**Near-Live Blog of Zaandam Inca and South America Cruise 24 Sep - 3 Nov 2018**

[0bnxshs]

20 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

We had Captain Ane Jan Smit on Maasdam a few years ago for the Atlantic Adventurer.  As we approached the Canary Islands, the ship lost all power.  Lights went out, elevators stopped, etc., (Our tablemate left, to fill his bathtub!)

After a wait, a few things came back on, elevators started up, but still no movement.  Captain Smit came on and told us "Do not be concerned, passengers - we are in deep water."

 

Love the story, Ann.  Captain Smit has a very wry sense of humor. 🤣

[0bnxshs]

20 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Rich; just in case you want to relive your flight into Cusco, Peru again when you get home  This is on a "Baby Airbus" A319 from LATAM. Interesting ride!

 

 

 

Thanks John!!  I'll wait until after I've flown home to watch this one..... 😓

[kazu]

Rich, I am getting the feeling you are missing your dogs at home 😉

 

We always find ourselves talking to or taking pics of dogs too.

 

Glad to hear that Roger had a decent night's sleep sans coughing.  That's a great sign.

 

Lovely pics and another great post.  Thank you 🙂

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad to hear that Roger had a night without coughing.

 

Wonderful report and great pictures.

[0bnxshs]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

Rich, I am getting the feeling you are missing your dogs at home 😉

 

We always find ourselves talking to or taking pics of dogs too.

 

Glad to hear that Roger had a decent night's sleep sans coughing.  That's a great sign.

 

Lovely pics and another great post.  Thank you 🙂

 

2 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Glad to hear that Roger had a night without coughing.

 

Wonderful report and great pictures.

 

Thank you both very much. Yes, I miss the girls very much Jacqui. 

 

I did want to correct myself for mangling the name of the EXC Guide who accompanied the Gold package group to Machu Picchu. Her name is Marjan and she is from the Netherlands. Andreea is from Romania. Both were excellent companions for our trip.

Edited October 23, 2018 by 0bnxshs

[erewhon]

Catching up with your great reports and photos, thank you

[1of4]

Reading...reading...reading...watching...looking...WOW!  Stunning.  I resigned myself to never seeing Machu Picchu when I got sick in 2015 and did seem to recover.  But now, thanks to you, I have seen as much as possible and know, without doubt, that I can not make the trip.  Those winding walkways, the elevation and stairs...nope, I couldn’t make it.

 

Thanks so much for sharing.  So glad to read you are both recovering from the crud.  The pictures are stunning!

 

I am so enjoying your trip.

[Copper10-8]

4 hours ago, 0bnxshs said:

 

 

Thank you both very much. Yes, I miss the girls very much Jacqui. 

 

I did want to correct myself for mangling the name of the EXC Guide who accompanied the Gold package group to Machu Picchu. Her name is Marjan and she is from the Netherlands. Andreea is from Romania. Both were excellent companions for our trip.

 

"Marjan" a very common Dutch girl's name. Enjoy Ushuaia tomorrow, Rich!

[DeeniEncinitas]

Had to get caught up these last few days!!

so glad Roger and you are doing better.

Also my heart strings go out with all the pics of doggies👍👍👍

every where we go I love tacking pictures of them. Makes me think of my grand puppy Paisley. Love the photos Rich. What type of camera are you using?

Denise😊

 

 

 

[0bnxshs]

9 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

"Marjan" a very common Dutch girl's name. Enjoy Ushuaia tomorrow, Rich!

 

And kind of explains why I kept hearing "Marianne" which sounds quite, but not exactly, similar.  However, I should have been able to guess from the accent..... 🙄

[0bnxshs]

10 hours ago, 1of4 said:

Reading...reading...reading...watching...looking...WOW!  Stunning.  I resigned myself to never seeing Machu Picchu when I got sick in 2015 and did seem to recover.  But now, thanks to you, I have seen as much as possible and know, without doubt, that I can not make the trip.  Those winding walkways, the elevation and stairs...nope, I couldn’t make it.

 

Thanks so much for sharing.  So glad to read you are both recovering from the crud.  The pictures are stunning!

 

I am so enjoying your trip.

 

I'll have all the photos and video to show you in less than a month now!  Glad you've enjoyed.

[0bnxshs]

9 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Had to get caught up these last few days!!

so glad Roger and you are doing better.

Also my heart strings go out with all the pics of doggies👍👍👍

every where we go I love tacking pictures of them. Makes me think of my grand puppy Paisley. Love the photos Rich. What type of camera are you using?

Denise😊

 

 

 

 

Most of the photos are from my phone, a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.  Some I have captured from video from my GoPro Hero5.

 

Yeah, I'm a sucker for the dogs and cats.  Oddly, so few cats though.  😍

Edited October 24, 2018 by 0bnxshs

[TiogaCruiser]

19 hours ago, 0bnxshs said:

 

Love the story, Ann.  Captain Smit has a very wry sense of humor. 🤣

In March, after change over, Captain AJ Smit started his sail away talk with “ This is your captain. You may notice by the different accent there has been a change.....”.

British Captain (Norman?) had left. 

[0bnxshs]

Day 29 - 30 (10/21 - 10/22)

 

Cruising Darwin Channel and Sarmiento Channel

 

This morning dawns early but not so brightly as its overcast and raining on and off, sprinkles mostly, and a chilly 38f.  We are in the Darwin Channel this morning, cruising the Chilean Fjords along the southern coast of Patagonia.  Roger has taken to getting up earlier again, somewhere between 5 AM and 5:30 AM, which means he's feeling back to about 90%.  Still not doing his routine walkig though as it's too cold for h im out on the decks.  I wish him a "good day" as he heads out of the cabin to his dismay as he tries hard to not disturb me.  It's not that he disturbs me but I'm something of a light sleeper.

 

The fjords here are similar to fjords found elsewhere around the world.  Not that they aren't unique though.  The area is very sparsely populated here but there are fish farms along the way.  Also, small dolphins can be seen swimming along feasting on some of the escapees from the fish farms.  Sometimes sea lions can be seen along the shoreline of the narrow channels but not today as it's a bit cold for them still.  There are snow-capped mountains and old volcanoes backstopping the hillocks of the fjord that can occasionally be seen when the clouds part or lift like thin veils from a beautiful face.  

We've been here once before, some 7 years and 10 months ago.  Little has changed that we can tell, but beyond trees, rocks and water, what is there to be different?  Fortunately there's been little human development, none that is noticeable.  But for those who've not been here before it's a windfall of pristine wilderness.  Beautiful pictures are taken here, so many that the ship lists to port a couple of degrees for the weight of passengers who are lining every available inch of outside deck along the open bow and Lower Promenade, Seaview and Sports decks.  Be sure to grab your spot early and be prepared to guard it selfishly!

 

Activities for the day include a part 1 of a 2 part presentation on Magellan and his life by Jim McParland.  Again, if you are lucky enough to have him as a speaker on your cruise do go see him.  We learn of the dramatic story of Ferdie's young life, losing his parents at a young age, education in the excellent Portuguese manner, his becoming an unpaid apprentice on a ship heading to the far east around the Cape of Good Hope to the Philippines and returning a captain of his own ship a few years later.  How he has to leave Portugal and convince the King of Spain to sponsor his trip to the west to find a route to the Spice Islands and possessions of Spain that will save time (and therefore, money) over the long trip around Africa and across the Indian Ocean.  Jim is an excellent speaker and tries really hard to enthrall his audience while educating us too.

 

Tonight's show in the Mainstage is "Emperors of Soul", all the classics by 4 west end stars (not sure what that means but that's what "When & Where" says.)  We enjoy Happy Hour in the Ocean Bar with Elmer, Jayson, Jocelyn and Liz but once again turn down the appetizers as unappetizing.  Haven't yet seen bitterballen offered and I keep asking and being told "No more!".  It's not that the appies are awful though, we just haven't got the sophisticated palates for the fancy fish, veggies and meats that are served.  There are now 6 to a plate but seems enough satisfy most and we even find a thing or 2 we'll eat; chicken, spring rolls and cheese that we do enjoy.

 

Roger is at the chicken again on the Lido but now it seems to have more attention being paid to it.  It's definitely better.  I have the Wiener Schnitzel that's offered and, when Roger sees that, the chicken is abandoned and a plate of schnitzel and mustard accompanies him back to the table.  We are soon done and he is off to the cabin for the evening and I head to the Explorers Lounge for a couple of Adagio sets with Julian and Svetlana, but Julian is able only to complete 1 piece before he leaves with an injury to a critical finger.  Instead, Svetlana has an impromptu solo opportunity to entertain us with her talents and she does not disappoint.  For a short time we have to re-enter Magellen's 'mares del pacifico', which still isn't, to get to the next entry point of the fjords and see another gorgeous sunset.

 

Morning finds us slowly crawling into Canal Sarmiento towards Amalia Glacier.  We are the first ship of the season to visit and it's not been known how much ice we would encounter, but there is very little.  It's cold this morning at a couple of degrees above freezing but the weather is trying to cooperate otherwise and is free of rain and fog and even trying to allow sunlight to pierce the clouds and highlight the features of this beautiful scenery.  It's hard to find a spot again along the open decks.  However, Captain Smit turns the ship a full 360 degrees around for everyone to get a nice view, so unless you want to get a sunrise, or something similarly time dependent, photo, patience will eventually pay off for those who wait (as I did.)  It does finally warm some and the sun is allowed by the clouds to shine nicely and bring temperatures up to the low 50s fahrenheit.

 

Later we pass by the wreck of the former USS Riverside, more lately known as the SS Santa Leonor.  Not sure why she wrecked here except that it is intimated by the Captain that the very shallow passage we cross near her might have had something to do with it.  At one point along here we must have a high tide in order to cross and even then with only 1 to 2 meters of clearance beneath us!  Roger ran to get a photo of the shipwreck when he heard the announcement that we were approaching it but must have gone to the wrong side of the ship.  He photographed a rock.  As it's nearly Halloween I call him Charley Brown now; "I got a rock...."

 

We have lunch at the Pinnacle Grill today.  Still more food than can be safely eaten and kept down.  I really make a mistake and ordered the chocolate fudge brownie desert.  I think this thing is illegal in many states and most countries, it is sooooooo incredibly good.  I didn't even get a photo of it out of fear of being placed on the most wanted list (or it looked so good I've suddenly forgotten everything else.)  Now that we've spoiled our meals for the next several days we can't make it to Chef Manuel Matamala's special dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, but he's hosting a very special dinner there tonight.

 

Tonight's entertainment is Nicola Previti with his Magic Show at 8 PM and 10 PM.  We are looking forward to arriving at Punta Arenas, Chile tomorrow, our final Chilean port of the cruise.  We have an excursion here through HAL.  During the night, we pass Cape Froward, the most southern point of mainland South America.

 

Darwin Channel (no, it's not in black and white, it is black and white when we enter!):

 

A fish farm left center:

 

Sunset over the Pacific:

 

Sun rises on the Sarmiento Channel:

 

Approaching Amalia Glacier, the ship is actually listing to port with all the passengers on that side:

 

Bergie bits and smaller in the waters:

 

Rail-to-rail people:

 

Zaandam's bell and Amalia Glacier:

 

Pinnacle Grill lunch Prawns Brushetta:

 

Roger's Tenderloin and asparagus:

 

Rich's Pinnacle Burger:

 

Roger's USS Riverside (or SS Santa Leonor) wreck photo (he got a rock):

 

 

Something's funny about the water we're drinking:

Edited October 24, 2018 by 0bnxshs

[kazu]

Oh my, such a fabulous posts and the pictures are stunning!

 

Inquiring minds have to know - what inspired the rabbit?  Early Hallowe'en?

[0bnxshs]

8 minutes ago, kazu said:

Oh my, such a fabulous posts and the pictures are stunning!

 

Inquiring minds have to know - what inspired the rabbit?  Early Hallowe'en?

 

Wild Turkey 101 for Happy Hour

Edited October 24, 2018 by 0bnxshs

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have enjoyed reading my highlight of the day and seeing all those wonderful pictures.

 

Do agree -- lunch at the Pinnacle is like a dinner for us.  We eat early and can barely eat dinner after a lunch there.

[Krazy Kruizers]

27 minutes ago, 0bnxshs said:

 

Wild Turkey 101 for Happy Hour

 

Wild Turkey 101 -- another one of our favorite drinks!!

[1of4]

Ohhhhhhhh

 

ahhhhhhhh

 

uhhhhhhhh

 

That’s the soundtrack in my head looking at your pictures.

 

i get the black and white all too well.  We are entering that season here.  It has snowed every day for a week, although not enough (yet) to stick around for more than 12 hours or so.

 

Green picture was taken on Saturday.  The white picture today.  Same location.

 

keep enjoying...I sure am!

[tmuhs]

Rich,

I think that Brad and Edith have been drinking the same water as they recently appeared in a picture looking like rabbits as well!  Enjoying your posts and of course the pictures/videos.

TM

[erewhon]

Thanks for your report and beautiful photos.

[DeeniEncinitas]

Great writings Rich! I have to agree having lunch at The Pinnacle is it for me too! 

We had a cellar master dinner that night and WOW what a waste for us! We will never do that again! 

Now that picture of Roger as “Roger Rabbit “ was awesome!!  Such a great way to end your blog. Love it!!!

Denise😊

[Jentilben]

Thanks for the trip report- it's been a real treat!

[rjp50]

I just came across this blog and am anxious to read it from the beginning since we will be on the Zaandam for a portion of the same cruise you are on (Santiago to Buenos Aires).  However, I do have one techie question that you may be able to help me with.  Do the TVs have an accessible HDMI port?  What I am thinking of doing is buying a Chromecast to plug into the TV which, along with a wireless router like the TripMate, should allow me to cast streaming video from my tablet to the TV.  We will be in a Vista Suite if that makes a difference.

[0bnxshs]

2 hours ago, rjp50 said:

I just came across this blog and am anxious to read it from the beginning since we will be on the Zaandam for a portion of the same cruise you are on (Santiago to Buenos Aires).  However, I do have one techie question that you may be able to help me with.  Do the TVs have an accessible HDMI port?  What I am thinking of doing is buying a Chromecast to plug into the TV which, alo andwith a wireless router like the TripMate, should allow me to cast streaming video from my tablet to the TV.  We will be in a Vista Suite if that makes a difference.

 

It may make a difference in a Vista suite but it wouldn't here in an oceanview as there is no accessible HDMI port on either the old TV or the DVD player.  Even if there were I'm not sure you'll be completely happy with the streaming ability of the internet.  Down here from the Sarmiento Channel on we've had spotty coverage and a few internet blackouts, due primarily to shallow dish angles and small satellite footprints.  If I hear otherwise from someone in a Vista I'll add that info.

Edited October 25, 2018 by 0bnxshs