Day #34…Thursday, March 5, 2015

La Serena (Coquimbo), Chile

We docked in Coquimbo, the port city of the Coquimbo region.  We will be traveling to La Serena, about nine (9) miles from Coquimbo today. 

La Serena was discovered near the nexus of the Elqui River and the Pacific Ocean in 1544.  It is known as Chile’s second oldest city and has a population of just over 160,000 people.  Captain Juan Bohón founded the village of La Serena under the rule of Spain.

The city is situated in northern Chile, approximately 295 miles north of Santiago.  La Serena is currently the capital of the Coquimbo region.  Its square-grid core occupies an area on a bluff just about a mile away from the ocean shore. 

La Serena enjoys cool weather with distinct summer and winter seasons.  The average annual high temperature climbs to 65° F and dips back to 51° F in the winter months (May through August).

The primary language is Chilean Spanish and the currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP). 

Dennis is feeling somewhat better today.  He talked to a nurse at the medical center last night and she told him to start taking his Z-Pack.  Because of his infected tooth and being on Amoxicillin and then Clindamycin this cruise, he was reluctant to start a third antibiotic.  He did not cough as much last night and hopefully will continue to improve.

We met our private tour group in the Piazza.  Marilyn and Richard from Marion, Ohio organized our group of 22 and about one third hail from Ohio.  We have enjoyed sharing great times from passengers from our own state and are sure there are more that we have not met yet.

After the ship docked in Coquimbo, we boarded our tour bus at the pier and headed to La Serena.  We have a four-hour agenda today and the cost is only $30.00 per person plus tipping of ten (10) percent. 

The city is a favorite of tourists from Argentina and Chile.  We passed many high-rise apartment buildings and hotels along the beautiful seashore.

When we arrived in La Serena, we stopped and visited a lighthouse.  We then drove to the center of the city called Plaza de Armas.  Plaza de Armas is home to superb colonial buildings and a 19^th century cathedral.  Residents of La Serena take pride in preserving their old buildings and we saw much construction taking place in the city. 

We visited the La Recova, the artisan’s marketplace, which featured copper and silver jewelry, glass works, alpaca wear and ceramics.  Unique fish cured leather items were also for sale.   The area is famous for using its Lapis stone for making jewelry and a set of earrings, necklace and bracelet were purchased for less than $30.00. 

The area is also famous for its vineyards.  The towering Andes Mountains rise above the historic and breathtaking Elqui Valley and form a beautiful backdrop for the city of La Serena.  The Pisco district of the Elqui Valley is famous for its grape brandy and is produced as a long-standing tradition begun by the Spanish in the 16^th century.

Stopping at the University of La Serena, we had a great view of the city below.  The campus is so serene and beautiful and has approximately 3,000 students.  The grounds have many unique trees such as the peppercorn, olive and a generic evergreen type with branches that resemble the points of a star.

We returned to the town of Coquimbo and visited the 3^rd Millennium Cross and its Church.  The cross overlooks the city and is located in a poverty-stricken part of Coquimbo.  It is surrounded by full size iron figures that depict the Stations of the Cross.  The chapel was simple and beautiful and Masses occur on Thursdays Saturdays and Sundays.  We climbed the steps to the second level and had a magnificent view of the town and the harbor.

Traveling to the site of an ancient fort, we took pictures and admired the view from the stone cliffs that surround the area.  We finished our tour at the harbor where our ship was docked and headed to the arts and crafts and seafood markets along the shoreline.  There we took photos of individuals feeding the many sea lions that wait near the waters edge for scraps of fish and a tasty treat.  Dennis was able to get some outstanding video of the sea lion frenzy.

We both loved this area and would have stayed on shore much longer, but Dennis was getting very tired and had started coughing again.  We returned to the ship and he took a much-needed nap.  His wheezing is less and his fever has not returned so hopefully, he is getting well.

Later we went to the Explorer’s Lounge to see a performance of Flamenco Express, a duo who has been dancing together for many years.  The costumes were very colorful and all enjoyed the Spanish style of dancing. 

Andrew Geater, a Ruby Princess singer from the UK, presented his own show in the Ruby Princess Theater later.  He is truly an outstanding vocalist and was far better than some of the guest vocalist entertainers that have been brought on board for our cruise.  We hope he is showcased again with his own entertainment.  He was so outstanding!

We have two (2) sea days and are heading to the Pisco area of Peru.  Bonnie has a spa appointment early tomorrow morning.  Our clocks were moved back one hour tonight so getting up early should not be too difficult.