SOUTH AMERICA 2019 - EXCLUDING THE CRUISE AND MACHU PICCHU

Travel Ad that Nadia showed us

For several years we have looked at travel to South America, but for one reason or another (usually cost) it kept being put onto the back burner. Early in 2018, our friend Nadia turned up at our door with a great deal on a South America tour that she had just booked with another friend plus a relative of hers. It sounded fantastic. We passed the tour details to Jenny and Peter, and they liked the look of it too, and within 24 hours, we had agreed on a date in February 2019. I then shared the itinerary with American friends I had worked with for 2 years back in 2002-2003, and 10 of them ended up joining us for the cruise element of the trip. Jenny, Peter, Murray and I were the only ones who went on to do the additional 'Post Tour Extension' to Machu Picchu, and it was the highlight of the trip for me. 

So here goes…7 of us Aussies met in Sydney for the flight to Santiago, Chile (12.5 hours) where we were joined by 2 other Aussies, and then onto Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (4 hrs). Our tour included the local guides meeting us at airports, taking us to airports and assisting with check-in, and picking us up at our hotel for tours. We were very impressed with the high level of professionalism and knowledge of the South America Tourism tour guides (university trained), their punctuality and the cleanliness and newness of all tour vehicles. The drivers seemed very experienced on roads that often created many challenges! 

Favourite haunt in Copacobana

On arrival in Rio, the weather was delightfully balmy. We couldn't believe it when we pulled up at our first hotel, The Windsor Martinique, to find it was only 1/2 a block back from the main Copacabana Beach - a location that we had previously only ever heard about in songs or movies. It was surreal to walk down to the beach and just 'be' there and soak up the atmosphere. It was such a thrill, that we ended up going down there every evening for pre-dinner drinks and staying on for dinner. If you look to the back of the photo at left you will see Sugar Loaf Mountain. During the day we toured Rio - took the train up to Corcovado Mountain to touch the famous Christ the Redeemer Statue and then took the cable car up to Sugar Loaf Mountain overlooking Rio. 

We could see Sugar Loaf mountain from our beach cafe each evening, so it was great to go there and be able to look down on where we were staying in Copacabana. I have marked it in the photo on the left.

Within a 25 minute walk from our hotel was the beach made famous by the second most recorded song in history (second to the Beatles song 'Yesterday') called 'The Girl from Ipanema' recorded in 1962. Helo Pinheiro the girl of the song (now a lady in her 70's) said the  fame that resulted from the popularity of the song changed her life, and she went on to become a model. Once again, it seemed unbelievable to be in a place I'd heard so often in a song, and never dreamed I would get to see.

Girl from Ipanema still looking good at age 61

Girls on Tour: in front of the Girl From Ipanema Bar just down from the beach

Inside Pyramid-shaped Cathedral - Rio

A tour of Rio de Janeiro highlighted the area where the famous Rio Carnival was being held 2 weeks after our visit, and we had a visit to see the inside of the distinctive pyramid-shaped Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian. While it has 5,000 seats, it has standing room for 20,000. From memory, the carriage you can see in my photo at left was used for the Pope's visit to the country (Brazil has the largest population of Catholics in the world)

Christ the Redeemer - Rio

Our Aussie group 

Next stop was the impressive Iguazu Falls. They border Brazil and Argentina, and together they form the largest waterfall system in the world - we got to experience views from both countries. The Iguazu Falls stretch in width for 2,700m (1.7 mi), and vary in height between 60m (200 ft) and 82m (269 ft), making Iguazu Falls taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide.  (https://www.gadventures.com.au/blog/iguazu-falls-argentina-vs-brazil/) - check out link for great photos of the Falls

Our boat went under the falls - a right royal dunking! On the Brazilian side

Iguazu Falls- Brazil 

Firstly, we enjoyed the Brazilian perspective, where we were blown away by the sheer breadth of the falls. We were even able to take a boat ride 'under' the falls - no escaping a drenching on that ride! 

Murray walking from our room to the lodge's dining room 

Hammock on our balcony

Murray Peter and Jen in the dining room

Our hotel for this adventure was a rainforest lodge, La Aldea De La Selva - it was a unique experience - our rooms had a balcony that overlooked a rainforest garden, complete with a hammock to enjoy the full extent of nature. 

I took this photo on the Argentina side - powerful and thunderous!

The next day we got to experience the Argentinian side of the falls - where you can view them from directly above. The water thundered down and it was simply amazing. The power of the water sent mist that wet anyone who got close - me included. My photos don't come close to doing the Falls justice! 

"Upon seeing Iguazu, the United States First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed, "Poor Niagara!" (which, at 50 m or 165 feet, are a third shorter). Often, Iguazu is also compared with Victoria Falls in Southern Africa, which separates Zambia and Zimbabwe. Iguazu is wider, but because it is split into roughly 275 distinct falls and large islands, Victoria has the largest curtain of water in the world" (Wikipedia). They really were spectacular.

When in Argentina - check out the Tango!

Next stop - the capital of Argentina. In Buenos Aires our Bristol Hotel was on the main Avenida 9 De Julio - just a few paces down from the Obelisk - an iconic landmark in the city. Some of you may have seen it as the centrepiece for the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Youth Olympics of 2018. When in Argentina, one must see a Tango show - after the show, we walked the few blocks back to our hotel and paused for a photo by the illuminated Obelisk.

Jen Peter Nadia and Murray on Caminito Street in La Boca - such a colourful area

There was so much to see in Buenos Aires - we thoroughly enjoyed our three days and  nights there. During the day we were taken on guided tours of the local sights including the colourful La Boca area near the port, the San Telmo area with its cobbled streets, the gobsmacking above-ground cemetery of Recoleta (we thought New Orleans was amazing - this was New Orleans on steroids I think my friend Jan said). This is where Eva Peron is supposedly buried in her family crypt.

Floralis Generica

One park we saw had a stainless steel flower with petals that open at sunrise and close at sunset - known as Floralis Generica.

Slums in Buenos Aires

Out on our travels we noticed this overflowing slum area, only minutes from one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods, and not too many blocks from the centre of the city. Like so many other countries, the government is struggling with the dilemma of how to deal with slum residential areas.

Murray in front of his favourite Argentina Soccer team's grounds - Boca Juniors - thanks for the photo Nadia

We took an optional tour of the Delta area which included a bus trip then a boat ride up north (see blue dot in photo on left) of Buenos Aires in an area where the only way to reach the houses is by boat (it reminded me of our friends' Cindy and Mikes place on a Bayou in New Orleans). Here, teachers and students reach the school by boat, and even the shop and gas hub is made accessible by boat (see photo below). There is no fresh water, so residents have to stock up on bottled water from the mainland for drinking. 

Shop accessible by boat

Jan's photo of Recoleta Cemetery taken from their hotel room overlooking the cemetery

If you looked at the photo above without reading the caption, I am sure you would agree it looks like a city skyline, when in fact it is a cemetery! It has been designed with a layout like a city, with over 4,000 above ground vaults, and numerous marble family mausoleums - many are still in use. 

In 2011, the BBC hailed this cemetery as one of the world's best, and in 2013, CNN listed it among the 10 most beautiful cemeteries in the world. (WIKI)

Another street in the cemetery

Regrettably, despite enjoying all other aspects of the Buenos Aires visit, our visit was slightly tarnished by pickpockets. Our Aussie tour group of 7 entered an ice cream shop to try a local favourite ice cream flavour that had been recommended to us several times - while we were busy trying to get the server to understand our selections, 2 local, well-dressed adult males helped themselves to Murray's iPhone which was zipped in his backpack on his back. 

After 3 hours at the police station, Murray had a police report which enabled him to submit a claim from our travel insurer for the cost of replacing the iPhone. (Thankfully, once we got home, we submitted our claim, and the total cost of the iPhone was paid out). Murray dusted himself off and put the sorry episode behind him, as the next day we boarded our cruise ship for a 15 day cruise down the coast of South American (see previous blog for cruise photos), through the Patagonian Icefields and back up the western coast of South America to the port of San Antonio, where we disembarked for our 2 night stopover in Santiago, the capital of Chile. 

On the completion of our cruise, we were driven to Santiago. From our Luciano K's Hotel's roof top bar, we had a birds eye view of the many bare-breasted women leading the history-making march for International Women's day parade on March 9th. "Workers, mothers, students, grandmothers, babies and children, of all ethnicities, social strata and sexual orientations joined for the same cause: A just society, in which women do not differ from men just because of their sex. "(Article from Chile Today newspaper). Reportedly about 190,000 marched for the cause.

San Francisco Church over 400 years old

True to form, our tour guide met us punctually the following morning for a tour of Santiago. We saw the San Francisco Church which was consecrated in 1622 - the mind boggles to see buildings over 400 years old. The church has withstood numerous earthquakes - repairs to damage from the 2010 earthquake can be seen in my photo above, along with some information of earthquakes in this area. 

Climbing to the top of San Cristobel Hill - for a panoramic view of Santiago. Nadia took this photo of Murray ascending, and of me taking a photo of Peter

We witnessed the changing of the Guard at the Presidential Palace. That is Jen to the left of the guy in red - she is in blue, taking a photo with her iPhone.

We wandered around the bustling Plaza de Armas Square and escaped into the quiet haven of the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral.

From Santiago we flew to Lima for a connecting flight to Cuzco, Peru. I'll leave Peru, and our visit to Machu Picchu, for the next blog.

South America Cruise 2019

Nadia, Peter Jen, Trish, Jo & Christine (Murray missing in action)

Most of you will have been aware of our recent 31 day trip to South America, of which 15 days was on a cruise. The photo of most of the Aussie contingent is at Sydney Airport en route to South America. Nadia is in front taking the selfie. After Peter's nasty ordeal of chemo and radiation for his throat cancer, he and Jenny were keen to travel and forget the past several months. We flew to Santiago (Chile) where Maraka and Peter joined us for the flight to Rio de Janeiro. The travel adventures before and after our cruise will be in a separate blog.

Cruise Itinerary

First day on the ship - Murray and I with Peter and Jenny

On Thursday 21 February 2019, 9 of us Aussies boarded our cruise ship, MS ZAANDAM in Buenos Aires and settled back to enjoy 15 nights on board. Our Stateroom 7043 was very comfortable and from our balcony, we could enjoy the scenery as we sailed. The ship only holds around 1400 passengers (880 crew), being one of the smaller cruise ships that we have travelled on in recent years. The decor was tasteful, and there were lots of comfortable areas to enjoy shipboard life. For the first time ever, we boarded the ship the day before we sailed. On the second day, the 4 of us voted it the best cruise ever, and we hadn't even left the port! 

Of course, the first thing Jen and I did was head to the gym to try out the equipment. It didn't quite meet our strict standards, so we left the machines for Murray and Peter to use each morning before we all met for breakfast. After their workout, the guys enjoyed their made-to-order omelets, and were on first name terms  with the omelet maker early in the cruise! 

Me with my American colleagues: Dick, Jan, Rainie,
 Ann,  Steve and Kathy

Whilst there were 9 of us Aussies who booked in one group, there were also 10 of my American friends - I worked with 6 of them during my 2 year posting in America in 2002 - 2003. Three brought spouses and one brought her sister along. Whilst we have regularly caught up with 4 of them, it has been great to catch up with all them again, as it has been 16 years since I saw many of them in Maryland, USA. Most days on board, we had 2 teams of 6 to join in Trivia games in the Crows Nest, and then often continued on with a game of rummicub, followed by High Tea in the dining room at 3pm. Tough life!

Trish, Jan and Jenny playing rummicub

High tea - Nadia, Jenny, Trish, Rainie, Jan, Kathy

The Americans enjoyed working on this 3,000 piece puzzle - rough seas disturbed it once,
but they had it finished it by the last day!

At Montevideo, Uruguay, we walked around the city with Jenny and Peter, watched some locals fishing and commented on the diverse balcony designs as we passed.

Next port stop was Puerto Madryn in Argentina. As we walked down the long jetty we saw numerous Magellanic penguins in the water - boy are they fast swimmers! We also saw (and heard) some noisy sea lions basking on concrete steps at the jetty. The sun came out and it was glorious walking along the beachfront amongst the market stalls. Meanwhile, once aboard, the seas became rougher, and sadly we had to cancel our planned stop in the Falkland Islands, which would have included a tour of a penguin colony that Jen and I were looking forward to visiting.

At Punta Arenas, Chile, we took a photo (yes it was cold) at the famous statue dedicated to the explorer Magellan. At the markets Murray saw a belt that was very close to his St Kilda football club colours, so he quickly bought it and then we were on our way to check out the township. We were befriended by a local dog as we walked to check out the Pioneer cemetery. It waited with us to cross the road and walked with us and saw us safely reach the cemetery, and then it left. As we wandered the streets, we were amazed at the number of department stores, school uniform stores, sport and stationery stores that we passed. There were lots of camping stores too, but that wasn’t so surprising given the number of trekking tours done in this region of Patagonia. 

As we passed a small roadside fruit & vegetable stand, we noticed strange bundles included in the display. When we asked the man what food they were, he said something unintelligible. He noticed our confusion, and once he ascertained we spoke English, he put his Spanish word into google translate and it turns out that what we saw were bundles of dried seaweed that are very popular in Chilean cooking.

The cruise took us through Glacier Alley - from 6am, coffee and pastries were served in the Crows Nest on Deck 9 where a live commentary on the glaciers and surrounds was provided. 

Peter and Murray had prime window seats on Deck 8 (food hall), so we spent the next few hours there nibbling and sipping tea or coffee. Sea spray on the windows wasn’t so good for photos, so every now and then Jen and I braved the chill and went out on the open deck to get our photos of the glaciers and waterfalls as we glided past. 

This photo of Murray was taken by Jen - looking towards the quaint seaside town of Ushuaia, Argentina. So pretty...

Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse - Lighthouse at the End of The World - seen on our catamaran tour

Ushuaia - all ships to Antarctic leave from here

By midday we had docked in the pretty port of Ushuaia, the world’s most southernmost city and the capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province. What a pretty place - even the buildings were quaint with unusual architecture. The population surged after 1970 when the government provided a tax free haven for businesses, and the port now has around 80,000 residents. It is the departure point for all expeditions and tours to the Antarctic, which is 600 miles/1000 km to the south. The temperatures average 1 C in winter to 9 C in summer, with winter overnight temperatures not usually going lower than -1 C. The highest summer daytime temperature only reaches 15 C, so not a place I could live! From Ushuaia port we took a 2.5 hour catamaran tour and saw numerous cormorants, some petrels and albatrosses, as well as a lot of basking sea lions. A humpback whale named Itsa put on an aerobatic display right beside us - much to our delight. Click on the video below that I took with the whale literally just below my feet…I was scared that it might nudge the boat and my iPhone would go overboard, so I gripped the phone more tightly!

Video of whale entertaining us

No rest for the wicked, the next morning we were back in the Crow’s Nest to witness rounding Cape Horn. As we did so, the Captain sounded the ships horn. It was 7.58am. Simply amazing just to be there experiencing it all. From a distance we could see the aluminium sculpture (poem about it in photo on the left), created as a memorial for those sailors who lost their lives rounding Cape Horn.

Although we had seen glaciers in Glacier Alley a few days earlier, we were in store for yet another Glacier - this time the Brunjo Glacier in the Patagonian Ice Fields. It was 2km wide (1 mile +) and chunks regularly fall off and litter the water below. Beautiful. We were eating dinner as we approached it, and although Jen and I left our first course and braved the chill to go down one floor and out on the deck to get an uninterrupted view of it, I like this photo taken through the seawater sprayed window from my dining seat position. 

 Brunjo Glacier

Jen at dinner with Brunjo Glacier view

Dining Room table and our Indonesian waiters/sommelier - same table every night

Our balcony cabin and various towel animals created by cabin staff

Sunset from our balcony

The final destination on this cruise was San Antonio: our cruise ship port for visitors to Santiago de Chile, the capital of Chile. Then the next part of our holiday started…time for Santiago, Machu Picchu & Cuzco.