South America
Visiting South America was always a far fetched dream that I had but it actually came true when I booked a few of my clients on the Insignia, Oceania to cruise from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso during the beautiful month of January. My group included guests from Ireland, London, England and Vancouver, Canada We all met in Buenos Aires at the Alvear Palace Hotel.
The flight from Toronto to Buenos Aires was long and we finally arrived in Santiago, Chile, our first stop before continuing to our destination. Buenos Aires airport was buzzing with traffic as many flights had just arrived. Our driver was waiting for us to take us to the hotel.
Alvear Palace Hotel is a majestic palace with very lavish rooms, right in the midst of a busy section of the city. I met the group and that evening, our driver was waiting for us to take us to the tango show at ESQUINA CARLOS GARDEL. We had a fantastic steak dinner with Argentinean wine and the show just blew us away.
The tour was organized by:
This whole package was supplied to me through Gilda Gutierrez in Miami who was just a great person to work with and did what she promised. She also has an office in Buenos Aires and the tours organized were very professional and on time!
19 JANUARY 2007 | 9.30am
After breakfast in the sun room of the Alvear Palace, Marta came to pick us up and show us the city.
Buenos Aires
First we visited the Recoleta Cemetery: Inside this exclusive cemetery, the remains of Argentina's most famous people, and the most famous Argentinean woman is found: EVA PERON " EVITA" died in 1954. She was only in her 30's and she died of cancer. Then we drive on to Teatro Colon, Museum des Beaux Arts and Eva Peron museum.
Lunch was organized at "Spettus" in Puerto Madero. This is the old port of Buenos Aires, renewed and improved, and is now one of the selected and visited areas by the tourists. There are elegant restaurants, all of them with a river view and there is a huge movie complex in the area. The restaurant serves all different cuts of steaks, lamb, chicken, a cold buffet with lots of fish and great South American wines again. We spent some time in May Square and the Metropolitan Cathedral. The next day, before boarding the ship, the guide took us to visit the Museum of Beaux Arts which is just 5 minutes walk from the hotel.
Buenos Aires was just as I had pictured it in my mind, classy shops, well dressed and chic people and a lot of excitement in the city. We fell in love with this city, its eclectic architecture, inspired by cities like Paris, Lisbon and Madrid. After the visit to the museum, the driver took us to the port to board the Insignia. In minutes we were on board and settled in our staterooms.
Montevideo, Uruguay
Montevideo is one of South America's most interesting cities. Montevideo lies on the east bank of the Rio de la Plata, almost directly opposite Buenos Aires on the west bank. The most intriguing area is the Ciudad Vieja, the colonial grid on a small peninsula near the port and harbour that was once surrounded by protective walls. Avenida 18 of July (Avenida 18 de Julio) is the capital's main commercial and entertainment zone. We rented a van at the port and visited the theatre which is a gorgeous building for Opera/Operetta. A market (Mercado del Puerto) is a walking distance from the ship and the port. This market is a must for meat lovers and you can find reasonably priced ‘Parillas’ a nourishing pyramid of grilled chicken, tender ribs, juicy steaks and sausages served with a divine and powerful parsley and garlic ‘chimichurri’ sauce.
Puerto Madryn, Argentine Patagonia
Puerto Madryn is a city in the province of Chubut in the Argentine Patagonia and has approximately 60,000 inhabitants. The city is protected by the Golfo Nuevo, which is formed by Peninsula Valdés and Punta Ninfas. It is twinned with Nefyn, a small town on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, the result of its great link with Welsh culture since the Welsh settlement in Argentina.
We drove 180km south of Puerto Madryn and visited the Punta Tombo nature reserve (Reserva Natural Punta Tombo) which is home to the largest colony of Magellan Pengins in the world. Here lies the most important colony of Magellan penguins. We drove through the Pantagonia dessert, the third largest in the world after the Sahara dessert and the Gobi in Mongolia. The penguins were named after Ferdinand Magellan who spotted them during his expedition.
Gaiman is the Welsh town and one can visit the tea houses that are found here. The architecture, the traditions and even the Welsh language of the first settlers is still to be found today. Welsh tea is served by the descendants of the first settlers.
The Valdez Peninsula is a privileged bird and sea fauna reservation, and the peak attraction is the southern whale that comes to these coasts to breed every year between May and December. Valdez Peninsula is a geographical accident resembling an island and attached to the continent by a narrow part which is only 35 km wide named Isthmus. Once you are in the peninsula, you can tour its coasts populated by sea lions and sea elephants and many birds. Puerto Piramides is the peak tourist attraction which is a cozy little town with lodging facilities and restaurants.
Port Stanley - Falkland Island
The islands (East Falkland and West Falkland) are remote and sparsely populated, but geographically they are part of Patagonia and located about 300 miles off the coast of Argentina. The Falklands have been under British rule since mid-1800s. Argentina considers the Falklands (what they call the Malvinas) theirs and waged a war in 1982 to claim them but they were defeated and the islands remain resolutely British.
Stanley, the capital city of the Falklands is located on East Falkland and the only ‘town’ in the islands. The entire population of the Falklands is 2,500 and 1,700 call Stanley their home.
The area is so windswept and the seas around it so fierce, that only about half of the cruise ships scheduled to call at Port Stanley actually make it.
We were lucky enough to have fair seas and our ship was able to arrive in Stanley Harbour. We took a tender to the port and visited this very friendly town where every one knows each other. Stanley’s main street follows the waterfront and the town rises somewhat behind it. There are no traffic lights, no big de - partment stores but quite a bit of history to the town. Tourists can rent jeeps which will take you around the island to see the battlefield of the Falklands, Fitzroy Farm Hall and Gypsey Cove, which is only 5 miles from Port Stanley. We walked to the cove which took two hours and arrived at a beautiful park where one can see mummy penguins with their babies. You can also see a colony of penguins on the beach with the king penguins standing out amongst their babies.
Back in town, The Globe is the place to have a drink and eat fish and chips. The town has an English flair as you walk around the War Memorial, the Gov- ernment House and the museum. The weather makes all the difference and if people say that there is nothing in Falkland Islands, we have good memories of that beautiful sunny day in Stanley!
Ushuaia
The southern most city in the in the world. We have been so lucky with the weather, the sea has been calm and it is unusually comfortable temperatures. We are heading for the Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) which belongs to Argentina and Chile. The taxi drivers speak very little English but a $25 cab ride and $7 for entrance fees (only local money accepted) will get you to the park which was created in 1960. There is a variety of fauna, 20 species of mammals and 90 species of birds with many lakes, i.e. Lago Roca and Bahia Lapatia. There are no amphibians on the island. The scenery just blows one away! The town gets quite busy with tourists at this time of the year, mostly cruise ships when they can dock, because rough weather can divert the ships to the next port. TANTA NINA is a good restaurant near the port where we also saw our ship’s chef having lunch there too. Prices are very reasonable and the food and wine are both premium class. Internet cafes, lots of cute little and big souvenir shops, Onyx and T-shirts and much more is available in Ushuaia.
Insignia - Oceania
Insignia - Oceania is a delightful ship, very elegant and the crew is amazing. The Polo Grill, The Toscana and the Grand Dining Room are exclusive! The Tapas Bar is very relaxed and just the place when you do not need any entertaining!
After another day at sea, our vessel enters the BEAGLE CHANNEL. Fantastic view from the starboard side of the ship and then at 5pm, we start sailing through the CHILEAN FJORDS AND GLACIERS with many waterfalls due to the melting snow. The glaciers have receded dramatically due to global warming.
Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas is a small town and if you want to take a day off and relax on the ship, this is the time to do it. OTWAY SOUND is the highlight here and there are more penguins to see.
Chilean Fjords
Sailing through fjords in the early morning is just magical! Everyone gathers on the top deck to watch the captain maneuvering through a very narrow channel. The weather is disappointing, misty and grey, 45 mile wind and raining but the INSIGNIA sails away smoothly towards LAGUNA SAN RAFAEL. There are two more nights at sea. Lots of bridge and Trivia but NO CASINO as Chilean law forbids gambling while on their waters. The captain has promised the guests that on 31 January when he sails away from the inside passage, he might make the 28km distance from Chile and on international waters requirement when we would be able to go to the Casino. ARRIVAL IN LAGUNA SAN RAFAEL - the ship anchors here and they offer Catamaran tours to the glaciers. Laguna San Rafael National Park is located on the Pacific coast of Southern Chile. The park is named for the lagoon formed by the retreat of the San Rafael glacier. It was created in 1959 and covers an area of 1,742,000 hectares and includes the northern Patagonian ice field. A fjord more than 10 miles long is one of the parks principle attractions. This park is designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1979.
Chacabuco
This is a little shanty town where there is nothing to do except if you take a tour organized by the ship to Simpson Valley for nature walks and admiring waterfalls. We walked to the internet and the little supermarket and then took the local bus to AISEN. This town is 18 km away from Chacabuco.
Puerto Montt
We are back on the ship for another enjoyable dinner and evening activities. Sailing through fjords and beautiful scenery, we arrive at Puerto Montt where we anchor and go on land to the small town of Puerto Montt. Gateway to the southern lakes, it is 634 miles south of Santiago. Puerto Montt is a modern city, and the German presence is very significant with signs for Juchen, Blu - menhaus etc. There is an interesting fish market in Angelmo and many sea food restaurants. 16 miles north is VARAS. It is the largest town on the lake Llanquinhue. Along the way, you pass the town of Fruitillar which is a tidy little town west of the lake. We rented a car and went to Petrohue Falls which are azure blue rapids.
Santiago, Chile
There is a big lineup to disembark as a bus takes you to the actual port where you pick up your luggage. The private van and driver are waiting for us and he shows us the city of Valparaiso. Valparaíso is Chile’s most important seaport and an increasingly vital cultural center. The city is located in central Chile, where it is capital of the Region of Valparaíso. Valparaiso is also home of the National Congress. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, em- bodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy. Valparaíso is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often considered to be one of Latin America’s most intriguing urban areas. Valparaiso like most of Chile is vulnerable to earthquakes. The last major earthquake to strike the city directly was in 1906 which devastated the city and killed nearly 20,000.
I had organized a tour to Vina del Mar in Valparaiso, Chile’s fourth largest city and a popular beach resort. I had reserved a table for lunch at Vîna Indómita, a giant white castle perched on a knoll above a spread of grapevines. The ambience at Indómita is sophisticated, and like most of the wineries in wine country, they serve Chilean meat and seafood, appetizers and fresh salad. We had an epic meal, with Osso Buco cooked in pinot noir and served in coriander gnocchi. The sweeping views of the Casablanca Valley are breathtaking!
In Santiago, we spent two nights at the Ritz Carlton.
During the early 19th century, Santiago remained a small town with few buildings excepting Palacio de La Moneda, the building used as the Chilean mint during the Spanish period, and a few churches and other civic buildings. The Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús caught fire during an 1863 church service, and 2000 people died, one of the worst modern fires. In the 1880s extraction of nitrate fertilizer in Northern Chile brought prosperity to the country, and pro - moted the capital city's development. Important landmarks were built in 1910 during the Centennial celebrations for independence from Spain. Santiago began its transformation into a modern city in the 1930s, with the building of the Barrio Cívico, surrounding El Palacio de La Moneda. The city also grew in population, due to migration from the north and south of Chile. In 1985 an earthquake destroyed some historically significant buildings in the downtown area.
The first evening in Santiago, the guide took us to a Folklore show at the Balihai Restaurant. The food was good and amazing and athletic dancers entertained us during dinner. The next day, we took a half day tour to CONHA Y TORO winery. All Chilean wines are delicious and the walk through the vineyards and the surroundings is refreshing.
We had lunch at a nearby restaurant before we left some of our guests at the airport as they had an early evening flight. We went back to the Ritz in the Concierge lounge to have cocktails and light buffet before we headed out for the airport to catch our late flight back to Toronto. Memories are still very vivid in our minds of this very educational trip to South America.