February 19, 2019 - Valparaiso, Chile - Cloudy - 70s

We have successfully, gone around the horn from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso.  Symphony docked early in Valparaiso.  The port certainly looked dreary from the ship.

Breakfast was a little more crowded on disembarkation day but we still got seats and the breakfast was its usual high quality.

The disembarkation process went smoothly and we spent little time in immigration.  

We have a transfer that will take us from Valparaiso to Santiago.  The ship has set up a space for passengers in the Santiago Hotel, where we will wait until it is time to go to SCL to catch our plane.  That is the plan.

The bus was comfortable and the ride was scenic - we have done it a few times.  The weather improved dramatically from the gloominess of Valparaiso.  Our only rest stop was at a small restaurant adjacent to a llama farm.  We not only got to stretch our legs, get a drink, but also spend some time taking shots of these interesting animals (don't get too close - they spit).

It was a short ride with surprisingly little traffic to the Hotel Santiago.  The Hotel is beautiful with a huge lobby and wonderful views - the pool had a pretty impressive waterfall.

The passengers were assigned to a large ball room with pretty comfortable seats and table.  There was food available but when we asked about vegetarian items, we found out there were none.  The hotel staff worked something out so we could have cheese sandwiches and other non-meat items.  The drinks were fine.

Our flight home is scheduled for 9:53 PM and we will probably not leave for the airport until 6 PM.  We got a little tired of sitting around at the hotel so we decided to walk to the nearby shopping mall only a few blocks away.  The neighborhood we were in was pretty upscale but, even so, we did walk past a McDonalds that could have been in any place in the US.  

The mall itself was massive but again looked just like the malls back home.  I couldn't resist taking pictures of the Dunkin Donuts Shop.  It was a small store like the kind you might find in the airport but it had all the items.

After checking out most of the mall, we went back to the hotel.  Eventually, our flight time window was called and we boarded our bus for SCL.  

After spending some time in line for an agent, we were pleased to know that our reservations were fine.  We checked our bags through to Chicago and headed for security.  You don't have to take off your shoes here and I didn't get the impression that the security was as tight as it could be but, in a few minutes, we were at our gate.

We are on AA912 - an 8 and half hour flight to MIA.  The seating area at our gate is comfortable enough but there was still a wait until boarding.  At least, our plane, a 777-ER aircraft, is already at the gate - a good sign.  At about 8:00 PM, it is still light outside - summer here in Chile.

We boarded the plane on time and the process was orderly enough.  We are in special seats, 17A and 17C - Cabin Extra Seats with only two seats - 2/4/2 configuration.  This will help make the long flight more comfortable.

It took a while to board everyone but the plane took off on time.  We are going to be eating our Kosher dinners at about 11:00 PM so getting any sleep after that is a non-starter.  The meals - prepared I guess in Chile - were pretty good (some of kind ground beef in a tomato sauce over rice).  

The flight was pretty smooth and arrived in the wee hours the next morning.  We were hungry (the nominal breakfast on the plane was kind of meh) so we did something we rarely do:  We ordered breakfast (I saved up) at one of the airport restaurants.  The pancakes and eggs and cheese omelet were pretty good - especially when you're really hungry.  We had enough time between flights and didn't have to rush our breakfast.

AA1495 was schedule to depart MIA at 6:50 AM so we had a bit of waiting at the gate.  On this flight, an A321, we are sitting aisle across in 9C and 9D (Cabin Extra).  The flight took about three hours and was smooth.

Our bags arrived with us and after a short ride home in a cab, we were home.

We are tired.

February 18, 2019 - At Sea - Pacific Ocean - Off the Coast of Chile - Partly Cloudy - 60s

A very nice sea day, our last, as we head toward our final destination of Valparaiso, Chile.

I had a very nice breakfast - all the usual items and the usual nice service.

I gave my last lecture - "Forensic Detectives: The Search for Jack the Ripper" - in the Starlite Lounge.  The turnout was pretty good and consistent for this voyage.  There were a few glitches along the way on this lecture effort but overall, it was successful.

After another wonderful buffet lunch, I spent the rest of the day reading up in the seating area near the Grill.  My other companion was a mojito. 

Thanks for Ellen, we are all packed and ready to disembark tomorrow.

February 17, 2019 - Puerto Montt, Chile - Most Sunny then Cloudy - 60s

Puerto Montt, in the Lake Region of Chile, is our final port of call on this cruise and it is a tender port.  There are good views of the town from the ship at its final anchor location.

There are also good views of the two stratovolcanoes in the area.  V. Osorno, covered in snow, is almost a perfect cone and is 2,652 meters above sea level.  We saw Osorno up close some years ago on an excursion and is it something up close (we also saw some lava flows).  The other volcano, V. Calbuco, is very active and has had several recent eruptions.  This volcano, which is 2,015 meters above sea level has lost some of its symmetry due to a collapse of some of the mountain millions of years ago.

We do not have an excursion today but we are planning to tender in to the town and just walk around and see the shops and gift stores.

The tender ride was short but the town was somewhat disappointing - we've been here before but always on tour.  

We walked from the pier to the "center" of town.  There were some artisan shops along the way and we stopped in to browse.  The main road is parallel to the harbor and bay and I was able to get a nice shot of Symphony at anchor. and the tender boat ferrying folks back and forth.  As you can see, the bright blue skies have now turned to gun metal gray - but no rain.

Not finding anything of interest in the town, we walked back to the tender pier. We stopped at a small park because I just had to try out the swings.   

We were back on board in time for lunch and later on we were up in Palm Court for afternoon tea.

February 16, 2019 - Puerto Chacabuco, Chile - Partly Cloudy - 60s

A very nice day in the Aysen Region of Chilean Patagonia.

Our port is Puerto Chacabuco and we will be tendering to shore.  We were here years ago but could not stop because there was a labor strike of some kind and the access bridge from the port to the town was blocked.

The view of the harbor from the ship was amazing.

We have pretty much an all day tour today - "Simpson Valley and Coyhaique City Acquaintance".  The day is a little complicated in that I've been scheduled for a lecture just before the ship departs at 5:00 PM,  I checked with Russ and Sasha about the scheduling with the concern being that the tour might get back late and delay the start of the talk.  I suggested not going and they said that it should work out OK.

Puerto Chacabuco is a tender port and we decided to tender ahead of our group and meet them later.  This would give us a chance to look around the port in case we get back here again.  The views from the tender were just as amazing.

The tender port isn't much - a shop or two and not much else.  I did, however, from my vantage point at the port, get a nice of Symphony out in the harbor.


We met up with our tour group and our very capable guide, Claudia.  We boarded our comfortable bus and drove eastward toward Coyhaique, which will be our final destination.  Coyhaique has a population of about 54,000 people and is the capitol of the Region.  The map below shows the area we will be seeing.

Our scenic route takes us through valleys and hillsides to the Rio Simpson National Reserve.  The Simpson Valley is quite impressive

including some nice shots of the Simpson River.  The picture below also showcases the glaciers in the area.

We also stopped briefly to see the Lago Fantama 0r Phantom Lake (below).  I guess this lake comes and goes - the guide was not totally clear on the origin of the name.

The Rio Simpson Reserve will be our first rest stop and a chance to take in the various natural wonders of the Reserve.  Of course, the main attraction here would be the Rio Simpson.  We carefully made our way through the trees and over the stony terrain to get a look at the River.

We returned to the Visitors  Center but did not go in - we settled for a shot of the exterior.  The Center is quite modern and looks new.

We drove on to one of the many waterfalls in the Reserve.  One waterfall is called the "Virgin's Waterfall (Salto de la Virgen). There is a shrine here, as well - "The Virgin of the Waterfall Shrine". 

After leaving the waterfall, our next stop would be a combination rest stop and snack at the Listo Restaurant.  The route continued to be scenic but the main geographical feature was a volcanic structure called the "English Cupcake".  

The rest stop was rustic - there was a little house where we got something to drink and had a chance to chat with the guests.  Ellen actually chatted at some length with a member of the family that owns Crystal Cruises (we were told she was on our excursion). 

Surrounding the rest area were dramatic volcanic structures.

There was an interesting totem pole on the grounds as well. Claudia did not explain what the totem was about.

Before we left, I captured a panoramic shot of the Listo Restaurant and environs.

We left Listo for Coyhaique.  After a few minutes, we could see the town in the distance on a flat area surrounded by mountains.


The town of Coyhaique seemed like any typical village we have run across in Central and South America.  This town seemed a little more topical with nice restaurants and shops.  The bus pulled alongside the Central Park and the passengers got some free time to shop.

Ellen and I want through the park, which was filled with numerous statues of what I assumed to be local and national heroes.  I did recognize one of the statues as Bernard O'Higgins, namesake of one of Santiago's major boulevards.

We didn't buy anything in the town, not even a magnet.  Then it was time to gather up all of the guests.  Since Ellen was the official escort, I was able to sit back in the bus and see her to her magic.

We didn't lose anyone and we started our trip back to the port.  The scenery on the way home was spectacular featuring mountains (the Andes) and some glaciers.

We got back to the port just about on time but the line for the tender was long and I got back to the ship a little late.  I got dressed as fast as I could but when I got to the Starlite Lounge, the audience was there along with Russ.  I started right up and hurried a bit because they needed the room after me.  So the timing did not work out and I would have been better off not going today.  I will know for next time.

A nice dinner and some quiet time rounded out this nice day in Chile.