Georgiana and Nick's Next Great Adventure... Chile from South to North

2009 Grand

South America & Antarctica Voyage

Holland America - ms Prinsendam

January 2 – March 11, 2009

Report #6 – from February 16 - 25, 2009   

Itinerary – Sailing along the coast of Chile from its southernmost city to its northern border with Peru, with stops at Punta Arenas, Puerto Chacabuco, Puerto Montt, Valparaiso, Coquimbo-La Serena & Arica

When visiting Chile, most North Americans travel the country from north to south or from the hottest area to the coldest.  Our voyage was in reverse, arriving first in Punta Arenas, the southernmost city of its size in the world and the third largest city in the entire Patagonian Region.  Patagonia, located in both Chile and Argentina, is a land of islands, forests, mountains and glaciers and is a showpiece of amazing natural architecture and vistas.

Punta Arenas overlooks the Strait of Magellan and many of the city’s major industries are related to natural resources – forestry, fishing, oil and gas.  It is also the center of Chile’s international wool trade and serves as a departure point for many expeditions to Antarctica.  While in Punta Arenas, we decided to be adventuresome and take a tour advertised to be only for healthy, able-bodied guests, who were able to walk long, uneven distances.  The tour – Trekking in the Andean Club Territory – required you ride up a mountain in a chair lift and trek down, while following a guide through the woods.  The trek down was on steep, muddy, rocky and very uneven terrain, through a lush green forest crisscrossed by flowing streams.  Several trekkers had to be walked-down an alternate route, while others fell and were subsequently covered with mud.  Most of us made it down unscathed and energized from the fresh air and exercise.  At the end of the trek (2 ½ hours), we were served hot drinks and cake in a warm mountain chalet.

We departed Punta Arenas early evening to begin our sail through the Chilean fjords – heading first to the Sarmiento Channel, one of the principal north-south Patagonia channels.  The next day our scenic cruising included a view of Amalia Glacier, a tidewater glacier located in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, and spectacular Europa Glacier.  Although the Prinsendam did not dock or anchor in the Chilean Fjord Region, the beauty of the area was something to behold.

Our next official get-off-the-ship stop was at Puerto Chacabuco, located at the head of the Aysen Fjord, in northern Patagonia.  We decided on another strenuous outdoor adventure but, unfortunately, it did not compare to the “trek.”  The walk was too tame and we hardly worked up a sweat.  Even so, the expedition to Aiken del Sur Park with the walk up the river trail to Old Man Beard Cascade was a great experience.  We were rewarded at the end with a typical Patagonian barbeque in a lovely octagon shaped and glass enclosed building sitting on the hill overlooking a light-blue glacier lake.

As the ship continued northward, we entered the Chilean Lake District – a region known for its 12 large glacially carved lakes and dozens of smaller ones as well.  It’s a fertile region filled with orchards, vineyards, wheat fields and green pastures where cattle and sheep are raised.  The city of Puerto Montt was our entry point for touring this region and we were greeted by a clear view of two of the six volcanoes that line the district’s center.  Puerto Montt has a large German community, having first arrived in 1852, and the town retains a distinct Bavarian cast.  Our all day tour took us to Petrohue Falls and Lake Todos los Santos (about 55 miles away).  Following a drive through the countryside and a peaceful lake cruise, we stopped for lunch at a lovely hillside resort.  Our table was at the window, where we had an unobstructed view of the small blue glacier lake below and Osorno Volcano, in the distance.

Continuing north, our next stop was in Valparaiso, one of Chile’s most important seaports.  In the 19^th century Valparaiso was an important stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans but, as with other Chilean ports, the opening of the Panama Canal signaled a huge loss for the city.  In recent years, however, Valparaiso has been able to stage a comeback.  Today, international cruise ships crowd the harbor during the Chilean summer (our winter) and the port is also an important exporter of wine, copper and fresh fruits.  Our day was spent on a special tour, compliments of Holland America, to a beautiful vineyard for a local folkloric show and a fancy luncheon under a huge white tent.  The tour was arranged for passengers who booked verandah cabins or above and while the event was memorable, we gave up seeing anything else of Valparaiso or even going to Santiago (75 miles away).  We’re not sure it was the right decision.

Sailing from Valparaiso northward along the coast, we entered the arid expanses of the Atacama Desert, the driest location on Earth.  The desert stretches along the west coast of South America, lying mainly in Chile and Peru, from 20° latitude to the equator (south to north) or approximately 1875 miles.  Only rarely does the desert exceed 125 miles wide, essentially the distance between its two natural boundaries, the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains.

Coquimbo, another port city with a natural deep harbor, was our next port of call.  Coquimbo and the neighboring resort town of La Serena, form a metropolitan area of about 300,000 inhabitants.  In addition to visiting the attractions in the immediate area, our tour traveled out to the Elqui Valley, home of some of the world’s most important astronomical research centers.  The crystal clear skies of the valley and the lack of lights (civilization) make it a perfect place to view the stars.  In addition, thanks to the weather conditions, grapes from the Elqui Valley create the famous Chilean pisco liquor, first developed by Spanish settlers in the 16^th century.  Pisco is used in the extremely popular and very potent Pisco Sour (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco_sour ) - a national favorite.  Our tour included a visit to the Capel Pisco Distillery, with plenty of time to buy a bottle or two.  I’m sure we’ll be the only camp on White Lake this summer serving authentic Chilean Pisco Sours!

Our last stop is Chile was Arica, located in the northern region of the Atacama Desert and a city once without rain for 14 years.  Arica is only 11 miles south of the Peruvian border and was actually part of Peru until 1880 when it was taken by Chilean forces during the War of the Pacific (the war was between Chile and the joint forces of Peru and Bolivia).  

That day, six of us decided to rent a van, with guide and driver, for a private tour of the area.  After a short drive from the city we arrived in nearby Azapa Valley to visit the San Miguel Archaeological Museum.  The museum has a collection of artifacts dating back 10,000 years (not a misprint) and exhibits include several Chinchorro mummies from the Andes and the Atacama Desert that reputedly represent the world’s oldest examples of mummified remains.  Next, we were off to see the beaches, as Arica’s dry climate and beautiful beaches make it a popular tourist destination.  We did see many modern high rise condos, timeshares and hotels, but not many people, as it was almost too HOT to be outside.  Our last stop was to visit the “caves” - a rocky coastal area a few miles out of town in the opposite direction.  The view was magnificent, but the walk and menacing rock cliffs (just off our left shoulders) were frightening.  It took Nick about 10-minutes to say the rocks were too unstable, especially inside the caves, and recommended we all turn back.  We agreed – so, we were off for a leisurely lunch at the highly-recommended Terra Amata Restaurant, in the Historic Centro and one block from the San Marcos Church, a metal church designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.

Back onboard, we heard the ship’s Canadian head nurse had been struck by falling rocks at the “caves” that morning and was in stable, but very serious condition.  The left side of her face and left hip had been smashed and she was being flown back to Canada for surgery.  We were sad for her, but feeling very lucky.

For more information on Chile, a country well worth visiting, click-on –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ci.html

http://www.visitchile.com  (great map on left side of the home page)

For a look at Nick’s photos from Chile, visit – www.nide.smugmug.com

Next – Peru, Panama, Colombia & home.