Talk of The Villages Florida - A Journey of 4592 Nautical Miles Part 2 Santiago to Boarding Insignia

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A Journey of 4592 Nautical Miles Part 2 Santiago to Boarding Insignia

More from - Travelling with Sue

On January 10th we said goodbye to Santiago, with the recognition that there were numerous museums, restaurants, markets, and many other places that we never had the time to visit. For us this is a good reason to come back, as if we need a reason. Carlos and Johann met us downstairs and loaded our huge amount of luggage into the van. On our way to Valparaiso we passed farms, orchards, and grape-growing areas, as well as lots more beautiful scenery as we drove through the coastal mountains (a different range from the Andes). We passed the one and only public golf course in Santiago. It looked like any other golf course we had seen. Along the way we stopped at what could best be described as a local snack stand where we tasted fermented grapes before they became wine, a popular drink. It takes ten days for the grapes to reach this state. After that we visited Veramonte, a major winery in the valley. The wine was excellent here; we have nearly reached our limit on the amount of wine we can bring back, so we bought only a few bottles of the wine produced here. In the evening on the cruise ship we drank the various wines we had bought with our dinner meal. We enjoyed all of the different wines and wished we had bought more.

Our next stop and area to tour is the beach side city of Vina del Mar. The community looks just the way the picture postcards portray it, with houses in a myriad of brilliant primary and secondary colors built into the sides of hills and numerous funiculars going up and down these hills, along with old-fashioned steps. One of the stories that is related about this town is that the houses were painted with paint left over from painting their boats. (This is the same story we had heard when we were in the Maritime Provinces of Canada.) Here we visited a beautiful park which was on the grounds of what had been a huge and spectacular private mansion. We saw the newly constructed state-of-the-art musical performance venue. We did not have time to go into the mansion but were told that it was quite magnificent.

We drove along the ocean where the water was a brilliant color blue. We saw a colony of sea lions along the rocky coast, which reminded us of southern California. We knew they were sea lions because there was a split in their tails. This road was windy as we drive to a local market, situated on top of a hill in a lovely setting under beautiful old trees and overlooking the ocean. Here we saw many local handicraft items. The handicrafts were primarily knitted items made in the local region. These were the type of items we were looking for. We bought a handmade sweater, hats, and other local items. In this area there are numerous benches where you can sit and view the magnificent scenery. Or one could just gaze out into the distance and daydream. I wish we had time to stay longer in this area; it was so inviting just to sit and sip coffee.

We became quite friendly with Carlos in the course of our travels with him. He added another dimension to life in Santiago, the government, people, and attitudes by sharing his own personal views. He showed us not only where the wealthy lived but also neighborhoods where there was a high rate of poverty. There we saw houses made of wood and tarps, which reminded us of news broadcasts we have seen. The government also built four-story apartment buildings where a family could buy their own apartment. These houses appeared to be well kept.

Johann and Carlos were both very attentive to improving my fractured Spanish, and we all had wonderful times together as they assisted me in pronouncing the words correctly and informing us of words that we did not know. I am sure our paths will cross in the future when we return to Santiago.

We continue to meet people who have traveled extensively and we share travel stories. As you all know, this is one of my favorite subjects. Last night I had met an architect from England who reclaims old buildings from ruins. The next day, in Valparais, we saw a building in which the interior was demolished but the fa�ade maintained; that is, behind the fa�ade was a mirrored modern building. This is one way of preserving the architectural history and at the same time providing modern office space. I wish they did that in more cities.

ARRIVAL AT THE CRUISE TERMINAL AND BOARD INSIGNIA

From the craft market mentioned earlier, we went to the Oceanic cruise ship terminal to board the Insignia. We arrived at our appointed time, presented our passports, signed the necessary papers, and boarded a bus for the ship. As we board the ship, we are grateful that we are not faced with the ship�s photographers hounding us to have our pictures taken. We are shown to our staterooms which are 165 square feet, and we have a window. The room is well appointed and includes a love seat with a round table. Considering the size of the room, all space is used wisely. The boarding process could not have been easier or more efficient.

We have a late lunch, read all the literature that is given to us, and book excursions that can be arranged only on board. We are wait-listed for the catamaran ride to the UNESCO World Bioshere Reserve Heritage Site: Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael. At the other ports we plan to rent a car or hire a tour guide with a car in each port and create our own tour. Our colleague who enjoys trekking experiences signed up for three treks. Generally, the places we want to visit are fairly close to the piers. He later cancels two of these treks, after going on the first one, realizing that where he wanted to go was not available on the guided treks.

I never seem to change as the years go by. As I am reviewing all of my choices of what to do in each port , I first try to see if it is at all possible to do all of them. I never want to miss out on anything. I quickly realize that this is not possible. Then I know I am in a dilemma: What am I willing to give up at each port? I wish I could say that this was an easy decision-making process, but it wasn�t. After much internal debating with myself, I decide that one of the best ways to know a town or a place is to walk the streets, see if we can meet local people, have coffee at a local non-tourist caf�, and get a feel for the town.

That evening, as we left the port, the ocean became rough, with 10 foot waves. One of the decks was closed because of the condition of the ocean. From the 11th floor deck you could feel the spray from the rough waves. The water was not warm even though we were in South America in the summertime. When I looked out of our stateroom window on the fourth deck, we were eye level to some of the waves, and the spray went over the top of our window. We walked on one of the decks and it was not easy when you walked against the wind. It was thrilling to feel the force of the wind attempting to push you in one direction as you walked in the opposite direction. I guess I should modify the last remark: I find it exciting.

Fortunately for me, I enjoyed the rocking motion of the ship when in bed. When the ship went up you felt yourself rise on the mattress, and when the ship went down you felt yourself return to the bed. It felt like I was sleeping on an air mattress that went up and down. Other passengers, I am sorry to report, did experience varying degrees of sea sickness.

January 11th was our first full day at sea, during which I explored the ship with keen interest. The library is well stocked with books on numerous subjects, the seating is quite comfortable, and to give the room a cozy feeling there is a faux fireplace that is lit. On the ceiling a mural is painted in pastel colors of women. I see some people sleeping with their books folded neatly on their laps. To me this proves the chairs are definitely comfortable. On past cruises I also recalled people sleeping in the library with their books folded on their laps or chest.

The pool deck chairs are padded and are extremely comfortable. An attendant brought me a blanket; I was feeling chilly as I made myself comfortable in the deck chair, soaking up the sun under a blue sky. All I could think of was �What a life!� You could hear the ocean and feel the gentle rocking motion of the boat. Many people were napping with their books in their laps, while others were engaged in conversation. There were two jacuzzis as well as a small swimming pool. What I also liked about the pool deck was that there weren�t numerous barhops pushing �the drink of the day�; this made the pool deck more inviting.

The ship�s main lounge�a venue for the various evening shows as well as other events�is intimate�appropriate for the size of the ship�and the viewing from various seats appeared to be good. The lounge reminded me of a cabaret. I looked forward to seeing the various productions that were planned for us.

The casino was small but offered a wide selection of games to keep guests happy: slot machines where the betting starts at one penny (that is the one for me) and goes up, while there were also tables for various card games.

Boutique shops offered very good quality clothing, jewelry, and other items. One of my favorite places to go each day � they usually have a �special of the day.� I find it fun perusing all of the jewelry and other items they have displayed.

The dining room had windows on three sides, the arm chairs were extremely comfortable, plus the china, silver and glassware were elegant. I would not mind having a set of 12 for myself. Meals are beautifully presented. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections are numerous.

The two specialty restaurants�the Polo Grill and Toscana�are elegant, and the menus remind me of fine restaurants, which they were! The dinners we ordered were prepared the way we requested them. One main problem was that the choices are numerous and very appealing to the palate. I could not wait to go back to the specialty restaurant, even though the food in the main dining room and the buffet were also very good. After the first two days onboard you can request an additional reservations at either of the specialty restaurants for that same evening and get it if it is available, again with no charge. There are many choices on the menu and I am looking forward to trying all items that are offered. Fortunately there are enough days on our cruise to do this. The first thing we did upon rising, after the second day, was to call to see if we could get reservations in one of the specialty restaurants. Gratefully, there are no bathroom scales in the rooms. . . .

My favorite specialty restaurant was Toscana. They served excellent Italian food, superb Parmigianino � Reginato cheese, wide choices of balsamic vinegars and oils from all over Italy, for dipping your bread. We are each given half of a roasted garlic to spread on any one of the tempting breads. My favorite bread is a roasted tomato-flavored open roll with whole grape tomatoes and onion rings roasted in it. I can still taste them!

Each time we had dinner at this restaurant we started off with carpaccio. During the day, I was very careful what I ate, but at night it is another story. I must mention the desserts. Not only are they presented with real class and artistry, but they are divine. In both specialty restaurants they offered a sampling of five of their most popular desserts. The fruit and cheese plates are also excellent.

In the Polo Grill they served only prime beef, lamb, and other meats and fishes. Whatever you ordered was so tender you could cut it with the edge of your fork. The appetizers were also excellent � choice of oysters, escargot, shrimp, and numerous other selections. Each item was prepared to perfection. The soups were very good, and if a soup was served with brandy, the choice was a top shelf brand. Desserts at this restaurant were also excellent.

The informal buffet cafe was well designed and similar to buffets on other cruise ships, but there were more extensive offerings to choose from. They had a sushi and sashimi area and a tapas selection. There were various theme luncheons and dinners. Outside, near the pool area was an outdoor grill for ordering your typical hot dogs, Angus beef hamburgers as well as other items such as paninis. Both indoor and outdoor seating were available, and the service persons were extraordinarily attentive. Considering that this is a buffet restaurant, I did not expect this level of service. In the evening the tables were covered with tablecloths, and there were musicians playing as you enjoyed your dining experience.