Departing Scenes from La Serena, Chile

 Parks, Architecture, Flora, Fauna, and Port Scenes

(Click on photos for closer view, then click on larger photo to change to next photo.)

Independent, but happy, local dog

Domesticated llama entertaining restaurant patrons

Holland America's Veendam waiting in the harbor

Thank you for the beautiful music!

Final harbor views before heading into international waters.

Vineyards West of the Atacama

Traveling from La Serena to the Valle del Elqui, one sees beautiful mountain scenery and valleys which have been irrigated by La Laguna Dam, enabling productive vineyards to thrive. It was interesting to see what was being accomplished on this land so close to the very dry Atacama Desert. I had seen the vineyards which lie between Santiago and Valparaiso.  It was a nice surprise to see the vineyards in the north as well.

The mountains are quite arid.

The dam.

Elqui Valley winery

"When the roses are healthy, the grapes will also thrive."

Nazca Plate, Earthquake Zone

Since I last posted to this blog, there was an earthquake just north of La Serena (closer to Iquique). Click on this CNN link to see photos. There are frequent earthquakes in this zone, due to the location of the plates. I lived for over 35 years  in California on the western coast of the United States, so the earthquake phenomenon was always of interest to me. We had a hanging chandelier in our dining room in San Diego. Whenever there was the slightest tremor, the chandelier would swing quietly back and forth.  One day, when I had little else to do, I counted the small tremors throughout the day, stopping the chandelier between tremors. I realize this isn't exactly a scientific way of measuring earthquakes, but that day I stopped counting when I got to over 100. (The earthquake plate extends all the way up to Alaska and back down to Japan and further south off the coasts of Indonesia, Fiji, and New Zealand. There are apps one can get to keep track of earthquake activity around the world. I have one, and check it daily.)

(File photo)

(File photo)

Glimpses of La Serena, Chile

This museum map will give you an idea as to the location of La Serena in northern Chile. It is directly east of Easter Island (which belongs to Chile).

La Serena is the 2nd oldest city in Chile, after Santiago.

The trunks of these trees are quite interesting.

I cannot read the inscription on this statue, but I believe it is Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia, a Spanish conquistador from Extremadura who was first Royal Governor of Chile. (Closer observation--it may very well be Francisco de Aguirre, also a Spanish conquistador, who was influenced by Valdivia.)

Archaeological Museum

Whaling Boat

Working on board the whaling boat

Azulejo tile on the seat in from of the museum

This is the friendly city dog who welcomed me to La Serena by licking the lens of my new camera as I had it focused on him to take his picture. This is the dog photo after I cleaned the slobber off the lens.

Favorite Lighthouse, La Serena

I really do like this lighthouse!

The lighthouse was built in 1951.

Heading South to Northern Chile

At this point, I should remind my readers that this trip was taken in the fall of 2012 (as the Hurricane Sandy was heading up the east coast of the U.S.)

We were on Holland America's ship, Veendam, traveling from Boston to Buenos Aires. After we left Callao, the port city for Lima, Peru, we sailed south off the western coast of South America towards La Serena, Chile. This city lies to the west of the Atacama Desert. (Veendam,  now showing in the Header is docked at La Serena, Chile--not Lima.)

When one is traveling by ship along the coast of western South America, it is necessary to be well off the coast, and therefore, out of sight of land. It is for this reason that I will introduce you to a sampling of the towel zoo on board the Veendam. It was fascinating to see what new creatures would be waiting for us each evening as we returned from dinner.

Lima, Peru. Mixing Old With New.

Why is it that I always feel like lingering when I post photos on this blog?

My old favorites of Chile and Argentina are yet to come,

yet I became endeared to Ecuador and Peru as well.

It always feels like saying "Goodbye" again as I move on.