Highlights in Santiago

The morning started with a talk by a man who had a travel agency in Santiago. He told some of his life story of living in Chile during the years before Pinochet was dictator, during those years of the dictatorship and some of what life has been like  when democratic elections happened and when democracy was restored in Chile. 

Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (1915 – 2006) was a Chilean military officer, politician and dictator. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader of the military junta, which in 1974 declared him President of Chile. His time in office remains the longest of any Chilean ruler. After his rise to power, Pinochet persecuted leftists, socialists, and political critics, resulting in the executions of least 3,095.people, the internment of as many as 80,000 people, and the torture of tens of thousands. 

This is the presidential palace but the president does not live there. It is used for official events. There are statues of former presidents in the plaza in front of the the palace but none of Pinochet. This picture below is the statue of Salvador Allende who died when the palace was bombed by the military when Pinochet became dictator.

Cerro San Cristobal Santiago is the largest park in Santiago. It has several attractions in its 1784 acres. There were many concession stands. We took a cable car to the top and a funicular down.

 

This statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception looms over the park.

The views of the city and the Andes were not clear due to smog. We learned that electric cars made in China are becoming a car of choice in Santiago so the pollution can be reduced. Today Cerro El Plomo, the highest mountain visible from Santiago with a summit elevation of 5,425 meters ( 17, 7945 feet) above sea level was barely visible because of the smog.

We walked through the central square of what is called Old Santiago. The main cathedral was there but is not as grand as others I have seen. It was interesting that there is a very modern building right next to much older buildings. Our guide explained that earthquakes are the reason for that. Santiago is on a major fault line and tremors are rather common. 

We walked through the financial district. The street there is Nueva York (New York). Notice the address on this building is Nueva York 53. The building below is the Chilean stock exchange and the last picture is of the Supreme Court. 

My impressions of Santiago are very positive. It seems like a vibrant city. It is easy to get around and many buildings are quite modern. Maybe Doug and Tracy can someday get a job at the international school in Santiago. It is only one flight to the US.

Leaving the Fjords of Chile and Now in Santiago

Our last night on the ship ended with beautiful weather. Sunset was after 9:30. The farewell dinner for our cruise was very elegant with too much food. The center piece for the buffet table was two large chunks of ice. There were many dishes with fish including octopus. 

The cake was aa even better than it looks!This morning before we left the ship Jo Ellen and I enjoyed the views form the top deck.  

 

We had a stop tn the small town of Puerto Natales and then to the airport. I peeked into the Catholic Church that was on the main square of the town.

 

We flew over the Andes to get to Santiago. It was a 3 hour flight and then a drive into the city center to get settled into our hotel. We had Italian for dinner at a restaurant next door to our hotel. I was determined to get my hair cut so I located a shop in a nearby shopping mall. Ir was a drop in shop and I was pleased that I could remember enough Spanish to tell the stylist what I wanted. Since we are at this same hotel for 3 nights it was a good time to do my laundry in the the sink and it will have enough time to get dry. 

Parque Nacional Kawesqar

This morning was our last of excursions off the ship. We docked close to another national park and glacier. We woke up to rain but some rainbows were in sight. It was a short hike to the glacier. 

The hike was through some nice vegetation. There were wild fuchsias, interesting lichen and mud on the trail. 

The ship company had a raised, portable walkway for us to use. The national park gave permission for the walkway to be placed so tourists could hike closer to the glacier. Every time I took an excursion off the ship it was a clothing production. We never knew of there would be rain, wind and cold. I wore leggings under my rain pants, a long-sleeved thermal top, my long-sleeved swim sun top, a polar fleece jacket, a rain jacket and then a balaclava, fleece hat and the hood of my rain coat to keep warm. I looked and felt like a stuffed mannequin. I was never cold but I did get too warm at times. The last item was the required life vest. 

 

 

 

El Brujo Iceberg (The Warlock Iceberg)

This is the iceberg we were able to get the closest to by going on the small Zodiac and exiting onto a rocky out cropping. 

 

 

After standing on the rocky shore we boarded the small Zodiac and cursed up close to the glacier.

We witnessing a small calving of the glacier. The second video is the sound of the ice hitting the Zodiac boat. 

There were large fissures in the glacier. 

 

 

Photo tour of the Skorpio III Ship

MV Skorpios III is a Chile-registered cruise ship owned and operated by Cruceros Skorpios. The Ship was built in 1995 in the Skorpios, Chile shipyard under Chilean and international regulations. With a capacity of just 90 passengers in 45 comfortable cabins, this vessel offers wonderful hospitality and a chance to both relax and partake in exciting shore-based landings. The cabins are very comfortable. This is the one Jo Ellen and I share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bathroom is small and adequate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no elevator. Our room is on the 2nd floor. The dining room is also in the 2nd floor.  The 3rd floor is has two lounges, one at each end with rooms down the middle. The first floor is crew and the fourth floor has some elite.cabins. All rooms have windows and none have balconies. 

This is our hallway and stairway. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the two lounges. They are the only place you have internet on the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can get beverages from the lounges anytime all day and late into the evening.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the dining room. Breakfast is at 8 am and is buffet. Lunch and dinner are a set menus and have 4 courses - appetizer, salad, main dish, and dessert. Lunch is at 12 pm and dinner is at 8 pm. The waiters serve lunch and dinner and it is excellent service. 

Tea time is at 5 pm and has sweets, meat and cheese, tea, coffee, juices and soft drinks. Needless to say there is too much food but it is good. 

There are viewing decks but I haven't used them much since the weather has been a bit cold, windy and rainy.

 

 

 

 

Icebergs, icebergs and more icebergs in the Chilean Fjords

Today when we woke up it was overcast but not raining. After breakfast at 8 am everyone was scheduled to go on an ice breaker boat. It had 3 areas - an open be covered area in the rear, a heated and enclosed area in the middle and a smaller deck in the front for open air viewing. Our trip was for two and half hours.

The picture above is our ship with the anchor dropped in the icy channel. 

Below is the ice breaker ship.

 

 

 

 

 

When a rainbow came out there was hope that we might get some sunshine today.

We saw many seals  and a colony of cormorants while close to shore on the smaller ice breaker boat. 

There are many pictures of ice and glaciers from our morning outing. 

 

 

I like the picture below because of the reflection in the water. 

 

Up Close to an Iceberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning it was cloudy with a light rain. Our ship put down anchor quite close to the Amalia  Glacier. It is a tidewater glacier located in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, Chile, on the edge of the Sarmiento Channel. The glacier originates in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. I thought our ship was quite close to the glacier but we boarded a small Zodiac boat to get even closer. I have to admit that I didn't feel very comfortable when our small boat went through the ice that came off of the glacier. It banged against the sides to the boat. The driver told me the boat was fine because it was made in Chile. I guess Chilean boats can't be damaged by ice! 

My water proof rain jacket keep the top of my body dry but my old gortex backpacking pants didn't do as well and I was cold and wet on the lower half of my body when we returned to the ship. 

 

 

 

 

By the time we returned to the boat there was some sunshine which was a welcome sight.