fellow who knew very well how to get himself a meal by shadowing us and letting out a heart-wrenching howl every once in a while.
We were then taken to a ranch where we were treated to a Chilean rodeo demonstration by some Huasos (Chilean cowboys), a music and dance (Cueca) show by some very talented and cute young dancers, interspersed with good Pisco Sour (I'm starting to think that the subtly honey-sweetened Chilean Pisco Sour beats its Peruvian counterpart) and wine, followed by an "Asado", all to more South American music which brought so many wonderful childhood memories of family get togethers in Lima, my home during the first 23 years of my life, where mom would grab the guitar and everyone would sing for hours on end.
The weather cleared up nicely during lunch which afforded us a lovely view of the snowy top of Mount Osorno before returing to the ship. We took a spin class which did a nice job of countering all the pisco sour and wine calories we had ingested during the day. It was our first spin class and I'm not sure whether I liked it or hated it. Will have to try it again. It is a very popular class so you must show up a bit early to secure a bike.
Tonight we decided to keep it simple and had a great light dinner at the Lido where they had Casual Dining. We then headed to the Hollywood theatre to see a movie (something we haven't done in ages), followed by a couple of drinks at the Avenue Saloon. Martin Orbidans does a great job and we really enjoy his piano man skills.
So far so good. Made it to DFW on time, not long now before we board for Santiago. AA flight was uneventful and boy am I glad our connection was through Dallas and not some airport affected by the dreadful weather back east.
Flight to Santiago was fine. Didn’t get much sleep but then again who does. Ok; some do. It’s amazing how positively comfy people can get on a plane.
Crystal presence at the Santiago airport is strong from the moment you get off the plane until you’re settled on the air-conditioned bus. First impression is that of a clean city surrounded by mountains. It reminds us of the British Columbia interior. There are municipal workers all along the freeway picking up trash, watering the boulevard, etc. We see some very modest neighbourhoods until we reach "uptown" where the Hyatt is.
Ride to the Hyatt is about twenty minutes. Once at the Hyatt we are told the rooms are not ready and we’re all directed to a lounge where sandwiches and beverages are available. We’ve been waiting for about an hour now and no rooms yet.
Since we were arriving at 10 am, I had expected to have most of the day available for touring and as we often do when in a new city, were planning to just do a walking tour on our own. Since our touring time has been severely shortened as we wait for our room we’ve now signed up for the City Highlights tour.
It was 2 and a half hours before our room was ready and we were some of the lucky ones. We later learned that other Crystal guests' rooms were not ready until late in the afternoon. Something went wrong here and many passengers were upset for not even being able to freshen up after their longs flights. What would have been a nice set up for a half hour wait with small sandwiches and drinks, turned into a very, very long wait.
Enough of that. Out suite at the Hyatt is very beautiful and spacious and has an awesome panoramic window overlooking the pool area and, of course, the mountains.
At 3 pm we left for the city tour. It was a nice way to see the highlights of the city in a very short time. Ricardo our tour guide was very nice, gave us interesting bits of information and spoke very good English. We had the opportunity to gain a bird's eye view of the whole city from atop San Cristobal hill. At the end of the tour we were taken to the Club Hipico (racetrack) where we were treated to Pisco Sour and wine and some appetizers.
Santiago made a good impression on us. It (and the rest of country) is quietly prosperous. More time would have afforded us better insights on a city that appears to be well maintained but is not pristine, alive but not quite as vibrant as other capital cities are. Street dogs abound, all tame and well fed by the locals. It's cute seeing them taking an afternoon nap on a patch of grass in the plaza. Architecture styles run the gamut from neo-classical to tudor, from Spanish to modern and everything in between, in an eclectic mix. Art is well represented everywhere, both in museums and on the streets, with classically trained musicians putting on a nice performance in front of the cathedral and numerous sculptures lining the Mapocho river.
Although we had planned on going for a nice dinner out, we were really pooped and settled for in-room dining. Slept like logs and woke up refreshed. Had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel before boarding the transfer bus for the trek to Valparaiso.
We arrived in Valparaiso after approximately a 1 and a half hour drive through the countryside. Vineyards and orchards, arid hills and lush valleys. Marcelo our Crystal rep on the bus kept us informed and entertained although he did break a sweat trying to overcome technical difficulties with the sound system. His English was good and he a lot of knowledge, facts and statistics to share with us.
Valpaiso is a a much larger city than I imagined. It is perched on hills along the horseshoe bay. It is the main port in Chile and the industrial nature of the activities carried out there is evident everywhere, with stacks of cathode copper waiting to be loaded on ships, several navy ships and a fishing fleet competing for dock space with the beautiful Symphony.
Embarcation was quick. We were taken from the terminal to the Symphony (a very short drive) on a bus and were soon on board. We checked our carry-on bag and set off see the areas that were renovated during last year's dry dock. The renovations are all smart, contemporary and quite beautiful.
We then headed for the main dining room for an excellent lunch of salmon for me and a burger for Blake. He has been longing for a Crystal burger for two years and wasn't disappointed. A glass of champagne and nice company in the form of Steve and Phillis from Cleveland made for a great welcome lunch.
Our stewardess Djanna appeared promptly to introduce herself. Unpacking was a breeze and we were soon off to make our Prego and Silk Road reservations, pick up the fitness class schedule and set up the wireless on my notebook. We stopped at the Palm Court for a cup of our favourite tea (Green Tea with Passion Fruit) and a great view of Valparaiso.
We're now back in our cabin. Blake zonked out while trying to watch a movie while I catch up on this blog. Sailaway is at 9:00 pm headed for Puerto Montt.
