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Live - SIlver Explorer October 25 2017, Guayaquil to Valparaiso


jpalbny
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Drron29 and zigtraveler, thanks for the info about the documentary, and the articles. Great stuff.

 

Now back to the last day of the trip. I have to get this blog done ASAP because we leave for Australia in less than two weeks!

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Monday, November 13th

 

Santiago and Maipo Valley

 

We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and checked out. We had a full-day tour set up, half in Santiago and half in Maipo for wine tasting. Considering the time change between Easter Island and Santiago, we had pushed it back from 8 to 9 this morning.

 

Jeanette was waiting for us in the lobby so we loaded up and headed out. Due to our later start, she had decided to reverse the order of the tour and go wine tasting first. So we had about an hour's drive to get to our destination, as it was south of Santiago and we were starting out at the airport, which is north of the city. The scenery was pretty, and we passed by Concha y Toro, which looked crowded already. Soon enough, we arrived at Vina el Principal. It was much quieter here.

 

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They had a few bottles on display, but after hearing about the vintages, we didn't taste...

 

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Instead, our hostess Alexandra took us for a drive through the vineyards! Along the way, they have planted nut trees. There's an irrigation ditch on the left side of the road as well.

 

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It's a dirt road, so good thing we have a Jeep. I guess it's a good thing that we haven't been drinking either. The weather is perfect and the mountains look beautiful in the distance.

 

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We climbed some of the hills and stopped to enjoy the view.

 

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A beautiful contrast. Here we stood in the warm valley among all this greenery, yet we could see snow on the mountain tops in the distance.

 

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We hopped out to walk around the vines a little bit. I don't think there will be much sun when we get home tomorrow. Time to soak up some Vitamin D, while it lasts.

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Monday, November 13th

 

Viña el Principal, Maipo Valley

 

More vineyard shots. If the wine is half as wonderful as the setting, we are in for a treat!

 

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Some tourists in the vineyards. Watch out - they might eat the grapes! No worries about that, as it's spring here, and there really weren't any grapes on the vines yet.

 

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One last chance to enjoy the view before we got back into the Jeep.

 

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On the way out, we saw a raptor guarding the vineyard. Good thing he didn't catch us.

 

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Back to the tasting room, I hope! All this sunshine makes me thirsty.

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JP thanks for your superb report, brought back memories of our visit to Easter Island on the Shadow. We had similar English style weather, with lashing rain at one site and then bright sunshine for the visit to the quarry.

 

We also managed to make a quick visit and tour of the Explorer which was there at the same time.

 

 

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Monday, November 13th

 

Viña el Principal to Santiago

 

Back at the winery, we had a brief tour of the winemaking facilities which were pretty standard. Stainless steel tanks, bottling machines, etc. Then we went down into the wine cellar.

 

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There was a nice surprise here - a tasting room set up in the cellar! And the wine has been decanted. Now all is well.

 

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The wines were quite flavorful, and we enjoyed the relaxing, easy-paced tasting with just the four of us.

 

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Wine was reasonably priced too. The basic red blend, which was quite tasty, was 8700 CLP (about $14 US). The mid-range red blend was 18000 CLP, or $27. They make a high-end bottle for 80000 CLP but we didn't go for that one.

 

But now we're up to 6 bottles that are coming home with us, so hopefully Jeanette has some tricks up her sleeve to help pack them up for the ride home.

 

***

 

We took our leave from the vineyard and drove back to Santiago. After all that hard work wine tasting, it was time for lunch. They dropped us off at a restaurant at Hotel Bidasoa, where we got a bottle of rosé and settled in.

 

Chris and I started by sharing a pilpil shrimp appetizer.

 

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She had salmon for her main course.

 

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I had a whitefish, served with olive puree and tomatoes. And aji amarillo. And more shrimp, of course.

 

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Soon it was time to go driving again, for a brief tour of Santiago proper.

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Monday, November 13th

 

Santiago

 

After lunch, we went driving to the north and into the foothills surrounding the city. The views from the Camino del Condor were beautiful!

 

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This is an expensive neighborhood, though. Some fancy contemporary houses, with modern art in the driveway.

 

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Looks like a nice area to live, though. The city center seems a little hazy, but up in the hills the air is fresh.

 

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We drove along one of the main avenues of Santiago to get to the center city. The construction was interesting in that there were not a lot of very tall buildings. This makes sense, as Santiago is earthquake-prone.

 

They have only recently started building taller buildings as they have begun implementing earthquake-proof building techniques. We did see some high-rise apartments. But Jeanette told us that if a building is destroyed by an earthquake, and casualties result, the architect can be held criminally responsible! That's some serious responsibility.

 

Along the way we passed a few landmarks. This fountain is a monument to Jean Mermoz, a French aviator and contemporary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. He made some of the first flights over the Andes to connect Santiago and Buenes Aires during the formative years of LAN.

 

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This obelisk marks Plaza Italia.

 

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Opposite this is Plaza Baquedano. This area is the center of the "new" city. The statue is of General Manuel Baquedano, a Chilean war hero for his role in the War of the Pacific.

 

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We drove to the presidential palace and got out to visit the old part of the city on foot.

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Drron29 and zigtraveler, thanks for the info about the documentary, and the articles. Great stuff.

 

 

 

Now back to the last day of the trip. I have to get this blog done ASAP because we leave for Australia in less than two weeks!

 

 

 

I think you’re doing it just right - reliving the enjoyment of your last adventure right up until it’s time to start the next.

 

 

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JP thanks for your superb report, brought back memories of our visit to Easter Island on the Shadow. We had similar English style weather, with lashing rain at one site and then bright sunshine for the visit to the quarry.

 

We also managed to make a quick visit and tour of the Explorer which was there at the same time.

 

What a great opportunity to visit both Rapa Nui and Silver Explorer in the same location! Just make sure you get on the correct tender back to the ship...

 

As long as the weather wasn't like the current English weather... We feel your pain today, here in Upstate New York. It is snowing like crazy and we will probably have a foot before all is done.

 

I think you’re doing it just right - reliving the enjoyment of your last adventure right up until it’s time to start the next.

 

Yes, that is the good part. There were enough great memories from this trip to last a long time, and the longer I take to blog about it, the fresher the memories remain.

 

It is just interfering with my planning time for Australia. I haven't had as much time to read about the upcoming trip yet. But that will begin soon, in earnest. I hope to get the last few posts out soon.

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Monday, November 13th

 

Santiago on foot

 

La Moneda Palace, the residence of the Chilean President. This is the view from the south, with Plaza de la Ciudadanía (Citizenship Square) in the foreground.

 

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Behind the Palace is Constitution Square. More greenery, and many beautiful old buildings are here.

 

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We walked towards the historical city center, named Plaza de Armas, just like every other Spanish colonial city. Along the way we passed Palacio de Tribunales de Justicia. The statue in front is a memorial to two former political leaders, Montt and Varas.

 

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At Plaza de Armas, the layout was typical, with the central square surrounded by beautiful old-style buildings. There was a modern statue at the edge of the Plaza, called Al Pueblo Indígena, recalling the indigenous peoples of the region.

 

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Beneath the colonnaded facade of one of the buildings, there was a huge food court. Lots of cheap plates on display. Nothing seemed to cost much more than USD 7-8, and some were as cheap as 2000 CLP ($3). It looks like the low-carb diet phenomenon hasn't come to Chile yet.

 

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Around the corner, a statue of Pedro de Valdivia stands in front of the City Hall. He was a lieutenant to Pizarro, and the founder of Santiago, and Chile's first royal governer. Valdivia in Chile is named after him. A rather historic figure.

 

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Well, if this Plaza de Armas follows the plan, there is probably a Cathedral somewhere around here.

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As long as the weather wasn't like the current English weather... We feel your pain today, here in Upstate New York. It is snowing like crazy and we will probably have a foot before all is done.

 

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Hello Coolers, in my neck of Central New York we already have 15 inches and rising since it is not yet over! Running like a headless chicken today, with so much to do before Sunday when we leave for Seville. Lois, years ago before retirement I supervised month end closing and can also relate to you that way. Wow, three's company in a shared line of work in the Cooler counter.

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Monday, November 13th

 

Santiago on foot

 

The Cathedral was hidden by some pretty intense backlighting. I had to modify this picture in order to even see the building.

 

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We did a short tour of the interior. Pretty straightforward.

 

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Around the corner was the old Central Post Office. A beautiful building, with much more flattering lighting.

 

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We left Plaza de Armas, and walked a few blocks to meet our van and driver. On the way, we pased the former headquarters of the National Congress.

 

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And across from it, a palace that is now a diplomatic school.

 

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Back in the van, and now it was time to enjoy the traffic on our way out of town. We passed a few "coffee shops" but Jeanette explained the real story. Apparently this is called "coffee with legs" and it is true that you do buy coffee there...from ladies wearing very short skirts. Thus the "legs" part. And the lack of windows.

 

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Jeanette didn't volunteer to take us on a coffee tasting tour. So, there was nothing left to do but go to the airport. Once we got on the main roads, traffic was smooth, and we made good time. No worries about being late for our flight home.

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Monday, November 13th

 

Home at last!

 

We made it back to the airport around 6:45, which was three hours before our flight was due to leave. Perfect timing. Jeanette produced a styrofoam packing insert that held six bottles, but some of the bottles were too big to fit. I had to cut some of the interior dividers to fit the bottles in, and then I paid a few pesos to have it wrapped tightly in plastic. It certainly looks secure, and it even says so. Fingers crossed!

 

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We checked in and dropped off our bags, and the wine. The next stop was Chilean immigration...and remember, Chris's exit form had my name on it. Jeanette had checked with a friend who works for customs and they had also said that it shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully, they will let us out! I still had bad memories from customs on the day we had disemarked, when a tiny mistake on my customs declaration had let to great consternation.

 

So we said our goodbyes to Jeanette, who had been a fantasitc tour guide, and headed to the immigration booths. It was a total anticlimax. The officer didn't even look at the exit forms, just collected them, stamped the passports, and we were through. Phew! Now we can go home.

 

We were flying Delta and our friends were flying American, so the four of us went to the Priority Pass lounge to spend our last few minutes together. But the food wasn't very good, so it was time to say goodbye and go our separate ways. They went to the American Lounge, and we went to the Delta lounge to wait for our flight.

 

Everything was on time, and soon we were boarded, and on our way. Dinner was served.

 

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With some Chilean wine, of course.

 

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My entree was a braised lamb shoulder. Not bad for airplane food, though the appetizers were better.

 

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Some sleep was in order. I love these 10-hour flights, because you have time to eat, and to sleep, and you don't feel like you're being woken up too early for breakfast. That was really good! Tasty pancakes, with cheese and berries.

 

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We landed in Atlanta a little early, so we would have almost four hours for our layover. Since it was before 6AM, luggage delivery was fast, and so far, our wine was intact! We had to go through customs inspection, but once that was over we rechecked it, then headed through security and into our terminal for the flight to Albany in a few hours.

 

The flight home was uneventful, and we were out of our tiny Albany airport and home not long after noon. We unpacked the wine, then drove to the vet to pick up our dear old kitty. All of the wine, and the cat, had survived the trip intact!

 

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Thus ends the saga. We had an incredible adventure, filled with incredible sights, and we have such amazing memories from the trip. We are so fortunate to be able to visit such amazing destinations. I hope that all of your travels are as memorable.

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Loved sailing along with you.

Where will you be in Australia?We are in the country for 5 weeks before we leave for our B2B cruises on the Explorer.

I am in Tasmania whilst Rojaan is home in Queensland but will be visiting me in 2 weeks time.

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You've excelled yourself JP..... Thanks so much for sharing and the time that must have taken.....

 

Are you making a large photo book with all your narratives and photos to keep the memories fresh and make a great read for visitors?

 

Wish I had the patience to go to the detail you've managed.

 

Bravo.... You'll have to go some to top this.

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Bravo!

Just terrific.

Thank you.

 

Glad that you enjoyed it, Spins. Thanks for sticking with it.

 

Thank you for all the effort you put into your travel recap. I will definitely refer to it on our South American cruise.

 

You are very welcome. Please feel free to ask any other questions that you might have about these stops, if you want.

 

Thank you for sharing your adventure with us armchair travelers.

 

It was my pleasure. I really do hope that more people try expedition cruises. They are fantastic.

 

Loved sailing along with you.

Where will you be in Australia?We are in the country for 5 weeks before we leave for our B2B cruises on the Explorer.

I am in Tasmania whilst Rojaan is home in Queensland but will be visiting me in 2 weeks time.

 

Hi Ron, surprised to hear that you will be "home" for such a long stretch! ;)

 

Chris and I will be in Tassie the last week of March. We're staying in Binalong Bay with a friend for 4 nights, then one more night in Launceston, before fliying back to Melbourne for the journey home. Before that, we'll be in Sydney (1 night), Adelaide/Barossa (3n), Kangaroo Island (2n), and Melbourne (2n). We decided to stay in the south for the whole trip, rather than try to do "everything" and also, we are hoping to get more pleasant weather. So far, the long-range forecasts seem favorable!

 

What part of Tasmania will you be in?

 

You've excelled yourself JP..... Thanks so much for sharing and the time that must have taken.....

 

Are you making a large photo book with all your narratives and photos to keep the memories fresh and make a great read for visitors?

 

Wish I had the patience to go to the detail you've managed.

 

Bravo.... You'll have to go some to top this.

 

Les, thanks. It was way more work than I'd bargained for. I almost quit at the end of the cruise but Easter Island was just too cool not to share! Luckily, I took good notes along the way until the last two days. Otherwise, between all the different things we did, and all of the wine, I'd never remember this much detail.

 

When my notes failed me, Google timeline came through because (like Big Brother) it really knows exactly where you've been...

 

I did "print" the first 200 posts of this thread to a pdf file so I have the first half of my narrative. I need to print the second half now and save it. I haven't made a photo book, but I will probably make a poster-sized print of us with the moai, to hang up in our travel room, and I'll print a few more pix to go along the boder of our travel map (10'x5' mural-sized world map). It sure was fun to put a gold star on Easter Island!

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Incredible job JP. I look forward to our first expedition cruise with such seasoned folks as you and Chris. I know we’ll be in good hands having RachelG & George along too. Now we just need to convince the good Tasmanian doctor and his lovely bride to join us.

 

 

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JP thanks for taking the time to post and share your trip. Was wondering what happen to the indigenous people? Where did they arrive from? What happen to all the vegetation and palm trees? Whay did they stop building MOI statues? Did they live above ground or in caves? Just wondering what the locals have determined what happen to their people?

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Incredible job JP. I look forward to our first expedition cruise with such seasoned folks as you and Chris. I know we’ll be in good hands having RachelG & George along too. Now we just need to convince the good Tasmanian doctor and his lovely bride to join us.

 

Yes, Stumblefoot! It is going to be a great time. I am surprised that you have not yet done an expedition cruise but I have a feeling that your first will not be your last. This cruise was incredible in many ways - just a perfect combination of great company, a fascinating itinerary with a mix of interesting stops, and great food. It will be hard to top.

 

Ron and Ann should join us, I agree! They like Explorer though, so getting them on such a "big" ship may be a challenge.

 

JP thanks for taking the time to post and share your trip. Was wondering what happen to the indigenous people? Where did they arrive from? What happen to all the vegetation and palm trees? Whay did they stop building MOI statues? Did they live above ground or in caves? Just wondering what the locals have determined what happen to their people?

 

Carefreecruise, that is indeed the big mystery. The articles that Ron posted earlier do suggest that the massive population overgrowth - ecological collapse - cannabilism theory is probably incorrect. I am not sure that we will ever know with certainty. Though one of our guides (Terry) talked in hushed tones about slavery and cannabilism in the civil war period, others say that these events may not have happened.

 

We are fairly confident, based on DNA sequencing and linguistics analysis, that the native Rapa Nui came from Polynesia, not South America. I have also read some things about the native Hawaiian religion and I see significant overap with Rapa Nui, so this makes sense to me. The trees were probably cut and used for various purposes, and just didn't grow back fast enough.

 

Why moai building stopped is a mystery. It clearly takes tons of energy to build moai, and society has to be "rich" enough to support all of those workers. Did the islanders stop believing in moai when things got tough, and stop building them as a result? Or did they not have time or resources to build them because they were struggling to survive? Were the workers called back from the quarry to fight in the civil war, as our guide that day in Rano Raraku suggested? Or did the new birdman religious cult take over and displace the ancestor-worship theme which the moai represent? Lots of theories out there, but no decipherable written record, so we may never know.

 

The mystery just adds to the intrigue of visiting a place like this.

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Incredible job JP. I look forward to our first expedition cruise with such seasoned folks as you and Chris. I know we’ll be in good hands having RachelG & George along too. Now we just need to convince the good Tasmanian doctor and his lovely bride to join us

 

Yes, Stumblefoot! It is going to be a great time. I am surprised that you have not yet done an expedition cruise but I have a feeling that your first will not be your last. This cruise was incredible in many ways - just a perfect combination of great company, a fascinating itinerary with a mix of interesting stops, and great food. It will be hard to top.

Ron and Ann should join us, I agree! They like Explorer though, so getting them on such a "big" ship may be a challenge.

 

Sorry boys we wont be joining you ! We went to Antarctica in 2010, and in March 2017 we did Ushuaia to Cape Town - so we don't really need to smell 5000 penguins again ;p but you will have a great time.

We actually havent got anything planned for 2020 !!!

 

JP what dates are you in Melbourne ? we are there the weekend 23/24/25 March !

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