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We have just spent a couple of days in Uruguay, that small country tucked in between Argentina and Brazil.  The history is complex, as with so many South American countries. For example, there were both Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, and while Uruguay has a relatively small population of indigenous people (mostly Charrúa descendants) the vast majority were killed in the 19^th century.  But the modern result is different in some respects than other countries – Uruguay today is home to many immigrants from all over the place, and is fiercely protective of individual rights.  The economy is strong (by South American standards) and the fútbol team is impressive.    

Blessed with mild weather, good rain and rolling hills of grass, Uruguay grows lots of cattle and sheep, to say nothing of wine.  Cattle outnumber people by at least 3 to 1, and a lot of cattle are exported live, while others are slaughtered in-country and then exported.   Big business. 

We visited the Pizzorno winery (which for some reason has a 1951 Plymouth parked outside), and participated in a cooking class. We made (empanadas  those little pastries filled with virtually anything) and alfojadas (butter cookies stuffed with dulce de leche).   Very delicious, especially the red wine from Tannat grapes.   

We also spent some time exploring the city of Montevideo, which has a charming old town center, and several synagogues.  There is a small but dedicated Jewish population in Uruguay, reflecting various sects of Jews who emigrated from many parts of the world.  

A very simple, symbolic wall has been constructed along the River Plate in Montevideo – the wall represents the Jewish people, with a break in the wall to commemorate the holocaust, 12  steps alongside to symbolize the 12 tribes, a ramp that expresses hope, large rocks that are symbols of difficulty to be overcome, and other symbols of faith.  

Uruguay (along with Argentina) has a reputation for great steaks, so we went to a restaurant named El Palanque  for —what else—steaks and had a very nice time. Uruguay also seems to be a popular vacation spot for Argentines as well as others, and we can see why. 

Tomorrow we go to Buenos Aires for a few days.  Looking forward to more interesting history and a beautiful city! 

Joe and MA

We have been pretty busy in the last several days; We made our first port of call stop in Argentina when we went to Ushuaia. Then we proceeded on to the Falkland Islands where  Britain fought Argentina in  a short war in 1982. Finally we stopped in Puerto Madryn.

Argentina and Chile have an ongoing disagreement over bragging rights to having the most southern city in the world. Chile claims it is Punta Arenas (pop 145,000). Argentina claims it is Ushuaia, which in fact is further to the South. However, Chile says, Ushuaia isn’t large enough to be considered a city, therefore.…However, the population of Ushuaia is over 80.000, which seems kind of substantial to me. Anyway, Argentina and Chile always seem to be fighting over something, so take your pick. 

We also took a train trip named Train to the End of the World. Everything in Ushuaia is named …End of the World. Then again it travelled through beautiful countryside, if a little cramped.

Then again there is the Falkland Islands. Argentina fought a war, albeit a short one, with Britain over the archipelago in 1982. It only takes a short trip to the Falklands to understand that the Falkland Islanders consider themselves to be British through and through. 

The display of the Union Jack is routine and streets are named after Margaret Thatcher everywhere. The language, accents and customs of the people are undeniably British. In fact, a couple of years ago they had a referendum in which 98% of the people voted to remain a territory of Britain. 

For its part, Argentina still considers itself to be the rightful sovereign over the Falklands. Argentinians refer to them as Malvinas, I suppose as a way of asserting a continuing claim. Nobody appears interested in stirring up any serious trouble over the issue. 

Argentina is in the early stages of a huge social experiment. Juan and Eva Peron have had a huge influence on the country ever since the 1940s. Their legacy is almost certainly the cause of Argentina’s disastrous public finances and semi routine trips in and out of bankruptcy. In the last election however, Argentinians voted for Javier Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist. 

Milei has taken steps to fix Argentina’s public finances, deregulate industry, reduce inflation and dollarize the economy. In the event, the locals nicknamed him “El Loco”.  It remains to be seen how much of his agenda he will be able to achieve and what the effects will be. Stay tuned. 

Next on the agenda was a short boat ride from the docks of Puerto Madryn to the Penninsula Valdes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There we did some for dolphin watching, although the dolphins were hard to capture on film. Nevertheless we did see quite a few sea lions and Cormorants.  

One of the most interesting things about this trip has been the variation in atmosphere throughout all we have seen of South America. There have been so many immigrants from all parts of the globe that we constantly find (among the sheep ranches and the mining towns and the agricultural valleys and the glaciers) towns with distinctly European shops, architecture and vibes, and foods with Asian roots and influences.  It makes for a feast for the senses.  

Now it’s on to Montevideo Uruguay before heading back to Argentina and Buenas Aires.

Joe & Mary Anne

As we make our way out of Chile, we are going through the Beagle Strait (yes, that Beagle Channel named after the boat Charles Darwin used).

First though, we paid a visit to Punta Arenas. Punta Arenas claims to be the southernmost city in the world. Argentina begs to differ and cites Ushuaia, where we are headed next. But, as Chile points out, Punta Arenas is a city—it has a population of about 150,000 while the population of Ushuaia is only a few thousand. Apparently Chile and Argentina will always find something to fight about. 

While we were in Punta Arenas we visited an outdoor museum of equipment from a sheep farm, which was big business back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Sara Braun and the Menedez family helped put Punta Arenas on the (European) map with their business acumen with respect to sheep farming. Then there was the discovery of gold and a gold rush was on. 

While Sara Braun & Co. were instrumental in the creation of Punta Arenas thriving economy, later scholarship uncovered their role in the genocide of the indigenous  Selk’nam people.  

Anyway, we are on our way through various straits (including the Magellan strait) to Argentina where  Ushuaia is the first stop. Shortly afterward we are scheduled to stop in the Falkland Islands, although that appears to be dependent on weather conditions. 

We’ll check in when we get there. 

Joe Benning & Mary Anne McDonald

The Pio XI Glacier, also known as the Brüggen Glacier, excluding the Antarctic, is the largest but not the only glacier in South America. It spans over 60 kilometers (or 37 miles). An exact count of the number of glaciers is hard to come by–but they are concentrated around the border of Chile and Argentina. The estimated number of glaciers there is around 4,000.

Depending on whom you ask, the Pio XI Glacier was named after the Pope by Spanish explorers shortly before WW1. Others insist it is the Brüggen Glacier, named after the German explorer. Either way, it’s the same glacier.

We sailed through some fjords in Patagonia so we could see it. Needless to say, Crystal being Crystal, there was a lecturer on board with a PhD in oceanography. The lecturer (Ed Sobey) explained how glaciers are formed, the different types of glaciers and interesting facts about the particular glacier we saw. Altogether a fascinating event. 

We are due to dock in Punta Arenas tomorrow, which will be our last stop in Chile. Then it is on to Argentina. 

JFB

It has been about a month since we embarked on the ship and the time is flying by. And soon we will be seeing the last of Chile. Over the last few days we visited both Puerto Montt, Chile and Castro, Chile.   The last place we plan on visiting in Chile  will be Punta Arenas and then it is on to Argentina.

On the 5^th of February we went to Puerto Montt which is a gateway to the Andes mountains and the Patagonian fjords. It turns out that substantial numbers of German immigrants settled there several hundred years ago.  So among other things we got to visit a (relentlessly) cute Alpine village (named Frutillar) which the town maintained in the traditional style. 

Among other things, it featured Germanic restaurants and a German museum complex with several buildings, exhibits and  gardens. 

After spending some time in and around the museum grounds we then made our way to Puerto Varas, which as it turned out was a resort area that had rental cabins, big name hotels and beachfront properties.  In other words it was a big vacation spot, in spite of the fact that it rains there—a lot. Nevertheless the lake district was definitely worth a look. 

The next day it was off to do a walking tour of Castro Chile. The town is famous for it colorful houses and for its houses built on stilts—to shield the houses from high tide. It is also famous for its plethora of churches made with wood, of which Iglesia de San Francisco (which we visited) was one.

I should also mention that the church was aptly named inasmuch as the city, like San Francisco California, was extremely hilly. So the walking tour turned out to be quite a hike. 

That said we will wind up in Punta Arenas on Monday, and then we take off for Ushuaia, Argentina where  we expect to land on Wednesday. 

JFB

On Saturday we arrived in Coquimbo, Chile. We had a great tour to the Elqui Valley (pretty much due west from the coast).  Chile is a very long, skinny country, and in about 90 minutes our drive brought us to the foothills of the Andes, very close to the border with Argentina.  

Grapes for pisco alcohol are grown in this area, and we toured a very pretty pisco vineyard and distillery (by the way, both Chile and Peru claim ownership of the famous Pisco Sour drink, which is a delicious, tart treat).   

Along the way to the Elqui Valley we passed some pretty beach towns, and many parks and places named Mistral, for the beloved Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, a school teacher who received the first Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to a Latin-American writer (not the first female winner, but the first winner of either gender).  

Gabriela Mistral was an influence on Pablo Neruda, perhaps Chile’s greatest poet and one of MA’s favorites.  (Having read a lot of Mistral’s and Neruda’s works while studying Spanish, MA was happy about this, and Joe’s ears almost fell off listening to her talk about Neruda’s odes and works, including Poema XX, one of the saddest poems ever written.) 

We visited the Casablanca Valley in Chile on Sunday – this is a beautiful valley between the eastern and western ranges of the Andes.   Although Chile has been producing great wines for many years,  wine-making in this region is only about 25 years old.   It was thought by many that the soil and growing conditions in this area were not suitable for wine production.  

Then along came William Cole, an American who reasoned that the Casablanca Valley and Temeculah Valley in California are approximately equidistant from the equator and share many characteristics.  He started a vineyard in the Casablanca Valley, invested several years of work growing the grapes, and now there are about 25 vineyards in the area, many of which rely on Cole for bottling and other capital-intensive aspects of wine production.  

The drive from Valparaiso port to Casablanca Valley was not long (about 50 km) and brought us from the big, colorful, hilly city through lush green hills, with small towns along the way.   

For a skinny country, a drive from the coast inland brings many changes in terrain and scenery.  We are excited to continue southward for more experiences in Chile (and maybe another Pisco sour).  

Also of note: The Chilean Navy is doing some training exercises in the Valparaiso harbor–right near our ship!

JB and MA

After leaving Peru we are heading down the west coast of Chile, headed for Coquimbo and then Santiago. On the way we  stopped off in the relatively minor port cities of Iquiqui and Antofagasta in Chile. 

Nevertheless, these port cities were kind of interesting. Iquiqui had some fairly gritty sections as well as parts that were well developed. No surprise there. But who knew that we would bump into a Croation Social Club? It turns out—at least according to the guide—that Croatia turned out a lot of mercenaries who also fought alongside the Chilean Army. So they decided to form a social club, where they could hang out with their buddies. 

The club is still thriving club. When we visited it we were greeted with the quasi-mandatory pisco sours, which are like whiskey sours. Outside the club is the main square where tourists roam around and where cops ride around on bicycles. 

The next day we visited Antofagasta, Chile which used to be a mining town where nitrates were extracted from the mines. The agenda included a trip a mine site, a museum and a (modern) outdoor theatre in the desert, where the guide shared his thoughts on how the mine workers were treated.

Then we were off to view La Portada, an arch in the Pacific ocean that is a big local attraction. Finally we stopped at a monument to the Tropic of Capricorn where we were offered (what else?) Pisco sours. 

Today is a Sea Day; tomorrow we dock at Coquimbo for a tour, and then we are off to Valparaiso, the port city that is near Santiago. Until then, Buenas Noches…

JFB

It is hard to believe that we have been on our voyage for 3 weeks already – the time is flying by.  We have had excellent presentations about the history, economics, politics and prospects of the places we have visited – in addition to specialized discussions concerning the Aztec civilization in Mexico, the Mayans in Central America and the Incas in Peru in Chile.   

We just spent several days in Peru, viewing the old colonial- era squares and the modern neighborhoods (you can find the ruins of over 300 Incan pyramids in Lima, some of which are right in the middle of these busy neighborhoods). 

Yesterday we visited the peninsula of Paracus, just outside Peru.  We saw some of the thousands of acres which comprise the Paracus Natural Reserve – an ancient desert that was part of the floor of the Pacific Ocean before the rise of the Andes mountains.  This desert sits between the Ocean and the Andes – and the ocean mist that rolls across the land is blocked by the Andes Mountains, so Peru gets virtually no rain.  Hence, a desert and lots of well-preserved pyramids.  In the Paracas Natural Reserve you can see red sand (high iron content) and fossils of snails and other shellfish that lived in the Pacific Ocean ages ago.  

Peruvian cuisine has received global recognition in recent years, for good reason.  The Chinese and Japanese who arrived as workers in Peru and Chile in prior years have greatly influenced the food in this part of the world, especially with respect to fish recipes.  Delicious!  

We will be in Chile tomorrow, where we have several days of exploring planned.   Stay tuned.  

Joe and Mary Anne 

It has been a busy few days. We visited two cities in Ecuador: Manta and Guayaquil. We had been to these cities before, but there was a notable difference. There were police officers everywhere. We actually had a police escort on one of the tours we took. Apparently crime has surged in Guayaquil over the last few years and the government’s response was to put cops on every block—at least where the tourists went. 

While we were in Manta we visited a Panama Hat factory. Panama hats are actually a native Ecuadorian invention. The story goes that when the US took over construction of the Panama Canal from France, Teddy Roosevelt paid a visit to Panama. And he donned a hat he bought from an Ecuadorian street vendor. So the hats, invented in Ecuador, became known as Panama hats. Needless to say, when we visited an Ecuadorian hat factory, we bought a couple. 

Then we made our way to a chocolate farm (where they grow cacao beans) and a chocolate factory where they made the finished products. One of the workers was wearing a Nestle branded apron though. 

After that it was off to the port city Guayaquil. There we took a stroll down the Malecón, a boardwalk of sorts that runs parallel to the Guayas River. According to legend, the city is named after a local leader Guayas and his wife Quil who were symbols of the resistance to the Spanish Conquistadors. 

We finished up with a visit to the Guayaquil Metropolitan Cathedral and then Iguana Park which is full of Iguanas–in the middle of the city. And now we are on our way to Peru. 

JFB