Georgiana and Nick's Next Great Adventure... Reunions and Gentoos
2009 Grand
South America & Antarctica Voyage
Holland America - ms Prinsendam
January 2 – March 11, 2009
Report #4 – from January 29 – February 5, 2009
Itinerary – South from Ilhabela, Brazil, to Montevideo, Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Argentina (2-day stop); and Stanley, Falkland Islands (U.K.)
After leaving Ihabela, Brazil, we sailed south in the Atlantic and then west into the Rio de la Plata to the harbor city of Montevideo, Uruguay. The city of Montevideo is on the north side of the Rio de la Plata and its sister city, Buenos Aires, Argentina, is directly across to the south.
Montevideo, meaning scenic mountain, is the chief port, capital and largest city in Uruguay. The greater metropolitan city area has a population of 1.8 million, while the population of the entire country is only 3.5 million. The national language is Spanish, but many people also speak English, German, Italian or Portuguese. This tiny nation, wedged in between Brazil and Argentina, has been known as the Switzerland of South America, due to its size, democratic tradition and its dependence on the banking sector. It was Saturday, January 31, when we arrived and six of us decided to rent a private vehicle to see the sites of the city. Our arrangement included a van, driver and a very young tour guide who spoke beautiful English. We had written-up a great itinerary, but the guide told us to just relax and we were off to see what she thought was best.
The city of Montevideo is noted for its long beaches, European influenced architecture, African influenced culture and the Ciudad Vieja (Old Town). Our tour included a stop at the Iglesia Matriz Cathedral (houses the remains of some of Uruguay’s most important people) and a drive by Palacio Salvo (the city’s highest structure – only 26 stories) and Teatro Solis (main theater and opera house, opened in 1852). The highlight of the day was the Plaza Independencia, the original site of a Spanish citadel and the spot of an enormous statue of General Jose Artigas, the father of Uruguay and hero of its independence movement. The Plaza also marks the beginning of the Old Town, a neighborhood of narrow cobbled-stoned winding streets and early 20th-century buildings. Adding to the excitement of the Old Town was the warm, sunny weather and the fact it was Market Day (Saturday). Vendors and musicians lined the streets and added to the gaiety and color. All aboard time was 6PM, so our time in Montevideo was short – but very sweet.
Overnight we sailed slowly across the Rio de la Plata, arriving in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the morning of February 1. We had a 2-day stop and had planned the first day to be a reunion with our 2002 Rotary foreign exchange daughter, Andrea (Andie) Filadoro, and her family. Andie and her boyfriend met us at the ship and we were off to the family home about an hour away from the city.
We were greeted by Andie’s family and spent the afternoon in a pleasant setting under a canopy of trees that shielded us from the hot sun. There was a long table covered with a red and white checked tablecloth and set with white china and many wine glasses. We drank great Argentinean wines, ate an assortment of meats and salads, and talked and talked and talked - about the world, our countries, the past, the future, travel. It was really helpful that a majority of the family spoke English, as the 25 words in Spanish we know (pathetic) would never have kept the conversation going.
All the meat was grilled by Andie’s boyfriend in typical Argentinean barbeque style - over wood coals on a very low-to-the-ground grate. He spent hours bent over the hot coals cooking everything to perfection – what a guy! Andie’s parents were delightful and we truly felt a part of the family. We parted with hugs, kisses and invitations all around to visit us in the USA and for us to return to Argentina very soon.
Photo (standing) - Andie, her sister, mother & Georgiana; (seated) – Andie’s boyfriend, father & Nick
The next day, February 2, Nick and I went our separate ways. Nick was off to customs at the International Airport to pick up a new camera that was ordered and shipped from B&H in NYC, after his fancy camera failed in the Amazon jungle 17-days earlier. The poor thing (the camera) was water-logged and just stopped working, making Nick very unhappy. It took 5-hours to cut through the red tape and after paying a 50% duty and a small storage fee (the new camera arrived 5-days before we did) – Nick was back in business. By the way, the 50% duty had to be paid in cash, BUT the small storage fee could be paid with a credit card. It really makes you wonder who pocketed the cash – don’t you think?
My tour included a visit to the Plaza de Mayo, where mothers of the “missing” from the Dirty Wars of the 1970s still gather to attempt to find out what happened to their missing children; a drive along Avenida 9 de Julio, the city’s grand boulevard likened to the Champs Elysees in Paris; and a tour of Caminito Street in the colorful Boca area. And, you can’t go to Buenos Aires without visiting Evita’s resting place and hearing her story. Maria Eva “Evita” Duarte de Peron was the second wife of Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron and First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952, from cancer at age 33. She was born to a peasant family during a troubled era, but after meeting Juan Peron, Evita became a rags-to-riches legend. Our tour stopped at Recoleta Cemetery, where she is buried, with its ostentatious tombs and mausoleums designed by famous artists. Her husband and former president, Juan Peron, is buried across town at Chacarita Cemetery - a less known, but equally elaborate cemetery.
Following our time in Buenos Aires, we set sail for 2-days at sea enroute to Port Stanley, in the Falkland Islands. The Falkland Islands are a compact group of more than 700 islands situated 400 miles off the southeast tip of South America and the country is an oversea territory of the United Kingdom (U.K.). The capital city of Stanley has a population of about 1,500, while the country has about 3,500. Two-thirds of all residents were born in the islands and most claim some British ancestry. Land outside of the city limits of Stanley is referred to as “the camp” and where you find all the sheep and cattle farms.
During the infamous weeks-long 1982 Falklands War between Argentina and Great Britain, the city of Stanley was occupied by Argentine troops and renamed Puerto Argentino. By the time the Argentines surrendered, no actual fighting had taken place in the town itself, but the land around Stanley was heavily mined. There are an estimated 17,000 land mines still buried and many areas are marked-off as minefields and restricted from use.
We started off our day ashore with a walking tour of the pleasant small city of Stanley and a lunch of very British fish and chips. Next, we were off to see the penguins, via a 4 X 4 Land Rover trek through the boggy farm land of Bluff Cove Farm (35,000 acres). The tour came with a warning - - not recommended for guest with back, neck or mobility problems, and they weren’t kidding. The 4 X 4 was driven by a very skilled young woman who was a sixth generation Falklander and it was obvious she had driven the route many times prior.
The ride was worth it. After a short walk over a hill from where the 4 X 4 dropped us off, we came upon thousands of Gentoo penguins and a few Kings. We knew we were close because, as warned, you smell them before you see them. The farmer, who owns the land, has built a rectangle shaped structure near the beach and named it the Sea Cabbage Café, after the plant that grows all along the shoreline. Once the penguin watching was over, the ladies in the café served tea and homemade cakes in fine English china, free-of-charge.
How close can you get? Very.
Georgiana in the sand with a very inquisitive baby Gentoo looking on.
For more on Falkland Islands penguins –
Check-out www.falklandpenguins.com
Next Report – Sailing south to Cumberland Bay, South Georgia Island, and touring the Antarctic.
For more photos, visited Nick’s site at www.nide.smugmug.com
Click on the South America Gallery and then the specific city or port.