Day #33…Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Valparaiso, Chile

We heard an announcement early this morning from the captain and we knew something was wrong.  He announced that the ship could not dock in its assigned location due to a broken crane blocking the pier.  A delay to get on shore was imminent.  We did not have a pre-booked private tour so we were flexible about our shore time and plans. 

Dennis is still “under the weather” but has improved.  He does want to venture out today and see the port, but we will take it slowly.  It is a nice sunny day today and the high is to be 63° F.  So far Bonnie has dodged the sickness bullet. 

The pier personnel finally were able to remove the disabled crane and we have received the clearance to go ashore.  Since this is the end of one of the cruise segments, 780 passengers are disembarking today and passengers are eager to be transported two (2) hours away to Santiago to catch their flights.

We decided to wait until the lines were down before getting off the ship.  A shuttle bus took us to the terminal since it is one (1) mile away from the pier. 

Valparaiso, Chile is the oldest city in Chile with a population of just under one (1) million people.  The national language is Spanish and the currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP) with an exchange rate of 625 CLP = 1 USD.  The climate can be compared to a cool Mediterranean climate and the coolest months of July and August have an average temperature of 55° F.  Summers temperatures average 95° F.

Valparaiso paints a beautiful setting for its laid-back charm.  It was founded in 1536 by the Spanish conquistador, Juan de Saavedra, but not permanently established until 1544 by Valdivia.  Its most memorable feature may be its crayon-colored neighborhoods that climb up hills so steep that funiculars (elevators or ascendores) are used to traverse the dramatically graded landscape. 

The central square is called Plaza Sotmayor.  The Fonck Museum houses pre-Columbian artifacts from Easter Island.

Paseo 21 de Mayo is a scenic terrace that offers views of Valparaiso’s 43 hills or “cerros”.  Colorful Victorian homes and a sparkling harbor add to the celestial landscape of the old city.  The harbor area is also home to the 121-year old Maritime Museum.

Debarking passengers have the option of traveling to Santiago, Chile’s capital.  The drive takes about two hours one way and we have opted to do our site seeing in Valparaiso only.  Several of our friends pre-booked an excursion to Santiago today.  We will be anxious to hear about their ventures.

We took a shuttle to the terminal and visited the tourist bureau there.  We had been warned to seek an English-speaking driver as many drivers only speak Spanish.  The terminal area was packed with disembarking passengers from a Holland America ship and the Ruby Princess.  Because both ships were unable to dock on time, debarking cruise passengers were frantic to get a ride to Santiago airport.  There were no taxis or tour buses taking any private tour passengers as they were all busy taking riders to the airport.

We opted to take the local city train service, bought an all-day pass and headed into the city.  We rode the train to its last stop and walked a short distance to the Los Heroes Monument near the city center of Plaza Sotomayor.  After we took some photos, we wanted to visit the arts area of the city and took the Ascensore Concepcion up the steep hill to the Concepcion area.  The charge to ride was less than $.25 per person and saved us from walking many steps to reach the peak.  We met a couple from the Ruby Princess on the elevator ride and low and behold her name was Bonnie.  After further conversation, we learned her real name is Bonita.  What a coincidence that two people with the name Bonita were riding the six-passenger elevator together.  She is from Wisconsin and told us that there are actually four (4) named Bonita on the Princess cruise.  We had never met another with Bonnie’s real given name until this trip.

We then headed to the Handicraft Center and walked through the shops in an effort to find some great souvenirs.  We bought only one small item and headed back to the train station in order to return to the ship.  Dennis was doing fairly well for the first two hours and then felt very sick again.  He wanted to get back to our cabin and take a nap.  He became pale and feverish again and we raced back to the ship so he could rest.

A muster drill (our third this cruise) was mandatory for us to attend.  After returning to our cabin, Dennis decided to go to the Medical Center.  At least 20 passengers were ahead of him to see the doctor.  He talked to a nurse and she said he should start taking a Z-Pack (which we have with us) and wait 24 hours to see if he feels better.  He did not wait to see the doctor and chance getting exposed to  other organisms in that packed waiting room!

Tonight we just stayed in our cabin and let Dennis rest.  Hopefully tomorrow he will begin to feel better.  We are scheduled to dock in La Serena, Chile and had planned to take a private tour there.  We shall see what tomorrow brings with Dennis…