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Circumnavigating South AmericaCircumnavigating South America
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Circumnavigating South America

January 2018 - April 2024
An open-ended adventure by Ali and Jeff Read more
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  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
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    Day 19

    Valparaiso, Chile

    January 22, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Wow. This was a handful. Valparaiso was a plethora of color, mouth-watering food smells, graffiti, noise, litter (no, garbage), the most beautiful fruits and vegetables I’ve ever seen, cold mornings, hot afternoons, dogs (everywhere) and a feeling of a place that has multiple layers of life.
    It has been the home of many artists, poets and writers. It is clearly a place that promotes free expression. There is graffiti everywhere that intermittently transitions to beautiful, colorful murals. There are mosaics imbedded in the thousands of stairs that climb from the waterfront up into the neighborhoods that are filled with candy-colored houses. Walking along, you find many artistic expressions that are totally made of recycled or found objects.
    It is a city that has had it’s share of problems. It is in the earthquake zone, which is evident in some of the older, very elegant buildings that now sport crumbling facades. They also suffered some difficult economic times when the Panama Canal opened and they no longer enjoyed the commerce that being a major port for ships coming around Cape Horn brought.
    Valparaiso is also quite near the Casablanca Valley which is one of Chile’s main wine-producing regions.
    We had the opportunity to visit a couple of wineries and do some wine-tasting. One of the wineries said they produced 1,000,000 bottles a year, yet they are considered a boutique winery. The climate here is somewhere between that of California and France which makes it an ideal place for growing grapes.
    Jeff and I also sampled some very typical Chilean foods. Empanadas with shrimp and cheese, a pie that had beef, chicken, black olives, raisins and a cornbread topping, and something called a “completo”. A completo is a hot dog (?) on a bun that has fresh tomatoes, sauerkraut, mayonnaise and avocado. McDonalds came to Valparaiso, but only lasted a year before moving out. Turns out the people liked both the taste and the price of their completo better.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 21

    Castro, Chile

    January 24, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    After a rockin’ and rollin’ passage yesterday, we arrived in Chile’s Lake District and the town of Castro. It is a pleasant town with lots new and old architecture. There are quite a few fish farms in this area. All in all, it was a beautiful day to walk around the city, eat fresh seafood and get ready to head for the Chilean fjords. Hope the water is a little calmer-it’s hard to hold onto my glass of Prosecco!Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 22

    Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

    January 25, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    We are visiting a port that lies within the Chilean fjords. It is an almost dream-like area that surrounds us-snow-capped mountains, gorgeous lush green hillsides, the bluest skies and cerulean waters. It is a knock-out 360 degree view. One can’t help but think that maybe this would be a place to spend the winter-a cozy little cabin where you could drop a kayak into the glassy waters every day and commune with this particular kind of nature. This little dream was dancing in our heads for a couple of days, after all, it’s s perfect climate.
    After we walked into this sleepy little village that had the friendliest dogs, a local man, who spoke perfect English, was waiting to help us onto the tender back to the ship. He said, “wow, you are really lucky to be here on such a nice day, you know, it rains 300 days a year here”. And poof, that nice little daydream went right out of our heads.
    We are thoroughly enjoying this part of the trip. The beauty of the surroundings here are simply incredible and it made it easy for us to exercise on the outdoor track this morning. The cool, crisp air should be with us for several more days as we prepare to round the tip of the continent through the Straights of Magellan.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
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    Day 26

    Chilean Fjords

    January 29, 2018, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    It is a chilly day (get it? Chilly/Chile) in the fjords. It is spectacular in an austere, pristine way. There is no sign of human habitation anywhere.
    We had a bit of a rough ride here last night ( I believe I levitated off the bed a couple of times) but no complaints. One of the staff told us that on this same passage 2 years ago, they had 26’ waves for 12 days. Hhmmmm..... As I said, no complaints.
    We are flying to the Torres de Paines National Park tomorrow for a big day of sightseeing. Stay tuned.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 26

    Punta Arenas, Chile

    January 29, 2018 in Chile ⋅ 🌬 57 °F

    There has been a gap in our blog postings because Ali, the chief blog writer, had a bit of an upper respiratory infection and GI problem. This is a serious issue aboard this ship as they quarantine the afflicted individual to the room, wipe down every surface, change all linens daily, and the butler showers you with food, treats, beverages, crudite' and lots of sympathetic attention.



    Meanwhile, Nancy and I (Jim was sick too) went on an excursion from the port city of Punta Arenas, Chile in the Strait of Magellan to the Torres del Paine National Park and saw the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen in our lives, feeling guilty the whole time that our partners were not with us. The stunning views included towering mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, glacial rivers, blue AND green lakes, and gorgeous topography with several hundred guanacos (a wild, larger version of the llama) scattered about. Nancy and I discussed downplaying our experience, but I ended up telling Ali that I will take her back there for a separate trip in the future.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
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    Day 29

    Falkland Islands

    February 1, 2018 in Falkland Islands ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    After passing through the Strait of Magellan we sailed northeast to the Falkland Islands, just missing a storm with 8-12 meter seas. The winds in this part of the world are impressive and this storm exacerbated that tendancy resulting in winds over 110 mph. Locals told us about a couple who was camping during the storm and sought refuge in a shipping container. The strong winds blew the shipping container down a hillside, severely injuring the couple inside. They were evacuated to Santiago, Chile and survived.



    The nearly 800 islands of the archipelago (almost 5000 square miles) have a population of only 3000 people and over a half million sheep. The local economy also relies on fisheries and tourism. The windblown, rolling, semiarid, treeless landscape has a peculiar beauty as you can see on the photo. We toured Stanley, the capital, which has a rustic British feel and the Stanley museum was particularly interesting, with the Falklcands War of 1982 figuring prominently in local history.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
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    Day 31

    Puerto Madryn, Argentina

    February 3, 2018 in Argentina ⋅ 🌙 27 °F

    Well, I’m feeling a lot better and ready to participate more fully in our off-the-ship activities! It’s funny, though, the medicinal alcohol consumption was so helpful. And, as Jeff mentioned, having a butler supplying anything you might need certainly softens the fact that you’re not feeling 100%. In addition to whatever I asked for, he always managed to bring “just one more thing” that he was sure would make me feel better. He really is like a mother!
    We had our first stop in Argentina after being told not to wear anything that has “Falkland Islands” on it. 35 years has not wiped away the bad feelings of the conflicts that occurred during the early 80’s. We are still in the Patagonia region of South America.
    Puerto Madryn is a resort town that primarily serves people from Buenos Aires with 3 flights per week. They are quite eco-conscious and have a nice center that explains about how they are protecting their marine life. There are penguins, sea lions and right whales here. In certain areas, you might also see Orca whales. As I mentioned, this is a beach resort, and on this particular Saturday, the beach was packed with people! And so many people swimming in the ocean-I have to say that these are hearty souls because the ocean temperature is 60 degrees!
    The terrain is quite a bit like the desert Southwest in the US. Dry, scrubby plants are indicative of the hot, dry climate here and dust is everywhere. All daily use water is brought in. The descriptions of the snakes and tarantulas caused me some trepidation when stepping out of the bus.
    We visited a sheep farm and, since we are in the land of the “gaucho”, got to see gauchos in both their traditional dress and modern dress. We saw a sheep get sheared, which is a fascinating process that I had never experienced before. With practiced shearing, the wool comes off in one intact piece that was huge and hard to believe it all came off one sheep!
    Tomorrow we are flying inland to see Iguazu Falls on an overnight trip.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 34

    Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil

    February 6, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Iguazu means “big water” and, oh my, it was BIG water!
    We left the ship the morning of the 6th to take the 90 minute flight out of Buenos Aires to Iguazu, Argentina to see the largest complex of waterfalls in the world. We quickly arrived at the Argentinian side of the Falls. There were winding, metal pathways that afforded intimate and close-up interactions with the Falls, including the incredible rumbling under your feet and light mist that rose up from the most powerful Falls. An added bonus to the day were all the beautifully colored butterflies that seemed to be everywhere posing for our cameras.
    The weather was perfect for viewing, even though it was a bit hot and humid. After this very fulfilling experience, we successfully crossed over the border to the Brazilian side of the Falls. I’m making that sound easier than it was since obtaining a Brazilian visa is more than a little difficult. In fact, 2 people in our party had to overnight in Argentina because of those difficulties. So, after a long day, we headed to our hotel, which was located in the Brazilian National Park. Just when I thought I didn’t have another gasp left in me, we arrived to see the last of the setting sun over a panoramic view of the Falls.
    The next morning we took a mile-long hike along paths that led to one jaw-dropping view after another. Since we were staying in the Park, we were able to use the paths before the park officially opened to visitors, so we had almost a private tour.
    We ended our walk by walking out on a bridge that was just above one of the biggest waterfalls and getting spectacularly wet. We were happy that the hotel had some powerful hairdryers so we could dry off a bit before getting back on the plane to return to the ship.
    I could post 100 pictures and still never fully convey the majesty of this sight-I see it every time I close my eyes.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 36

    Punta del Este

    February 8, 2018 in Uruguay ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    Today was an easy day at the resort town of Punta del Este in Uruguay. We had a private guide for the 4 of us and Santiago gave us a good overview of the area. There is a wide range of housing (mostly high end) and lots of beach activities. There is a local person who built a very nice museum in a residential neighborhood that has an extensive group of work by Salvador Dali.Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 37

    Montevideo, Uruguay

    February 9, 2018 in Uruguay ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    This was a short visit for us. It is thundering and lightning, but we went out anyway. We decided to come in after we decided that being soaked through to our underwear was enough to chase us back to the ship.Read more

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