Saturday, November 8, 2014

Puerto Montt, Chile

Approaching Puerto Montt by sea
Click on South America map on the right sidebar to map location.



Puerto Montt is a pleasant port city. Because most cruise passengers will be traveling to Puerto Varas or Frutillar, enjoying the visits to Llanquihue Lake or the Petrohué Falls, most do not get to appreciate Puerto Montt.

Click here to linger awhile in Puerto Montt and visit the city by video.



Holland America's Veendam anchored off shore


Puerto Montt from view points traveling into the mountains.



Later I will discuss the importance of Puerto Montt as a starting point for crossing the Andes by lake and land into Bariloche, Argentina.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Returning to the Ship in Valparaiso from Santiago

The trip is very scenic--
through extensive vineyards.

(Click on photos for larger images.)










Valparaiso port 
Holland America's Veendam is on the left.



Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Wonderful Dog from Santiago

Waiting at the bus stop, who should walk by, but a favorite of mine, a handsome Bulldog. So I hollered out, "Hola, Guapo!" and his person brought him over to meet me. (There were a lot of laughs from the others at the bus stop. I suppose they didn't think this guy was that handsome.)

This is a privileged fellow.  He has a person to look after him and a home with a comfy bed to return to at the end of his walk.

To understand better how the wonderful dogs of Santiago live, here is a blog post by Michael Turtle. The locals tell me that at least once a year, a number of vets check the dogs on the street, making sure they are healthy and have their vaccinations. I understand that a lot of apartment owners now have the provision whereby residents are allowed to "adopt" a dog for the weekend.



Sunday, September 28, 2014

Santiago, Plaza de la Constitucion

Scenes from Santiago, Chile.
Plaza de la Constitution







Santiago, 1930
Andes in the background 
(Public domain)


Saturday, September 27, 2014

Valparaiso, Chile, to Santiago

The road from Valparaiso, Chile, to Santiago is an easy ride on a multi-lane highway.


Many large vineyards are located in this area.


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Old (Odd) Travel Memories (1990)

Background.
For almost 30 years, I have been a driver for someone who does historical reenactments.  At the time of this event, he was attending a Revolutionary War reenactment in Wayne, New Jersey.

I would help pack the van to the gills with reenacting equipment (tents, tables, desks, flags, etc, plus a lot of equipment for overnight stays at a local hotel/motel). Then I would start driving soon after midnight, driving carefully south through the greater Metropolitan New York area to reach Wayne, New Jersey, by 5-6 AM, so that I could help in setting up the Rev War camp. After the camp was set up, I would then drive to an accommodation in the area and finish the task of unloading several suitcases of clothing, wedges for sore backs, applique equipment, and the Cpap bag (which carries a machine for the purpose of sleeping at night).

After checking into the large chain hotel, I began the task of unloading the car and carrying the many bags into the room.

By this time, I was exhausted, so I switched on the TV and laid down for a rest.
The door flew open, and a man (the manager of the hotel) rushed across the room, grabbed the bag you see below, and raced out the door, screaming, "We don't allow cats at this hotel!!!"
After a short time, he returned with the opened bag, asking, "WHERE'S the cat?!"

Note: After entering hotel rooms now, I secure all available bolts before resting.




Sunday, June 15, 2014

Valparaiso, Port City West of Santiago

One of the most important port cities in Chile is Valparaiso.
I would encourage you to explore the links on this page. 

The residential area is built on hills overlooking the harbor.
It is possible to drive into the hills, but it is time-consuming.
In order to create a more efficient way of accessing the city from the residential area, ascensors have long been  utilized. Click the following link to see images.





Street Market



In April 2014, a fire destroyed over 3,000 homes on the hills of Valparaiso. Click here for images of the fire.


We're off to Santiago!