2018 Crystal World Cruise as seen by a 4-Star Mariner

[rafinmd]

Thank you everyone.

 

Day Symphony44, Saturday, March 31, 2018, Leave Easter Island

 

The Crystal Serenity is in Phuket, 8854 miles away. The sun rose at 8:26 and set at 8:17. The moon set at 8:31AM and rose at 8:48PM. The weather was 25/77 and sunny.

 

As I first walked up to the Lido for coffee and descended the back stairs a nearly full moon was shining through the back deck’s lattice sun diffuser. I walked sporadically for a total of 6 laps (1 ½ miles), the last one as the sun was trying to rise above the clouds ahead of us.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/moon331a.jpg

 

Tendering resumed at 8AM but I was on a 4-hour tour that left at 9:30. All the tours used minibuses or vans. My bus was much like the one from Friday’s shoreside event but this one had air conditioning.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/ourbus.jpg

 

We visited 2 major sites. The first was Rana Kau Crater and the ruins of Orongo. Orongo was the site of an annual contest commonly referred to as Birdman. There is a small island off shore (Moto Nui) where at the times Sooty terns nested. Representatives of the island’s chiefs were charged with the task of swimming to Moto Nui (among sharks), camping on the island until the Sooty tern laid it’s first egg, and then carrying the egg back to the main island and climbing the cliff back to Orongo. While the contest was going the people took shelter in crude houses built of flat stones det into the hillside.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/orongohouse.jpg

 

We continued along a trail to the summit of extinct volcano Rano Kau. Inside the crater there is a lake covered with vast quantities of floating reeds (Much as I imagine Lake Titicaca would look). There was one notch in the volcano where from our overlook we could look down on both the ocean and the lake.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/2waters.jpg

 

After returning to our starting point we drove a short distance to a roadside overlook where we had a better (at least from the sun’s angle) of the lake below.

 

At that spot we could also see the landing strip. Easter Island has since the 1980's had a 2 mile runway, improved by the United States as an emergency landing location for the Space Shuttle. The airport now handles wide body aircraft, daily flights to Santiago and weekly flights to Papeete.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/orongolake.jpg

 

Our other stop was the Tahai, the place where we paused briefly on the way to the shoreside event. Work had begun on close to 1,000 Moais, with many of them started but never finished. Several are standing at Tahai. They were memorials to ancestors and generally faced inward as the people did not believe there was anything but sea beyond the island.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/tahai.jpg

 

All the Moais had white eyes set in carved sockets. The Moais were all toppled and most set back on their pedestals in recent years. The eyes were the first things to fall our but have been restored by an American archaeologist on one Moai, Ko Te Riku. While we had viewed the complex only from a distance on Friday, on the tour we walked up close for a good look.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/koteriku.jpg

 

We were back at the tender pier about 12:30. On Friday I had seen a restaurant quite close to the dock that looked ok for lunch. Mahai had a very nice view of the waterfront, and the chicken dish was tasty. The wifi turned out to be very slow (the waitress indicated that was true throughout the island). It was not very successful as I got a couple of antivirus updates installed but not all the updates to be up to date.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/mahai.jpg

 

It seems quite clear that Easter Island has no good dock for cargo deliveries and 2 landing craft were sitting at the dock, presumably capable of bringing in containers from a ship anchored in the bay. The landing craft looked fairly new but their replacements were not much more than hulks pulled up on the shore.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/landers.jpg

 

We were anchored about a mile from shore, enough for a longish and sometimes bumpy tender ride but still in range for a nice view of Tahai.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/tahaiseaview.jpg

 

The cookie of the day was Mexican Wedding Cookie. It was very tasty.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cookie27.jpg

 

The last tender was due to leave at 5 with sailaway at 5:30 but Captain Larsen reported all ready at 5:10 and Louis Sang at 5:15. On the way out I got a different look at the birdman location with a nice view of Moto Nui.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/motonui.jpg

 

A half hour later we were far enough south to get a perspective on the notch in the crater where the eggs were carried up to the summit. There were some eroded rocks providing a steep slope up from the sea but above it there was still a substantial cliff to be scaled.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/birdcliff.jpg

 

It was back to Waterside for dinner. There were 7 of us at the shared table and my choices were the beef consume, fillet steak, and cherry garcia ice cream.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes0331.jpg

 

The sun set behind us just after dinner with some nice color.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dusk0331.jpg

 

The featured entertainment was the Crystal Ensemble of Singers and Dancers in Curtain Call. After the show the White Party was held, beginning with some fantastic juggling by one of the bar tenders. The moon was shining brightly as I returned to my room.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/white0331.jpg

 

While I am posting later than planned my parting shot will be a (possibly belated) wish for a happy Easter/Passover/April Fools day as the case may be.

 

Roy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you had an air conditioned bus this time.

I think the chef is making better cookies -- looks like another winner.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Krazy Kruizersl. The internet is HORRIBLE in this part of the Pacific. I THINK my blog post has loaded and the photo links should work but can't guarantee it.

 

Day Symphony45, Sunday, April 1, 2018, At Sea, Crystal Symphony

 

The Crystal Serenity is at sea from Phuket (9072 miles away) to Yangon (formerly Rangoon, 9532 miles) The sun rose at 8:09 and set at 7:46pm. The moon set at 9:04 and rose at 9:00pm. The weather was 24/75 and partly cloudy.

 

With the hours we’ve lost sunrise is getting late and my walk was almost exclusively in darkness. The moon was shining brightly above us on the port side and casting a shadow behind me.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/moon0401.jpg

 

Sunrise came in the middle of the morning show. Conditions didn’t look promising for a sunrise as 8AM approached and I didn’t wait for it. There was some color at different places in the sky about 7:50 and the sun was above the clouds after the show.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dawn0401.jpg

 

I kind of cheated during the morning show. The trivia question was a 3-choice multiple guess on how many times the day’s jellybean consumption would circle the earth if laid end to end. I called and was told “that’s wrong but you can call back again”. Must not have been man people watching because my second guess made it.

 

There have been questions on Cruise Critic about the new restaurants on Symphony’s deck 11. I doubt there has been much if anything in the way of major changes to the area now known as Marketplace/Churrascaria. The meats are maintained on a rack right beside the desert section of the buffet line under infrared warming but I’m quite sure cooked elsewhere. Even on the full segments I’ve never seen a problem with lack of capacity.

 

The Trident/Neptune Pool area is completely done. I believe before the drydock the Trident Grill counter extended all the way back to the start of the (onetime) pool deck with Scoops ice cream bar on the starboard side and a bar in between. Scoops has now taken over the aft few feet of the Trident Grill Counter and the Silk bar is now in the former Scoops corner. The Silk Galley runs about half the width of the ship taking over the space where the Trident bar used to be.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/silkgalley.jpg

 

The day’s activities started off in the Hollywood Theater with a Catholic Mass at 8 and Reverend Rusty’s interdenominational service at 9. Crystal Visions started up at 10 with a talk on “Islands” by Jay Crhistofferson, followed by a panel recap on Easter Island by Jay, Ed Sobey, and Bob Aalberts at 11.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/panel.jpg

 

There was an Easter Buffet in Waterside but I passed on it in favor of my usual meal.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/easter.jpg

 

In his noon update Captain Larsen gave his talk on the Pacific. I took my lunch a little further than usual on the pool deck as the Crystal Quartet was providing lunchtime music.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/quartet.jpg

 

The Cookie of the day was “Chocolate Almond Hearts”. It was good.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cookie28.jpg

 

Easter Trivia I had a good day and a mostly posting questions I got right.

 

3. What does an operetta have that an opera lacks?

4. What is the former British Honduras now called?

6. What does a lepidopterist study?

7. What kind of bath should be 2 ½ inches deep?

13. What Australian City held it’s final Formula 1 race in 1995?

 

The afternoon presentation was Glenn Rosenblum with “Showstoppers from ‘Send in the Clowns’ to ‘The Sound of Music’”

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/rosenblum2.jpg

 

Dinner was at Waterside, and ran quite slowly primarily due to my tablemates. I’m not fond of a dinner that takes longer from one course to another than the time I have to get from dinner to the show. I went for the chicken consume, turkey breast and ice cream. I look forward to a return to normal dining after Valparaiso.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes0401.jpg

 

Our next port is a Crystal Cruises maiden call and a very seldom visited spot, Robinson Crusoe Island. Monday’s Reflections had our first inkling of what to expect there: “Due to the infrastructure and lack of resources for this port, we are unfortunately unable to offer any organized Crystal Adventures.

 

All guests are invited to stop by the beautiful Refugio Nautico Eco Lodge by the seaside where we have set up some local entertainment, complementary food and drinks.

 

The Lodge will be open between 1:00pm and 4:30PM during which time all guests are invited to stop by at their leisure.”

 

Cruisetimetables shows only 7 future calls at Robinson Crusoe Island. I feel fortunate to have 2 shots at it, this week on the Symphony and again in January on the Prinsendam.

 

There was an entertainment double bill. The “Spot show” Jump and Swing-A-Mania was held at 8:30 in the Starlite Club followed at 9:30 by Panos Karen at 9:30 with Book 2 of Chopin’s Etudes, number 13 to 24. I ran out of gas at 22 and called it a night.. We also lost another hour and are now on the same time as Fort Lauderdale.

 

Trivia answers:

 

3. An operetta has spoken dialogue.

4. The former colony is now Belize

6. A lepidopterist studies butterflies (or moths).

7. A bird bath is ideally 2 ½ inches deep.

13. Adelaide had it’s last Formula 1 race in 1995 (missed that one).

 

I’ll take my parting shot from Glenn Rosenblum’s talk. It seems like most anything can become a musical and this one was so strange I thought it might have been an April Fools joke until I looked it up. There was a musical called “The Last Tree in Rapa Nui”. While I understand that deforestation was a major cause of the collapse of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) I still have trouble imagining how it could have been fodder for a musical.

 

Roy

[Krazy Kruizers]

I never bore reading your daily reports.

Love the trivia questions. And today's cookie made my mouth water.

I notice when you show what your dinner is, there is a plate with some sort of bread role or stick. Do you get a basket where you have choices each night?

[bennybear]

Enjoying your adventure and those cookies!

[erewhon]

The Chocolate Almond Heart Cookies look very tempting.

Enjoy your visit to Robinson Crusoe Island.

[rafinmd]

Thank you bennybear, Krazy Kruizers, an erewhon. I will try to take a picture if the bread basket and a couple of other little details today. When I post it I will not direct it to you as I host my pictures on the blog and will address it as a part of the blog saying "a Cruise Critic reader has asked"

 

Day Symphony46, Monday, April 2, 2018, At Sea, Crystal Symphony

 

The Crystal Serenity is in Yangon. 9792 miles away. The sun rose at 8:38 and set at 8:09. The moon The moon set at 10:30AM and rose at 10:03PM. The weather was 21/70 and mostly sunny with winds diminishing during the day. With the wind I found it a bit too chilly to take my lunch out to the pool deck.

 

I overslept by 2 hours this morning but it was still dark when I went outside. With a combination of sleeping late, 30+ knot winds across the deck, and a load of laundry I cut my morning walk to 3 miles, getting in just under half before Shane’s morning show.

 

I seem to do better on the morning show trivia than I do on the regular version (perhaps few people are watching at 8AM). Today’s question was what country owns the Island of Madeira (Portugal) and I was rewarded with a Crystal light. As I resumed my walk after the show the sun rose just as I rounded the bow.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dawn0402.jpg

 

At the end of the lap I went up the aft stairs to Marketplace for an omelet and the moon was still shining brightly behind us.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/moon0402.jpg

 

Guest Chef Jon Aston had his final cooking demonstration at 10. I have not really been involved in the cooking stuff and not cared that much about the cookies as a snack but it certainly has been a great conversation piece. I moved the camera while I photographed the sign for the Chocolate and Cream Sandwich but did not sample the cookie itself.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cookie29.jpg

 

He was followed at 10 by Captain Creighton who started with an apology about the Chinese Space Station. At Sunday dinner there was an announcement that it was coming down in the area but it actually entered the atmosphere earlier than expected near Papeete, now over 3000 miles away. His talk was an overview of worldwide space programs, past, present and future, mentioning all the participants.

 

In his midday update Captain Larsen indicated that due to shifting tectonic plates the Pacific was shrinking while the Atlantic was getting bigger.

 

Today’s trivia was very hard.

 

2. What country held the first winter Olympics?

3. India withdrew from the World Cup because they weren’t allowed to do what?

6. Who composed the 1812 Overture?

7. What is the name given to a symphonic composition which features a single instrument along with the orchestra?

12. When asked what his hair style was called, what did Beatle George Harrison answer?

 

The afternoon presentation Ed. Sobey with “Robinson Crusoe - The Island, the Book, and the Real Story”.

 

Just before dinner there was an “Officers Mixer” in the Crystal Cove. Many of the officers as well as the Ambassador Hosts and some of the cast members, all dressed in officers whites were in the cove mingling and mixing with the guests. At one point there was also a little line dance, all showing as a sea of white.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/officers.jpg

 

There were 7 of us at the shared table in Waterside. Dinner was not quite as long as on Sunday and it was less of an issue as there was not an 8:30 show. I chose the basic salad, prime rib, and soft serve pistachio ice cream.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes0402.jpg

 

I got out of dinner just in time to see the last color of the evening behind the ship. The featured entertainment was another performance by Special Events Consultant Jonathan Hawkins along with brief duets with the Ensemble lead singers.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dusk0402.jpg

 

Trivia answers:

 

2. The first Winter Games were in France. (Missed it)

3. India withdrew from the World Cup because they weren’t allowed to play barefoot.(missed it)

6. Tchaikovsky composed the 1812 Overture (got it)

7. A symphonic piece featuring a solo instrument is called a Concerto. (Got it)

12. George Harrison called his hair style “Arthur” (missed it).

 

The 2 I mentioned were the only ones I had right. I knew the musical number was “Mr. Bojangles” but did not know it was by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The winning team had just 10 of 16.

 

I’ll steal a parting shot from Tuesday’s lecture by Hilary McCormack. She described the investigation of a highly respected Air Force Colonel who abducted, raped, and murdered 2 women and had a somber comment. The question comes up in these situations whether it is better to fight or cooperate and hope to eventually get free. The answer was somber. The 2 women took diametrically opposite choices with one fighting her heart out and the other complying with all commands (with promises that one more thing and I’ll free you), but both ended up dying horrible deaths. A gruesome choice to make.

 

Roy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful report.

Questions were pretty easy.

The chocolate sandwich cookie looks good.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just one other question about the bread basket -- is it the same every night?

[rafinmd]

Day Symphony47, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, At Sea, Crystal Symphony, Black Tie Optional

 

Note: Wednesday morning we are starting to see Robinson Crusoe Island ahead of us. It’s probably the only time I’ll ever approach this island from the West. When I return in January on the Prinsendam, we’ll be approaching from the east. Here’s the easiest link to the Symphony’s webcam. Perhaps as we get closer the view will be better from the starboard cam (tab at bottom of picture).

 

http://www.kroooz-cams.com/symphony/symphony1.php

 

I did it again, this time sleeping through the alarm until almost 7:30. I got just 1 ½ laps in, including a quick visit to the lido before the morning show started. As I came down the stairs just before the sun came up the sky behind us was tinted red and the moon was still quite visible overhead.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/latemoon.jpg

 

In his noon update Captain Larsen indicated that our favorable conditions will continue but it will be cooler for our day on Robinson Crusoe Island. I’m thankful I didn’t finally pack away my vest as it is starting to come in handy. This segment is 19 days long and every port is a tender port. The lack of docking anywhere is having some effect of the supplies. While there is PLENTY of food a few shortages in perishables do occur. My simple salad at lunch is usually mostly lettuce or similar leafy items along with a few cucumber slices, carrot shavings, and/or radishes. Today it was nothing but lettuce. I have heard that the galley staff tried the stores on Easter Island and found nothing appropriate.

 

It was not a good day for me for trivia. I was skunked both on the morning show and at noon trivia. I have noted that sometimes Sarah asks long involved questions and I have not been successful in writing down all the questions,’

 

1. What os the highest dan in Judo?

6. Who was the first woman in the country Music Hall of Fame?

7. The Agony and the Ecstacy was a story about who?

10. How many people were on Noah’s Ark?

13. Amalgam is a mixture of silver and what?

 

The cookie of the day was a Sunny Side Up Meringue. I thought it looked better than it tasted.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cookie30.jpg

 

There were 7 of us at the shared table. I had a request on Cruise Critic for information about the bread setup and will use this opportunity to cover a couple of the dining details starting with breakfast. In the upper half of the collage is the sweetener bowl that’s on every table in the lido with Splenda, Equal, Truvia, and white and brown sugar, all the brand name products, not generic versions. At breakfast there’s also a small plate with little jars of assorted jams. In the bottom half of the photo is the bread basket. Each day there are probably about 6 types of rolls in the basket. Baguettes, salt sticks, and plain rolls are there virtually all the time and probably about 3 other varieties rotating sometimes with whole wheat, onion rolls, sesame seed, poppy seed, and a couple of other variations. The basket is kept in a warmer when not in use. The butter dish has a little for and usually unwrapped slices of butter, except in US ports. There are always wrapped butter packets in the lido.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/extras.jpg

 

That was the kind of question I expected when I started this thread. If anybody had told me the thread would be primarily about Trivia and Cookies I’d have dispatched them off for a drug test. But it has addes some spice to the thread.

 

Trivia Answers:

 

1. I’m not convinced this is correct but the official answer was that the highest Judo dan was 12.

6. The first woman inducted into the Country Hall of Fame was Patsy Cline.

 

7. The Agony and the Ecstasy was about Michelangelo.

10. There were 8 people on Noah’s Ark, Noah, his 3 sons, and their wives.

13. Amalgam is a mixture of silver and mercury.

 

I really had NOTHING on this trivia, not even the musical selection “Where is Love” from “Oliver”. We did have 1 very sharp team with 17 of 18 right.

 

Parting shot–congratulations to Justin and may all the crew leaving have a great vacation.

 

Roy

[RuthC]

I know I haven't participated in this thread very much, Roy, but I have read every post eagerly!

I always love looking at your 'dishes' picture, and especially drool over the breads, so I am pleased that you have given us an explanation of how they are served, the rotation, and the picture of the basket.

 

Now, about today's cookies: what is the yellow 'yolk' made of?

[rafinmd]

Thank you RuthC. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the recipes and couldn't identify the ingredients.

 

Day Symphony48, Wednesday, April 4, 2018, Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile

 

The Crystal Serenity is in Yangon, 9758 miles away. We have passed the point where we are halfway around the world from Serenity and the 2 ships are starting to get closer. The shortest path between the 2 ships now crosses the prime meridian rather than the international dateline and I now consider them to be on the same day. The sun rose at 8:30 and set at 8:06. The moon set at 12:23PM and rose at 11:11AM. Weather was in the 60's (15-20C) and cloudy or worse .

 

I was back on schedule and completed a 3-mile walk about 6:30 in darkness. The sun did find a nice break in the clouds about 8:35.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dawn0404.jpg

 

With our noon arrival we had something of a normal sea day program but just one talk at 10:30, Glenn Rosenblum with “Broadway Musicals: A Theatrical Smorgasbord from ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ to ‘Hamilton’”. The cookie of the day was a Caramel brownie bar. I was not really even tempted on this one.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cookie30.jpg

 

By the end of the lecture we were dropping anchor in Cumberland Bay with the town of San Juan Bautista pretty close.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/bautista.jpg

 

I have found unlimited internet something of a mixed blessing. It certainly is convenient but I often find myself sidetracked while putting together a post. Robinson Crusoe Island is definitely off the beaten path and I tried to find out a bit about getting there if not on one of the few cruise ships that visits. There isn’t really a lot of information but I did find one account:

 

http://www.leeabbamonte.com/south-america/getting-to-robinson-crusoe-island.html

 

Other information indicates that the air service this party used is no longer flying and it looks like the airport (which has no IATA code) has at most 2 7-passenger flights per week. There is also a supply ship which seems to come twice per month with a maximum of 12 passengers.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/antonio.jpg

 

It was just after 12 when tendering started. I was not quite on the first tender but pretty close. The ride was relatively short but the slip where the tender docked was a bit dicey, stepping onto a wooden box as the steps on the pier were under water. There was no railing on the water side of the pier and I had to make my way up to the dock steps grabbing ropes hanging from a log suspended over the stairs.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/tenderslip.jpg

 

At the end of the dock there was a small plaza with some shops and a man at a table giving out maps from the tourist bureau.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/rcsquare.jpg

 

The island was struck by a deadly tsunami in 2010 and recovery seems slow to non-existent. There were several bare foundations or frameworks, a geodesic dome that had no cover, and the post office was a shipping container.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/tsunami.jpg

 

Crystal had arranged a reception at a resort at the far north end of the village. There are a few cars and other vehicles on the island but the “streets” are little more than jeep trails. Our information said the party site was 900 yards from the tender landing but I think it was much shorter than that, along a somewhat bumpy curving shoreside trail.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/bayside.jpg

 

The reception was at the “Refugio Nautico Eco Lodge”, mostly outdoors with a small blue tarp as well as on a terrace in front of the lodge. For some of the more mobility challenged guests an ATV was apparently providing a lift.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/partysite.jpg

 

Pisco sour and some snack items were furnished at the site as well as some other beverages furnished by the ship. There was also supposed to be “local entertainment” but while I was there the band was starting with some standard songs and I did not stay long. I did stop first at the toilet which turned out to be in one of the lodge rooms. I was somewhat amused by the bathtub in the room which was not much longer than the commode. A bath there would certainly be an adventure.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/goodies.jpg

 

Heading back I detoured towards Patriots Caves, ascending a trail where some makeshift steps were placed in the dirt to minimize erosion. The caves were dug by Creole Independence Activists exiled to the island after the 1814 Battle of Rancagua. As I was ascending the trail it started raining so I only looked at one of several caves which had a sweeping view of the harbor. The caves on close examination were just very shallow recesses in the cliff. Getting back down from the caves on the wet trail became a challenge but a helpful person gave me a steadying hand at the most treacherous point.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/patriotcaves.jpg

 

Despite having a poncho I was still getting wet and cut my visit shorter than planned. I did walk almost to the north end of town. I got as far as a soccer field; there was supposed to be a cemetery and a cannon further up but it was just a bit too far in the rain. It had become quite foggy and the Symphony looked something like a ghost ship in the harbor.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/ghostship.jpg

 

As I returned to the tender pier I was looking up what appeared to be the main “street”. In walking to and from the Eco Resort I had not noticed any stores but they may have been there and that will probably be the first place I go when the Prinsendam visits on January 24. I thought the white building might have been the church but was a bit too wet to check it out. It was raining quite hard as I returned to the tender dock, and probably half the people who got off the tender got right back on.

 

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/mainstreet.jpg

 

We had a bit of special entertainment just before dinner with “Dueling Guitars” in the Crystal Cove featuring Neil Lockwood (from Rocket Man) and Show Band guitarist Conrad Abbott.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dueling.jpg

 

The last tender was scheduled for 6:30 but people were back earlier than that. Captain Larsen’s sailaway message came at 6:15 with a note that the weather was not going to be the greatest for the trip to Valparaiso. I stepped out very briefly but the wind had kicked up and was biting cold, even wearing a sweater. Louis sang at 6:30 just as I was ready to head down to dinner. The shared table filled up quickly. I went for the macaroni and cheese entre (delicious) as well as the beef consume and apple strudel a la mode.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes0404.jpg

 

The featured entertainment was a collaboration by singers Jonathan Hawkins (AKA Events Coordinator) and World Cruise Hostess Sarah Hayes. By the time the show ended all the promenade deck doors were closed off.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/jonsarah.jpg

 

My parting shot will be a hope for stepped up tsunami rebuilding help from Chile for the island.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Day Symphony49, Thursday, April 5, 2018, At Sea, Crystal Symphony

 

The Crystal Serenity is in Yangon, 9710 miles away. The sun rose at 8:19 and set at 7:49. The moon set at 1:01PM and rose at 11:37PM but was mostly behind clouds while it might have been visible. Seas were pretty rough with winds typically 40 knots, and a temperature of about 15/59.

 

The theme of the day could be “Stormy Weather”. I probably shouldn’t have done this but first thing in the morning I did walk one lap around the promenade deck. I walked out the back doors headed for the exterior stairs when I saw one of the Ambassador Hosts walking and thought it might not be too bad. As I rounded the deck I noticed that all 6 of the side doors were roped off and decided that it wasn’t the place to be and did the rest of my walking inside. I don’t tend to take a lot of photos on sea days so I’ve added a couple from Wednesday starting with the ship’s aft decks at night.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/aftnight.jpg

 

One of the major differences between Symphony and Serenity is aft deck 6, a table tennis and golf venue on Serenity. On Symphony it’s a nice deck for the crew to hang out.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/crewhangout.jpg

 

The final cookie of the day was introduced on the morning show with a bit of shtick. Jon called it “Captain’s Swedish Cookie” (although just Swedish Cookie on the sign) and Captain Larsen was in the galley “pretending” he had made it. The cookie itself was a winner.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cookie32.jpg

 

Sunrise came during the morning show but I went up to Palm Court just afterwards and the sun was just above the horizon showing through a small break in the clouds.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dawn0405.jpg

 

It was a typical sea day with 2 morning presentations, Bob Aalberts at 10 on Valparaiso and John Creighton at 11 with the future of space. He indicated quite a bit of concern about the amount of “space junk” in orbit. In his final noon update Captain Larsen indicated that winds should diminish as we approach Valparaiso.

 

There were some controversies in trivia. A few of the questions:

 

2. How often are brain cells replaced?

4. Who presented the 1938 show “War of the Worlds” that created a panic?

9. What country is composed of over 7,000 islands?\

10, Which Olympic sport was re-introduced in Seoul after a long absence?

12. What is the highest mountain in the Alps?

 

The afternoon presentation was Hilary McCormack with part 2 of her previous lecture, “Anatomy of A Confession” detailing how a skilled detective was able to break the case involving an unexpected serial killer.

 

There was a “sunset mixer for those on the full World Cruise in the Silk Lounge before dinner. It was a chance for farewells with Shane, Captain Larsen, and a few others handing things over to Paul McFarland and Captain Willheim (new to me).

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/mixer.jpg

 

There were 8 of us at the shared table. The seas were still quite busy dancing above the nearby window.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/waves.jpg

 

Another oddity of shared dining in the new Crystal is that we line up at the door to get a table assignment but it’s almost invariably the same table. There is a little bit of variation but we had 8 of about a dozen people who often were assigned there. I went for the pasta as an appetizer and pork chop as well as soft serve pistachio.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes0405.jpg

 

The featured entertainment was “An Evening in the South Pacific”, a public showing of a show originally presented as a special event for those on the full world cruise. There was a pre-show feature with guitarist Conrad Abbot and show band vocalist Melissa Maugran. It was Maugran’s farewell performance and Abbot introduced an instrument he spotted on a Polynesian port call and had just learned to play.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/preshow.jpg

 

The show itself featured the entire entertainment team, the full Ensemble, Latin Dance Team, Melissa Maugran, Jonathan Hawkins, Sarah Hayes and dancer SHANE MORLEY, quite an ensemble when they came out together for final bows.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/pacific.jpg

 

My parting shot will be what strikes me as a bit of a geographical oddity. I’ve been following several blogs on Holland America’s World Cruise and right about now the Amsterdam is in (or just left Cape Town. There’s a big wall map across the hall from the Bistro and I was struck by the fact that we are on pretty much the same latitude in the middle of South America as the Amsterdam at the southern tip of Africa. It kind of boggles my mind that South America and Africa were once part of the same land mass and since them I guess South America has drifted that far south (or Africa north). That much of a shift seems a bit stunning.

 

Trivia answers:

 

2. Brain cells are never replaced (got it)

4. Orson Wells presented War of the Worlds (got it)

7. This question was truncated because Sarah thought it was too easy, creating 2 correct answers. Her source question named a couple of the bigger islands and the official answer was the Philippines was the expected answer, but without the omitted information Indonesia was also a valid answer. (Got it)

10. The question as read was apparently created before this spring and actually referred to the 1988 Olympics. The answer was tennis (missed it)

12. The highest mountain in the Alps was Mt. Blanc. I said the Matterhorn.

 

I identified the song “Laughter in the Rain” at the very last minute but did not know it was by Neil Sedaka. The winning team had 13 of 17.

 

Roy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just got caught up with both reports. We weren't home most of yesterday due to appointments and were tired last evening so went to bed early.

Robinson Crusoe Island sounds very different.

Nice sea day.

The Swedish cookie sounds like a winner.

[bennybear]

Interesting that the captain changes during a world cruise. That is a nice space for crew. Hope the seas aren’t too rough.

[rafinmd]

Day Symphony50, Friday, April 6, 2018, Turnaround Day, Valparaiso

 

The Crystal Serenity is at sea from Yangon (9,630 miles away) to Colombo, Sri Lanka *8582 miles). The sun rose at 8:01 and set at 7:36 but was seldom if ever visible. I did get a brief glimpse at the moon through wispy clouds on my morning walk; it set at 1:38PM. The weather was 16/61, calm, and cloudy.

 

I was on deck at 5:51 and when my GPS got a fix we were 486 feet from the point I marked 2 years ago, slowly making our way to the berth, I just got my 6-lap walk in before the final morning show with Shane and Julie.

 

This is my 3rd and perhaps final visit to Valparaiso for a while. I was here 2 years ago on the Symphony and just about exactly a year ago on the Zaandam but the majority of cruise lines are moving their operations to San Antonio, about 40 miles to the south.

 

I had 2 items on my to do list for the day, updating my computers, and having a look at the Maritime Museum. Like many industrial ports, Valparaiso requires use of a shuttle bus to get from the dock to a cruise terminal. Crystal had a shuttle into town starting about 10 but I left the ship about 8:30 and decided to walk about 1 ½ files to Starbucks. Much of the walk was along a median on Brasil ending with a monument to Lord Cochrane, a hero in Chile’s fight for independence.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cochrane.jpg

 

I’m not really a Starbucks fan and this one had gotten poor reviews but this one seemed at least as good as any. The coffee was actually better than I usually expect from Starbucks and the wifi seemed to be pretty good. It’s a little hard to really judge performance in loading files of variable size but it was FAR faster than on Easter Island. I was there about 90 minutes and updated both laptops (antivirus, operating system, and firefox) and also uploaded the video of the visit to Koroipita in Lautoka from March 7.

 

 

I left Starbucks about 11.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/starbucks.jpg

 

The other destination was another half mile beyond Starbucks. Valparaiso is on a hillside with a number of funiculars. .

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/ascensorview.jpg

 

At the top sits the Maritime Museum.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/naval.jpg

 

The museum was originally called the Naval Museum and the name was changed to Maritime Museum in 2011 but Naval is really a more appropriate name as there was virtually nothing civilian. It’s a square building with a large open courtyard in the center; a large anchor is outlined in shrubs in the courtyard.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/lawnanchor.jpg

 

I did not find a lot of interest in the museum but was glad to have seen it, and the price of 300 pesos ($.50 for the museum for seniors plus an equal amount for the funicular) was hard to beat. The only thing that really grabbed my attention was a model of one of their destroyers, the Latorre.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/latorre.jpg

 

I returned to Sotomayor Plaza and took the shuttles back to the ship. If allowed I could have walked back to the ship in about 15 minutes but it was almost an hour on the shuttles.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/sotomayor.jpg

 

We finished refueling about 3. A bit of surprise as the fueling vessel was that there seemed to be a pair of pilot boats acting as tugs.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/pilottug.jpg

 

All aboard was 5PM and the muster drill was at 5:15. I’ve been surprised that I haven’t been required to attend any muster since Sydney although I have participated in all so far. I may skip the last one with just 24 days in the last 2 segments.

 

Sailaway was supposed to be 6PM but there were some late arrivals at 5:48 and the gangway was still out when I went down to dinner at 6.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/delayed.jpg

 

I was sent to the same table as last cruise but with new waiters and only 1 of the guests from the prior segment. I hope it’s just a first night thing but service was very slow with the appetizer not arriving until almost 7. I had the beef consume and steak but had to leave before desert to get to the show. Desert was room service ice cream after the show.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes0406.jpg

 

The featured entertainment was the new show “Crystal In Motion”. It seems to be the standard opening show now as it introduces us to pretty nearly the entire entertainment team. I tend to go even though I’ve now seen the show several times for the possibility of new faces. I think show band vocalist Nadine Sisam is making her Crystal Debut and we had new lead singers. I believe 2 of the dancers went on vacation, the female dancer was in the show but there were only 3 male dancers. I saw one of my tablemates at the end of the show and she said nobody had hung around for desert.

 

My parting shot will be about Valparaiso. As mentioned earlier most cruise ship calls have now been diverted to San Antonio to the south. The reasons seem to be primarily delays by the port in confirming availability of the berth and labor conflicts.

 

http://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/valparaiso-cruise-calls-at-risk-on-berthing-labor-issues.html

 

In addition to these issues I’ve found the port very frustrating. It’s not unusual to have ships docked at cargo ports and require a shuttle to the terminal but usually those remote terminals are a starting point for the day’s activities. If only that were true in Valparaiso. At least in earlier years the terminal was at an exit to the street although 1 ½ miles from downtown and in a poor area. In my opinion, the city built a new terminal which only made things worse. While the new terminal looks nicer it does not really seem to offer a lot more. It’s just over a mile from downtown and in a nicer neighborhood, but the city has not taken the necessary next step and provided a path out of the terminal. It is next to a train line and metro station but there’s no access and a crossing SHOULD not be that difficult but hasn’t been done. A grade crossing (as exists by the old terminal) should not be that difficult while an overpass would be very nice but a bit more expensive. What we have now is waiting for a shuttle to the entrance to the old terminal then crossing the tracks at grade and coming out in a dilapidated neighborhood far from town. There must be a better way. On top of that, the first shuttle passes through a public access space right next to Plaza Sotomayor but the shuttle does not stop there. Adding a second stop to the shuttle route should not be at all difficult but the city has elected not to do so.

 

At this point I am more than ready to give San Antonio a fair shot on January 22.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Thank you bennybear and Krazy Kruizers. I know the Serenity has the same Captain and Cruise Director for the entire World Cruise and suspect our change is probably because the Symphony does not normally do a world cruise and that length of time isn't built into the ship's operations. However, Captain Larsen was only on board for about 2 months so I suspect one of them had an essential commitment that required a change of rotation.

 

I think that happened a few years ago on the Prinsendam Grand South America when Captain Andre was having some medical issues and the replacements had some scheduling conflicts. It certainly isn't normal on a World Cruise.

 

I hope Serenity has something as good as Symphony's space but I haven't seen it.

 

Roy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you had decent Internet today and were able to take care of your computers.

DH tried Starbucks years ago when we were in Seattle and was not impressed with their coffee. We don't have that chain where we live.

[Happily@Sea]

It's obvious that Valparaiso doesn't want the cruise traffic or they could have made those few modifications to keep it. I do hope San Antonio will be better. May your blog on Jan 22, 2019 reflect this.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Carole and Krazy Kruizers.

 

Day Symphony51, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Coquimbo

 

The Crystal Serenity is at sea from Yangon (9763 miles away) to Colombo (8681 miles). The sun rose at 7:59 and set at 7:36. The moon rose at 12:14AM and set at 4:20PM. The weather started out cloudy, almost foggy, about 15/59 and cleared up during the day and was warmer inland. I started out in a gortex jacket but was more comfortable without it inland.

 

I was a little slow getting started and just walked 1 ½ laps before the 6AM morning show with an additional 4 ½ laps afterwards. This is my 3rd of 4 annual visits to Coquimbo, with the Symphony 2 years ago, the Zaandam last year, and the Prinsendam next year. There were just 4 tours offered at the port. The first was a visit to an Astronomical Observatory at Tololo, north of Coquimbo. I did that in 2016. Two others went to La Serena, the Eliqu Valle, and the companion town of La Serena, all of which I saw fairly extensively on the way to Tololo and on the Zaandam. I booked the 4th option which went about 50 miles to the south, Limari Valley’s Petroglyphs and vineyards. This is a cargo port which is very small (just one berth) and very close to the center of town. There is a big shed next to the berth for cargo, we leave the port walking along the dock past the bow and exit through a small “cruise terminal” which is little more than a scanner used by the biosecurity people.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/coquimboshed.jpg

 

We left about 8:45. Coquimbo was hid by a devastating tsunami in 2015. In 2016 most of the shore drive was little more than rubble. There are still many signs of the event but Coquimbo’s recovery seems far more advanced than Robinson Crusoe Island’s was 8 years later. On the way out our guide pointed out 2 prominent religious icons, an cross reminiscent of the ones in Rio and Lisbon, and a Mosque. There is no significant Islamic population but the mosque is essentially a cultural center.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/mosque.jpg

 

The Pan American Highway through Chile is a very modern road but as we exited we saw dramatic evidence that things can go wrong.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/oops.jpg

 

The Andes Mountains form the border between Chile and Argentina. The trade winds come from the east and dump their moisture as they go over the Andes leaving a very dry climate on the Chilean side. The soil is appropriate for vineyards and other crops but requires irrigation. The area we visited has been dryer than usual for about 8 years, and our guide pointed out vineyards that showed no signs of life. The vineyards are actually dormant and will quickly come back to life when/if they are able to resume irrigation.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dormant.jpg

 

Our first stop was the petroglyph site. It is at the bottom of the Limari Valley, at an elevation of about 600 feet. There were 2 main facets; the first was a few level boulders with holes carved into the tops which might have been a mixing space for creation of paints.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/pallette.jpg

 

The main sight was petroglyphs. There were many in the area. The carvings do not really stand out and can be pretty visible or almost impossible to see depending on the angle of the sun.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/petroglyphs.jpg

 

The most prominent were figures of a medicine man, a little faint on the stone but perhaps better outlined on the billboard at the entrance to the site.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/medicine.jpg

 

While we were walking out guide also pointed out a few types of cactus. One had a little fruit and also some balls that fall to the ground and act like seeds sprouting new cactus. He also pointed out some cactus bearing a red fungus which will eventually kill the cactus.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/cactusfruit.jpg

 

Our other stop was at a vineyard. As we entered out first look at the place was a large metal canopy. The winery is satiated at the bottom of a small canyon with open sides to allow cooling breezes into the winery. Under the canopy is a small building with offices and a sales room, while most of the space is devoted to huge steel tanks.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/winery.jpg

 

We went down to the cellar of the building for a video of the wine making process and then up to a patio for a tasting. I did take small samples of both the red and the white and while it is probably fine wine it was not for me. There were also goodies in the form of almonds and dried fruits (all from Chile) as well as peanuts (imported).

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/goodies.jpg

 

Our final stop was a restaurant for lunch .We had a salad, rice, pot roast, and a fruit dish for desert. I was not that impressed with the meal itself but the view from the patio was beautiful.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/panoramaview.jpg

 

We were back at the ship about 4. As I headed up past the gangway and to my room I passed a number of pieces of luggage and some people with life jackets on the Promenade Deck. Apparently there were about 45 guests who were just boarding after delayed flights.

 

All aboard was 4:30 and I got my first good look at Captain Willheim on the bridge wing as we prepared to leave. Louis sang at 4:56.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/willheimsailaway.jpg

 

On the way out we passed a couple of fishing boats. Our guide had mentioned that Chile had seized several fishing boats in Chilean waters illegally (Russian and Japanese) and they were held for 2 years before they were used by the Navy for target practice. The 2 I saw looked like they might have been such boats.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/seized.jpg

 

Dinner was slow again. Six of the eight left before desert in order to be able to make the 7:30 show, I think part of my problem is slow table mates; under the old Crystal I might have asked to be assigned to a new table but that’s not really an option any more. If it continues I will have to decide what to do when I want to attend a 7:30 show. I chose the fruit melange, fillet steak (the short ribs sounded good but not after the lunch), and ice cream.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes0407.jpg

 

The sun went down as the table was being cleared after the entrees and I went over to the other side of the dining room for a look.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dusk0407.jpg

 

The featured entertainment was Multi-Instrumentalist Salvatore Hasard. I saw his show on the first Panama Canal segment on Serenity and did not feel a need to go back. I had hoped to stop in at the Avenue Saloon with Richard Ceasar but dozed off instead.

 

I’ll repeat the parting shot I used last year on the Zaandam:”Coquimbo has had 2 relatively recent tsunamis. About 20 years ago the warning came and the President said “don’t worry, it will be minor”. People went about their business and about 15,000 people were killed. It was essentially the same in 2015 except that this time people ignored the President and moved to higher ground. While destruction was great only 15 people were lost. Disaster warnings can save lives.”

 

Roy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great report and pictures.

The view from your lunch area is lovely.

Great tour.

Glad the people didn't listen to their president this last time.

[erewhon]

Catching up with your reports.

The Swedish cookie looked good, were those almonds on top of the cookie?

[rafinmd]

Catching up with your reports.

The Swedish cookie looked good, were those almonds on top of the cookie?

 

I tend to remember less than I might after I've eaten but I think that's right.

 

Trivia for April 8:

 

I thought the first trivia of this segment was quite hard:

 

1. In what Country is the Albert Canal?

3. What is the modern name of the game originally called wiff-waff?

6. Who composed the Paris and Prague Symphonies?

12. What was the last space shuttle to fly?

14. What Herman Melville novel also became an Benjamin Britten Opera?

 

 

Trivia answers:

 

1. The Albert Canal is in Belgium.

3. Wiff-waff is now known as table tennis or ping pong.

6. The Paris and Prague symphonies are by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

12. The last space shuttle to fly was Atlantis (the only question I got right)

14. Billy Budd was both a Melville novel and Britten There was an opera Moby Dick but not by Britten.

 

I guessed the musical number “My Girl” but did not remember it was by the Temptations. The winning team had just 10 of 17 right.

 

 

Roy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the trivia questions.

We have a lot of fun with them.

[rafinmd]

A favorite Crystal crew phrase, Krazy Kruizers: "My Pleasure"

 

Day Symphony53, Monday, April 9, 2018, Iquique, Chile

 

The Crystal Serenity l in Colombo, 8898 miles away. The sun rose at 7:49 nd set at 7:35. The moon rose at 2:06AM and set at 3:39PM. The weather was partly cloudy and 75/24 at sea but sunny and about 29/84 with low humidity inland.

 

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn in the middle of the night. If we had been at sea it would have been a good day for walking, and I completed my 6 lap walk before the 6AM morning update show. It was pretty cloudy but I did get a glimpse of the moon as I started my walk.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/moon0409.jpg

 

This is my first visit to Iqueque, although I will return in January. It is only about 140 miles from the northern end of Chile, which extends over 2,000 miles to the south. The port was industrial and we docked next to an ugly fish processing plant which Dale Gonyea would have loved. The closest thing we had to a terminal with a popup with a security scanner used by the biosecurity people. My tour was to a ghost town due east of town and an area of geoglyphs to the south of the ghost town. The ride to the ghost town was just over an hour.

 

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/humberstonemap.jpg

 

Mining is an essential part of the local economy. The most production today is salt but in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was saltpeter, used in the production of gunpowder. Most of the mining companies set up towns for their workers. Probably most have completely vanished but the one we visited is now a UNESCO heritage site, Humberstone. As we entered the site we passed some of the housing. The engineers had pretty nice houses with space and sometimes servants. The laborers (at least the unmarried ones) were far less elegant, in rows of small places with all water facilities were at a block in the end.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/housing.jpg

 

Humberstone was probably about 1 ½ miles from the mine. Transportation was needed and a railroad ran through the property as well as having a shuttle to take workers to the mine site and back. A smattering of railroad equipment was on display around the property, including a hand operated crane.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/trains.jpg

 

We are still in the ring of fire. Buildings in Humberstone are not immune and the key ones have been restored as necessary including the church.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/iglesia.jpg

 

Other places we visited on our walk included the town square, hotel ballroom, marketplace, and an olympic sized swimming pool.

 

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A theater was built in the early 20th century. Seating was stratified with the top company officers in boxes, the laborers in a balcony and the higher level workers on the main floor. There are still occasional events in the theater.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/teatro.jpg

 

A large company store served most of the needs of the people, including a bakery. There was an interesting display of vintage cameras in the store window.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/companystore.jpg

 

A school in the town at one time held abut 400 students. All the children, from those of the company executives to the laborers’ kids, went to school together.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/school.jpg

 

We walked out of Humberstone just after noon. The mining company became unviable after a synthetic form of saltpeter was developed and closed abruptly in 1960. Annual reunions of workers and family members who once lived there are still held.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/mainstreet.jpg

 

Our second stop was another half hour down the Pan American highway. Geoglyphs are similar to petroglyphs but much bigger and carved into hillsides. There were interesting designs gracing several hills but mostly without enough contrast for a good photograph.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/glyphs.jpg

 

As we were leaving the site I swapped cameras with another party for a photograph.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/atglyphs.jpg

 

It was about 2:30 when we stopped at a campground on the way back for a box lunch. It was after 4 when we returned to the ship.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/snackbox.jpg

 

All aboard was 5:30. The port started breaking things down a little earlier and by the time we were ready to leave their scanner was looking pretty forlorn. It’s a good think it doesn’t rain in Iquique.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/scanner.jpg

 

It looks like a First Officer took the controls as we left Iqueque. A small lighthouse was at the end of the dock. Louis sang at 5:51.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/lviqueque.jpg

 

I think there were just 5 at the shared table. It was close to the show time when we left. I chose the lamb shank and pear upside down cake a la mode.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dishes.jpg

 

The sun set just after I left the dining room although it was mostly cloudy and there was just a narrow orange band. The featured entertainment was pickpocket king Bob Arno. It’s a great show but I saw it just in January and passed on a second time. I had planned to go to the Avenue Saloon as we gained an hour for the first of 2 consecutive nights but dozed off at my computer.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/dusk0409.jpg

 

As a parting shot I don’t check my fire department email all that frequently while at sea. I just did a check after probably a week. For the first time in a while the mail did not include a bad weather alert. I think I finally see light at the end of the winter tunnel.

 

Roy