Circle South America with Slinkie and Grumpy

[KathieKata]

Sir Grumpy.........thanks for the catch-up on the cruise so far. Nice to know that you're having so much fun with the GPS!!

My daughter and husband each have one and do lots of GeoCaching in the Summer. Even the Granddaughter has gotten a bug to do it with them!!

Good to see the Slinkie is being so good about NOT buying at each port. Keeps Grumpys side pocket from getting worn out by having to continually take out his wallet!! :D

Can't wait until the next writing!!

[arzz]

Thank you so much Grumpy for helping us to relive our South American voyage by traveling with you. I so miss the Prinsendam.

 

I am sorry to hear that your tablemates were not met at the Lima airport by HAL -- unfortunately that seems to be a pattern as we and one other couple were also not met at the Lima airport last year. Fortunately for us it was the only thing that was not done in a first class way by HAL.

 

DH and I were extremely impressed by the Casa de Solara Aliaga last year however we received no pisco sours or dinner. We are jealous -- what a wonderful tour.

 

I also surmise that guests arriving back to the ship late in Arica after the trip to Lauca is another HAL tradition. As I recall last year's tour description described the Lauca National Park adventure as taking more time than the total time that the Prinsendam was scheduled to be in port that day. I guess that, too, has not changed. In addition last year we had a broken bus so the Prinsendam, unfortunately, waited a lot longer for us than 15 minutes.

 

Please continue to enjoy and continue to post. We are vicariously traveling with you every minute of your trip.

[sail7seas]

What a wonderful thread, Grumpy. I am so enjoying traveling along with you and Slinkie. Fabulous read that is being very appreciated.

 

Continue to enjoy to the max and thanks in advance for future posts. :)

 

[Ziggy7]

I'm so enjoying traveling along with you and Slinkie as well!!! Love your writing skills too! Hugs to you both!!!

[Ziggy7]

sorry darn white screen ack!!!

[lgt]

Grumpy

We have some dear friends sailing with you. Perhaps you'll have a chance to meet up with them. Their names are Noreen & Matt from outside of Chicago. If you do meet them, please tell them "Linda & Dick" said Hi from home. Thanks

Linda

[josephone]

Hello

 

I just survived a terrible internet crisis. I accidently unsubscribed to this great, lively chat about South America. I would be very unhappy not to know what is happening where it is warm. To give a good contrast, it is

-10 in Montana. That is fahrenheit and not celsius. We are really jealous. We hope you feel even better about your trip.

 

Grumpy thanks for telling us the alcohol content of Pisco Sours. We visited Chile and I realized that they were powerul, but now I know why I found myself a little dizzy and in need of food.

 

The discussion of the fog was fascinating. I think having the GPS would make it even better. Clearly we have to get the new Garmin.

 

Thanks for the great sharing

 

Josephone

[Sweetdreams]

Grumpy & Slinkie,

Just catching up on your journal after returning from our adventure on the Noordam -NYC to Caribbean.

 

Thank you again for sharing your amazing adventure aboard the Prinsendam.

This cruise is my dream cruise I plan to take someday. Enjoy every minute.

Sometimes, you only get one chance to follow you dreams.

[ldog]

I am enjoying your postings very much.

[KathieKata]

SIR GRUMPY must be having way too much fun.

Sure hope he can get back to a computer that works real soon. I miss his posts!! :)

[Grumpy1]

SIR GRUMPY must be having way too much fun.

 

Sure hope he can get back to a computer that works real soon. I miss his posts!! :)

Yes, he sure is! Thanks for the kind words.

[Grumpy1]

January 20, 2008, Coquimbo, Chile Day 18

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Prinsendam continues her journey south with a stop in the port of Coquimbo. Slinkie and Grumpy had chosen a tour offered by Cruise Specialists to one of Slinkie’s favorite places… no not the shopping mall, it was a Chilean Winery Tour. During the drive to the Tabali winery the tour guide provided details about the area. The northern Chilean coastal areas have very little rain, but there is quite a bit of humidity in the air. Early morning fogs blanket the area and rivers and streams coming down from the mountains provide water for irrigation. Crops include tomatoes, corn, avocados and other fruits and vegetables as well as table grapes and wine grapes. Chile is recognized as a producer of several varieties of good wines, many of which are exported to Europe. That would seem to be akin to carrying coal to Newcastle but the low production costs allow Chile to compete with locally produced European wines.

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Slinkie and Grumpy have toured wineries in several areas around the Mediterranean and were expecting a similar sort of family winery. After winding through the vineyard the bus rounded a corner and the winery was suddenly in view. WOW! Everything was new and modern, having been built in 2002. There were rows of gleaming stainless steel fermenting tanks of 25,000 and 50,000 liter capacity, a modern building that housed aging barrels and bottling facilities, a “cellar” with a large multimedia/tasting room, and a walkout area from the cellar to a beautiful patio overlooking a valley that drops away toward the sea. After touring the winery, generous glasses of their 2006 Carmenere and a 2005 Merlot were served with goat cheese. Both were quite good. Being a new winery, the selections are still limited. They have a half dozen reds and a couple of whites in the store. The Carmenere was priced at $15, most of the others were $10. Grumpy chose the Carmenere, Merlot, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2005 late harvest Moscetel Rosado to take back to the ship.

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After returning to the ship and enjoying their usual Lido lunch, Slinkie and Grumpy took the shuttle bus to the port gate and wandered through the streets of town. Being Sunday, there were many stores that were closed, but there were enough open to get a good idea of the merchandise and prices. Slinkie and Grumpy wandered into a large supermarket hoping to find some thin pretzels, but nothing that even vaguely resembled a pretzel could be found. A couple of liters of premixed Pisco Sours did find their way into the shopping bag, though, so the trip was deemed a partial success. Slinkie and Grumpy returned to the ship and sailed south toward Valparaiso.

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January 21, 2008, Valparaiso, Chile, Day 19

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Shortly after the start of this Grand Voyage two shore excursion tickets were delivered to the Grumpy Den with a note from the shore excursion team. The note stated that “As you have chosen to travel in one of our luxurious verandah staterooms or suites, you are entitled to an exclusive complimentary shore event in Valparaiso, Chile. An elegant lunch of delicious Chilean cuisine and a delightful folkloric dance performance are all set just for you at the Matetic Winery”. The tickets stated simply, “complimentary shore excursion”. If anyone actually read the note they had apparently forgotten the details by the time Prinsendam arrived in Valparaiso. If asked about plans for that port, the standard reply around the ship was “We’re taking the mystery tour… I think it’s a winery tour.”

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Well, the tour did not tour the winery itself, but no one seemed to mind. The caravan of busses made its way south from Valparaiso for an hour while being informed about the area. Not a lot of difference between there and Coquimbo, really. Similar rainfall, crops, etc. Valpariso countryside is greener, but there were fields with livestock that were pretty barren of anything resembling edible greenery. The tour guide noted that the Chilean beef is not of the quality of the Argentinean beef. The caravan travelled quite slowly and the guide stated that they were instructed not to arrive early but didn’t say exactly what time the arrival was to be. Finally, after driving to the end of the highway and then backtracking several miles, the caravan turned off on a side road and made its way through the vineyards to the gate of Matetic Winery. Each bus was met by two of the Chilean cowboys, known as Huaso, in full regalia. They escorted each bus to the parking lot making sure the buses were spaced out to avoid a big crowd at the entrance. After a brief stroll past rose gardens and what appeared to be guest rooms, Slinkie and Grumpy turned a corner and found themselves in a magnificent courtyard being greeted by Thom, the CD, Frits Gehner, the Hotel Manager and a several other officers and staff of the Prinsendam. The winery staff were circulating among the guests with trays of drinks… ah, more Pisco Sours!... and appetizers. Little children were in full native costume, there were dancers, musicians, huaso and huasa putting on shows. There were a couple of Llamas staked out along the path and a pen of sheep in several colors conveniently located for photo opportunities. The drink servers kept circulating and every few minutes a new appetizer was served. Nice party, Frits! After a while, the party moved to a big tent where the luncheon buffet was served. Grumpy certainly didn’t regret missing his lido lunch. This chow was great! Servers circulated among the tables keeping the wine glasses filled. The only indication that this was a winery was the table where bottles of the various wines produced there were on display and offered for sale. Grumpy glanced at the price list and noted that these wines were priced at $15 and above. Since his personal wine cellar on Prinsendam has a few day’s supply already, Grumpy passed on by. Although no information was offered, Grumpy got the impression that the winery probably doubles as a party center for birthday parties, wedding receptions, etc. They certainly put on a nice spread.

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Everyone that Grumpy spoke with was quite pleased with the “mystery tour”. After the desserts had been eaten and the last drinks were downed, the happy Prinsendamers waddled and staggered back to the buses for a peaceful ride back to the ship. The one person from the ship staff that wasn’t at the party that you would expect to be there was the captain. Apparently, the first officer had to visit the dentist and since, by law, either the captain or the first officer must remain with the ship, Captain Gundersen had to miss the party. Cap’n, your presence was missed.

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As Prinsendam makes her way south, the days are getting longer. There is a fair amount of rolling motion and the barf bags have been hanging on the stair railings for the last few days. Slinkie and Grumpy are doing OK… so far… and still enjoy being rocked to sleep.

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January 22, 2008, At Sea, Day 20

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Another lazy sea day. Get up, have breakfast, catch Franks port talk, wander around the ship stopping here and there to chat with friends, have lunch, etc, etc, etc. This evening, Grumpy and Slinkie were invited to join their group leader and another couple in the Pinnacle. Some of you may recall that Slinkie and Grumpy were not impressed with the Pinnacle on the 2005 World Cruise. Grumpy is happy to report that some things do improve with age. Service was excellent, as was the food. The grilled asparagus that was an overcooked grey glob, smothered in hollandaise in 2005 was properly crisp and served with a dab of hollandaise on one end so it could be avoided if one wished. The only complaint about the Dungeness crab cakes appetizer is that they are too small… Slinkie said the beefsteak tomatoes are excellent. Her salmon was prepared just as she likes it. Grumpy’s filet, ordered medium rare, was closer to medium, but quite acceptable. It was an enjoyable evening with Nancy, our tour leader, and a couple from Holland that are also part of the Cruise Specialist’s Group. Good food, good company and lively conversation.. does it get any better?

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There’s a definite pitch today that catch’s you off guard and introduces new dance steps into your repertoire. One swell this afternoon pitched the ship enough that the verandah door slid open and the furniture on the patio moved to the other end. Around midnight, Prinsendam should enter the calmer waters around the north end of Isle Grande de Chiloe on the way to Puerto Montt. Grumpy will probably wake up wondering why his bed is no longer rocking.

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January 23, Puerto Montt, Chile, Day 23

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Puerto Montt is the southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway. There are other roads that continue by heading East and then south again, but those roads apparently aren’t designated as being part of the Pan-Am. Sailing in to the harbor, Grumpy was surprised to see high rise office towers and a big Holiday Inn Express sign along the water front. There is a dock for smaller container ships, but the human cargo on Prinsendam had to be tendered ashore. After 23 days of nonstop eating, some of the Prinsendamers need to be hoisted off with a cargo net and crane, but most are still pretty fit and the tender operations ran smoothly. Slinkie and Grumpy had chosen a tour that would take them through Puerto Montt then through the neighboring town of Puerto Varas (AKA City of Roses) and then to Frutillar, the strawberry city. Puerto Montt was settled by Germans and the German influence on the architecture is quite evident. There are still many buildings dating back to the 1850 settlement period that have the steep pitched roofs typical of the European styles of the period. Newer construction is more likely to have the lower pitched roofs that are typical of areas having lower rainfall and not too much snow. The tour went through some areas of what we would refer to in the USA as shantytowns. The tour guide described these areas as being “middle class” and said they were really very nice inside but they don’t fix up the outside so the taxes stay low. Grumpy takes what he learns from tour guides with a few large grains of salt… Moving on to another area of new, modest size houses, all identical, the guide said that these were for those people needing government help to buy a home. There were a few places where there was a neighborhood of homes that were individually styled and fairly large. The guide pointed those out as being where the rich people live. Those homes would be what would typically be seen in an upper middleclass neighborhood in many American suburbs.

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Puerto Varas is located on the southwest shore of Lake LLanquihue, which is about 20 miles across. Orsono volcano makes a nice back drop across the lake, but the better view is from Frutillar on the west shore of the lake. The view across the lake to Orsono and Calbuco volcanoes is quite stunning. Port Lecturer Frank had advised that the best views might be on post cards as the area is often shrouded in clouds. Grumpy is glad to report that Frank’s warning wasn’t needed. With temperatures in the mid to upper 70’s and no clouds there were many “post card perfect” picture opportunities. There was time in Frutillar to wander around and check out the shops. Preparations were being made for a big music festival that will be held in a few days. It is a big annual event there. Too bad Prinsendam was just a bit early.

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The tour continued on to a museum on a hill overlooking Frutillar. The building had a water wheel that was still spinning with the water flowing down from the hills above, but it was no longer connected to the grist mill. Various millstones were on display though. A path led up the hill to a large old home furnished with many late 1800 and early 1900 items. The view from the second floor veranda, across the lake to the snow capped volcanoes, was fantastic. It’s very obvious why some early settler chose that location and orientation for his home.

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Grumpy didn’t see any strawberry fields, or even strawberry patches, but was assured that there are some in the area, hence the name of the town. Having completed the tour, Slinkie and Grumpy returned to the Prinsendam for a Lido lunch. Grumpy did find some strawberries there.

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There was still time to wander into town after lunch so Slinkie and Grumpy once again tendered across to shore. The tender dock is at the west end of town. The shopping center is at the east end. The distance between those points is only about a mile and a half, so they walked along the water front streets to get there. Taxis were plentiful and buses run every few minutes, but Slinkie and Grumpy are trying to get in a few walking miles. The shopping center was quite modern and is connected to the Holiday Inn Express as well as a couple of high rise towers. There wasn’t a lot of time for shopping, but prices were not too bad on some items that Grumpy checked. They went through a grocery store and picked up a couple of bottles of Concha y Toro vino blanco ($3USD) and some snack mix. Slinkie and Grumpy are quite fond of Rold Gold brand classic thin pretzels and had found a couple of bags of them in Grand Cayman. Nothing even vaguely resembling a pretzel has been seen since then. They were hoping that the German influence might show up in the grocery store in Puerto Montt, but the only thing found was some bags of snack mix that contained an acceptable percentage of little pretzels along with something resembling Goldfish crackers (another favorite) and little toasted wafers. The last four bags they had were liberated. Unfortunately, they likely will not last until Buenos Aires, where the dining room captain has advised that pretzels are likely to be found. Slinkie and Grumpy may have to resort to sneaking Goldfish crackers from the Crow’s Nest.

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On the walk back from the shopping center, Slinkie and Grumpy walked on the first street north of the port to get a different perspective. There were some marine supply stores and other shops, and closed to the pier were many arts and crafts shops. It was very apparent that poverty exists, as there were people digging through the trash bins and a few people sleeping on the sidewalks. One woman on the ship described catching someone trying to pick her husband’s pocket in that area.

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Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner has been in many of the same ports as Prinsendam. She left Valparaiso a little ahead of Prinsendam, but arrived in Puerto Montt about two hours behind. There are rumors around that she is experiencing problems and is not making full speed, but no “official” sources have confirmed that. In the last two ports, Prinsendam has saluted Mariner with the traditional three blasts of the whistle upon departure. The response from Mariner… silence. Mariner’s captain was onboard Prinsendam and had lunch with Captain Gundersen a few ports back. Several people have commented that the lack of a return salute on departure seems unusual.

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Prinsendam sailed south through the night in the waters protected by the barrier islands. With sunset getting later each night, there have been ample opportunities to enjoy the scenery. There has also been a full moon the last few nights that has provided some illumination of the landscape. Slinkie and Grumpy have taken to spending a little time after dinner enjoying a brandy and the piano playing of Kenn in the Crow’s Nest. He is a lot of fun and wraps up the day quite nicely.

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January 24, 2008, Puerto Chacabuco, Chile, Day 22

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At 45 degrees south latitude, Puerto Chatabuco is about the halfway point between the equator and the south pole. Although the overnight temperatures have been getting a bit chilly, the daytime temperatures have been very nice. The days were cooler than normal in Peru and Northern Chile, but are warmer than usual in Southern Chile. Prinsendam sailed into the harbor under bright sunny skies about 9:30 in the morning. The views of the snow capped mountains were spectacular. The smell of the port was too… but in a very negative sense. The principal reason for the existence of Puerto Chacabaca seems to be the raising and processing of salmon. There are several pens in the harbor and a couple of plants in town that are quite odiferous. Once ashore and away from the port, however, it is a pleasant area to visit. In sharp contrast to the deserts of Northern Chile, this area is very lush. The meadows are filled with red clover and the sheep and cows are quite well fed, judging by their appearance. Slinkie and Grumpy had chosen “Northern Patagonia and Coyhaique City” as the tour du jour. This was the only time that an air conditioned coach was really needed… and not available. The temperature was in the upper 80’s. Grumpy would like to bottle some of that heat for use in coming days. The guide was a 19 year old young lady that has been guiding tours in the area since age 14. She provided lots of information about the history of the area as the bus wound its way along the Simpson River on the way to the city of Coyhaique. It was a very scenic drive with sheer cliffs, snow capped mountains, lush greenery and the river. There were a couple of stops for photo opportunities along the way. The city seems to be fairly prosperous compared to many of the other areas visited. There was about an hour available to wander around and shop, but most stores close between 1:00 and 5:00 in the afternoon. Slinkie did some window shopping and wandered into a few stores that were open, but didn’t purchase anything.

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The bus left Coyhaique and drove a short distance to a restaurant and lodge along the river. There the starving Prinsendamers… hey, it was 3:00p and that’s three hours past lunch… were treated to “a snack”. Greeted at the door by waiters bearing trays of Pisco Sours and wine, Slinkie and Grumpy immediately felt right at home. The “snacks” turned out to be trays of delicious appetizers that never ended. Skewers of mixed fruit, skewers of lamb, chicken, peppers and onion, small empanatas, and small bread rounds with various toppings were offered. The best, though, was the roasted salmon on crackers. Finally, Grumpy’s tummy was no longer grumbling. Slinkie, who had been grumbling about being hungry for the previous two hours, was now quite contented.

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There was a stop at a small nature park where the wide variety of trees that grow in the area could be seen. Grumpy was surprised to see large bushes of beautiful red fuscia growing everywhere. He didn’t know that fuscia grew anywhere except in hanging pots like he always had on his deck in Hinckley, Ohio. After a brief stroll along the river, it was time to get back in the rolling sauna and continue back toward the port. There was one more stop at the waterfall of the virgin for more photos before returning to the port. The last tender was supposed to depart at 4:30p, but the last two buses didn’t get back until a few minutes before 5p. Slinkie and Grumpy shared the ride back with the shore staff and their supplies and Prinsendam was underway as soon as the tenders were safely stowed.

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Prinsendam sailed westward through the channels toward open sea. Slinkie and Grumpy were at late dinner as they approached the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly there was a fog bank ahead. It rose from the water to 30 or 40 feet above the water. Grumpy would like to have been on an upper deck to get pictures of it as the Prinsendam slipped into the fog, the lower part of the ship shrouded in thick fog, the upper part still in bright sunlight. Soon the entire ship was shrouded in fog and there was an occasional blast on the whistle to let the world know the Prinsendam was there. Out a little further into the Pacific, the fog lessened and the seas were just rough enough to rock Slinkie and Grumpy to sleep.

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January 25, 2008, At Sea, Day 23

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Ok, the ship’s not rocking so that must mean that the Prinsendam is back in the channels for more scenic sailing. Sure enough, there were islands close at hand as Prinsendam sailed into the Chilean Fjords. Some fog remained but it was in wisps here and there. The smooth waters were welcome this morning, though. Walk for the Cure was scheduled for 9:30a and a deck that isn’t pitching is much easier to walk on.

Grumpy is very proud of his fellow Prinsendamers. More than 150 signed up to support the walk, a Prinsendam record, some giving more than the $15 donation. About $2700 was raised. At more than twenty percent of the passengers, it’s probably a record for percentage participating on any HAL ship. The group that actually did the walk was quite large. Slinkie and Grumpy did the entire 5 km (14 Laps) along with many of the others and lapped many of the slower walkers. OK, they did get lapped by a very few, but it wasn’t bad for a bunch of over-the-hill geriatrics.

About lunch time, Prinsendam again turned into the open ocean, but will return to the fjords for more scenic cruising later in the afternoon. Captain Gundersen announced on his 1p report from the bridge that the Prinsendam will not be in the open ocean again for the next three days. There will be a lot of scenic cruising tomorrow, also. The next port is Punta Arenas on the 27th of January and then it will be time to say goodbye to Chile and hello to Ushuaia, Argentina.

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GrammyPL, as far as Grumpy has been able to determine, all cabins still have refrigerators. The one in Grumpy’s cabin seems smaller than the one that was in his cabin before, but it is adequate. Slinkie and Grumpy are also booked on the 2009 Med/Black Sea, so are looking forward to seeing you then.

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Aussie Gal, all of the wood in the area of the entertainment center and inside the closet in the SS has been replaced. The L-shaped desk and makeup area is still original and does have some scuffs and scrapes. The coffee table is new. The one that was in our cabin in 2005 had some rusty spots on the chrome plated rim and legs. There is now a very nice table, wood rim, gold trim, glass topped pedestal table that adjusts from coffee table height to breakfast table height.

[GrammyPL]

Grumpy - Thanks for the information. I hope we will see you on the Med Black Sea Cruise. Penny

[Aussie Gal]

Grumpy and Slinkie,

 

Have just read your latest report and as we were in those same ports in 2006, your postings are bringing back so many memories. I am enjoying reliving our adventure down south.

 

Thanks for the update on the cabins. We have just booked the Prinsendam 24 day European Farewell in cabin 044. It leaves Athens on the 1st November, 2009!!

 

Jennie

[DFD1]

Grumpy, your last report was Over The Top! Just great. Really fun to read.

Thanks so much!

[CruisinTexans]

Grumpy,

 

You all went to the same house in Lima that we did on the 2007 WC. Don't know if you remember my description, but I hope your group wasn't nearly as rowdy as our group. One guy was so drunk he almost went overboard off of the gangplank.

[fizzy]

Today I read your most recentl contribution. I am glad to read about the landscape/crops/etc that you both have noticed along the way. Of course, seasons are opposite from ours and it is always nice to know how the folks live in various parts of our world. Have you noticed any efforts underway to alleviate global warming? Chilean wines are spectacular, I agree. Fizzy

[cruz chic]

Grumpy I really enjoy reading your posts. There are really entertaining! Thank you for taking me along on your journey

[nancycoop1]

Thanks so much for the continued posts. We will be in South America on the Rotterdam next month and eagerly await your new posts.

[KathieKata]

Grumpy you NEVER disappoint us with your reviews and updates. Keep them coming buddy!!

Tell Slinkie I'm totally IMPRESSED with her restraints on buying this cruise. She's saved you thousands already!! Let's hope she's not saving up until the last of the cruise to "Break the Bank"!! :eek: :) :D

[HeatherInFlorida]

Grumpy, so glad to see you and Slinkie are enjoying another amazing cruise aboard the Elegant Explorer! You're away during a very busy time here in Floria:D ! We miss you.

 

Tell Slinkie for me she's being amazingly well behaved this trip!!!

 

If you get back to my favorite deck (right behind #196 and #197, give it a big "hi" from us. That is our all time favorite deck on any ship ever:) .

[cdkempton]

It's been over 6 years since we were in that part of the world but reading your report takes me right back. Can't wait for the next segment. I know you're having a ball!

[Grumpy1]

January 25, 2008, At Sea, Day 23, Continued

As planned, Prinsendam returned to the fjords in the afternoon for more scenic cruising. Entry from the Pacific Ocean was by way of the Canal Trinidad at just north of the fifty degree south latitude line. The local inhabitants (if there are any) haven’t bothered to put up signs identifying all of the places passed, so Grumpy had to rely on his trusty GPS to tell him that he was seeing such places as Isla Mornington, Spider Island, Schweers Island and the Malaspina Islands on Port side and Latuner, Elmes and Hernando Islands on Starboard side. Most of the islands looked pretty desolate. The ones closer to the fjords had the rounded appearance of glacial scouring, the more distant ones were quite jagged and snow capped. There were quite a few sheer cliffs. Other than birds, there were no signs of animate life.

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After taking a bit of a turn to the south and dipping just below the fifty degree line, the Prinsendam continued east for about twenty miles. Some people were surprised when the Prinsendam turned to the north, but Grumpy had read his daily program, consulted his GPS and knew that the only way to get to Pope Pius XI Glacier was to cruise north up the Eyre Channel about 60 miles. This would be the first Glacier viewing on the cruise. At 49 degrees south, this glacier has the distinction of being closest to the equator in either hemisphere. At about 9:00p Prinsendam reached the area just in front of the glacier and turned in a full circle so everyone had an opportunity to view. Seated in the dining room by Port side windows, Slinkie and Grumpy had a very good view and Grumpy snapped a few pictures. There was a small calving at the left end of the glacier that sent up quite a splash. The glacier is on the east side of the fjord and would have been beautifully illuminated by the late evening sun were it not for the high cliffs on the opposite side. It was still a beautiful view, though. Prinsendam then retraced her route south to Topar Island and then continued south in the fjords through the night.

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January 26, 2008, Cruising the Fjords, Day 24

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The plan was to sail south and east in the fjords through the night and arrive at the Amalia Glacier around seven in the morning. When Grumpy awoke, looked out the window and checked the GPS he saw that the Prinsendam was indeed approaching a glacier but it was a glacier in the next canal to the east of Amalia. It seems that the Amalia Glacier had been active through the night and there was more ice in the canal than the pilot and the captain felt that they wanted to navigate. There was quite a bit of ice where the Prinsendam was cruising, but nothing very large and the nimble Prinsendam zigzagged through the ice field. The glacier that was visited was only about a third of the face width of Amalia, though, so there was some disappointment because of missing what had been described as the most impressive glacier of the cruise. Given that cruise ships have not had good results in recent encounters with ice, Grumpy applauds the Captain’s decision to take the safer path.

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Leaving the glacier behind, the Prinsendam sailed a southerly course through various fjords such as canals Sarmiento, Smythe, and Gray. There were barren cliffs rising up to more than 4000 feet in some places, lush meadows in others. The weather was cool but comfortable, mostly sunny with some high clouds. It was perfect for viewing the splendor of the area. There was a small island that Slinkie and Grumpy wished were a little closer as they passed by. A large sea lion was perched on the highest point and there were a few dozen penguins gathered on one end. Grumpy was able to get one picture but it was too far away to get good detail.

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Further along, there was a shipwreck, the stern and superstructure jutting up in the air. Captain Gundersen came on the speakers to describe the history of the ship and how it came to be there. This year will mark the 40th anniversary of the sinking. Since Prinsendam passed the wreck on the Port side, Grumpy went up on the top deck to get some pictures. He returned to the cabin and he and Slinkie watched some chunks of vegetation floating by. Slinkie was watching what appeared to be a log some distance away when suddenly the “log” spouted and slipped below the surface. It was the first whale spotting of the voyage. Not an impressive sighting, but it was a whale. There were also a few dolphins seen, some pretty close to the ship. All in all, it was a very good sea day.

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January 27, 2008, Punta Arenas, Chile, Day 25

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Punta Arenas claims to be the southernmost city on the continent, dismissing all challengers as being island cities. Captain Gundersen must have arrived at Punta Arenas a little too early… or else he thought he’d drive around a bit and look for a better parking spot… as Grumpy’s GPS showed a 15 mile long figure eight track in area to the south of the harbor. By the time Grumpy awoke, the Prinsendam was tying up to the dock. Slinkie and Grumpy had again scheduled a “highlights” bus tour to get acquainted with the area. As the tour went through town the guide pointed out the various landmarks of the city. The first stop was at a high point in town where you could look down on the city. Punta Arenas is a nice city and appears to be well kept up. The roofs of the buildings are painted in various colors, so the view from a high vantage point was quite colorful. From that point overlooking the city the Seven Seas Mariner could be seen tied up right in the heart of the city. Prinsendam was docked all of the way to the north end of the city at the freight terminal but there was a free shuttle bus available from the dock to the city square. After a 10 minute photo stop, the tour went to the south along the coast. There were occasional sightings of dolphins playing in the surf along the coast and there was a far where Rheas (think small ostrich) are raised. The bus made its way to Fort Bulnes, a 1930’s re-creation of a Fort that had been established in the 1840’s. Located on a 400 ft high thumb of land, it offered a good view of the Magellan Straits. There is a monument on this site inscribed “Punta Santa Ana” that gives the geographic coordinates and proclaims “fin continente americano”… the end of the American Continent. The tour guide proudly proclaimed that this was, indeed, the southernmost point on the South American Continent.

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Grumpy has been taking his GPS along on the tours and recording a track of the trip. He decided to check it against the monument. Hmmm… it appears that the listed coordinates are not the currently accepted WGS84 datum. Those coordinates are 2000 feet ESE from the coordinates Grumpy plotted, out in the Magellan Strait. Grumpy’s map base revealed another interesting fact. The thumb of land was on the side of the southern tip of the continent. The southernmost point is about 18 miles south and 15 miles west. Grumpy didn’t argue the fact with the guide, though.

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Retracing the route back to the city, the bus stopped to watch the dolphins for a few minutes. A little further offshore a few whales could be seen blowing. They were too far away to determine the species… but then Grumpy wouldn’t be able to determine the species if he was standing next to one. The tour bus then continued back into the city and stopped for a tour of the museum. The museum is a mansion from the colonial period with several rooms of period furnishings… quite nice… and some display cases of artifacts from older cultures that have been found in the area. After finishing the tour the group walked across the square to the Jose Nogueira Hotel for lunch at the Pergola restaurant. As hoped for, Pisco sours were served. The lunch, with salmon as the main course, was delicious. The lunch completed, the bus was ready to return to the ship. The ship’s shuttle bus would leave from the same place and there was still close to an hour before the last shuttle, so Slinkie and Grumpy opted to conclude the tour there and check out the local markets.

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The square was filled with handicraft displays, which Slinkie and Grumpy viewed but didn’t buy. Being a Sunday afternoon, there weren’t too many stores open, but there were enough open to make a stroll down the main streets worthwhile. Grumpy had a little less than seven hundred Chilean Pesos that he had acquired in change from purchases in previous ports, so they went into the supermarket to see what they could find that would get rid of them. They left with two cans of Cervesa Austral Lager Beer, product of Punta Arenas, for 560 Pesos (about $1.20). Grumpy still has 132 pesos left to add to his world coin collection. Punta Arenas is the last Chilean port on the schedule.

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Slinkie and Grumpy caught the last shuttle back to the ship. As they were heading up the gangway, it suddenly occurred to Grumpy that he was about to smuggle beer aboard. Well, actually Slinkie was smuggling them… they were in her shopping bag… but they weren’t challenged. The beers are currently in the fridge, but probably won’t be there long. Grumpy will report on the results of the beer tasting later… unless Slinkie gets both of them. A little later, Prinsendam slipped away from the dock and headed south and then west in the Magellan Straits headed for a morning of glacier viewing before arriving in Ushuaia, Argentina.

[Grumpy1]

January 28, 2008, Ushuaia, Argentina, Day 26

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Just before the Magellan Straits would enter the Pacific Ocean, Prinsendam turned south and sailed along a series of fjords. The turned back to the east and arrived at Brazo del Noroeste (Northeast arm) around breakfast time. Prinsendam’s constant companion ,Seven Seas Mariner was also there, just ahead. Prinsendam passed by Mariner just after the Romanche Glacier and then both ships slowed to view the Alemania, Francia, Italia and Holanda Glaciers on the Port side and a couple of glaciers whose names are not known to Grumpy on the Starboard side. There was some cloud cover, but it was high enough to allow good viewing of the glaciers. Some of the surrounding mountain tops were occasionally hidden from view, but there were also times when the sun came out. There was even a rainbow at one point. Memorable were the Romanche with the huge waterfall running out from beneath the glacier and the Italia, which drops in two tiers down to the water level. No calving was observed and there wasn’t much ice to dodge. There was a pretty strong wind from the west, but it matched well with the ship speed through the arm and it was almost calm on the top forward deck for those that wanted to get pictures from that vantage point.

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Commentary on the glaciers has been shared by Port Lecturer Frank Buckingham and Exploration Speaker John Splettstoesser. Frank often mentions the melting away of the glaciers… he dislikes the term “retreating” as that implies a movement backwards and that doesn’t happen… John pointed out a few places where glaciers have decreased from pictures that he took in the 80’s but have increased from pictures taken in the 90’s. Global warming? Global cooling? Natural cycles? Man made problem? El Nino? La Nina? Grumpy has heard 30 “experts” with 60 opinions so he won’t comment further. He just hopes that the glaciers stick around so that his grandkids and future generations can enjoy the same spectacular views that he and Slinkie are experiencing.

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Prinsendam arrived at Ushuaia, Argentina around noon and began the docking process. There was a strong wind pushing away from the dock and there are no tugboats there. It took some effort and a lot of skill to bring the Prinsendam into the dock, but Captain Gundersen was up to the challenge and soon had her safely tied to the dock directly across from Marco Polo. While waiting in the Queens Lounge for tour announcements, Grumpy met a woman that said she had tried to book Marco Polo for this cruise but was unable to. She said that this is the last Antarctic Cruise and that it has been sold and will be operating in the Mediterranean. She was not aware that it would be in port with Prinsendam and was pleased to be able to at least see the ship on what she believes will be its final voyage in the Antarctic. While Prinsendam was docking, Seven Seas Mariner sailed on by heading for the Atlantic Ocean. They aren’t headed to Antarctica, so Prinsendam probably won’t cross paths with her again on this voyage.

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After finally completing docking and immigration clearance, about an hour late, Slinkie and Grumpy were off the ship and on to a nice catamaran for an afternoon of cruising the Beagle Channel to view the wildlife. The first stop was a small island east of Ushuaia that is home to the largest colony of Imperial Cormorants and a large colony of sea lions. Imperial Cormorants look a lot like penguins with their black and white colors and the way the waddle along in an upright position, but unlike the flightless penguins, the cormorant does fly. The catamaran continued on east past the lighthouse that marked the point where Prinsendam left the Beagle Channel and swung around to enter the harbor at Ushuaia. Along the Beagle Channel the Argentina/Chile boundary runs down the middle for many miles. The guide pointed out points in Chile on the south side and points in Argentina on the north side. After passing Gable Island the catamaran stopped at …… Island, home of a large colony of Magellan Penguins. Grumpy is sure he saw one turn to another and say “Great! We get to do some people watching”. There was a Zodiac boat that was on the beach when the catamaran arrived. About a dozen people got off and walked up onto the island. The penguins moved a few yards right and left of the people but didn’t seem concerned about those funny walking invaders that were on their turf. The Zodiac backed off and went around to the other side of the island. The catamaran moved in until it was just about touching bottom and sat there while everyone that wanted closeup pictures jostled for positions around the bow. The penguins were quite cooperative and showed off their swimming and diving skills right next to the catamaran. They refused to march in formation, though…

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As the catamaran got underway Grumpy checked his GPS and saw that the catamaran was about 30 nautical miles from the dock. It was already about two hours from sailaway and the cat was making about 16 knots. Hmmmm, good thing this is an official HAL tour. There were a few people that were talking about going souvenir shopping after getting back to the pier, but as the catamaran got close to the dock the guide announced that everyone should proceed directly to the ship. Grumble, grumble…. The catamaran tour was the last one in and as soon as all were back on board the Prinsendam cast off and headed down the Beagle Channel toward the Atlantic.

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Since Cape Horn is Chilean territory, and since the Prinsendam had left Chile and had visited a port in Argentina, it would be necessary to clear the ship through Chilean customs and immigration again. The captain advised that this procedure could take some time. He was right. Prinsendam dropped anchor off Port Williams which is across from Gable Island at about 9:30p. It was midnight when Prinsendam finally got under way again. She headed out to the Atlantic and turned south toward Cape Horn.

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January 29, 2008, Around Cape Horn and At Sea, Day 27

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Rise and shine, sleepyheads. The Prinsendam is going around the Horn this morning. The captain announced that part of the delay at the immigration stop last night was the negotiations about how the Prinsendam would proceed. The weather conditions at the Cape Horn pilot transfer point were bad enough that the authorities did not want to risk putting the pilot off there. They wanted Prinsendam to drop off the pilot at a point in the Beagle Channel and proceed directly out of Chilean waters. They offered an alternative of keeping the pilot on board, approaching as close as possible to Cape Horn, turn around and bring the pilot back to the Beagle Channel. Captain Gundersen was finally able to arrange to drop the pilot off, go around the Horn at a minimum of3 miles off shore and then turn south toward Antarctica. The Chilean Navy noted the presence of the Prinsendam as she came up toward the three mile point and issued a radio warning not to come any closer than three miles. Grumpy’s GPS showed that Captain Gundersen stayed legal but he sure didn’t leave much of a margin. Prinsendam sailed past the Horn east to west, made a u-turn and sailed past again west to east. The skies were clear enough to see the Horn and get a few decent pictures of the passing.

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Now Grumpy knows he is sailing with a bunch of… ahhh… well… ummm… very adventurous souls. Other terms were coming to mind, but…. Anyway, Thom, the CD, decided to hold a “Swim around the Horn”. Since actually swimming around the Horn in the ocean wasn’t an option, Thom got 40 volunteers to swim a few laps in the Lido pool as the ship was passing Cape Horn. Now, remember, Prinsendam is the only HAL ship that does not have a covered pool. The outside air temperature was in the low fifties. Each participant earned a whopping two Dam Dollars for their efforts. Now Thom is busy organizing a Penguin Dip for Wednesday afternoon among the icebergs of the Antarctic Peninsula. What some people will do for two Dam Dollars….

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Prinsendam sailed across the Drake Passage through the rest of the day. The weather was clear, but the winds were fairly strong and Prinsendam did quite a bit of pitching and rolling. It was nothing like the 2007 crossing, but enough to make walking an interesting adventure. Slinkie and Grumpy came back to their cabin after dinner and found that the wind was whistling around their verandah door, there was NO heat coming out of the air supply grill, and two plaid blankets were laid out on the foot of the bed. Grumpy took that as a message to not even think about asking for the heat to be fixed, just bundle up. Grumpy piled all of the couch pillows along the bottom of the curtains and pushed a couple of arm chairs up against them and did manage to cut down on the draft. He thought about pulling out his roll of duct tape and sealing up the door but decided he could survive so why waste good tape.

[Grumpy1]

January 30, 2008, At Sea around the Antarctic Peninsula, Day 28

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Antarctica! The last of the seven continents on Slinky and Grumpy’s list. Today was a day filled with incredible views of mountains, glaciers, icebergs, bergie bits, growlers, penguins, whales, seals, and birds. The winds had died down and the skies were mostly clear. As Prinsendam sailed into Dallmon Bay and approached Anvers Island, the highest peak, about a mile high, was clearly visible. According to the pilot on board, who was providing running commentary from the bridge along with John Splettstoesser, there are not too many days per year with visibility that good. He said that whoever brought the good weather with them on this cruise was hired for a fulltime job with him. Prinsendam cruised down the East side of Anvers Island, wandered through various channels and saw hundreds of Gentoo Penguins. It was fun to see dozens at a time moving through the water like porpoises or in the many colonies of penguins on the rocks in the area. There were occasional sightings of whales and a few seals. Of course, every time Grumpy was on the Port side there would be a brief view of something interesting on Starboard… and vice versa… but there were plenty of opportunities and Grumpy managed to remember to take a picture now and then. There are many varieties of algae that grow in the Antarctic and turn the snow and rocks various shades of pink, green and brown. The bright sun enhanced the beauty and brought out the colors. In areas where an iceberg had recently calved from the face the contrast between the algae stained snow and the brilliant whites and blues of the newly exposed face were really spectacular.

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Prinsendam visited Cuverville Face, sailed the Gerlache Channel, saw the Argentininian and Chilean research stations and cruised Paradise Bay. The National Geographic Endeavor, a ship with an icebreaker hull was also in the area. There was a considerable amount of ice in the Lemaier Channel and Prinsendam does not have an ice breaker hull. Captain Gundersen prefers not to test the capabilities of Prinsendam… he doesn’t even like scratches in the paint… but since Endeavor was also headed that way Prinsendam just drafted along behind. Lemaier Channel is incredible! Sheer cliffs rise up on both sides with a channel of only a few hundred yards in between. It is often referred to as “Kodak Gap” for the many photo opportunities. Slinkie and Grumpy were at dinner through most of the channel passage so Grumpy didn’t get his Kodak moments. It was fun to watch the kitchen and dining room crews sneak quick breaks out along the rail to get their picture taken with a huge rock rising straight up from the sea behind them and an iceberg floating by. After exiting the channel, Prinsendam sailed a bit west and turned back to the north toward Anvers Island. Slinkie and Grumpy watched the sun sloooooooooooooowly set from their Crow’s Nest perch. It was still twilight at midnight when they finally called it a day.

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January 31, 2008, Antarctic Explorations, Day 29

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Grumpy awoke to see bright sunshine peeking around the curtains. Thinking he had overslept, he glanced at the clock to see how late it was. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet! What’s with this non-stop sunshine? It could really mess with your head. Prinsendam had spent the night wandering around close to Anvers Island. Around seven in the morning two Zodiacs approached and a team of researchers from Palmer Station, which is on the southwest corner of Anvers Island, were welcomed aboard. They gave two presentations in the Queens Lounge so that all who were interested would have an opportunity to hear about the research work that is carried out there. They brought with them a supply of hats, tee shirts and other souvenirs which were offered for sale. About ten o’clock the Zodiacs departed and Prinsendam headed southeast toward the southern end of Anvers Island in the Bismarck Straits. Shortly before reaching the Neumayer Channel on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula there were a couple of humpback whales sighted, a seal floating by on a bergie bit and two pods of Orca whales. Slinkie and Grumpy were just finishing lunch in the Lido so were able to run back and forth from Port to Starboard to keep up with the sightings. Now if they could just get the crew to wash the windows…

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Turning to Port, Prinsendam entered the Neumayer Channel and headed north by northwest toward Deception Island. At the juncture of Bismarck and Neumayer there were some very impressive icebergs and lots of smaller ice. Captain Gundersen was busy tiptoeing through the ice field, and for the second day in a row chose not to personally deliver the update from the bridge. His reputation for punctuality remains untarnished though. The updates delivered by Thom started precisely at 1:00:00p. There was some light fog and low clouds during the afternoon that limited the distant views for a while, but that cleared in a short while. The skies were mostly cloudy through the afternoon but they were high clouds and didn’t hinder the views.

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About 5:30p Grumpy felt the shuddering that is associated with sudden changes in speed on Prinsendam. Looking out, he could see that the ship was doing a pretty hard turn to starboard. John came on and announced that there were Chinstrap Penguins on floating ice that had passed on Port side and that Prinsendam was turning around so that the Starboard side could view them. Completing his maneuver, Captain Gundersen brought the Prinsendam close to the ice flow on starboard side so Grumpy could snap a few pictures. There were three of the little fellows and they stood and preened as Prinsendam cruised slowly by. These were the first Chinstraps that had been identified. Almost all of the other sightings have been Gentoos. Prinsendam continued on her way toward Deception Island and should arrive there about 9:00p.

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The southernmost point of the voyage was still north of the Antarctic Circle. Grumpy’s GPS log shows that Prinsendam reached 65 degrees, 12 minutes and 19 seconds south latitude at about 8:38p on January 30. The distance to the Antarctic circle wasn’t that far, but John announced that it would take many hours and some tricky maneuvering around the underwater pinnacles to get below the circle. Grumpy would rather have a skewer of something in the Pinnacle than be skewered on a pinnacle, so he thinks the captain has made a wise decision.

The next port of call will be Cumberland, South Georgia Islands. It has been announced that Prinsendam will anchor there and those that wish to go ashore will be taken ashore in small groups and escorted around for a quick look. This will be a complimentary excursion. Apparently this is not always possible to arrange and many are hoping that all goes as planned and this rare opportunity to set foot on South Georgia is realized.

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Prinsendam arrived at Deception Island while Slinkie and Grumpy were at dinner. If there was any commentary it was not carried in the dining room. The island is a donut with a bite out of one side so that it looks like one could sail into the “donut hole”. Captain Gundersen didn’t do that, instead he sailed up close to the entrance and did a 360 degree pirouette moved off a short distance to a formation of rocks that rise almost vertical out of the water and did the pirouette again. One of those rocks could best be described as looking like a popsicle sticking up out of the water. The base has been undercut by wave erosion to the point that you wonder when the stick will break and the popsicle will fall over.

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Tonight was the Indonesian Crew show. It was similar to ones that Slinky and Grumpy have seen before, but there are always some different numbers and always fun to watch. The show was very well attended and the audience seemed to really appreciate the efforts of the crew. One of the biggest laugh lines was when the emcee asked the question “Do you know why we do this show?.... Because we HAVE TO!” He did follow up with “But we really love doing the show for you!”

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February 1, 2008, Meandering through the Sea, Day 30

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The plan was to sail through the night from deception Island to Hope Bay on the northeast end of the Antarctic Peninsula and observe the Argentine Science Station as well as whatever wildlife might be in sea around the ship. It quickly became apparent that there would be no viewing of anything but fog in the bay so the good captain did an about face and retraced his path back into the Antarctic Sound. This turned out to be a very good move as the fog cleared and the morning was spent viewing huge icebergs all around the ship, rafts of Adele Penguins everywhere one looked, bergie bits floating by with penguins watching the people, fur seals doing the same and a few whales. Captain Gundersen threaded his way among the bergs and occasionally turned back for another view of some of the more interesting sights.

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This segment has gotten a little long so Grumpy will try to get it posted. The internet seems pretty good this morning, but there is no satellite TV reception. The good news is that the ship has not been subjected to CNN news for about three days. The bad news is that ESPN has also gone away. Grumpy is wondering if there will be coverage for the Super Bowl on Sunday. He and Slinkie have been invited to a small party in the Titus Suite, which should be fun, but will be better if there is a game to watch.