Best Seat In The House

This was the last day of our South American cruise. Rick and I had seen and done so much in the last 55 days, our longest cruise yet. We also logged my 50th birthday and our 50th cruise (with Princess Cruises) while on this long journey. The ship had become our home for almost two months. So, no better way to cap off such a long voyage than to be invited for a private tour of the ship's bridge. 

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The Crown Princess took its berth in port located on the banks of a sweeping inlet called the "Bay Of Banderas" (Bay of Flags). It was a glorious sunny day, breezy, warm with a baby blue sky overhead. We had arrived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and this would be our last port before disembarking at our next stop in Los Angeles.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

We were nearing the end of our magnificent, long journey around South America. On Sunday, March 30th, the Crown Princess docked on the Pacific side of Nicaragua in the port of San Juan del Sur.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica - 2014

The Crown Princess left the Pacific Ocean and entered the Gulf of Nicoya. There we found berth at the main pier in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. (map courtesy of internet)

Finally...Machu Picchu - Day Two

Wow, our wake up call at 2:15 a.m. came WAY too fast! Bleary eyed, Rick and I got up and showered, dressed, slung on our backpacks then put our luggage outside our room door.

"A Step Back In Time" - Day One

When I began writing this piece, it had been sixteen hours since I stepped off a tour bus and walked back up the gangway of our "home" for the last 38 days. I returned numb with exhaustion, clothes still damp from the rains, hiking boots soaked through, hair matted, eyes burning and red, my back aching with a wet backpack strung across my shoulders...yet I was thoroughly happy. I had done it! I had seen Machu Picchu and I had an amazing, whirlwind tour over the prior two days. Here is my grand adventure as it was, warts and all.

Coquimbo and La Serena, Chile

The beautiful Crown Princess gently docked at Puerto de Coquimbo (Port of Coquimbo) around 7:00 a.m., the gangways were lowered and all passengers were free to go ashore. On this day, there were no tours on our itinerary. Instead, Rick and I were going to walk around Coquimbo and perhaps catch a city bus to La Serena, a quaint town known for pedestrian friendly roads and shopping. We made sure we had Chilean Pesos with us to pay for any transportation and incidentals. The weather began sunny with blue skies and temperatures around 68F (20C) with a slight breeze. 

Valparaiso, Chile

It always helps to be aware of your geographic position when traveling. Imagine Chile as a long spine running along the lower Pacific side of South America. Valparaiso is located about center of that spine.

Puerto Montt, Chile

We arrived at Puerto Montt, Chile around 6:30 a.m. on a Monday morning. The anchor was dropped at 7:00 a.m. in Bahia De Puerto Montt (Bay of Puerto Montt) and tenders were lowered for transport to shore. Once the pontoons were opened and rigged, passengers were free to go ashore. The weather that day was in the upper 50F (15C) with a light breeze. 

Rick and I had a tour planned for that day, which began at 8:00 a.m., so we got an early start as we boarded our tender and motored ashore. We got an awesome view of Osorno Volcano in the distance with its snow capped peak looking as if it was dipped in powdered sugar.
  

Amalia Glacier

On a Saturday morning the Crown Princess reached the end of the Magellan Strait and turned to a northerly heading through the Pacific Ocean along the Chilean coastline. The temperatures were in the mid 40F (8C) with Force 5 winds of 18-24 mph and seas 6-9 feet (as per the Beaufort Scale for maritime).

Punta Arenas, Chile

It was a Friday morning and the Crown Princess approached Punta Arenas, Chile located in the Magellan Strait. At 7:30 a.m. we dropped anchor and tenders were lowered into the water. Pontoons were rigged and then tender service was in full swing. Gorgeous crisp sunny day with picturesque blue skies. The day began with temperatures in the mid 40'sF (8C).

Cruising The Beagle Channel

Having left the port of Ushuaia, Argentina around 5:00 p.m. we finished sailing through the Beagle Channel to the Pacific Ocean. The Beagle Channel is comprised of a chain of islands located in the southernmost portion of South America. The channel is partly in Chile and partly in Argentina. The length is approximately 150 miles long. It is considered a narrow enough passage preventing most larger commercial vessels from passing through to either the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific side.

End Of The World

Introducing Ushuaia, Argentina arguably referred to as the southernmost city in the world, or  the end of the world. I say arguably since Argentina (Ushuaia) and Chile (Port Williams) disagree on this title. Ushuaia is the southernmost city based on some technical terms of the word "city". However, Port Williams, by demographics, is further south than Ushuaia but not considered a "city" due to its number of inhabitants (as per some definitions of the word "city").

Rocking and Rolling

As I said in an earlier post, the weather became the focus as we ventured further south towards Antarctica. This was a day at sea and we were headed south-westerly towards Cape Horn. The creaking of the ship was a constant background noise and the sound of the ocean waves breaking against the hull filled our night of sleep. We woke to an overcast sky with temperatures dropping and the winds hitting us from the northwest at gale forces of 55-63 mph (Force 10 according to the Beaufort Wind Scale for maritime). Yup, we were rocking and rolling.

Islanders, Belongers and Penguins

SO glad we made it! The odds were stacked against us with the weather and we worried we would not be able to go ashore. However, Mother Nature smiled and the port of Stanley, capital city of the Falkland Islands, was not cancelled. I was really looking forward to this visit.

Day Two - Montevideo, Uruguay

Day two in picturesque Montevideo. What greeted us that day were clear skies, 68F (20C), sunshine and a light wind. Rick and I had breakfast then set out to explore the city on our own.

Our first stop was the tourist information center located just outside the port area. Provided with maps and a general idea of the surrounding area, we began our self guided tour.

Day One - Montevideo, Uruguay

In the late morning at 10:45 a.m., the Crown Princess approached the harbor of Montevideo and we sailed towards our designated berth. We left behind the blue Atlantic Ocean water which clearly divided the River Plate into a brown cloudy mix. The weather greeted us with mid-60F (20C) temperatures, sunshine, blue skies and a cool breeze. By 11:47 a.m. the first mooring line was tossed. The Captain skillfully "parallel parked" at the dock, which had another docked cruise ship close to our port bow (left forward). Gangways were rigged and ready for passengers to disembark by 12:10 p.m.
  

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

RIO! What can I say? This was to be one of the highlights of our trip.
  
The ship's passengers were abuzz with talk and anticipation of this port. Not since our visit to Egypt and the tour to see the pyramids have I heard so much discussion, seen so much note taking or felt this level of  excitement over a port city. 

Into The Land Of Tango

I'm not sure how to begin describing such a city as Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. The passion, the energy, the memories, the colors...where eclectic meets nuevo (new). The stark contrast of rich and poor living within close proximity of each other. You get a sense of regal pride in the air among the citizens for their city. Tango was alive and well and was the heartbeat of the culture.

Ilhabela, Brazil

When I first laid sight on Ilhabela, Brazil, my first impression was "a quiet, lush, tropical green cove" as I saw shorelines dotted with palm trees and smooth, flat waters. Our ship dropped anchor in the cove and we took a short tender ride to a floating dock.
  
Once on land, Rick and I began our own self guided tour around the small town of Ilhabela. It was still early at around 9:00 a.m. and the town was quiet and still waking up. Shops were not yet open and the streets were nearly empty except for the scattered ship passengers who began exploring.
  
  
  
  
The main road paralled the shoreline and had a sidewalk on the shoreside that we decided to follow. It consisted of a constantly curving, suddenly sloping cobbled path that was handicap impossible. The town, although quiet, was a lively sight with streamers above and colorful paraphernalia advertising the coming Carnival season.

As we ventured farther away from town the walkway ceased and we were left with a small, muddy shoulder of dirt and potholes next to a two lane paved road. It became very warm and humid as the sun climbed. I took photos of various sights along the way.
  
  
  
We decided to follow a group of motorcycles that had turned off the road and disappeared down a non de script street, we discovered a beachside bar complete with swimming area and freshwater showers. I changed into my swimwear that I was carrying in my backpack and took a cool dunk in the dark green seawater. 

After a brief swim I rinsed off the salt in the refreshing outdoor shower with the "rainfall experience" shower head then had a frosty mug of beer with Rick in the shade of an umbrella topped table. Good find. Then we walked back to town.

Now the town was alive, traffic had begun to build and activity was everywhere. We scoured the few streets with their colorful store fronts and amusing local handicrafts.
  
  
  
  
By afternoon we were ready to try a traditional Brazilian lunch of Farofa (cornmeal like substance with diced hard boiled egg), yuca, greens, white beans, rice and meat chunks mixed with raisins and carrots. Pistachios along with green and black olives were also served as a pre-lunch appetizers. We washed it all down with cold beer which came in a very large bottle and was served with it's own ice bucket to keep it chilled.
  
  
  

Ilhabela celebrated their own Carnival and we were fortunate to see a few of their parade floats and decorations around town. 
  
Full of good food and good adventure, we returned by tender to our ship. 

At sail away that evening we watched the sunset as Ilhabela faded into the distance and we set our course for our next port of call.

Join us as we next venture into the Land of Tango...South American Cruise 2014