South America Discovery Tour & Cruise: February/March 2024
(continued)
Monday, March 18th
With today spent at sea, the highlight of the day is our lunch in the Pinnacle Grill where we both have the
excellent crab cakes followed by 12-ounce prime strip loin steaks, and warm fudge brownies with ice cream. Jeanette's order for her
steak to come with chips is misunderstood and we both get baked potatoes - the issue is solved when more chips are brought. Another
delightful meal.
Our morning activities include Jeanette going to the hairdressers after we have completed three laps of Deck
3. There are two presentations in the theatre: firstly regarding the operation of the ship when a large number of the staff come on
stage; then a talk on our next port of call.
Much of the rest of the day is divided between relaxing on our balcony (where it
is hot and sunny), checking with Mark regarding any last minute changes to the tour's schedule, and getting ready for tomorrow's disembarkation
in San Antonio.
Tuesday, March 19th
After breakfast, and after saying goodbye to our cabin boys, we wait in the cabin before going to Deck 2 nearer our allocated time
for disembarkation. A shuttle bus takes us to the Passenger Terminal where we are reunited with our luggage. Our tour group are then
split between two buses that take us from San Antonio to Valparaiso. There are no immediate stops for photo opportunities, so a record
of our visit to this depressingly uninviting city is confined to photos taken from the bus.
The bus takes us past the Monumento
al Cable De Cobre (left) and street vendors who appear to be selling possessions rather than products.
We also pass the Monumento
A Los Heroes (below right) and the Arco Britanico (below left).
The Arco Británico (British Arch) is located on Avenida Brasil. It was donated to the town in 1910 by the British community
in Valparaiso to mark the centenary of the Independence of Chile. Designed by the Chilean architect Alfredo Azancot, the arch was
unveiled in 1911.
The monument, covered in marble brought from Italy, is surmounted by a British Victorian lion and is decorated with
the images of four Britons who participated in the Chilean War of Independence: Thomas Cochrane, Bernardo O'Higgins, Robert Simpson
and Jorge O'Brien. It also bears the Chilean and United Kingdom coats of arms.
It is disappointing that we cannot stop at the British Arch, but the environment is not conducive to tourists wandering about - most
of the buildings are neglected and there is graffiti everywhere. The unsafe atmosphere is emphasised at a less than civilised toilet
stop where Mark hands out 1,000 Peso notes which we exchange for toilet paper. The bus then takes us to one of the city's many funiculars
The Concepción elevator is the first and oldest of the funiculars that exist in the city. It is the second oldest funicular in
Latin America and at the same time the first in the Southern Hemisphere; it was inaugurated on December 1, 1883
Despite our local guide (Paul) emphasising that it is important that the members of the group stay together, he crosses the street
to the funicular entrance leaving some trailing behind and anxious to catch up. The funicular ride is interesting but the views from
the top are not spectacular - the harbour in the bay below us has only commercial and naval vessels. We have a short walk at this
higher level that takes in some of the city's street art murals. Unfortunately, these are of poorer quality than the examples we saw
on the ship's port presentation