VALPARAISO, CHILE (SANTIAGO)

Today we leave the cozy confines of our stateroom and start our long journey home.  To avoid a mass exodus from the ship, cabins are assigned colored tags indicating your departure time from the ship.  Our color was brown and our departure time was scheduled for 8:15am.  As soon as our color was called we said farewell to the Norwegian Sun and headed to the baggage claim area to locate the ‘brown’ rows of luggage.   We quickly located our suitcases and met up with the rest of our group for today, a group of only 14.  Since we were heading into Santiago and would not be returning to the ship loading a 16 passenger van with 14 people plus all their luggage proved to be quite a challenge but finally the doors were closed and we pull away from the port area at 9:15am.  

Overlooking the docks

Panorama of the bay

First task this morning was a tour of Valparaíso, with it’s unique labyrinth of cobbled alleys and colorful buildings.  Valparaíso was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.  Although technically only Chile's 6th largest city, with an urban area population of just over 260,000 in the greater Valparaíso metropolitan area, including the neighboring cities of Vina del Mar, Concon, Quilpue and Villa Alemans, it represents the second largest in the country with over 800,000 inhabitants.  

Interestingly, this port city sits atop 57 hills.  Because of the extreme slopes of the hills, many of the areas are inaccessible by public transport.  These areas are serviced by 15 funiculars located throughout the city.

 

As we made our way around this unique city, ones eyes were constantly drawn to the excessive number of dogs roaming the streets.  Our guide advised us that there are over 50,000 stray dogs in Valparaíso, all of which are protected by the government. 

All dogs are protected by the government

Photos hereOne of our stops was the War of the Pacific Monument.  The war was bittersweet for Chile, having taken Arica in the North from Bolivia and Peru but subsequently loosing Patagonia in the South to Argentina.  

Valparaíso, or “Valpo” as it is called, is the graffiti capital of Chile but not graffiti as one might find on the streets of Athens, in London, New York or Berlin.  Local businesses embrace this creativity and the best street artists are paid for their work.  This is true street art.  After the city was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage center in 2003, a $73 million dollar investment program prompted a much-need influx of government spending and Valpo is transforming into Chile's most creative city.   

local street art

local street art

 

Local street art

Next we headed east toward the wine region of Casablanca. Our stop would be at the Matetic Vineyard.

Entering into Matetic Vineyard

Grounds of Matetic Vineyard

The cost was $15 US dollars per person for a tasting of 5 different wines which included 1 white and 4 reds.  

Our group ready for our wine tasting

White:

EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Casablanca Valley

Red:

Corralillo Pinot Noir 2013, San Antonio Valley

Corralillo Winemakers Blend 2012, San Antonio Valley

Corralillo Syrah 2013, San Antonio Valley

EQ Coastal Syrah 2012, San Antonio Valley

The story of Matetic Vineyards begins in 1999.  Led by Jorge Matetic, fourth generation of the family in Chile, the family faced the challenge of planting Syrah in a cool-climate location, becoming a pioneer project and developing a new category of coastal Syrah within the country. Currently, Matetic Vineyards has 370 acres of coastal vineyards planted with cool-climate varieties; exporting to more than 30 countries around the world. 

After this brief stop, we made a roadside lunch stop at Los Hornitos de Curacavi. 

It looks like a very large palapa as you drive up. The floors are a combination of tamped dirt and tiles giving it a very rustic feel.  The waiters are all males dressed in traditional “Huaso” costumes.   We were somewhat daunted by the size of the menu and the fact that it was Spanish but the waiter, along with our guide, explained any questions we had.  I found it much easier to simply go with the local Chilean house specialty of Pastel de Choclo, which was corn pie with chicken, eggs, olives, and raisins.  It was served in a very large and round deep dish, which reminded me of chicken pot pie, only much better. I also ordered a glass of the house white wine and my total bill came to about $15 US dollars.    

Los Hornitos de Curacavi Restaurant

Inside the restaurant

House specialty of Pastel de Choclo, which was corn pie with chicken, eggs, olives, and raisins.

After a relaxing lunch we left for downtown Santiago.  Time was slipping away quickly so we simply drove by a couple of landmarks and then headed off to the airport.  We were dropped off at 6:45pm for a scheduled 9:45pm departure.  After 16 hours of flying on 3 different airplanes, we finally arrived into Medford, Oregon just shortly after noon the following day, bringing to a close our 18-day cruise adventure.

COQUIMBO, CHILE

Our port for today is Coquimbo Chile.  A city of about 200,000 which has experienced 474 earthquakes over the last year with the largest occurring on September 16, 2015 and registering 8.3 on the rickter scale. Due to port devastation suffered by the last earthquake, we found it necessary to tender into a makeshift port. 

First, I picked up our tender tickets at 7:45am so we were ready to leave the ship as soon as our group number was called.  While we were waiting we met up with some new Cruise Critic friends from Sequim, Washington named Jon and Joy Jackson.  We joined forces with them, deciding to take a local bus and head north to the town of La Serena.  Our tender number was finally called at 8:30am.
 
As our ship came closer and closer to the port, ones eyes are immediately drawn to the standout landmark in Coquimbo, the Cruz del Tercer Milenio which is Spanish for "Third Millennium Cross”.  This is a concrete cross located at the top of El Vigía hill and stands 272 feet tall and 131 feet wide. Construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2001. It sits 646 feet above sea level and is the tallest monument in South America, more than doubling the size of the famous Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.

Cruz del Tercer Milenio statue atop El Vigia hill

Once our tender arrived dockside our next task was to find the local bus stop.  After talking with one of the local taxi drivers we discovered we were only 2-3 blocks from the bus stop.  The cost for the bus to La Serena was $1 USD per person and the trip took us about 30 minutes. 

Landmark we used to find and remember of bus stop

The city of La Serena was founded in 1544 and is Chile’s second oldest city next to Santiago.  We spent the entire day leisurely strolling through a womans craft fair, visiting churches and checking out a museum.  I enjoyed the bright colors of the hanging flower baskets and the elaborate brickwork on the downtown streets.  

Local architecture

Beautiful church doors dating back to the 1500's

Creative paper items for sale at the women's craft fair

In the city park

Local architecture

Loved these grand ole doors

Hanging flower baskets and brick streets of the downtown area

One of our stops was at the La Serena ArcheologicalMuseum.  We entered for free and were pleasantly surprised to come across an Easter Island statue up close and personal.  This is a very small museum with no English translations but it was still interesting to wander through, especially at the price.  

On display at the museum

Sharon and Marci in front of the Easter Island Statue

After leaving, we stopped for lunch at an outside café called Café Colonial.  I split a sandwich with my stateroom friend Marci.  We settled on a turkey, cheese, avocado and letter sandwich on a homemade bun.  We also ordered a stuffed avocado with chicken filling along with a cerveza to drink.  When our dishes arrived we had to gasp at the size of their homemade buns.  They were twice the size of what we are used to and our sandwich totally filled our plate.  Certainly half a sandwich was going to be more than sufficient for one person.    Our total bill came to $12.50 each.  The food was nothing short of excellent. 

Lunch break at sidewalk cafe with Jon and Joy Jackson

After a relaxing lunch and great conversation, we continued our stroll through this unique city with it’s sidewalk musicians and eclectic mix of people.  At one point we spotted the Chilean version of the Dollar Store so had to rummage through that. 

Chilean version of the Dollar Store

Lastly, a short stop for a double scoop gelato and then it was back to the bus stop for our return  trip.  It was nice not having a scheduled shore excursion today and the weather was perfect for our relaxing day on our own.

ARICA, CHILE

Todays adventure was to explore and focus on the archeological sites of Arica.  

The tour arrangements for today were handled by my new friend Darla Bernard from New York.  She selected Raices Andines  as the tour operator.  I had done some early research on this  company prior to signing up with Darla and was pleased to see it was highly recommended on Viva Travel Guide Chile and also on Trip Advisor.  I read each of the 15 reviews on Trip Advisor, which rated this company 4 out of 5 stars.  I was looking forward to meeting Orlando, the owner of the company as his name was positively mentioned in almost every post.  In all but one of the reviews Orlando was the tour guide and he received numerous accolades.   In addition, Darla had selected a company whose office was right in Arica so I felt that was another plus.

Our ship docked at a working port again so we were not allowed to walk off the pier.  As soon as Darla gathered the group together, we left the ship, boarded the free NCL shuttle, and were quickly transported to the dock gates.  Our van was scheduled for a 9am pickup and arrived right on time.  Unfortunately our tour guide was not Orlando but instead, a young man named Nicholas.   I quickly assessed that Nicholas was very inexperienced as a tour guide.  I actually had the feeling that this was his first tour so at our first stop I asked him what his connection was to the owners of the company.  He confirmed that he had just recently moved into the area, was just learning and that he was, in fact, related to the owners.  Unfortunately for us, he lacked some of the basic skills needed to be an effective tour guide. 

Just getting into our van proved to be a challenge.  We had a small group, I believe the total was 14.  I consider myself a relatively thin person with a body mass index of only 18%.  I am 5’9” however and getting into this van proved difficult for me.  Not only were the seats very narrow but my legs jammed against the seat in front of me.  I found them to be smaller than any airline seat I had ever been in.  This made for somewhat of an uncomfortable ride for the day. 

Our first stop would be at Del Morro de Arica and Museum.   It was a relatively short drive from our pickup point to the top of the solid rock hill where Del Morro resides, about 450 feet above sea level, affording stunning views of almost 360 degrees.  During our drive, Nicholas did little in the way of narration or prepping us for our arrival.   After we arrived I actually had to ask Nicholas how long we would be here and then disseminated that information to the others on the tour. 

Morro de Arica was the last stance of the Peruvians during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883) and was captured on June 7, 1880 by the Chilean troops.  From the top of the hill your line of sight can follow the coastline north and take in views of Peru. 

Entrance to the museum

View looking north to Peru

As we entered the war museum we noticed a ticket booth but no one to collect money so we simply walked in.  Mostly comprised of various uniforms and cannons from the 19^th century, this is worth going into if you enjoy military history.   

As we came out of the museum we ran into friends from the ship who had decided to hike up the hill.  The paved footpath visible from anywhere in town starts at the south end of Calle Colón.  They say to allow 10-15 minutes for walking up. 

Even though our van was small, Nicholas did not use a microphone and because he was very soft spoken it made his few remarks very difficult to hear.   Even when we would ask him questions he normally had to ask the van driver the question first and then reiterate the answer. 

On our way to our second stop Nicholas made the following statement “Arica has a population of 200,000 along with 30,000 dogs.  We receive only 5 milliliters of rain per year making this the driest desert on earth.”  Having lived in the Sinai Desert of Egypt for 3 months and also having visited Lebanon, I found this hard to believe so I did a little checking online.  Live Science online lists Dry Valleys, Antartica as the driest place on earth with 0 rainfall.  Nicholas was close however, Arica is listed as #2 with 0.761 mm (0.03 in) per year.   Egypt was down the list at the #4 spot and Lebanon wasn’t in the top 10.   

 

Second stop was the Asoagro Farmers Market, the local fruit and vegetable market.  Here we took 20 minutes to walk through the market.  On a walk through the alleys you can get to know the different kinds of fruits and vegetables that grow in the fertile valleys of the region (like the black olives of Azapa) and also the products that are imported from the neighboring countries.   I found it extremely clean and organized compared to other markets I have been in.   If you need to use the restrooms here be sure you take along some change.  Before you enter you will find a man sitting in a booth to collect your $1.50 chillean pesos.  Not only does this get you in the restroom but you will also receive a nice supply of toilet paper.

Olives, olives and more olives in the market

Rows and rows of produce

Meat counter in the market

Next stop were the geoglyphs of La Tropilla.  If a stop here represents your first geoglyph site then it is probably very impressive but I didn’t find this one that amazing.  It is quite close to the side of the road however, making it easy to view.   Originally Nicholas said these were over 1,000 years old but after questions about what good shape they were in he conceded that they were ‘restored’ in the 1980’s.   For about 2.5 miles, there are approximately 14 panels of geometric, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic rock designs scraped and chipped into the mountainsides. One hill displays a caravan of llamas with its guide and two dancers, presumably representing the traders connecting the coast and highlands.  Our guide joked that these geoglyph sites were used for navigation and advertisement. 

Obelisks marks the sites for the geoglyphs

Geoglyphs just outside Arica

As we left the geoglyph site I spotted an advertisement for Club de Golf Río Lluta.  Being a golf enthusiast I really wanting to make a detour to check out this 18-hole, Par 72 course composed entirely of sand.  Time didn’t permit however, so we drove on. 

The fertile Valle de Azapa

Our next stop would be at the San Miguel de Azapa Museum.  On our way we would drive through the Valle de Azapa.  This is the most renowned olive producing region of Chile, with groves dating back to the 17th century. In recent decades, farmers have also been growing tomatoes and tropical fruits like mangos, maracuyas (passion fruit) and guayabas (guava).  This valley has been inhabited by humans for several millennia. 

The first visitors to the area, the Chinchorro people, have left behind some of the oldest known mummies in the world.  These are currently on display at the Museum.  There is a small entrance fee to the museum but it was included in our tour price.  The museum has excellent chronological displays from the first human settlements 10,000 years ago to the colonial olive plantation that once thrived on these grounds.  On exhibition are the oldest mummies yet uncovered and very fine weaving from later periods. 

Mummies lined up like visiting a morgue

At the end of the museum road you will find a private floral and hummingbird farm Refugio Floral del PicaFlor de Arica and Floral ReFuge of Arica’s Hummingbird.  I spotted a total of only 5 hummingbird but many, many different types of plants and flowers, along with a lone Alpaca grazing carelessly untethered.   This is a private home and we met the owner who has been living and working on the property since 1966.  Around every corner is an eclectic collection of items from mirrors to sofas to old typewriters.  Truly a unique place to visit.  

 

On our return trip to the ship we made a brief stop at Comedor Rural Restaurant in Punto Chile https://www.facebook.com/pages/Comedor-Rural-Puro-Chile/146150818864300

for olive and cheese tasting.  We were escorted to outside seating at the back of the restaurant where we were confronted with a caged ostrich.  As we were waiting to be served, 2 local men sitting a couple tables away kept yelling questions in our direction.  I finally got up and walked to their table, asking my Spanish speaking friend Marci to join me.  These were local construction workers, one of whom spoke relatively good English and was delighted that he could ‘practice’ his English on us.  I found it interesting that he was familiar with Oregon and in particular, Eugene.  He indicated he had been to Eugene when one of his children decided to attend school there. 

Locals engaging in English conversation

 

Our samples finally arrived and we were able to taste 5 different types of cheeses which included goat cheese, cow cheese, cheese with basil and cheese with peppers.  We also tried some local olives which I found to be very tart and unappetizing, though several in the group thought they were delightful. 

 

Our drive back to the ship took approximately 30 minutes and took us by the coastal shoreline.  I was surprised that there were so few people on the beach but Nicholas commented that the water here is fairly cold. 

CALLAO, PERU (LIMA)

Our ship docked at 7:00am in the port of Callao, located about 9 miles west of Lima.  This port is an extremely large working port that can accommodate 50 or more tankers at any given time.  This makes the dock area very congested and confusing.  You are not allowed to walk around the docks on your own but NCL provided free shuttle buses to transfer us off the docks.   

Due to extensive construction taking place while we were in port, getting off the docks proved to be a bit of a challenge, taking 25 minutes from the time we boarded our bus until we were dropped at the ‘transportation center’ just outside the dock gates.  I use the word ‘transportation center’ with tongue in cheek.  The immediate area around the docks is known to be very dangerous and you should not wander around here on your own.   

Once we arrived at the ‘transportation center’ we were relieved to immediately be greeted by Edwin, our tour guide from Haku Tours. Huka Tours is a non-profit organization and a 100% local tour company. The tour for today was arranged by Elaine Child, who I connected with on the Cruise Critics board.  Our group total was 14.   Elaine put a fabulous tour itinerary together which included both financial spectrums of Lima, shantytown in the morning and the City of Kings and Queens in the afternoon.  We were going to experience “the real Peru” with our morning visit to shantytown and then head to Plaza Mayor in downtown Lima to take a look at the classic historic Lima.

Our drive took us south, right along the coast route, past the upscale Miraflores area.

Perched on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, Miraflores is known for its shopping areas, gardens and flower-filled parks and beaches.  After about 45 minutes of driving, we turned inland and headed toward Potato Mountain.  Here we made our first stop, the local market. Edwin lead us on a leisurely walk through the market making several stops to let us sample local items including avocados, red bananas and cactus.   To me there seemed to be an abundance of stalls selling potatoes.  I would learn that Peru grows 4,000 different types of potatoes. 

Explanation and tasting of local produce

Next Edwin introduced us to a local shaman.  Shamanism is the oldest psychospiritual tradition known to humankind.  Edwin related to us that the shaman we were meeting comes from a long lineage of shamans that included his father and grandfather.  As I listened to Edwin trying to explain what a shaman does, I came away with an understanding that it is a form of folk healing that includes various techniques such as prayer, herbal medicine, healing rituals, spiritualism, and psychic healing and treats a wide range of social, spiritual, psychological, and physical problems including everything from headaches, gastrointestinal problems, back pain and fever to anxiety, irritability, fatigue, depression, "bad luck" and marital discord. 

Local Shaman

Villa El Salvador, the shantytown area that Edwin introduced us to, is a vast urban zone, divided into a series of smaller communities of around 800 inhabitants, each self-organizing and run by community leaders, most of whom are women.  Largely through the efforts of its inhabitants, several of the communities now have electricity, water, and sewage.

Small portion of this shantytown area

Streets in shantytown

Our group

Locals

Locals

Locals

 Edwin was born in this shantytown area but says he was fortunate to find a way to leave, obtain an education and later return to his ‘roots’ to provide humanitarian aid to this severely impoverished area.  Edwin reminded us that a staggering 80% of the population of Lima live in shantytowns.   

As we walked along the dirt streets, we learned about the community structure, it’s development, the urbanization projects, politics, religion and how his company, Haku Tours, provides aid and support to the area.  We had bought along vegetables and bread that had been purchased at our market stop and were able to hand these out to families as we strolled through the communities.

At one point I was able to interact with 2 young boys standing in the door of their dirt floor home.  We also made a stop at a pre-school where the children sang and danced for us. 

2 young boys who came out to greet us

 Our last stop here was a school with 80 children.  Our group had brought in several items to present to the children and the school.  All natural fruit treats, colored beads, pencils, crayons, stuffed animals and other items were taken into the school. It was fun to see the excitement on the faces of the kids as they formed an orderly line to receive 1 pencil and 1 crayon each.  We were reminded not to give the children anything with sugar because they have no dentist in the community and can’t afford to have dental work done.  This was truly a highlight of our tour.

Lining up to receive 1 pencil and 1 crayon each

Inside the school meeting the children

One of the moms outside the school gates

Next stop, downtown Lima.  Here we viewed the palaces and castles of the city from a balcony view where we enjoyed our lunch break.   Edwin had taken us to a restaurant owned by Juan Carlos called Restaurant Olamo Terraza.  As we sat outside under the bright yellow umbrellas, we soaked in the view from our 4^th floor vantage point to the Plaza Mayor below, while we enjoyed our individual menu selections.  I opted for the avacado salad, which came with lettuce, tomatoes and onions and a main course of pan fried sea bass on a bed of boiled potatoes.  I also tried out the local Peru beer.  All was edpertly prepared, flavorful and plated well.

Plaza Mayor

Plaza view from the restaurant

 As we left the restaurant we walked through Bar Cordano.  A Lima institution since 1905, this old-world dining hall has served practically every Peruvian president for the last 100 years, probably because the presidential palace is right across the street.  This was also a favorite spot of Ernest Hemingway.

Bar Cordano in downtown Lima

There happened to be a Miners strike going on while we were in town so we did witness a hugh police presence, including a tank.   Thankfully it was a silent protest with no physical disturbances. 

Police presence due to Miners strike

Our last stop would be the Saint Francisco Monastery.  Just a short couple blocks from Plaza Mayor, we did some last minute shopping along the way. 

Purchasing from local women

Colorful costumes

Aside from the church and monastery it also contains a library and catacombs. The church and monastery were consecrated in 1673 and completed in 1774.  After surviving earthquakes in both 1687 and 1746, it suffered extensive damage in the earthquake of 1970.  The architectural style is Spanish Baroque with the head alter carved out of wood.  The corridors of the main cloister are inlaid with Sevillian glazed tiles dating from the 1620s, painted by hand so each one is unique   

Saint Francisco Monastery

Due to time constraints we were not able to tour the library but in May of this year I spent 3 weeks in Peru and was able to check out the library.  This is certainly worth spending a little extra time here.  It is world-renowned containing over 25,000 antique texts pre dating the conquest.   I thought one of the most notable books was the Holy Bible dating 1571 printed in Antwerp. This photo was taken on my prior visit to Peru. 

 

Library

As we walked through the refectory one couldn’t help notice 13 large paintings on either side of you.  They represented the biblical patriarch Jacob and his 12 sons and were done by the hand of Spanish master Francisco de Zurbaran.  There was also a replica painting of the last supper depicting Peruvian ingredients such as guinea pig, potatoes and chillis.  I also found it interesting that the picture contained Judas with the Devil hovering besides him.

Finally, it was down to the catacombs.  Discovered in 1943, the catacombs contain thousands of skulls and bones having served as a burial-place until 1808, when the city cemetery was opened outside Lima.  Dark, mysterious and somewhat eerie, I was fascinated at the way they chose to ‘display’ the bones.  After a limestone decay process was completed the Monks would place the bones in different patterns in different areas.  It is said to conserve space.   

Bones of the catacombs arranged in interesting designs

We left downtown Lima and made our way back to the pier, arriving at 5:00pm.  Our sailing time tonight was scheduled for 6:00pm.    Another great day of adventure.