‘Just Back’ from 31-Day South American Cruise on the Oosterdam.

[GeorgeCharlie]

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

 

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

- Fort Lambert

- The Third Millennium Cross

- View point at the University of La Serena

- The Recova Market

- Main Square of La Serena

- The Monumental Lighthouse

 

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

 

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

(Internet picture)

 

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

 

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

 

Then we were off to see the Third Millennium Cross.

 

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

[seeriteR]

3 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

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

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

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Not to worry – there is an elevator.

 

The chapel.

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

View of the inside of one of the arms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

1 minute ago, seeriteR said:

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

(Internet picture)

 

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

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

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

 

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

 

A rather large canon was added for the tourists.

 

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

 

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

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

[GeorgeCharlie]

Noticed this person on the way back to the ship. Not sure what they're doing - likely panhandling.

 

 

That evening, we had a 'last supper' for two couples who were leaving the ship in San Antonio the next day.

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

The next morning (Dec 06th.) we arrived in San Antonio, which was the end of the first segment of our cruise.

 

In an effort to get away from the normal chaos of disembarkation/embarkation, we had arranged for a full-day tour of Valparaiso and the sister city of Vina del Mar, along with a wine tasting stop at a vineyard in the Casablanca valley on the way back to the ship.

 

We managed to get off the ship before the major part of the disembarkation started and get back after the embarkation crunch.🤠

 

We heard there were 1,000 people getting off and 1,100 getting on - along with 700 staying on board.

 

Including in the people getting on, was a group of 50+ college students who were taking a course in Spirits Management in the bars during sea days. They did stand out due to their age difference from the normal HAL long-cruise passengers, but we found them to be a fairly quiet group.

 

Also getting on was a large group (it was mentioned to be around 200) of French people The group apparently, included over 40 people from the same extended family. Of course, being French - they were not a quiet group!😉

 

A quick comment regarding the two segments. Overall, we found the second 14-day segment to be more interesting (port wise) then the first 17-day segment.

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

Our tour guide was Philipp with Puerto San Antonio Tours and we found him to be an excellent guide, with superb knowledge of the area.

 

The first place he took us to was the Fish Market in Valparaiso, which is located at the Caleta Portales pier. Our initial impression of the fish market was that it was small when compared to other ones we have seen, such as the one we had recently visited in Manta, Ecuador.

 

 

Well - I must say, we were in for a surprise, as this fish market has some special residents. Chilean (South American) Sea Lions, and lots of them - there for the scraps from the fish market. 

 

We walked through some of the area where they pull their boats ashore to get to the pier. We were not allowed to walk out on the pier any further then maybe twenty feet and when we looked over the edge of the pier, we were pleased to see several sea lions which were close by, including this cute one.

 

 

 

Then we looked over the other side of the pier and were greeted with this sight!!

 

I understand when seals haul themselves out of the water it is called a haul-out of seals – logical & simple!

Some general pictures from the fish market.

 

 

 

Of course – what’s a fish market without birds.

 

Then as we were leaving the fish market, we came across this big fellow - who had his own reserved table.

 

 

This short video clip includes the big fellow at his table.

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

This video clip shows, even if you are a big fellow, it's easier to haul yourself over the rocks to get to the water, then trying to fight your way through the herd.

 

 

[soccermom4]

Good to hear that Phillip was a good choice for Valpo.  We have him booked in March!  I really appreciate all of the information that you are sharing.

[GeorgeCharlie]

After the fish market, we drove up into the old, hilly part of Valparaiso.

 

 

 

The whole city of Valparaiso is just one big street art gallery, making it a very colourful city to drive, or walk through. The entire city is basically an open-air museum of colourful murals, mosaics, and homes.

 

 

Street art has had an interesting evolution in Valparaiso. Graffiti became a regular form of protest under the oppressive regime of the dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s. At that time it was subversive and anonymous. Chile eventually became more democratic but the graffiti continued to thrive. The government finally decided to make it legal but with regulation. Artists are permitted to create what they wish whether it be to express social criticism or simply showcase their artistic vision as long as they contribute to the urban scene. There are competitions where the winner is given the equipment necessary to paint over the bricks or concrete.

 

 

The result is that today Valparaiso street art is a bold and dramatic example of personal expression. It is different from other cities. Not so much in its style, but in its artists’ passion, respect, and backstory.

 

Unlike the rest of Chile, where street art is illegal or restricted, the Valparaiso government almost encourages this freedom. As a result, Valparaiso is a vibrant, colourful city offering some of the world’s best street art. At the same time, many people are making a good living doing street art.

 

Our guide mentioned that most of the street art is respected and is normally only damaged with graffiti, or painted over in a couple of cases.

 

In this case the mural is being continually defaced with graffiti, as some people do not agree with the political statements of the owner.

  

 

In this other case, the original art has deteriorated to the point of being an eyesore and now portions have received new artwork.

 

We noticed a lot of street art includes an indigenous theme.

 

 

  

 

This one had an interesting feature. If you look closely, you will notice the spelling of Valparaiso and the other flower pots, are actually old computer monitors. 

 

Some are murals of famous people. This one of the many which depicts Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet, diplomat, and politician who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.

 

 

Some become well known due to their uniqueness, such as this "Piano Staircase" - which, of course, is located on Beethoven Street.

 

Some are done for advertising purposes, such as this one for tour company.

 

Here are some others which we saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some are of a smaller size, as these at the entrance to a Hostal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

With a somewhat bohemian tinge to the city, there must be some mention of hippies!!

 

Along with some more traditional graffiti.

 

Philipp outside the store we stopped at the get something cold to drink.

 

During our walk we saw a car come out of this building - up to that point we had not realized most of the painted area was actually a garage door. Philipp said such a painting could easily be done in a day by an experienced artist. 

 

We also went by an abandoned funicular.

 

 

We had lunch a one of the typical small cafes.

 

 

The driver dropped us off prior to our walk through area and was to pick us up after lunch to take us over to see Valparaiso's sister city Vina del Mar to see some of its highlights. Here again we encountered more of the struggles of the tourist operations trying to get back up to speed. First, Philipp had trouble getting ahold of the driver and then the driver had difficulties to trying to figure out where we were. We ended up having to walk a fair distance to where the driver was, as Philipp decided it was quicker that way, then have the driver keep getting lost the the maze of one-way streets. By then it was too late to see much in Vina del Mar and Philipp thought we would enjoy a drive through Casablanca wine region on the way back to the ship. And seeing we had expressed interest in visiting a winery, we could then stop at one and have a quick wine tasting. 

 

The drive through the valley was nice, as was the winery we stopped at.

 

They had a pleasant shaded area for the wine tasting.

 

It was all very satisfying for most of us. Regrettably, one thing left a bad taste, and that was we had a couple who did not drink alcohol, but still had to pay for the wine tasting.

[GeorgeCharlie]

After another day at sea we arrived in Puerto Montt. This was a tender port and it was here where we encountered a common problem with private tours, which have the status of being at the time of taking the tour. That being, where someone will commit to taking the tour, and then not show up. The tour we were taking was priced with a minimum of 16 people paying to go on the tour. 

 

The tendering ashore went very well, with 14 people arriving at the tour pickup point well within the tour departure time, but we were missing one couple. The people waiting were willing to cover the cost of the missing couple, but not wanting to leave someone behind, we decided to wait until our guide determined he could not wait any longer to start the tour. After 45 minutes it was decided to leave.😠

 

On the way out of Puerto Montt we stopped at an outlook point overlooking the city. As you will notice, it was an overcast and drizzly day.

 

This sign shows information with respect to Puerto Montt being Mile '0' on the Carretera Austral.

 

The Carretera Austral (in English: Southern Way) is the name given to Chile's Route 7. The highway runs south for about 1,240 kilometers (770 mi) from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins, passing through rural Patagonia.

 

Noticed a lot of the building are on the colourful side.

 

On our way out to our first stop at Llanquihue Lake, we stopped to see some llamas and alpacas.

 

Llanquihue Lake is a normally a picturesque location for seeing Osorno Volcano. 

 

What we saw -

 

- and what it looks like on a clear day.

(Internet picture)

The lake has an area of about 330 sq mi (860 sq km) and is 22 mi (35 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide with depths of 5,000 ft (1,500 m). Osorno Volcano (Volcán Osorno) is a 2,652 m (8,701 ft) tall conical stratovolcano. Osorno is one of the most active volcanoes of the southern Chilean Andes, with 11 historical eruptions recorded between 1575 and 1869. 

 

We then drove over to the Vicente Perez Rosales Nation Park, which comprises some of the most sensational scenery in the Lakes Region: the emerald Todos Los Santos Lake, the thundering turquoise waters of the Petrohué Waterfalls and the imposing peaks of the area’s three main volcanoes (Osorno, Tronador and Puntiagudo). The Park is Chile's first national park and was established in 1926 in honor of its namesake Chilean politician and diplomat, Vicente Pérez Rosales.

 

First stop in the park was at the Laguna Verde.

 

Which in English is Green Lagoon. Its intense green color the product of algae that live in suspension.

 

 

The required group picture!

 

 

Then it was over to the nearby Todos Los Santos (Emerald) Lake.

 

 

Then on the the main entrance to the park.

 

Shop near the park entrance.

 

This is where the Petrohue Rapids, or Falls, are located. Petrohué Waterfalls (Saltos del Petrohué) is a chute-type waterfall in the upper reaches of the Petrohué River and a short distance downstream from the source of this river: Todos Los Santos Lake.

 

 

You can notice the water has a green tinge to it, similar as the lake did.

 

Also the water is very clear and clean.

 

You could also see part of the Osorno Volcano.

 

It was reasonably crowded the day we were there.

 

We then drove over to Petrohue, which is where most of the scenic tour boats sail from. 

 

 

This statue was located along the shoreline, not sure what it's suppose to represent.

 

Then we headed back to Puerto Montt, with a stop in Puerto Varas for lunch.

 

Puerto Varas was founded in 1853 by German settlers - with its a German heritage noticeable in the architecture and food. Our guide said it was a great place to find a refreshing drink – German beer, Chilean wine or maybe Chile’s pisco sour – and a good lunch. 

 

As we were there in early December, the restaurant we stopped at, and most other places, were all decked out for Christmas.

 

Overlooking the town and lake is the Iglesia Sagrado Corazon de Jesus (Sacred Heart of Jesus Church), built between 1915 and 1918, made entirely of native woods and inspired by the church of Marienkirche, Black Forest in Germany. In 1992 it was declared a Historic Monument of Chile.

 

Then it was back to the ship, after an enjoyable day visiting Chile's scenic Lake Region.

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

The next day we arrived in Puerto Chacabuco in the late morning (11am). We were part of a tour arranged by a fellow Cruise Critic member, which took us on a 4-hour tour of the local countryside.

 

It was a tender port and tendering seemed to go fairly good. You can see our ship in the center background, behind the flags.

 

Their cruise terminal appeared to be fairly new and in a nice compact design.

 

There was Wi-Fi access to the Internet, although I heard a few comments about slow speed.

 

There was free shuttle bus to the downtown area and a tented souvenir site not far from the dock. It seemed to be running about every 15 minutes.

 

All the tour busses, both ship and private, picked up in the parking area right outside the terminal. Overall, a very organized and efficient operation.

 

 They also had some entertainment provided by dancers in the same parking area.

 

 

[QuattroRomeo]

Very nice looking terminal area!

[ljcruisers]

On 2/5/2023 at 7:06 PM, seeriteR said:

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

We can't seem to find the link to the spreadsheet.  You confirmed that we were signed up for the Meet and Greet (Santiago leg).  Can you help us with the links? Thank you  bdcruisers (Lynn and Judy)

[DCThunder]

Did the ship ever make any provisions for seeing the Magellanic Cloud galaxies or the Southern Cross constellation on clear nights by providing a dark space on deck to observe them?  I've never had much luck with "star gazing" on ships because of the light pollution from the ship itself, so wondered what the captain might have done in this regard.

[GeorgeCharlie]

2 hours ago, DCThunder said:

Did the ship ever make any provisions for seeing the Magellanic Cloud galaxies or the Southern Cross constellation on clear nights by providing a dark space on deck to observe them?  I've never had much luck with "star gazing" on ships because of the light pollution from the ship itself, so wondered what the captain might have done in this regard.

 

I know Jim McParland held several Stargazing sessions at The Retreat on deck 11, but I did not attend, so I do not know what accommodations were made to assist the viewing. 

[AnnieBelle]

Did you have any concerns going to Lima?

[GeorgeCharlie]

1 hour ago, AnnieBelle said:

Did you have any concerns going to Lima?

 

No, we were there before the troubles started. We left Peru the day before the President got thrown in jail.

[DCThunder]

12 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

I know Jim McParland held several Stargazing sessions at The Retreat on deck 11, but I did not attend, so I do not know what accommodations were made to assist the viewing. 

Thanks.

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

We then drove the short distance over to Puerto Aysén, crossing the Presidente Ibáñez Bridge, also known as the "golden gate" of Aysén. It is the longest suspension bridge (about 700 feet) in Chile and has been declared a National Monument in 2002.

 

 

This sign is placed on top of a underground sewage treatment/storage tank, which created a rather unpleasant smell of - guess what? -Sewage!!

 

Our stop there was the shortest of the tour. 

 

Before the great burnings of the Patagonian forests and the eruption of Mount Hudson volcano in 1991 Puerto Aisén was the main port in the Aisén Fjord, but the ashes and earth erosion decreased the navigability of Aisén River and the port had to be moved further to the coast where Puerto Chacabuco now stands.

 

Apparently, the Great Chilean earthquake in 1960 also contributed to the closing of the Aysén port. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami (Spanish: Terremoto de Valdivia)  on 22 May 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. 

 

The ashes and earth erosion from the volcano also created numerous backwater swamps.

 

On our drive over to see the Bahia Acantilada bay, we crossed their historically famous "Rope Bridge".

 

We normally think of rope being made out of natural or synthetic fibres, but in this case the "Rope" is what we would call wire rope, or cable.

 

The suspension bridge has a wooden deck and is in need of constant and expensive repairs.

 

As are their roads.

 

As you will notice, it is a single-lane bridge when it comes to vehicular traffic.

[GeorgeCharlie]

The Bahia Acantilada tourist centre is about 10 km from Puerto Aisén. It is privately owned/operated, with restricted access to view the Fjord bay, which is considered one of the most beautiful bays in this area. It has bathrooms, BBQ areas and a little café. It is a day-use only facility that costs 2,000 -7,000 pesos for parking and access, and there is no overnight camping allowed. They do not allow people park on the side of the road nearby to take a photo, nor are you allowed to camp anywhere close by.

 

 

The BBQ facilities.

 

Views of the bay.