GeorgeCharlie

The Monumental Lighthouse was built by the Chilean Navy between 1948 and 1952, and was finished in 1953. At first it was used for naval purposes but in 1985, it was given to the city as a tourist resource. People tend to congregate here to watch the sun as it disappears over the horizon. It is 25 metres (82 ft) tall and the lighting system was removed back in the 1980's.

Apparently access to building has been closed for a number of years.

A rather large canon was added for the tourists.

The lighthouse is situated on La Serena beach, which on weekends/holidays is normally very crowded.

Not busy when we were there (still not quite summertime weather) but one jogger was out for a run.

The beach is across the bay from where we docked. If you look closely, you can see our ship on the left edge of this picture.

From there we drove over to La Serena to see the Main Square and the Revova Market.

The Main Square of La Serena dates from 1549 and is the main public walk of the city and its center is adorned by a large fountain sculpted in stone, the work of the artist Samuel Román.
 

When we were there, the square was ringed with stalls mainly selling goods for local consumption.

The La Recova market -  was founded in 1795 and if one place could be considered the heart of La Serena, it would undoubtedly be La Recova. One of the most attractive street markets in the country amazes visitors with the diversity of services and products offered by its 143 stalls.

Anything may be found in this place: stone handicrafts, Pre-Columbian pottery works inspired by the diaguita culture, flower pots, precious stone jewelry made with lapis lazuli, alpaca wool items, huayacan wood, books, musical instruments and everything you can imagine. As well, homemade pastries stand out, especially sugar-coated papaya. Fruit in syrup, manjar blanco (milk jam) with nuts and goat cheese are some savoury temptations.

(Internet picture)

In the area outside the market building was a number of stalls selling souvenirs. Beside the La Recova is a large supermarket and nearby was a pharmacy, as some of the people on the tour were looking to buy cough syrup. 

After the Cross we visited the Guayacan district of Coquimbo, which is a slightly less tourist destination, but very relevant to the history of the bay. It is an old neighborhood south of the peninsula that in 2005 was declared a Typical Zone for its particular architecture and urban landmarks full of history.

Like many other villages in Chile, the development of Guayacán during the 19th century was born from the mining push that began in 1846 when Robert Edward and the Commercial Society Urmeneta and Errázuriz chose this quiet coast to refine and export the copper extracted from the interior mines. Perhaps few know, but this refinery of 35 ovens and three chimneys of 40 mt. tall at one time it became the largest in the world.

About the only remanent of this era is a church with an interesting history.

The Church of Guayacán began its life in France. Its design is the work of none other than Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who had designed metal churches that were made to be fabricated in Europe and then assembled on-site in the French colonies. Both the interior and exterior are covered with sheets of zinc metal. The galvanized iron was expected to withstand whatever weather the tropics could throw at them.

 One of these prefab houses of worship found its way (after a side-trip to Belgium) to the town of Coquimbo, where it was erected in 1889. For a while, it served as a small Catholic hub, but then fell into disrepair and was eventually abandoned. Fortunately, the church was later restored in the 1960s and declared a national monument in 1977.

Some years ago, a Priest moved into the church on the basis of doing further restoration. Unfortunately, after a while people found out he was not restoring, but dismantling the interior and selling it.  

Now the church is locked up and you only can see the exterior - which is interesting in itself.

1 minute ago, seeriteR said:

My plan is to take a cab to the Cross and then walk down the hill and back to the ship, seeing what we can on the way. Do you think that is doable? The way up to the cross look steep and difficult to navigate. Is there anything near the port that is interesting? It seems there are no beaches close enough to walk to.

The elevation rise from sea level to the base of the complex is over 500 feet. A concern I would have is that the Cross is located in the poorest section of the City and I'm not sure how safe it would be.

The only beach I remember seeing was at the lighthouse, which is across the bay from the ship.

If you look closely, you can make out our ship near the left edge.

The Cross of the Third Millennium was built for the Jubilee of the Year 2000 of the Catholic Church. It has a high-tech bell tower and a Way of Sorrows with life-size sculptures.

In the 90s, the civic authorities of Coquimbo came up with the idea of building a monument to commemorate the Jubilee of Year 2000 of the Catholic Church, celebrating 2000 years since the birth of Christ, and the introduction of the Church into the third millennium. The project, appropriately called “The Cross of the Third Millennium,” gained great support from local church authorities and the Vatican.

The site chosen for the construction of the structure was the summit of Cerro El Vigía (Lookout Hill), located at 157 meters above sea level. The hill overlooking Coquimbo Bay has historically been home for the city’s poorest residents. With funding from the community, businesses and the support of local and national political and religious authorities, the construction of the structural work of the impressive cross was completed in a record period of 10 months, in May 2000.

The Cross is 83 metres (272 feet) tall and 40 metres (131 feet) wide.

It was a little cloudy when we were there, and we were concerned we would not get much of a view of the countryside once we got up in the arms.

From the parking lot/entry gates, there is a 2,000 step staircase up to the base of the Cross and the chapel worship area.

Not to worry – there is an elevator.

The chapel.

Beneath the chapel is a museum which has a photographic exhibition of the stages of the construction of the Cross - up until its inauguration on  May 05, 2000. It also contains the gifts from Juan Pablo II for such a monument that immortalizes Christian faith are also shown. No pictures were allowed.

In 2004, efforts began to construct a large Via Crucis comprising the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross with scenes extending from “Jesus is Condemned to Death” to “Jesus is Laid in the Tomb”, plus a 15th station representing the “Resurrection of Jesus”. 

The complete set was made in bronze by Italian sculptors Giuseppe Alambrese and Pasquale Nava. It consists of 53 sculptures of human figures measuring from two to 2.2 meters in height plus eleven 3.5-meter-high crosses.

In 2006, the Coquimbo City Hall decided on the construction of a bell tower. Nine 1.5-meter-high bells were made by Rincker Bell Foundry in Sinn, Germany, and installed in May of 2013 in a 33-meter-tall tower next to the cross. The nine-bell system is computer-controlled and has 480 melodies in memory, including Chile’s national anthem.

At the base of the Cross are the elevators which take you up to the arms, which are at the height of 40 metres on the Cross. The elevators only take 8 people at a time, plus they limit the number of people in the arms, so there was a bit of a wait.

In the arms you have a 360 degree view of the area.

View of the inside of one of the arms.

This picture shows the grounds where the Pampilla Festival is held.

The festival takes place annually between September 18 and 20 in honor of the Fiestas Patrias de Chile —although it usually extends two days before or two days after such dates. During that period, even weeks before the activity begins, hundreds of families settle in tents and vehicles in the hills. It is the largest national holiday in Chile, with the highest attendance being recorded on the third night in 2019, with the attendance of 317,000 people - which is the population of Coquimbo, plus another 100,000 people!!

The Cross of the Third Millennium is the tallest religious monument in South America and the sequence of Stations of the Cross is the largest in the world. The monumental complex is motive of great devotion and pride for the people of the city of Coquimbo and has become a major tourist attraction for local and foreign visitors.

After two sea days, we arrived at Coquimbo (La Serena, Chile) on Dec 05th.

We had arranged for a half day tour of La Serena with Turismo Cochiguaz Tours. The tour was to visit 6 different places:

- Fort Lambert

- The Third Millennium Cross

- View point at the University of La Serena

- The Recova Market

- Main Square of La Serena

- The Monumental Lighthouse

This was another stop where we encountered hiccups with the tourist industry getting back up to speed after such a long layoff.

We first went to see Fort Lambert (aka Fort Coquimbo) which is a nineteenth century fortification sited on the "Castillo del Carmen" hill at the northern end of Coquimbo Bay, is a popular tourist spot because of the views it provides across the Bay, along with the nearby small island inhabited by pelicans.

(Internet picture)

Well - when we got to the gates - we found them closed!

Our guide said not to worry, as we will get a better view of Coquimbo Bay from the viewpoint at the University of La Serena. Well guess what - later when we went to see the viewpoint, we found access to it was closed due to construction. A fair bit of time was wasted driving to/from these sites.😠

Then we were off to see the Third Millennium Cross.

I will cover our visit to the Cross in a separate post.

We were in Falkland Islands on Dec 15/22 and tendering went quite well. Our helicopter tour did not depart until 10:30am, so we didn't need to rush getting off. Although, we did hop on one of the first tender going ashore anyway.

They suspended tendering while a brief rain squall when through. 

Comments from other passengers indicated the ship tours were a little stressful, both coming & going from the ship, but nothing major. 

8 hours ago, SightCRR said:

For another source of info check the web cam of HAL Oosterdam on 26 Jan at 20:10. Turn off the auto rotate and you can zoom and tilt. You can check other ports also on different days. 

Webcam Holland America Line - Oosterdam - PANOMAX 360°

Our group was on the NCL Star and got some great shots of the ship from O-dam. Ship started running tenders early and got on one of the first tenders close to 0700 before the ship tours.  The O-dam camera puts the Star to shame. 

sightcrr

Thanks for the link.😎

We were on the Oosterdam Nov 19 - Dec 20/22 cruise and didn't know they had a 360 camera!!

The figure is 595 feet tall, large enough to be seen 12 miles at sea, so you shouldn't have any problem seeing it. It's actually less then a mile down the coast from where the ship will dock, so you can likely see it from the ship coming, or going from the dock. On the boat ride out to Islas Bellastas you will be passing right by it.

I would expect the Sea Lions are there all year around. Other wildlife???

Charlie again – 

Dec 2 – General San Martin

We were met at 9 am at the dock by Lucio (our guide) & Martinez (his helper) from Secrets of Peru in a nice new large comfortable bus for 40, but there were only 20 of us. We had booked the Islas Bellastas & the Paracas Nature Reserves tour with them. 

Our bus took us  to Paracas city about a 30 minute drive from the ship, where we boarded the nice new speedboat for the 2 hour ride/tour of the Ballestas Islands.

 On the way we even got a close up of a couple bottlenose dolphins feeding & passed the rock formation known as the El Candelabro, probably created more then 2000 years ago. 

We sailed among the islands spotting many pelicans, Inka terns , Cormorants & even a few Humboldt penguins 

& many sea lions lazing on the rocks.

Apparently for this time of year they were females, but on the way back to shore they showed us where a few males hung out on an old ship wreck. 

After returning back to the dock we had a half hour to wander the Paracas boulevard to shop, eat or even drink the famous Pisco sour – I didn’t try it.  

We then took the bus to the the Pacaras Nature Reserve, where we spent another 2 hours walking on the desert – which unlike most deserts is not made of sand, but rock & only gets 2mm of rain per year. 

We stopped for several photo ops of the rocky coastline & walked to the top of one of the hilltops. Some beautiful scenery of the coastline from up there. 

We were then taken back to the ship by 3 pm. after a full day – just make sure you put on sunscreen between the water & the desert I was a little sun burned. 

 You can see how clear the water was & all the food available for the birds & sea lions – this was taken from our 7th deck balcony as we sailed away. 

The next morning we arrived at General San Martin (Pisco), Peru. 

We docked at an industrial port, where there is nothing much to see.

There was a small shopping area set up on the pier.

The ship provided complimentary shuttle service to Plaza Paracas in Pisco, which is just across Pisco Bay from where the ship docked.

The ship as seen from the Pisco side of the Bay.

I did not feel up to taking another full day tour, so I stayed on the ship and therefore, didn't see much. But, Lynne did take the tour and had a great time. She will now post what she saw.

We were in Punta Arenas on Dec 12/22 and we had to tender in from our ship (HAL Oosterdam). From the looks of it, I would say the dock can only handle expedition ships, such as the Viking Polaris (378 passengers), which was docked while getting repairs done.

From this picture you can see where the Oosterdam was anchored and we tendered into the dock just in front of the boat tied up across from the Polaris. The terminal building is the long blue building with the skylights. People were meeting tour guides both inside and outside the building.

The main tourist part of town is within a few blocks of the port gates.

When we were in Japan a few years ago I purchased a special made & engraved knife from one of shops. When I queried about having it mailed, I was told that they do not use the postal system, due to high loss rates and even if you have it insured, you only get reimbursed money, but the knife & memories related to having it made are lost forever. They would have shipped it by bonded carrier, which increases the likelihood of actual delivery, but the cost would have been over one hundred dollars.

The process of taking it back onboard the ship was quite painless. It came in a nice presentation box and I turned it over to security when I got back to the ship. On the evening prior to disembarkation, the knife was delivered to our cabin. This allowed us to pack it in our checked luggage. If we were to have received the knife as we got off the ship, we would then have to get access to our checked luggage. Not impossible, but an unnecessary hassle during the hectic time of disembarkation.  

YES, you must have it in writing and take several copies with you. Plus it's likely best to video record any interactions you may need to have with Guest Services!!

In the fall of 2018 we requested to get off in Halifax, rather then NY. After we boarded in Copenhagen I went to the Guest Services desk to make sure they had it on our file - they had no record. They took a copy of my letter and said they would attach it to our file.

A few days before we were to get off the ship, I went to Guest Services to confirm they showed us getting off in Halifax - again they said they had no record and copied our letter again. I had the person who I was talking to make an extra copy, sign & date it, that he had received a copy to put on our file.

I went down the evening before we were to get off and once again they said no record existed. When I showed them the signed & dated copy showing they had received a copy just a few days earlier, they said it didn't matter - they still needed a copy to give to the Security people so that they knew we were getting off in Halifax.

The next morning when we showed up at the gangway with all of our luggage, Security said they had not been notified and therefore we could not get off until NY, due to both the Canadian and US authorities needing 72 hours advanced notice of any deviations.

Fortunately, the Captain was at the gangway and when I showed him the letter, he called the Security Manager and told him to straighten it out with the authorities and we were to be allowed to get off the ship asap. About 15 minutes later Security returned and told us we were cleared to disembark.

Captain apologized to us and reading between the lines in his remarks, I would take it this had happened before. He even made some of the Security staff carry our luggage into the terminal. 

One thing which likely made it easier, was that we are Canadian citizens, therefore no need for Immigration to be involved. We didn't clear Customs either - we just walked through the terminal and got a taxi. 

10 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Wow, quite the adventure! Made for some long days I bet!

Yes - and Lima was by far the least enjoyable port on our cruise, but we're not fans of large cities.🤠

As we were departing Lima, we met a Peruvian submarine headed into port.

Some comments with respect to docking at the Callao Industrial Port. The port is large and it's a long drive just to reach the port gates. 

Prior to arriving in Callao, there was ongoing confusion as to how the independent tour passengers where going to be able to meet their tour guides. First, they said there would be no shuttle bus to the port gates and people would have to take the shuttle to the Indian Market (well over an hour drive) in order to meet their guides, Then, after we had notified our guides as to the tour pickup point, they then announced that there would be a shuttle to the port gates!!

On arrival, we took the shuttle to the port gates, only to find that we were in a logjam of trucks trying to get out of the port. After about an hour we finally made it to the gate!! 

At the gate there is a small parking area where you can meet your tour guide, or get a taxi. It is very much a rundown industrial area and does not appear to be a place to walk around in, especially after dark. When we returned from our evening visit into Lima it was well after sundown and our guide made us wait in his vehicle until the shuttle bus arrived.

On the second day, it appears they got some organizing done, for they had a new route to the gate which was directed by the police and did not include any trucks. Although, it didn't help, when on the third day, our shuttle driver took a wrong turn leaving the ship, and promptly got lost for a half an hour!!

On the way back to the ship we stopped at a couple of bird sanctuaries.

The first nature area we visited included a boat ride.

The second site was for migratory birds, but it would be several weeks before they start showing up.

We also stopped at an outlook to view some of the coastline.

One of their beaches.

A condo building.

More of the coastline in the distance.

Like a lot of cruisers, we mainly travel in order to visit new places and to experience some of the local culture and history.

It was here in Pachacamac where I was surprised to learn that, although the Inca Empire was largest empire in pre-Columbian America, it actually existed for only a small slice of South American history. 

The Inca civilization arose in the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century. The Inca Empire was formed in 1438 and went through five dynasties, until it was conquered by the Spanish, starting in 1533. 

This means the actual Inca Empire lasted little more then 100 years - rather short when compared to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Empires.

Oh well, another misconception down the drain – all because we had to go and visit another country!!😉😉
 

After the Incas conquered the coast, they did not attempt to replace the ancient and deeply rooted worship of Pachacamac, but instead they decided to incorporate the gods into their mythology. To incorporate their gods into the equation at Pachacamac, the Incas built a remarkable temple overlooking the Pacific Ocean, called the Temple of the Sun. 

We only went as far as the parking lot at the Temple of the Sun. It was a fairly long walk up to the ruins and our guide said there wasn't much to see, as very little of the temple had yet to be exposed.

The existing structures, temples and other buildings of the city however were modified, expanded and rebuilt to the needs of the Incas. They erected some remarkable new pyramids and temples, among them the Templo del Sol (the Temple of the Sun) and the Acllahuasi (the House of the chosen women), also known as Mamacona.

The Acllahuasi was a building only for young, chosen maidens, probably comparable to a convent. The principal purpose of these women was to serve the sun god Inti, the Inca priests and nobles, to prepare ceremonies, to be given to or married to great Inca warriors or aristocrats, or to be sacrificed. It was a privilege to belong to the chosen ones.

The Acllahuasi.

The stairs we climbed in order to get a view of The Acllahuasi from above.

Part of the Inca Road.

When the Spanish arrived, they had a less than tolerable outlook of the worshipers at Pachacamac and, in typical Spanish fashion, they destroyed buildings, plundered the sacred areas and forced the population to convert to Catholicism.

39 minutes ago, REOVA said:

 But when you don't have the cash flow or supply chain to reach the goals, we can expect short term to be unchanged. We have hope for 2025 if the creek (ocean) don't rise. 

I certainly agree with you with respect to the amount of time it may take to get service to an acceptable level.

We primarily cruise for the itinerary and experiences. We recently returned from a 31-day South American cruise on the Oosterdam and, while we found the itinerary experiences to be excellent, the on board experience was disappointing.

We currently have a much longer HAL cruise booked for next year and we are now thinking it may be best to wait for another year, or two.

When we were on the Oosterdam last month, using the cabin key for excursions worked fine for us.

On the third day of our stop in Lima, we took a tour out to see the archaeological complex of Pachacamac, which is located around 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Lima’s city center. 

Pachacamac is one of Peru’s best-kept archeological sites and a great reminder of the remarkable civilizations that preceded the Incas. 

A model of the site, with the Inca Sun Temple located at the top.

Most of the site is in the process of being excavated.

Some of the shelters covering current excavation work.

For museum-lovers, there’s an on-site museum that displays artefacts discovered at Pachacamac, like ceramics, textiles and other religious pieces, and gives an explanation of the history and importance of the sites and temples in the area.

This enormous site is very impressive, with its great pyramidal temples, buildings, old roads, remains of frescoes decorating the adobe walls and other interesting archaeological structures that were erected over a time period of more then 1,000 years by different cultures, gives visitors am astonishing insight into the society and lifestyle of people living in the area.

The ceremonial center was dedicated to Pacha Kamaq (Pachacamac), the most important god at the Peruvian coast in pre-Hispanic times. Pacha Kamaq – which translates "The one who animates the world" - was a feared and powerful deity that not only was considered the architect of the world and creator of all its creatures, but also the god of fire and earthquakes.

The god-image of Pachacamac was believed to express his or her anger through tremors and earthquakes, and was an oracle used for important matters affecting the State: the health of the ruler, the outcome of a war and so on. 

The wooden idol representing Pachacamac, through intricate carvings of a two-faced humanoid, may well have been the oracle itself. It was kept hidden inside a labyrinth and behind guarded doors, and only the high priests could communicate with it face to face. They had to pass through many doors to arrive at the main idol site, which was raised up on a “snail-shaped” (or spiralling) platform, with the wooden carving stuck into the earth inside a dark room, separated from the world by a jeweled curtain.
 

A representation of the curtain. 

We were in Montevideo on board the Oosterdam last month and we did not hear of any medical insurance requirements.

Our introduction to Buenos Aires was one for the record books - to say the least!!🙂🙃

Our 31-day SA cruise on the Oosterdam arrived in Buenos Aires on Dec 19, 2022 - the day after they won the FIFA World Cup - their first win in 36 years. Needless to say, in a soccer mad country, it was total mayhem, as people took to the streets to celebrate - especially on the 20th, as the Government declared it as a National Holiday.

We were scheduled to fly out in the late afternoon on the 20th and had booked a half-day tour of the city and then drop us off at the airport. When our guide finally made to the cruise terminal, he said he had left 3 hours earlier then normal, as every major roadway (including freeways) were shutdown by crowds of people. It was very obvious to all of us that trying to do a tour of the city was impossible and it was best we leave for the airport immediately. Many hours later, after having to use city streets, because the freeways were shut down, we finally arrived at the airport. There were a few times it looked like we weren't going to make it due to police blockades. Fortunately, our driver was able to negotiate our passage, but we had to show our passports, along with airline tickets showing we were departing that day, before they would let us by.

Some of the crowds gathering on the streets.

From the number of coolers, it's obvious they are planning to wait awhile. The picture was taken at 11am, about 2 hours after we left the Cruise Terminal and we were not even half-way to the airport!

A video clip showing what it was like driving on the streets.

As a side note. We were in Montevideo, Uruguay on the Dec 18, the day Argentina won the cup. Even there it seemed most things came to a standstill while the game was being played.

Here's a video clip taken in the Lido, where some passengers were watching the last couple of minutes of the penalty kicks on a tablet. As you can see, most of the Lido staff were also watching.