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Heading for Home

2/15/2019

 
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Kathy and Randy entering the winery
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They make only 3000 bottles per year,
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Carmenere grapes
We returned to Santiago for 24 hours before leaving for home tonight.  After a good night's sleep, today we toasted the end of our South American journey with a visit to Paseo del Vino, a charming family-owned winery whose owner established it on a single acre of grapes, as a passion project. He makes just 3,000 bottles a year (both red and white) and loves introducing visitors to Chilean wine culture.  We learned about winemaking and tasted some of his vintages, followed by a traditional meal. This evening, we will transfer to the airport for your flight home to the U.S.
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Pasei de Chocio (Sweet Corn and Meat Casserole)
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Terri, Mel, Lyn, Steve, Carol and Karen

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Our Itinerary
This has been one of the most amazing trips we've taken.
  • 24 fabulous travel companions,
  • 3 beautiful countries (Brazil, Argentina and Chile) plus Easter Island (part of Chile),
  • Every possible combination of weather - hot/humid, temperate, cold/rainy, challenged our packing skills,
  • Incredible wines - sparkling white of Brazil, Malbec of Argentina and Carmenere  of Chile, and
  • Danna, the best trip leader ever!

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Adios until our next adventure.  We're traveling The Great Rivers of Europe September 11-26.  Join us!  There are still rooms available on the ship.

Looking for something a bit more adventuresome like the trip we just finished?  Join us for The Best of Kenya and Tanzania a year from now.  

​Click on the links in the paragraphs above for more information.

Rapa Nui - continued

2/15/2019

 
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The first Polynesians (probably 20-30 people at most) arrived around 500 AD.  At least that's the most common belief.  There is evidence of a much earlier visit from Asia and also from the mainland (South America).  No one really knows - yet.  Starting from an extremely limited resource base (chickens, rats and a few food plants), the Rapa Nui constructed one of the most advanced societies in the world for the technology they had available.  However the demands placed on the environment by this development were immense.  When it could no longer withstand the pressure the society fell with it.  
In 1550 there were about 7000 inhabitants.  But after deforestation the population decreased dramatically and the society collapsed to one of inter-tribal wars over inadequate resources, slavery and cannibalism.  Without trees they had no canoes, so fishing was limited to what they could catch from shore.  To make things worse, without mulberry trees they could no longer make nets.  With no wood they could no longer build structures so resorted to living in lava caves.  The soil eroded so even their few crops were not enough.  Following the arrival of Europeans their population was further diminished by disease, so by 1877 just 111 people lived on Easter Island, and only 36 of them had any offspring.
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Wondering why the Rapa Nui cut down that last tree?  There are a couple theories... One was a long period of droughts, the other they needed the logs to move the huge moai.  Possibly it was both.  Whatever the reason, deforestation was devastating.
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Once a year they celebrate the Tapati Festival for 2 weeks.  This cultural festival includes feats of strength, endurance and dance.  We were fortunate to be there during the event.  As it turns out, the event this year was understated - they had decided to make it alcohol free resulting in smaller and more subdued crowds.  This change actually made our experience watching the dance competitions more enjoyable.  Even the the competition for queen was eliminated as there was only one contestant.  (The cost of the costumes and activities is too great for most families to support.) 
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Our incredible guides
Today the Rapa Nui dress like us, live in modest houses, drive cars on paved roads and buy their groceries at mini-markets.  They own their own land and receive considerable support from the government.
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For a small fee a young man posed with us in his dance costume.
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Ed and Penny
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Tom and Barbara
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Mel and Lyn
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Karen
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Jeanie - oh, la-la
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Marianne
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Steve and Carol
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Randy and Kathy
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Randall and Terri (me)
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Gayle
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Caroline

Easter Island - Rapa Nui

2/14/2019

 
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Carol arrives
Sorry for the big gap since the last posting...   We left Santiago Tuesday the 11th on  a 5 hour flight to Easter Island.  We had very slow internet service there so couldn't upload photos.  I'll take the next couple blogs to catch you up on our adventure.

​Easter Island was given it's name by a Dutch explorer who encountered the island on Easter Sunday 1722.  Locals prefer to use the Polynesian name of Rapa Nui (Big Island).  It is 2,200 miles off the coat of Chile, 2,00 miles east of Tahiti, and 4,300 miles southeast of Hawaii making it the most isolated piece of land in the world.  The current population is about 5,000.

This is a place surrounded by mystery.  There is much history and lore, much of it contradictory.  We spent 3 days learning about this fascinating place with our local guide Nicholas (Nikko).  
The history of Easter Island is rich and highly controversial.  It's inhabitants developed a sophisticated culture then endured famines, epidemics, civil war, slave raids, colonialism, and the collapse of their ecosystem.  

Oral tradition says the island originally had a very clear class system, with the ariki (king) wielding absolute god-like power.  The most visible element in the culture was the production of the massive statues that are part of the ancestral worship.

The large stone statues, or moai, for which Easter Island is famous were carved during a relatively short time ranging from 400 - 1600 CE.  There are a total of nearly 900 moai on the island, most carved out of volcanic ash called tuff.  Each statue represents a deceased long-ear chief or important person, their body interred within the ahu (Coastal Platform) the maoi stands upon.  Only a quarter of the statues were actually installed, while nearly half still remain in the quarry and others are scattered about the island.
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Our handsome local guide Nicholas (Nikko) told us of the history and mystery of the island.
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OK, we know this photo is corny, but we had to have a little fun pretending to be a row of moai.
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There's more to Rapa Nui than the moai. This is a beautiful island, with beautiful people and culture. It's much like what I imagine Hawaii was like 75 years ago - no high rises, golf courses or large resorts.

Santiago and Valparaiso

2/10/2019

 
Chile is very long and narrow.  From north to south it stretches 2625 miles from desert to glaciers and includes thousands of miles of seacoast as well as mountains over 21,000 feet.  Chile has the world's largest concentration of copper, which is it's major economic resource.  The central zone is fertile and bountiful providing agricultural products which are their second major economic resource and our source of many "off season" fruits and vegetables.  With its natural resources and energetic people, ​Chile has the strongest economy in all South America.
Yesterday we set out on a full-day tour of Valparaiso, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Chile’s largest seaport.  Valparaiso is a chaotic maze of narrow alleys, steep staircases, and colorful funiculars that ramble up 17 surrounding cerros (hills). we rode one of these ascensores to catch a spectacular view from Happy Hill, a haven for artists and writers.  We wandered past old mansions and modern street art. Then we hopped into colectivos (public ride-share taxis) to enjoy lunch with a local family in their home.
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A ride up the 110 year old ascensores. We were assured they have been recently maintained and in good service!
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Wall murals were everywhere on Happy Hill.
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Surely it doesn't say, "ascend at your own peril"?!
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One of the artists. He loves tourists because we buy his art and allow him to make a living doing what he loves.
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The family that prepared our delicious home-hosted lunch
Today we started our day with a talk from a local woman who told us of her experiences during the Allende Years and the Pinochet Coup that took place between 1969 and 1973. Once a model for political stability in South America, the years that socialist president Salvador Allende was in power changed everything. Political disputes, social unrest, and the economic influence of President Richard Nixon culminated in a coup d'etat, ultimately resulting in Allende's death and Pinochet's rise to power.
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Another tram ride - this really has been a trip with lots of local transportation options.
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At the top of the hill, our local guide Yisslen introduces us to yet anothr local drink - very refreshing!
Later this morning we visited San Cristobal Hill, which rises above and serves as the cities playground.  Later we explored Santiago’s hub on foot, then gathered for a Farewell Lunch to toast to wonderful experiences and new friends.  Most of us will proceed to Easter Island for the post trip, but 5 of our fellow travelers leave this evening to return home. ​​
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La Moneda Palace, the seat of Chile’s government, which served as the setting for a violent military coup in the 1970s.

A Bit More about the Chilean Fjords

2/9/2019

 
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We're currently in Santiago but our last 3 nights were aboard the 90 passenger Skorpios III cruising  the Chilean ice fields and fjords.   The southern ice field is the 3rd largest fresh water ice pack after Antarctica and Greenland.  There are 48 glacier bays and we saw 11 "up close and personal". 

​These are temperate glaciers, which means they are at the melting point throughout the year from the surface to the base of the glacier.  (Polar glaciers are always below the freezing point.)  All of the glaciers we saw were receding with the exception of Perito Moreno in Argentina. 
The Skorpios III is the only ship that takes passengers into the southern ice fields.   If you want to see these spectacular features of nature, book your trip soon!
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We walked back from the coast to see...
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...this glacier which has retreated about 1/2 mile in 5 years.
PictureKawesqar photo from Internet
We learned about the indigenous people of southern Patagonia.  The Kawasqar, who lived in the Strait of Magellan) and the Chonos, who lived further to the north, were nomadic people living on the coast and fishing the cold waters.  They kept warm by coating their skin with seal fat and mud, often done in design.  The men fished and hunted seals and the women did everything else including diving for mussels in the frigid waters.  There were frequent inter-tribal skirmishes as the men raided for additional women to dive for mussels.  There wasn't a single person in our group that wanted to trade our dry, warm clothing and beds for a life coated in grease and diving for mussels!

PictureIt's cold and drizzling outside, but life on-board the Skorpios is good...

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Gayle making a pisco sour
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Seafood selections for the final dinner...
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...and desserts, too.

PictureTrip Itinerary
​

This trip takes us over 5500 miles within South America.   And, that doesn’t include our international flights to and from the US or the extension to Easter Island.  It was a challenge to pack because we expected every possible kind of weather - and we got it. 
  • It is the height of the summer down here so it was very hot and humid in Rio, Iguassu Falls and Buenos Aires.  We had several people who felt ill for 24 hours or so, probably due to dehydration.
  • We had perfect, temperate weather in El Calfate which should have been cool and windy.
  • Torres del Paine was hot, sunny and no wind.  This is highly unusual as it is normally cold, overcast or drizzling and very windy.  We had temperatures of 88 degrees one day, the hottest on record by 9 degrees!  The local people were exhausted by the heat.
  • The Chilean Fjords were cold (50’s) and drizzling.  We were glad we had down jackets and rain gear.
  • Santiago and Valparaiso are comfortable and sunny.
  • And, Easter Island is expected to be hot and humid again.
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