tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86814786272453321122024-03-13T10:10:21.250-07:00Rio de Janeiro to Santiago - The CruiseA blog about Gary and Joanne Karlsen's 20-day South America cruise from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Santiago, Chile, December 14, 2018 to January 3, 2019.
All photography and text by Gary Karlsen.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-65743245236903764292019-02-26T11:27:00.001-08:002023-11-20T08:37:19.878-08:0012. Santiago, Chile<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">T</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">he voyage from Brazil with stops in the large and small ports of Uruguay, Argentina and Chile gave us a bucketful of rewarding experiences. We saw a lot and learned much about new places and the people who live there, their food and wine, and how they feel about their home countries, as well as their views of some of the larger world.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">While we only scratched the surface of parts of South America, we now have more than a rudimentary knowledge of the geography of that fascinating continent, and we are also now more aware of the differences and the similarities between the people of the countries we visited and the people in our part of the world. We all share similar day-to-day pressures and concerns, political, environmental, economic, or family life. At the end of the day </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">what </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">was most gratifying for us was the friendliness of all the strangers we interacted with. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>one small section of high-density Santiago, 5.6 million people<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The peoples of the </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">South American continent are as much</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> a mix of indigenous and varied ethnic origins as those who call North America home. Inequalities and tensions prevail above and below the equator, yet while we travel as </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">tourists—</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">privileged and casual </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">observers—the conditions of the haves and have-nots have not gone unseen and unfelt, but alas, further commentary on the human condition is beyond the scope of this simple travel blog.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Costanera Sky, the tallest building on the continent—almost 1,000'</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>This shot is a closeup of a section in the photo, above.<br />The window washer is hanging 100+ feet above the street, so<br />I called this shot easy-peasy because he made it look that way.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Santiago, this great big land-locked city, is our last stop before flying home, and we are ready to do just that—get back to family, friends and our own bed. Oh yes, and to work. One of is is only partially retired.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>the audio was in English</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">What does one do on Day 23 & 24 in such a big city after where we have been and what we have seen? We take the HOHO, of course, aka the Hop On Hop Off bus. A perfect choice because this small fare for a day gave us an overview of the city, the independence, and the freedom to choose what we wanted to see during our two days here.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>NOTE:</i> <i>This final posting is just a mix of images that caught my eye in this rather complex city. Admittedly, we were a little tired, and a little done, and I think Santiago did not capture a lot of our interest. Maybe </i></span><i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">also, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">we were kind of pampered on the ship, and now we were cut loose and cast </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">adrift, as it were, fending more for ourselves, perhaps also biding our time until it was time to catch our plane.</span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>any street in any city?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The photo above reminds me of online logins where, in order to pass go, you have the click the I AM NOT A ROBOT box. If my picture is divided into squares you have to click each square that has a cell phone. If I had taken the photo a few seconds later maybe there would have been more squares to prove you're </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">not a robot:</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> the guy on the scooter reaching for his device? The woman reaching into her bag for her smartphone? What about the guy leaning against the tree talking on his phone?</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These eScooters</span><span style="text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> are everywhere.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Hotel Continental in the upscale <br />Nueva Las Condes part of Santiago</i></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">LOST IN TRANSLATION</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>NOT SUPPORTING THE DOORS?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>what glasses? </i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The tramway—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">teleférico—</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">took us above the city for some terrific aerial views, and then we rode the funicular down to the other end of town. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>THIS COULD BE TRICKY??</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I THINK I GET IT</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Am I being unfair, poking fun? After all, at least it was English.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>foaming-by-the-glass wine<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>hamburger—reminds me of <br />Steve Martin doing Inspector Clouseau<br />And, wow! That looks like $6,500!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>from atop Santa Lucia</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Sky Costanara</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>skywalk</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Descending back down to the city on the funicular, one arrives at the old Bellavista neighbourhood. Why is there always so much more colour in the older, poor areas of the cities? Remember Buenos Aires, posting #3?</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Pantaleón</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> Restaurant<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>we did not chow down at Pedro, Juan & Diego but love the name</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>empanada man </i></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>facing you <br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>melding of the minds </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was so wonderful making new friends </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">on the ship. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Alastair and Helen from </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">New Zealand, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">we have been missing our fun times together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: inherit;">In closing, for readers who were looking for information about going on a cruise, who were doing some online research about the pros and cons of cruising, or who wanted to find out </i><i>whether</i><i style="font-family: inherit;"> they should spend the big bucks and buy tickets for an Oceania cruise, oops, that's not what this blog was about. My blog was not a sales pitch for cruising or for a cruise line. Aah, if only you'd known about that before you</i><i style="font-family: inherit;"> got you this far. If you are reading this line, then I must have had you hooked. </i><i>Thanks for hanging in there. </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SwFG2WAeNs/XFHzPidzujI/AAAAAAAAHso/IS7R7Q8SxjkI-PfQqp9kPDYkLkLEMLIRACLcBGAs/s1600/the%2Bphotographer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1600" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SwFG2WAeNs/XFHzPidzujI/AAAAAAAAHso/IS7R7Q8SxjkI-PfQqp9kPDYkLkLEMLIRACLcBGAs/s200/the%2Bphotographer.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: currentcolor; transition: all 0.3s;"><a href="http://www.noordinaryseaman.com/" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: currentcolor; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">www.noordinaryseaman.com for more photography and writing</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></a></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-5563065847938172122019-02-22T13:00:00.000-08:002023-11-20T13:18:02.133-08:0011. Puerto Montt, Chile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span><span style="font-size: large;">his is the Los Lagos region, the Lake District of Chile on the edge of the Patagonian wilderness. We are now just over a thousand kilometres south of Santiago, our final destination.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>centre/left where the solid white<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">line </span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">becomes</span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> dots</span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is Petrohue Falls, our destination</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Osorno is one of twelve active volcanoes in the region. It dominates the landscape from a very long way off.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDYkE3SX3QM/XGzQQ0a7hsI/AAAAAAAAIGg/cLG0VX2qpN8iC9fEOTRc3uWri1jJFmi2wCLcBGAs/s1600/Lk%2BLlanquihue%252C%2BOsorno%2BVolcano.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1600" height="340" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDYkE3SX3QM/XGzQQ0a7hsI/AAAAAAAAIGg/cLG0VX2qpN8iC9fEOTRc3uWri1jJFmi2wCLcBGAs/s640/Lk%2BLlanquihue%252C%2BOsorno%2BVolcano.jpg" width="640" /></i></span></a></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Lake Llanquihue is the largest lake in Chile </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic;">Osorno Volcano</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">8,700 feet above sea level</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lady of Puerto Varas</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrLxjFyiZW8/XG2ToIB0QeI/AAAAAAAAIGs/exUAPeML6yQCCc5lT-PA9UyYJLTW5ydjwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Osorno%2BVolcano%2B04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrLxjFyiZW8/XG2ToIB0QeI/AAAAAAAAIGs/exUAPeML6yQCCc5lT-PA9UyYJLTW5ydjwCEwYBhgL/s640/Osorno%2BVolcano%2B04.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We did a half-day excursion on a nice small bus with about a dozen fellow passengers, guided by a young </span><span>local C</span><span>hilean woman.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Maria's English was terrific. She was just completing (</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">on scholarships)</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> her Master's Degree in Linguistics and will be starting her doctoral programme in Germany in the fall.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1XS8wdBdLQ/XG3bcursDnI/AAAAAAAAII4/va6q-DBCes0mfkIG7GRZcmlKUq4CO7m0gCLcBGAs/s1600/Dozen%2BBuses.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1600" height="371" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1XS8wdBdLQ/XG3bcursDnI/AAAAAAAAII4/va6q-DBCes0mfkIG7GRZcmlKUq4CO7m0gCLcBGAs/s640/Dozen%2BBuses.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">the dozen buses reserved by </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We pre-booked online with ViaTour for about one-fourth the price of the Marina's excursion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Our tour was like a Sunday outing with some new friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lunch was a picnic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">(more on that below)</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> mingling with </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>some of us rubbed noses with the alpacas</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the mid-1800s Chile's President Manuel Montt opened up this remote, heavily forested region of the country with immigration and resource development, bringing in a wave of German settlers. Their influence remains today. Following the cleanup of a cataclysmic earthquake in 1960 Chileans from around the country began to relocate here.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Petrohue Falls</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Frutillar was settled by German colonialists. The Teutonic flavour of the town was reported in the brochure to be rather Bavarian. We did not see anyone walking around wearing lederhosen and grey wool sweaters with pewter buttons, but there was some </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">decidedly Deutsch </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">architecture. Having been to the fatherland many times I left the photos of the "Bavarian"<i> </i>buildings for other tourists.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> On the bottom floor of this old wood frame building, there is a</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> delicatessen that keeps some of the German food culture alive. W</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">e chose to forgo the Würstchen, Sauerkraut, the Kuchen and the Strudel for the empanadas that were waiting at our next stop.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Puerto Varas, on the shore of Lake </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Llanquihue,</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"> is known as the Rose Capital of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Los Lagos. </span>The temperate climate, abundance of rainfall, and fertile land support important agricultural industries in this region. </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">While the city rose gardens were near the end of their bloom, they were still stunning and I managed to preserve some of them in photographs</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Our picnic of empanadas and wine was waiting for us. Our small group feasted at the lakeshore amongst the wildflowers. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was T-shirt weather.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><i>our guide, Maria served us<br />white and red wine<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This Cabernet Sauvignon is also available at home with a different label—great picnic and everyday table wine. Of course, the price is much higher in BC. Concha Y Toro is a big wine producer in Spain. One of the Iberian sons took the family label to the new world and made a success of it in Chile.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_L728AfDd0/XHBFCD8JgYI/AAAAAAAAIL8/7eRd4IzL898YE29hvZsmm2t0o4vescTNACEwYBhgL/s1600/Flower%2B01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1600" height="627" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_L728AfDd0/XHBFCD8JgYI/AAAAAAAAIL8/7eRd4IzL898YE29hvZsmm2t0o4vescTNACEwYBhgL/s640/Flower%2B01.jpg" width="640" /></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">On our return to the ship, Maria dropped just the two of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">us</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> off a few blocks from the dock so we could buy some of the same CabSav at a local corner store. Not a place for tourists. All the better. We bought the litre and a half for our cabin for just a few dollars: what the locals pay. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>last tender back to the ship<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">I was having fun in t</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">he small tienda (store), standing room only amongst the local favela residents, and I wanted to linger</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">, to shop for some more wine, engage the locals by </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">stretching </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">my few words of Spanish, performing some </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">appropriate body language, and miming an assortment of facial expressions but my partner dragged me out of there, worried that we might miss our sailing or worse ...</span></span><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jhKEVkQZTEY/XHBd6iwNEMI/AAAAAAAAIMs/9Q6s7WtEKiAkmzAkWKmp2pa-HJJR436UgCLcBGAs/s1600/Adib%2527s%2BPerfect%2BCappuccino.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1279" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jhKEVkQZTEY/XHBd6iwNEMI/AAAAAAAAIMs/9Q6s7WtEKiAkmzAkWKmp2pa-HJJR436UgCLcBGAs/s640/Adib%2527s%2BPerfect%2BCappuccino.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Adib, Barista extraordinaire</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Safe and sound, we were back on the mother ship </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in time for my daily cappuccino </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">prepared by Adib, our Barista extraordinaire!</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">
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Then, I seem to recall opening the vino tinto ...</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large;"><i>The next blog post is:</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">about</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"> Santiago</span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-26637544626990885602019-02-19T10:35:00.000-08:002023-11-20T14:14:38.480-08:0010. No Ordinary Seaman Is On The Bridge<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">No Ordinary Seaman </span></h2>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Is On The Bridge</span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>setting the sextant</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">D</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">oing a cruise </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">is quite a commitment</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">, especially one for as long as 20 days and as far away from home as South America. We are no strangers to travelling far and wide, but as mentioned in an earlier post, we do not consider ourselves part of the cruising crowd, preferring instead, less costly travel on terra firma and the freedom of choice that it has.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4WIlANRGh-o/XGsLLBE2bxI/AAAAAAAAID4/RUJ8wBx3iyk3wEl7xVb-kpgxxE5QDj6LQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Bridge%2BMarina%2Bat%2BDock.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="1600" height="343" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4WIlANRGh-o/XGsLLBE2bxI/AAAAAAAAID4/RUJ8wBx3iyk3wEl7xVb-kpgxxE5QDj6LQCEwYBhgL/s400/Bridge%2BMarina%2Bat%2BDock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>see the Bridge with wraparound windows<br /> that extend over the side of the ship</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Why did we choose to do this cruise? Mostly, it was to celebrate 50 years together. South America has always been a curiosity; but a cruise? This was yet another type of exploration. And if one is prepared to break the budget, then I highly recommend this with your life partner.</span></div>
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Incidentally, the following photos were taken with a </i></span></div>
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smartphone because I thought that for reasons of security, </i></span></div>
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photographs would not be permitted on the bridge. I misinformed myself.</i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The old seaman in me has always wanted to sail around Cape Horn. Ever since scribing the first few pages of <i>No Ordinary Seaman - A Memoir</i>, a more pressing desire has been to get back on the bridge of a ship. Since publication, I was determined that this be a cruise ship. Guess what? It happened!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-08ZwY-32ecE/XGsrOdCwEaI/AAAAAAAAIEo/JYYJvzwQtRw00CnQNm3HZBE9Q2O9zWxjwCLcBGAs/s1600/Bridge%2BView%2BForward-Port.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-08ZwY-32ecE/XGsrOdCwEaI/AAAAAAAAIEo/JYYJvzwQtRw00CnQNm3HZBE9Q2O9zWxjwCLcBGAs/s640/Bridge%2BView%2BForward-Port.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">View of Puerto Arenas </span>from the bridge</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I took a few of my books on the cruise in the hopes of gifting the captain with an autographed copy as an incentive to be invited to the bridge. The first thing I did before we even got to our stateroom, was introduce myself to the concierge as a nautical author who will be doing some writing while on board, and might there be a chance for a tour of the bridge?</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfr6dJZbE4c/XGsrMY3-5CI/AAAAAAAAIE8/q7AJJluDb9QHNTq83F5eTepI6h5KbcpKACEwYBhgL/s1600/Bridge%2BHelm%2BWS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="1600" height="592" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfr6dJZbE4c/XGsrMY3-5CI/AAAAAAAAIE8/q7AJJluDb9QHNTq83F5eTepI6h5KbcpKACEwYBhgL/w640-h592/Bridge%2BHelm%2BWS.jpg" title="Joanne on the bridge of the Marina" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">"No, not very likely. The Captain is big on security and does not generally do tours."</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">What a disappointment. But not to be deterred, I had to find a way. I sold two books to some newfound friends with the hopes that they would spread the word so I could sell even more books. I talked up a young ship's officer about a fascinating memoir written by an old seaman, I shamelessly spread small rumours about there being a nautical writer on the ship, and so on.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BgkhUK7JBT0/XGsrOgjYyhI/AAAAAAAAIFE/iFhhAvjc6acLYQyHpOfBOzlrf_zEL5y2wCEwYBhgL/s1600/Bridge%2BView%2BForward.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1182" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BgkhUK7JBT0/XGsrOgjYyhI/AAAAAAAAIFE/iFhhAvjc6acLYQyHpOfBOzlrf_zEL5y2wCEwYBhgL/s400/Bridge%2BView%2BForward.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Much to our surprise, a letter of invitation by the captain was delivered to our cabin on Dec 27 for a private tour the next day at 4 pm.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This would be while we were at the dock in Punta Arenas, Chile.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: left;">The chart below shows the landform of Tierra del Fuego with the Argentine Sea on the right, and the Antarctic Sea at the bottom. The thin black vertical line represents the Argentine-Chile border.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lG_uycFGi2g/XGsrLCZkBrI/AAAAAAAAIEw/U8mF2iYRE-ExpxFj82FWeKa8gRHZW0bhQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Bridge%2BChart%2BDisplay.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1364" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lG_uycFGi2g/XGsrLCZkBrI/AAAAAAAAIEw/U8mF2iYRE-ExpxFj82FWeKa8gRHZW0bhQCEwYBhgL/w544-h640/Bridge%2BChart%2BDisplay.jpg" width="544" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;">The lower squiggly band of blue is the Beagle Channel through which we sailed from east to west. Ushuaia is situated about halfway along the channel. It is the little black dot with three small magenta circles below it. </div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Punta Arenas is in the Strait of Magellan where we are berthed, top left of the screen.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-czJ3VfszFcE/XGsrM2fKQbI/AAAAAAAAIE4/FJhRlPYOJ58gHvydkgNDl1zlmtVez6ZUwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Bridge%2BHelm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-czJ3VfszFcE/XGsrM2fKQbI/AAAAAAAAIE4/FJhRlPYOJ58gHvydkgNDl1zlmtVez6ZUwCEwYBhgL/s640/Bridge%2BHelm.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>the ship's helm</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">What a surprise to see the ship's helm. The wheel (for steering with the rudder) used to be mounted on the binnacle which included the wet compass. You know, the dial with the compass points—N, E, W, S— and its graduations embossed in fluorescent paint on a disc that floats around in a glass-domed ball in a pool of alcohol.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Look at the tiny wheel that steers this huge ship. Toggles and real small airplane-like yokes are mini wheels, also used to steer the ship. Levers that operate the bow and stern thrusters are middle left with red and green stripes.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EcK6bjSltos/XGtx76sIckI/AAAAAAAAIFg/j-aiIfP8STk0XxsOg4lhak-LG74tWEwqACLcBGAs/s1600/Bridge%2BControls%2BCU.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EcK6bjSltos/XGtx76sIckI/AAAAAAAAIFg/j-aiIfP8STk0XxsOg4lhak-LG74tWEwqACLcBGAs/s640/Bridge%2BControls%2BCU.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />the main console </span><br /> </td></tr></tbody></table>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The engine speed levers are middle left too, I think. I'll stop here. I did not want to ask a lot of questions and risk tarnishing my reputation as a seasoned helmsman. (Huh!) </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We are looking at some very sophisticated technology here. I had the impression that if you are good with video games, you would take to these controls very well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Officer Fergus working with charts<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The bridge is expansive with the best view on board. Who would not want to work in this bright and spacious environment?</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Yes, there was Christmas spirit on the bridge too.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>map storage<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">"Do you have a flag for every coastal nation?" I asked the Chief Officer. <br /> <br />"No, only for those countries where we may be sailing to. </span><div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5i16CfFG28/XHA_R-diTCI/AAAAAAAAILE/74djBEfjo54cE_1caSDlh_PhBO4KYdiGQCLcBGAs/s1600/CDN%2BFlag.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1448" height="165" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5i16CfFG28/XHA_R-diTCI/AAAAAAAAILE/74djBEfjo54cE_1caSDlh_PhBO4KYdiGQCLcBGAs/s200/CDN%2BFlag.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Based on the principle that there is no such thing as a silly question, I asked if there was a sextant on the bridge. After scratching his head the first officer went to a mahogany cubby and pulled out a beautiful lacquered box containing a shiny, never-before-used sextant.</div></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>the old Ordinary Seaman<br />pretending to use the sextant<br /><br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now, for readers who do not know what a sextant is, and few will, a sextant is a tool for celestial navigation that is/was used to measure the angle between the horizon and a visible object or two objects at sea. It was invented in the mid-1700s and was used for a couple of centuries. I believe all ship officers today will have learned how to use a sextant, but clearly, the instrument has become obsolete. In the unlikely event of a complete power failure & electronic meltdown, pull out the sextant. <br /> <br />At the end of the wonderful tour given to us by the very professional, respectful, and friendly chief officer from Croatia, I autographed a copy of <a href="http:///noordinaryseaman.com">No Ordinary Seaman: A Memoir</a> and left it behind as a gift for Captain S., also a Croatian. We did not meet. He was a no-show. His loss. I'd have regaled him with old sea stories and invited him to our table.</span><div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">...ooo0ooo...</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>next blog post is:</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"> Puerto Montt</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-7243988265354417302019-02-17T13:44:00.000-08:002019-02-21T12:33:16.734-08:009. Chilean Fjords<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Chilean Fjords</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">TRIPPING ON THE LIGHT FANTASTIC</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">O</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">n</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">December 28</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">th</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">d</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">arkness came early to the southern Chilean fjords. The M/V Marina departed Punta Arenas at 9 pm under a dramatic sky. Thick blankets of</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> cloud were building overhead, scudding about in the high elevation wind. The weak evening sun became more and more obscured by the gloom above our heads. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For two days we would be sailing through a weather front that had passengers covered up in warm clothes and rain parkas.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FeF9OPzQNQ8/XGhkeEpi65I/AAAAAAAAH_U/0QdgFYY4dKo7jHXEbPJiw0_FRd_PRUAlQCLcBGAs/s1600/Fjord%2BDrk%2BClouds%2Bovr%2BFrnt%2BLit%2BRock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FeF9OPzQNQ8/XGhkeEpi65I/AAAAAAAAH_U/0QdgFYY4dKo7jHXEbPJiw0_FRd_PRUAlQCLcBGAs/s640/Fjord%2BDrk%2BClouds%2Bovr%2BFrnt%2BLit%2BRock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Heavy by the weight of the moisture they carried, the cumulus giants descended onto the coastal mountaintops, making contact with the sharp </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">peaks of the Andes. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Their </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">billowy softness, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">punctured and</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">shredded </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">by the hard rock, and supercooled by snow and glaciers, the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">angry </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">clouds blew a cold wind and rain upon us.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ih8DRV4kAOE/XGhkpY7JT0I/AAAAAAAAH_Y/AzHLeRdfkbAqiudLvSTLz_jOTitRcgIQQCLcBGAs/s1600/Fjord%2BPeaks%2Band%2BGlacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ih8DRV4kAOE/XGhkpY7JT0I/AAAAAAAAH_Y/AzHLeRdfkbAqiudLvSTLz_jOTitRcgIQQCLcBGAs/s640/Fjord%2BPeaks%2Band%2BGlacier.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: start;">Rays of sun burst through holes in the r</span>agged and torn mantle of storm clouds, and lo, they were shafts of light for the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">down-rushing of the Holy Spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Op_aNSD-Boo/XGiEnM2eSAI/AAAAAAAAIAY/PzRPEQTDgkEvrMo_FYdy-ALGpgCHVq1yACLcBGAs/s1600/Fjord%2BCloud-Heavy%2BVista.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Op_aNSD-Boo/XGiEnM2eSAI/AAAAAAAAIAY/PzRPEQTDgkEvrMo_FYdy-ALGpgCHVq1yACLcBGAs/s320/Fjord%2BCloud-Heavy%2BVista.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For most of the two-day voyage through the fjords we sailed in and out of channels of calm water,<span style="text-align: left;"> sometimes glassy, even surrealistic.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The water was mostly </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">dark </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">with changing textures and variable tints of green and blue, depending on the light, the fickle winds, and the icy glacial melt that splashed over cliffs and ran down through valleys in icy streams to the shoreline.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I suppose that all of my fellow passengers on this vessel have seen mountains, they are not strangers to myriad forms of geology, hydrology and many other ologies on the planet ... </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>from cumulus down to strata cloud</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">... but have they seen some of these landforms, surely unique to the Chilean coastline? I have not.</span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ever-changing light had me moving around like a bobble-head on the dashboard of a car stuck in first gear; the scenery was floating by - an interesting </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">challenge for a photographer. With the passage of our ship, angles and light on the subject were constantly shifting.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YnIK5-LUzVw/XGiqGqqjFrI/AAAAAAAAIBU/ksB8Zsai_hM7WXNtlAEsWLOU6-WcexMKwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Fjord%2B2%2BHumps%2BFront%2BLit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YnIK5-LUzVw/XGiqGqqjFrI/AAAAAAAAIBU/ksB8Zsai_hM7WXNtlAEsWLOU6-WcexMKwCEwYBhgL/s640/Fjord%2B2%2BHumps%2BFront%2BLit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axOj_T3uMgE/XGiqIJGyajI/AAAAAAAAIBY/F3BED69MnD4v-W7Pexrcf99ZDxp1_4G5gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Fjord%2BWinswept%2BShore%2BTrees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1600" height="186" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axOj_T3uMgE/XGiqIJGyajI/AAAAAAAAIBY/F3BED69MnD4v-W7Pexrcf99ZDxp1_4G5gCEwYBhgL/s640/Fjord%2BWinswept%2BShore%2BTrees.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>zoom in for a close look at the windswept trees at the beach</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68h5u8EcNiQ/XGmmmNKG-XI/AAAAAAAAICU/uSNJSF3abjMZuDn0fce9KfzDhpyMpa1BwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Fjord%2BBlack%2BMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1208" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68h5u8EcNiQ/XGmmmNKG-XI/AAAAAAAAICU/uSNJSF3abjMZuDn0fce9KfzDhpyMpa1BwCEwYBhgL/s640/Fjord%2BBlack%2BMap.jpg" width="481" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: inherit;">Punta Arenas is at the bottom </i></span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">of map</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i style="font-family: inherit;"> End of </i><i>voyage</i><i style="font-family: inherit;"> at Santiago way off the top </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBXGPbSKDdg/XGmoElBUeRI/AAAAAAAAICc/rs8IWWiPmjUvWyoWBLbK10QKYne26rmOgCLcBGAs/s1600/Fjord%2BCaleta%2BAngelmo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1011" data-original-width="1600" height="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBXGPbSKDdg/XGmoElBUeRI/AAAAAAAAICc/rs8IWWiPmjUvWyoWBLbK10QKYne26rmOgCLcBGAs/s400/Fjord%2BCaleta%2BAngelmo.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>the M/V Caleta Angelmo, Chilean</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>coastal freighter was going our way</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have seen few other ships on our journey. Small boats service aquaculture up and down the coast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In these fjords there is little sign of other humanoids, though we have passed quite a few fish farms and some dwellings way off in the distance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Along with copper mining and wine making, a</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">quaculture</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> is one of Chile's biggest industries. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">The country claims to be the second largest salmon producer in the world.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Norwegians exported fish farming expertise and technologies to the Chileans, and they have perfected it. I do not know if the fight about wild versus farmed salmon is as big here as it is back home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Some of our voyage north had us out of the fjords, exposed on our port side to the cold blue depths of the endless Pacific Ocean. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While we were by no means in a rough sea, some passengers suffered mal de mer.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JzlPn5qJv8k/XGiM4DPEDWI/AAAAAAAAIA0/0gzfZ3MK-hkOG1zJFcOc_708yqmgaVDbgCLcBGAs/s1600/Fjord%2BLNG%2BTanker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JzlPn5qJv8k/XGiM4DPEDWI/AAAAAAAAIA0/0gzfZ3MK-hkOG1zJFcOc_708yqmgaVDbgCLcBGAs/s400/Fjord%2BLNG%2BTanker.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>an LNG tanker, I think</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The water seen here is not rough. The images are deceiving from my POV (point of view) on Deck 9, about 10 metres above the surface of the sea. Indeed, there were big rollers. I think the waves got up to maybe 20 feet from valley to crest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A cruise ship like the Marina with its stabilizers, and with the Captain's sensitivity to the comfort of his passengers, is not really going to suffer from a little sea. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What I call little may be what others call big, b</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ut the Commander slowed the ship down when people started falling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were times when we were completely sober, but walking like drunks; seasick bags had suddenly appeared at various places around the ship; rumour had it that the roll of the ship had tossed a woman out of her bed; some old folks were picked up off the floor; dinner reservations were no longer required for some of the specialty restaurants. (O</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">f course, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">none of this was a problem for <span style="color: purple;">No Ordinary Seaman</span>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">New Year's Eve - our last day in the fjords and the weather did not disappoint. The wind had been howling, the heavens opened up and unloaded a barrage of rain. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was often out in it </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(??)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am all bundled up for warmth, bone dry under my rain parka, jeans wet and glued to my legs, feet sloshing in the shoes; camera (OMD E-M5) sealed for rain showers, just like advertised, and tested well at Evita Peron's burial place: see blog posting #3 Buenos Aires.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Only a few days ago it was so hot on the decks that one was hard-pressed to find a lounge on which to recline in the baking sun. I believe I forgot to mention elsewhere that most of our fellow passengers were threescore years of age and then some. Why were they roasting themselves to be more wrinkly than they already were?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Me, I like the hot sun, but at sea in the elements with my camera, I was having a BE HERE NOW experience </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">(Ram Dass - 1967). <span style="font-size: large;">Just soaking it up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then the rain stopped. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sun burst through from somewhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And look what happened!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What a way to end a very good year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then there was the New Years party onboard. Dined well with friends at our favourite French restaurant, champagne, drinks, new audience for old jokes ... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Laughter, love and dancing shoes. Many gays came out of the closet for the ball that night to liven things up. Did I dance with a guy? Who knows. When Jo needed a break I just kept dancing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Canada legalized marijuana last year. I have been getting a sore back from so much computer time working on </i></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">this blog, so I thought I would try some medicaments to relax my muscles, to relieve some pain. Seems to be working fine. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I wonder if it is affecting my writing?</span></span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVXZQOx0B-k/XGiJeTonECI/AAAAAAAAIAo/JX6luLQiD0kPEazNs5bSRawy0E_bx8rEQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Uruguay%2BCoast%2BSunset%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1600" height="365" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVXZQOx0B-k/XGiJeTonECI/AAAAAAAAIAo/JX6luLQiD0kPEazNs5bSRawy0E_bx8rEQCEwYBhgL/s640/Uruguay%2BCoast%2BSunset%2B01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>I have already posted this sunset</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>but it's too good not to use again</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...ooo0ooo...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>next blog post is:</i></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> No Ordinary Seaman On the Bridge</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-89490603350937449662019-02-17T10:20:00.002-08:002019-02-17T10:20:54.901-08:008. Puerto Arenas, Chile<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">P</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">unta Arenas is advertised in the sign below as the Gateway to Antarctica. I guess it is that, though unlike the town of Ushuaia, this really is a city, as the photos below will show. The differences between Chile and Argentina, where we were yesterday, are not immediately apparent to a first time visitor or the average tourist.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Overlooking the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas is the southernmost city on earth (Oceania Cruises "Currents")</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The language is still Spanish, the locals look the same, the currency is still pesos, but this is the Pacific Coast not the Atlantic. As we move north we get a flavour of Chile. We like what we see.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>for the southernmost city<br />i</i><i>n the world this is still planet Earth</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our ship </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">arrived in a rain shower, a cool 12C. We walked around </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">to explore </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the city, hence the photos of the urban landscape</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>wonderful old buildings that are well-maintained, the city feels vibrant - busy and alive</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of currency, one thing that did jump out at us was the exchange rate. One US dollar gave us about 38 pesos in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Argentina</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, but in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chile we got</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 665 pesos. Centavos? forgedaboudit ...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>I call this photograph <br />One Man. Guess why? Hah!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a traveller, one is always doing mental math on the fly: you want to buy something and the cost is important to you, especially if there is a third currency in your head, e.g., the Canadian dollar. For an </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ADD-</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">innumerate kind of guy t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">his is a tricky business, but my partner is sharper with numbers, so that's good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Um, it's also confusing that these pesos use the $ sign. To travel is to learn so many trivial little things like a dollar does not always mean a dollar.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>this was<br /> in Argentina</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Plate + drink + dessert for $280!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(at today's exch. rate, that's just over $7.26 US or $9.63 CDN - a smoking' deal anywhere!!)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cms_LvOGshQ/XGYomrrLkYI/AAAAAAAAH8c/eFHJjyRp3lE0uheHJZpZRmrGDMBgxYulwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Punta%2BArenas%2BJo%2Band%2Bthe%2BFuzz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1270" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cms_LvOGshQ/XGYomrrLkYI/AAAAAAAAH8c/eFHJjyRp3lE0uheHJZpZRmrGDMBgxYulwCEwYBhgL/s400/Punta%2BArenas%2BJo%2Band%2Bthe%2BFuzz.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Jo assumes statue </i><i>pose</i><i><br />when she sees the fuzz</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Policemen/Carabineros on the beat, just like any other city.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P4N9LIUIqhA/XGYomsW8WII/AAAAAAAAH8g/m2p682t_lhscX3aLcAX6IfITD7Y0INaIwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Punta%2BArenas%2BMagellan%2BStatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1021" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P4N9LIUIqhA/XGYomsW8WII/AAAAAAAAH8g/m2p682t_lhscX3aLcAX6IfITD7Y0INaIwCEwYBhgL/s640/Punta%2BArenas%2BMagellan%2BStatue.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the statue of Ferdinand the Magellan, Portuguese explorer who many of us learned about in school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The woman in the colourful parka is rubbing the brass toes. Why?</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>lots of people been rubbing these toes</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Legend has it that if you rub the toes, you will return to the city. Or is it, he will return to the city? Who will come back? Magellan? I don't think so. He was not Jesus, after all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then again, a legend is a legend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hmm ... This baffles me</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. Maybe Jo will come back here. Without me.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>top arrow not pointing to<br />Cristobal and Colon, Panama</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just down the street was the intersection of Magallenes and Avenue Cristobal Colon. Translation: the M word is Spanish for the explorer's last name, which appears everywhere around these parts; Cristóbal Colón is Spanish for Christopher Columbus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a trivia gem: readers who have done the Panama Canal may remember (but probably don't) the two small cities at the southeastern point of Limon Bay. On your starboard side (for landlubbers that is on your right as you face the pointy part of the ship - the bow), as your ship enters the Atlantic Ocean, are the cities of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cristóbal and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Colón</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. I don't think cruise ships stop there much. I hope not.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>quite a juicy story in Ch 15, <br />and Chs 7, 8, 29, 30, 33 ...</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have not </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">yet</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> read the amazing memoir, <span style="color: purple;">No Ordinary Seaman</span>, you are very likely to remain uninformed about such important historic and geographic information as described above. More detail about the subject can be found in <span style="color: purple;">Chapter 15: CLUB 61 IN CRISTOBAL</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I thought we were really far from home. For non-Canadian readers, this is one of our banks. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A wee surprise.</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This poster promotes a local New Years Eve bash that would probably have been a spectacular way to blow out the old year and bring in the new. Only $12,000 for a couple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...ooo0ooo...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>next blog post is:</i></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Chilean Fjords</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-85414508579215988432019-02-14T10:30:00.000-08:002019-02-15T11:50:06.061-08:007. Ushuaia, Argentina<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">U</span><span style="font-size: large;">shuaia is sometimes called "The End of the World".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ah, it's not so bad. Actually, it's pretty cool, I mean, a very interesting place, to visit.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: inherit;">Port of Ushuaia at the base of the Andes, the southern tip of the </i><i>archipelago</i><i style="font-family: inherit;"> of Tierra del Fuego</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The map display is a large scale view of our route. Ushuaia is the small dot at the tip of the continent. Just north of Cape Horn, it is the southernmost town in the world, about 60,000 residents. We are still in Argentina here. Ushuaia is on the western border with Chile. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ifKwa4admY/XGRj7bNHbhI/AAAAAAAAH2M/ptSAhuK2ifs3vaYAEczvfZECguJPRM6LACLcBGAs/s1600/Ushuaia%2BMap%2BCloser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="1600" height="128" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ifKwa4admY/XGRj7bNHbhI/AAAAAAAAH2M/ptSAhuK2ifs3vaYAEczvfZECguJPRM6LACLcBGAs/s400/Ushuaia%2BMap%2BCloser.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For centuries this was an important supply and service port for whaling fleets. There was a large penal colony here in the early 1900s (more on this below). Today it is a major port of departure for voyages to Antarctica, for scientists and tourists.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>National Geographic's Orion </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Orion was at the dock besides us to pick up passengers and provisions for its cruise south. What fun that would be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ah, for the price of a ticket ...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Christmas on the streets of </i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ushuaia </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ushuaia is a calm, safe port in the Beagle Channel, way protected from the wild waters of the Strait of Magellan, that passage named after Ferdinand, the first to navigate around Cape Horn, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Remember in 1520 he was the first to circumnavigate the world?</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>La Cantina Fueguina for fresh seafood. <br />Notice the stack of boxes by the door?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Charles Darwin came to Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel, eponym of the British ship that brought him here, probably on his way to the Galapagos Islands, during which time he was reputedly making notes on what was to become "survival of the fittest". (check it out)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Note the varieties brewed</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cape Horn and Beagle beer are not to be missed. Not only does Argentina make great wine, but the beer is also terrific, thanks to the German immigrants, we were told. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Strategically located at the end of the dock for all foreigners entering Ushuaia by sea, is the sign below.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B_ng6rpihUs/XGSAvmI_scI/AAAAAAAAH3Y/0kawwvMKy1gOFAR-2585MJhnP8q5FazMgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BMalvinas%2BSign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1600" height="488" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B_ng6rpihUs/XGSAvmI_scI/AAAAAAAAH3Y/0kawwvMKy1gOFAR-2585MJhnP8q5FazMgCEwYBhgL/s640/Ushuaia%2BMalvinas%2BSign.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Not sure what is sticking to the sign,<br />maybe some English toffee gone green?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The casual tourist or the uninformed foreign national may use the words, Falkland Islands, in a casual conversation with a citizen of Argentina. Be prepared for a quick, perhaps unexpected response; for example, "There is no such place. Perhaps you men the Malvinas!" For a very lively engagement in a bar, bring up the subject, especially if you are British. Be forewarned. Argentinians are very passionate about their claims, and about </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thatcher's 10-day</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> butt-kicking in 1982. To use contemporary non-speak, to some locals, that event was just fake news.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOT6NzsaltY/XGR_rcrnGxI/AAAAAAAAH3M/C42KaPaIl6EoO49W2KfkJ17ZFtHxl8I5QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BSeagull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="1600" height="254" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOT6NzsaltY/XGR_rcrnGxI/AAAAAAAAH3M/C42KaPaIl6EoO49W2KfkJ17ZFtHxl8I5QCEwYBhgL/s320/Ushuaia%2BSeagull.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Ask an Argentinian seagull if she <br />has been to the Falkland Islands <br />and you might get your eyes pecked out </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ask a Chilean about the Malvinas you will probably get a shrug of the shoulders and some grunting about the Argentinians, who have purportedly claimed some Chilean islands too. There is no love lost between the neighbours on either side of the Andes Mountains. Foreign relations between Argentina and the UK have been on again, off again since 1982. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fj2dxuLbmXI/XGST_GTmdhI/AAAAAAAAH3w/NInquIrDqm8ajweh7wSsSyNftDiO80COACEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BMoustachio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fj2dxuLbmXI/XGST_GTmdhI/AAAAAAAAH3w/NInquIrDqm8ajweh7wSsSyNftDiO80COACEwYBhgL/s400/Ushuaia%2BMoustachio.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>did not eat the moustache here</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>the southern Andes above </i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ushuaia </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are going to catch a train now for an excursion into Tierra del Fuego National Park. A toy train - El Tren del Fin del Mundo -</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> well, small gauge anyway, meanders alongside the Rio Pipo at</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> zero grade</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. The tracks for this, now tourist train, were laid by prisoners in the first decade of the 20th Century. The purpose was to transport the murderers, thieves, recidivist n'er-do-wells, from the prison on the edge of town, into the river valley to harvest the forest. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Her throat or my camera <br />- what was more valuable?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">estación</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> we were accosted by a couple of big jailbirds who unhanded us after fleecing me for 10 bucks for the photo (not over- priced actually).</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VJaJyrsMJo/XGSpDsFh0EI/AAAAAAAAH40/PBU16HBlpJQgcihJlYYecOliWzO0qINxgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VJaJyrsMJo/XGSpDsFh0EI/AAAAAAAAH40/PBU16HBlpJQgcihJlYYecOliWzO0qINxgCEwYBhgL/s400/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I felt I was in the land of Lilliput (Swift), the trains were so small, as were the engineers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucjHYMWQYts/XGSpEOSm__I/AAAAAAAAH4w/tL55a3b72cUtO7ZPTIW5aHGw7A4svTn6ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucjHYMWQYts/XGSpEOSm__I/AAAAAAAAH4w/tL55a3b72cUtO7ZPTIW5aHGw7A4svTn6ACEwYBhgL/s320/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the ancient, but well- kept coaches we rubbed shoulders - literally with the other Brobdignagians, many of whom spoke our northern language.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtINq7kPQyA/XGSx6_w34nI/AAAAAAAAH5I/sWBUYjdfxuoYprEGLyfsg2bJ0W7XqzsMQCLcBGAs/s1600/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtINq7kPQyA/XGSx6_w34nI/AAAAAAAAH5I/sWBUYjdfxuoYprEGLyfsg2bJ0W7XqzsMQCLcBGAs/s400/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Engineer Zubieta's Engine</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsyP_Gi9fHg/XGSx6sZxSLI/AAAAAAAAH5k/3m9N_KXV_PoPL12pUsfCiYVE8jHMp_c9ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1195" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsyP_Gi9fHg/XGSx6sZxSLI/AAAAAAAAH5k/3m9N_KXV_PoPL12pUsfCiYVE8jHMp_c9ACEwYBhgL/s640/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B05.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>the controls</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uk7Thwrix1U/XGSx61EOOnI/AAAAAAAAH5c/uxoKL4pQKg8Gao-08L73wFVgNFBDRpCBACEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uk7Thwrix1U/XGSx61EOOnI/AAAAAAAAH5c/uxoKL4pQKg8Gao-08L73wFVgNFBDRpCBACEwYBhgL/s320/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>All aboard!</i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2iFUNVg1ExY/XGSx7DTBS9I/AAAAAAAAH5k/-ATj2bv3sAo1OcD2Br1_eKBt85DlkMM-gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="1600" height="170" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2iFUNVg1ExY/XGSx7DTBS9I/AAAAAAAAH5k/-ATj2bv3sAo1OcD2Br1_eKBt85DlkMM-gCEwYBhgL/s200/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B07.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Lots of well-worn brass and patina, and smoke and whistles</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RVN_2J7jHtY/XGTUk4sMBiI/AAAAAAAAH5s/qZRy32fesJg6rofQXMIhKti3aHlDlGF5QCLcBGAs/s1600/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RVN_2J7jHtY/XGTUk4sMBiI/AAAAAAAAH5s/qZRy32fesJg6rofQXMIhKti3aHlDlGF5QCLcBGAs/s640/Ushuaia%2BTrain%2B09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Engineer Porta's machine</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back at the ship now and one last shot with my telephoto lens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This towering Matterhorn-like peak makes me thirsty just thinking about the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">gruelling climb to the top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's December 27. At 5 pm and we sail away. The sun will not set tonight until 10:15. Temperature is about 52F/12C. The Patagonia Amber Lager sure goes down well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>next blog post is: </i></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Punta Arenas, Chile</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; outline: none; transition: 0.3s;"><a href="http://www.noordinaryseaman.com/" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.3s;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">www.noordinaryseaman.com for more photography and writing</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></a></span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-49919278386117412222019-02-06T23:10:00.000-08:002019-02-08T10:49:00.529-08:006. Puerto Madryn, Argentina<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Puerto Madryn</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">W</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">e are almost half way now from Montevideo to Tierra del Fuego, the tip of South America. Puerto Madryn is a small port city at the northern end of Patagonia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Argentine Sea is one of the world's largest seas, stretching from Rio de la Plata to the Magellan Strait at the tip of South America. It is relatively moderate in temperature. I should know, I swam in it.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Flag of Argentina with the Sun of May</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: right;">For those of you who are interested in vexillology (a new word for most readers: the study of maps), there is much information available about Argentina's flag. Centred, is the Sun of May: from the Inca sun god, or from the May Revolution in 1810 when Argentina gained its independence from the Spanish Empire?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How does it differ from the Uruguayan flag? They are similar, yet different. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">This is all quite vexing. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sorry, I did not shoot the Uruguayan flag. You'll have to find it yourself.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvScge_K9aY/XFka3MwpRrI/AAAAAAAAHuY/F2tGgAvJN6YTi6IwTGs9xnCplOhPx29_ACLcBGAs/s1600/Puerto%2BMadryn%2BSign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvScge_K9aY/XFka3MwpRrI/AAAAAAAAHuY/F2tGgAvJN6YTi6IwTGs9xnCplOhPx29_ACLcBGAs/s640/Puerto%2BMadryn%2BSign.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At the </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Malvinas Heroes Monument</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> we </span><span style="font-size: large;">respectfully </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">removed our hats. <br />This we learned to do at the San Martin Mausoleum in Buenos </span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Aires</i></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hUz5siquMrw/XFniB2rmHiI/AAAAAAAAHvI/2pigMJBhZ5wK3UfWRdG2D7cPZtkRKhxkwCLcBGAs/s1600/Puerto%2BMadryn%2BBeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hUz5siquMrw/XFniB2rmHiI/AAAAAAAAHvI/2pigMJBhZ5wK3UfWRdG2D7cPZtkRKhxkwCLcBGAs/s640/Puerto%2BMadryn%2BBeach.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Playa </i><i>Luis Piedrabuena (aka beach by the pier)</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />I don't think I got the name of the beach right but that's where I had a quick dip, rather than a swim, because I don't like to swim around ships, especially the older ones that do not have holding tanks for you-know-what ... <br />Anyway, the water was warm. This is summer in Argentina, after all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today is Christmas Eve. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From the Marina's daily newspaper we read:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunny</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">High 85F/29C</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunrise 5:39 am. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunset 8:54 pm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The latitude is about 42 degrees South. The California/Oregon border is approximately the equivalent latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. I usually do not swim in the cold Pacific waters of Northern California. Even way south, the LA surfers wear shorty wetsuits. The warm Brazilian current warms these waters of the Argentine Sea. I did not expect to be able to swim in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of northern Patagonia, just 175 km north of the largest Magellan Penguin colony on the continent!</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So what do we do on a hot Christmas Eve shore leave in Patagonia? </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4RpHSMYt10/XFn0jQz65LI/AAAAAAAAHv4/tjB7H5S_Jqcl-yKnSK8UKj8xhBXCYJB9QCLcBGAs/s1600/Puerto%2BMadryn%2BDress%2BShop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1308" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4RpHSMYt10/XFn0jQz65LI/AAAAAAAAHv4/tjB7H5S_Jqcl-yKnSK8UKj8xhBXCYJB9QCLcBGAs/s400/Puerto%2BMadryn%2BDress%2BShop.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Mas Amor Por Favor Dress Shop</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Buy my wife a Christmas present. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I had been procrastinating again.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. An open credit card at the </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mas Amor Por Favor</i> (More Love </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please) dress shop for little local blonde girls?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Buy her a whole selection of local Argentinian craft beers?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcWjeMumxw0/XFn0hLza3eI/AAAAAAAAHwA/FUBOuf38K3Uklm9xnPvaMuKNMEsuLJ2xACEwYBhgL/s1600/Antiguas%2BCostumbres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcWjeMumxw0/XFn0hLza3eI/AAAAAAAAHwA/FUBOuf38K3Uklm9xnPvaMuKNMEsuLJ2xACEwYBhgL/s400/Antiguas%2BCostumbres.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zLIJxLZQZRg/XFn0iHj3xCI/AAAAAAAAHwE/FsSHpy26nS0vhwB2xxD4bMbHO2td1bZsgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Cabaeas%2BBier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cfwfkDcjjXc/XFn0jUv5rlI/AAAAAAAAHwM/ZtTqVMrgV8wcmjdaCVdf_SyyVLTXV_7QQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Otro%2BMundo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Antares + Four</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Offer her carte blanche at the local wine store for the best Argentinean wine on the shelf?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She chose the wine. It was a very special limited Malbec that is not exported. It was our Christmas dinner wine at the Marina's French restaurant - JACQUES.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EaZ1iScG20c/XFpLfz7Ch7I/AAAAAAAAHwU/s3i16kVmmFwBdzvyuWH0XZ6Nkc8c8ZCNwCLcBGAs/s1600/Piattelli%2BMalbec%2B0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1031" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EaZ1iScG20c/XFpLfz7Ch7I/AAAAAAAAHwU/s3i16kVmmFwBdzvyuWH0XZ6Nkc8c8ZCNwCLcBGAs/s320/Piattelli%2BMalbec%2B0.jpg" width="204" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWj-KyRpCBM/XFpLf_ChQ_I/AAAAAAAAHwc/Omu6FD260NYpqYc-54iMgCdzURTuykIDACLcBGAs/s1600/Piattelli%2BMalbec%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="891" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWj-KyRpCBM/XFpLf_ChQ_I/AAAAAAAAHwc/Omu6FD260NYpqYc-54iMgCdzURTuykIDACLcBGAs/s400/Piattelli%2BMalbec%2B01.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Piattelli is exported, though not this 2017 Reserve, I believe. High elevation vineyards? Don't know much about that but we trust our taste for wine. She has the glass at home now for the pretenders and for the memories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Me? I got fingerless </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">wool </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">gloves for Christmas. A perfect gift for the photographer guy when we got further south into the cold.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">(after 49.5 yrs of marriage who needs bigger gifts? Actually, the cruise was the gift - Christmas and Anniversary)</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of fingers, I forgot to place the fingers on the right in the Punta del Este blog posting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What? Look them up. I'm not going back. Gotta move on</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(191, 144, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Little did we know that the waters around Puerto Madryn are the breeding grounds for the Southern Right Whale - </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the "Queen of the Patagonian Waters"</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. We just missed them. They had left these waters in early December with their calves for the feeding grounds southeast of here - above the north coast of Antarctica. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I5Ek0NzMu8k/XFsg4r7PreI/AAAAAAAAHxM/u3nHVZdFBQESQrybcSiPH5pvvO_0JXc3ACLcBGAs/s1600/Right%2BWhale%2BPanel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I5Ek0NzMu8k/XFsg4r7PreI/AAAAAAAAHxM/u3nHVZdFBQESQrybcSiPH5pvvO_0JXc3ACLcBGAs/s640/Right%2BWhale%2BPanel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>One of several information panels at the whale interpretation centre</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Had we been here only a few weeks earlier we probably would have seen these very inquisitive mammals. We learned that all three species of the right whale are endangered. Here are their estimated numbers today:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Southern Right Whale - 10,000 - 12,000</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Northern Right Whale - 450</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Pacific Right Whale - less than 100 (near extinction)</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iaAGY0LhEwc/XFslR9POgLI/AAAAAAAAHxg/8t7CqpEO_AE5GoFNsy5bFN5WTohxSuyFACLcBGAs/s1600/Rt%2BWhale%2BBreeding%2BGrnd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iaAGY0LhEwc/XFslR9POgLI/AAAAAAAAHxg/8t7CqpEO_AE5GoFNsy5bFN5WTohxSuyFACLcBGAs/s400/Rt%2BWhale%2BBreeding%2BGrnd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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These horrifying numbers are the result of more than a century of whaling, now almost completely shut down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was a little surprised, and happy, to learn that all shipping traffic along the coast of Argentina must stay at least 50 miles from the coast, and reduce their speeds. This, to minimize danger and trauma to whales. Such rules now apply in most coastal countries. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LmY2Fhc74vI/XFslkmIcz5I/AAAAAAAAHxo/90o1eNk__e4RpL1aMGNlLQO8nZLToT9twCLcBGAs/s1600/Rt%2BWhale%2BGlobal%2BRange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LmY2Fhc74vI/XFslkmIcz5I/AAAAAAAAHxo/90o1eNk__e4RpL1aMGNlLQO8nZLToT9twCLcBGAs/s640/Rt%2BWhale%2BGlobal%2BRange.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">World reduction in the whaling industry has reduced the harvesting of whales, their mortalities continue to with whale/ship collisions, noise pollution, fish nets, toxins, and more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While on the subject of preservation of species, I must say that Argentina is certainly doing its bit. In fact, The government flexes its muscles on the Argentine Sea. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A small military type ship was berthed near our cruise ship. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">It was the coast guard, the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prefacto GC-28.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uXaUcz3mCho/XFs1KgUZI4I/AAAAAAAAHyE/dNNzFVgnbX47wADIkKQhwBNq7BuW760TwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Prefectura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1541" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uXaUcz3mCho/XFs1KgUZI4I/AAAAAAAAHyE/dNNzFVgnbX47wADIkKQhwBNq7BuW760TwCEwYBhgL/s400/Prefectura.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Argentina's coast guard is called the Prefectura or Prefecto. As with all national coast guard services, one of its major responsibilities is to protect its national waters from </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">human piscivores, namely, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">poachers of its fish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">The images painted on cutter's upper starboard bulkhead really caught my eye. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">(zoom in please)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"> What is that fleet of 20 ships? What's with the mad gun-toting shark?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5djJvdgEnN8/XFsg4n_AhhI/AAAAAAAAHxU/-w4knF5JLEw56t624xubstBe1Uw32aBXgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Coast%2BGuard%2BGC-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5djJvdgEnN8/XFsg4n_AhhI/AAAAAAAAHxU/-w4knF5JLEw56t624xubstBe1Uw32aBXgCEwYBhgL/s640/Coast%2BGuard%2BGC-28.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Prefecto Derbes GC-28 - Coast Guard cutter</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I asked these questions of the local wharfinger. He had little English and I, little Spanish. We engaged in a sort of pantomime to extract information and meaning but alas, all the gesticulations, grunting, ahh-ing and umm-ing, mouth breathing, and dancing about came to nought, except perhaps, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">some unexpected </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">entertainment for passers-by. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the last shrugging of shoulders I took some photographs. I did sense that the Argentinian was proud that I did.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zjx8Iiib7hY/XFsg4u8PhEI/AAAAAAAAHxQ/1hzSj58qsx8GecgURpJAmG49-BdyeUd4wCEwYBhgL/s1600/GC-28%2BCoat%2Bof%2BArms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1600" height="347" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zjx8Iiib7hY/XFsg4u8PhEI/AAAAAAAAHxQ/1hzSj58qsx8GecgURpJAmG49-BdyeUd4wCEwYBhgL/s640/GC-28%2BCoat%2Bof%2BArms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is what I learned when we got home:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The scary anchor-riding shark with the automatic rifle is the coat of arms of this cutter. The crown of stars probably represents successful engagements with the shark's prey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The boats on the wall are fish boats, most of them Chinese. What they all have in common is that they were caught </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">fishing in Argentine waters </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">by the Prefacto GC-28 - not a good thing. In some cases the interlopers were scared off, escaping into international waters. Some, however, were not so lucky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The pictures of the boats on the GC-28's bragging wall represent engagements, or "kills" (by the nasty shark?), just like we used to see on the fuselage of WWll fighter planes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The name of each ship and the date on interception is indicated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of particular note is the LU YAN YUAN YU 010.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From Wikipedia: </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;">It was sunk on 15 March 2016 off the coast of</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;"> </span>Argentina<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;">by the</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;"> </span>Argentine Coast Guard<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;">during a territorial fishing dispute. There were no fatalities. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;">According to trade sources, the ship had been involved in disputes over fishing rights before.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; text-align: start;">(There is more juicy information about the incident than this).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Don't mess with the Argentine <span style="text-align: left;">Prefectura!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...ooo0ooo...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>next blog post is: </i></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ushuaia, Argentina</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-66414263565611662442019-01-29T20:03:00.002-08:002019-02-05T11:06:14.798-08:005. Montevideo, Uruguay<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Montevideo</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Montevideo is much more than these opening shots, but this building is such a signature of this great old city that I wanted to lead with it.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Palacio Salvo</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-onXKp1mX34o/XE-3IJq9csI/AAAAAAAAHnA/xr8tAUJ4eHwknSXM5bls6CgXh0AlP86fgCLcBGAs/s1600/Puerto%2Bde%2Bla%2BCiudadela%2B%2526%2BPalacio%2BSalvo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1013" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-onXKp1mX34o/XE-3IJq9csI/AAAAAAAAHnA/xr8tAUJ4eHwknSXM5bls6CgXh0AlP86fgCLcBGAs/s400/Puerto%2Bde%2Bla%2BCiudadela%2B%2526%2BPalacio%2BSalvo.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Puerto de la Ciudadela <br />and Palacio Salvo </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">TIP for viewing photos: </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">There is more in the photos than can be displayed in this format. Click </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">on a photo to enlarge it then return to the page by clicking on the left arrow of your browser. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Palacio Salvo, almost 100 metres high, was designed by Italian architect, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mario Palanti</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in 1928</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. It was intended to be a lighthouse but apparently that did not fly. Now it's home to offices and residences. I will take any one of the rooms on any of the top floors, or all of them, but especially with the view to the Atlantic Ocean - that would be about a 200 degree panorama from northwest to southeast.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEio-gefp9w/XE-wv06eN3I/AAAAAAAAHm0/pWieQLHIZv0IwlyyPArkZ5e-Qsv99hOiACLcBGAs/s1600/Palacio%2BSalvo%2BArcade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEio-gefp9w/XE-wv06eN3I/AAAAAAAAHm0/pWieQLHIZv0IwlyyPArkZ5e-Qsv99hOiACLcBGAs/s640/Palacio%2BSalvo%2BArcade.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Should you visit this city, try to find time to explore this monumental pile of architecture. There are surprises everywhere.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Seafood capital sculpting on Palacio Salvo</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Umm, sea life is seafood to me, so I am </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">probably erring in my labeling of this picture. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Anyway, there are many more such bronze castings at the tops of the marble pillars that support the vaulted ceilings of this amazing old building. It's one of my favourite anywhere.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">In some ways, for some people, it is kind of an ugly building, over-designed, top heavy, militaristic phallic, castle-like ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Progress and industry from fish boats to<br />container ships, from block buildings<br />to </i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>knife blade erections that touch the clouds.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />This is the first building we saw when our ship pulled into the harbour. Montevideo has not been left behind in world class urban architecture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>London - Paris 1908 that is below the clock,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>that is below the widow's walk ... the circular</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>dentil trim below the dome ... the world</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>balancing on the figure's head ??? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is lots of green space in and around the city, and, of course, lots of waterfront, but the buildings in the old city really drew my attention</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">What is the story behind this particular building? I am sure that research would answer a lot of questions. An architectural-historical tour of some of the large South American cities would be most interesting.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">This old residence needs a major restoration. Click on the photo to zoom in on the sad decay. We have not seen this extent of deterioration in Europe, the birthplace of these designs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Post-imperial Latin America really seems to be struggling to maintain this kind of legacy architecture.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Our guide in Santiago was describing how indebted his country is to Spain who has Chile on a very long-term payback schedule for financing the much needed national highways projects.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">I guess maintaining infrastructure is a higher priority than urban heritage.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>needs some refinishing</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>well looked after</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Close up of well preserved craftsmanship</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back to the dock now where there is always a WIFI centre at the terminal. Why? Because the wifi on the ship is sketchy, crippled, unreliable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were told that poor network services in the Southern Hemisphere is because of the dependence on satellite communication - simply because we are below the equator. What am I not understanding about this? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I learned from an IT crew member on the ship that the crew really suffers from not being able to communicate well with family at home. In the port terminals we see more off-duty crew with their thumbs on their devices than any one else.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>So strange to see these "shipwrecks".</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Not an uncommon sight in South American and Caribbean ports. Why is this?</i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CeVWiddgT4/XFEUJPqPabI/AAAAAAAAHpM/qqQxtBPfLowfJu5rwvGfJTSD7HlUxY_yQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Harbour%2BShipwrecks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CeVWiddgT4/XFEUJPqPabI/AAAAAAAAHpM/qqQxtBPfLowfJu5rwvGfJTSD7HlUxY_yQCEwYBhgL/s640/Harbour%2BShipwrecks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaving now for the south Atlantic. Notice the brownish water. This is still the outflow of the silt-laden Rio de la Plata emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. The water is like this for a long way out.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Good-bye Montevideo </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>next blog post is: </i></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Puerto Madryn, Argentina</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.3s;"><a href="http://www.noordinaryseaman.com/" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">www.noordinaryseaman.com for more photography and writing </span></a></span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-78809188069953668232019-01-28T11:20:00.001-08:002019-02-08T10:31:03.124-08:004. Punta del Este, Uruguay<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yj81n0gJC08/XE4wsbtYWnI/AAAAAAAAHkI/S2UxS0UnyuYW2cNIDoPy-hMeK24LvIJXACLcBGAs/s1600/Marina%2Bat%2BAnchor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="1600" height="190" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yj81n0gJC08/XE4wsbtYWnI/AAAAAAAAHkI/S2UxS0UnyuYW2cNIDoPy-hMeK24LvIJXACLcBGAs/s400/Marina%2Bat%2BAnchor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>M/V Marina where we hung our hat for 20 days </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">took this</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> photo from our tender </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">to the wharf </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">at Punta del Este. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In post-processing I applied an effect called "</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">surrealistic".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why? </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because it was.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XS-nmh2DAt0/XE5aZPGBcFI/AAAAAAAAHlU/u0JBomrgyg0X5KPBH33CcUfrd1YYPiG7ACLcBGAs/s1600/Punta%2Bdel%2BEste%2BFishng%2BBoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XS-nmh2DAt0/XE5aZPGBcFI/AAAAAAAAHlU/u0JBomrgyg0X5KPBH33CcUfrd1YYPiG7ACLcBGAs/s640/Punta%2Bdel%2BEste%2BFishng%2BBoat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Our tender </span><span style="font-size: small;">(just kidding)</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lgwuB3R2Z_w/XE5ZESdFuYI/AAAAAAAAHlE/GYkLyeVR07gnVg4sJYLBuRESTNOZspv5QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Tender%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1600" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lgwuB3R2Z_w/XE5ZESdFuYI/AAAAAAAAHlE/GYkLyeVR07gnVg4sJYLBuRESTNOZspv5QCEwYBhgL/s640/Tender%2B01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Our ship-to-shore tender</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For some unknown reason, the ship sailed past Uruguay for our day in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The next day we pointed north across the Rio de la Plata to Uruguay: Punta del Este, then on to Montevideo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Punta del Este is Uruguay's seaside resort city. It attracts money, therefore, high-rise condominiums and pricey shoreside homes, marinas with expensive yachts, good shopping and great restaurants. The year-round population of about 10,000 climbs to around 1/2 million during the summer season - end of Dec to early March.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1475" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ixtlKnC_cZs/XE5ZFPe2ELI/AAAAAAAAHlI/dz9m7BeusUAbGyW8etF7lRMFY-HI58vEwCEwYBhgL/s320/Tits.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="292" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Women's fashion store </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>with an interesting name</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We walked around, did some shopping, had a great seafood lunch, and of course, swam in the mild surf before catching the last tender back to the ship.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KJk_lvP5Ag/XE5ZEdkg1YI/AAAAAAAAHlI/UqDoow5oLtkJevEzUzvi47hUkTCvPkwUwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Ride%2Bback%2Bto%2BMarina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="1600" height="371" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KJk_lvP5Ag/XE5ZEdkg1YI/AAAAAAAAHlI/UqDoow5oLtkJevEzUzvi47hUkTCvPkwUwCEwYBhgL/s400/Ride%2Bback%2Bto%2BMarina.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The bag I am carrying holds some really good local wine</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5u5lxFYPWGE/XE5n_GWQTNI/AAAAAAAAHl0/VoUPTzscUcocHASi2sAI1P8YrrVYon1awCLcBGAs/s1600/Elegido%2BUruguay%2BRed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="887" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5u5lxFYPWGE/XE5n_GWQTNI/AAAAAAAAHl0/VoUPTzscUcocHASi2sAI1P8YrrVYon1awCLcBGAs/s320/Elegido%2BUruguay%2BRed.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VnNnjKx9Z-E/XE5nlBj3C7I/AAAAAAAAHlw/mv46ccLZMpo8BcJ51m7eU7cCuIQCwmhnwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Tiramisu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VnNnjKx9Z-E/XE5nlBj3C7I/AAAAAAAAHlw/mv46ccLZMpo8BcJ51m7eU7cCuIQCwmhnwCEwYBhgL/s320/Tiramisu.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>This tiramisu was lighter than air!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The tannat grape was new to us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Originating in southwest France, this grape is now more common in Uruguay. It is their national grape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This vino tinto was a very nice inexpensive tannat/merlot blend. It paired well with the osso bucco dinner that night at the Marina's Toscana Restaurant. The </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">last glass was saved for a shared tiramisu. Wow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a map of our cruise showing the route from Rio de Janeiro to Santiago.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WHTyz_50L04/XE9DLsYqU1I/AAAAAAAAHmI/ECTK_VxzJYYGpQpYSzdrjDoSNaj31pFzgCLcBGAs/s1600/Map%2Bof%2BVoyage%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1600" height="356" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WHTyz_50L04/XE9DLsYqU1I/AAAAAAAAHmI/ECTK_VxzJYYGpQpYSzdrjDoSNaj31pFzgCLcBGAs/s640/Map%2Bof%2BVoyage%2B01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Large scale map of the voyage</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This map jumps way ahead to when we sail through the Chilean fjords. The arrow designates our position </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">on Day 17</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">; the thin blue line marks the track taken; the red is the route to our destination. We are not there yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">...ooo0ooo...</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>next post</i> <span style="color: #cc0000;">Montevideo</span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1Q3qLZtoqw/XE9QuMU8D1I/AAAAAAAAHmY/mikVly25Ymg3htKQjof65D49MrpnAynTQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Plaza%2BIndependencia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="1600" height="580" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1Q3qLZtoqw/XE9QuMU8D1I/AAAAAAAAHmY/mikVly25Ymg3htKQjof65D49MrpnAynTQCEwYBhgL/s640/Plaza%2BIndependencia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Montevideo. Plaza Independencia</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZgdc95JQ0g/XFHxNC_6riI/AAAAAAAAHsg/zXYBroGaV-op9VMwNc_-LTid1DtmhIGEACEwYBhgL/s1600/the%2Bphotographer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1600" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZgdc95JQ0g/XFHxNC_6riI/AAAAAAAAHsg/zXYBroGaV-op9VMwNc_-LTid1DtmhIGEACEwYBhgL/s200/the%2Bphotographer.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.3s;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.noordinaryseaman.com/" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">www.noordinaryseaman.com for more photography and writing </a></span></span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-64781142443301105922019-01-27T00:03:00.001-08:002019-02-08T10:30:07.531-08:003. Buenos Aires, Argentina<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Buenos Aires</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">torm clouds get bigger, thicker, and darker on our tour, but in La Boca, the working class neighbourhood (below), the sun still shines and the colours become riotous.</span><div style="text-align: right;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I'm talkin' here ...</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>The woman in the window ... ?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: right;">Argentina and Brazil are big </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: right;">football</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: right;"> (</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: right;">soccer</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: right;">) rivals. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: right;">Their teams are very well known in the </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: right;">World Cup.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>... she sees all.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1HNNRPiggBQ/XEzU0Ym-EvI/AAAAAAAAHh0/gdL81SFPEQAXYjxDtkx6KMhDrHbm8P3ngCEwYBhgL/s1600/Casa%2BAmarilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="1600" height="548" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1HNNRPiggBQ/XEzU0Ym-EvI/AAAAAAAAHh0/gdL81SFPEQAXYjxDtkx6KMhDrHbm8P3ngCEwYBhgL/s640/Casa%2BAmarilla.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>How do we know it's an American couple? Is it the plaid shorts and white socks?</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>the fire department mural</i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrfjISy9zII/XEzU0O-o61I/AAAAAAAAHh4/TE3BXm1qTnUOIyE0wXTyuVfSMig8D9d1ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Jo%2Bto%2BBanos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="749" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrfjISy9zII/XEzU0O-o61I/AAAAAAAAHh4/TE3BXm1qTnUOIyE0wXTyuVfSMig8D9d1ACEwYBhgL/s640/Jo%2Bto%2BBanos.jpg" width="297" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vykydttghrg/XEzU0wukQlI/AAAAAAAAHh8/gPL8TrYONG48WJYO5Fh-D8WD67o5jA_iQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Sailors%2Band%2BDancers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vykydttghrg/XEzU0wukQlI/AAAAAAAAHh8/gPL8TrYONG48WJYO5Fh-D8WD67o5jA_iQCEwYBhgL/s400/Sailors%2Band%2BDancers.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why aren't our </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">neighbourhoods </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">as colourful?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">next stop Recoleta Cemetery</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuCkIEBhQfU/XEzdKi6zAVI/AAAAAAAAHik/bltJlogZu4cBHDGZDcUmWRirCe-neQstACLcBGAs/s1600/Hernan%2BConvinces%2BTraffic%2BPolice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuCkIEBhQfU/XEzdKi6zAVI/AAAAAAAAHik/bltJlogZu4cBHDGZDcUmWRirCe-neQstACLcBGAs/s640/Hernan%2BConvinces%2BTraffic%2BPolice.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLhwJ3tbqjg/XEzkKFN_HuI/AAAAAAAAHjQ/MZXe6qdLc88OgKq6Oew7B0ZVxfsW3Z5KQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Recoleta%2BCemetery%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLhwJ3tbqjg/XEzkKFN_HuI/AAAAAAAAHjQ/MZXe6qdLc88OgKq6Oew7B0ZVxfsW3Z5KQCEwYBhgL/s320/Recoleta%2BCemetery%2B01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Recoleta Cemetery</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parking, even for specially licensed tour buses, is at a premium on the traffic-congested streets of Buenos Aires. Our man, Hernan, performs his magic. The policewoman grants his request.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j_nvrMGDuek/XEzkE433MDI/AAAAAAAAHiw/cwJsUNpQejQVySCHs9ec-m5XzJn9X3NnACLcBGAs/s1600/Claustros%2BHistoricos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j_nvrMGDuek/XEzkE433MDI/AAAAAAAAHiw/cwJsUNpQejQVySCHs9ec-m5XzJn9X3NnACLcBGAs/s640/Claustros%2BHistoricos.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Claustros Historicos</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t1H_as9yF8A/XEzkKTdRAHI/AAAAAAAAHjc/5_hil9miVJERbxB2eFU0Y7HjQFmygxhTgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Recoleta%2BCemetery%2B02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1600" height="335" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t1H_as9yF8A/XEzkKTdRAHI/AAAAAAAAHjc/5_hil9miVJERbxB2eFU0Y7HjQFmygxhTgCEwYBhgL/s400/Recoleta%2BCemetery%2B02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>a dark, funereal place</i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3nBzdUl32Y/XEzkKdJWPAI/AAAAAAAAHjU/o03fXRqOGgwGQ5NtGqZi4WjXFZjLUfBewCEwYBhgL/s1600/Recoleta%2BCemetery%2B03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1316" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3nBzdUl32Y/XEzkKdJWPAI/AAAAAAAAHjU/o03fXRqOGgwGQ5NtGqZi4WjXFZjLUfBewCEwYBhgL/s400/Recoleta%2BCemetery%2B03.jpg" width="327" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the remains of the known: the wealthy, generals, sports stars, politicos</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xg_ttmAay-w/XEzkYH7zuCI/AAAAAAAAHjc/jLMH5g1GR8oLpxyRWi7X88bMBmihDE7uQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Evita%2527s%2BTomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1230" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xg_ttmAay-w/XEzkYH7zuCI/AAAAAAAAHjc/jLMH5g1GR8oLpxyRWi7X88bMBmihDE7uQCEwYBhgL/s400/Evita%2527s%2BTomb.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the tomb of Evita Peron, heroine of Argentina</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lq4ihvI_FAM/XEzkZMgERSI/AAAAAAAAHjg/Fe7E2YwMJUQtk2J-lrcNUQxczOahshkagCEwYBhgL/s1600/Storm%2BCloud%2BPanorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lq4ihvI_FAM/XEzkZMgERSI/AAAAAAAAHjg/Fe7E2YwMJUQtk2J-lrcNUQxczOahshkagCEwYBhgL/s640/Storm%2BCloud%2BPanorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVK4pHTZSXc/XEzkZJv0baI/AAAAAAAAHjk/LMNYLNnShyg4yb9A2ccVOexgPKVaCyrRACEwYBhgL/s1600/Clouds%2BBurst%2Bin%2BRecoleta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1341" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVK4pHTZSXc/XEzkZJv0baI/AAAAAAAAHjk/LMNYLNnShyg4yb9A2ccVOexgPKVaCyrRACEwYBhgL/s400/Clouds%2BBurst%2Bin%2BRecoleta.jpg" width="335" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The clouds could hold no more and their bladders burst </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">drenching the unprepared tourists.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The graveyard rodents ran faster than we did.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5u7BrQW2iZU/XEzkZKE99pI/AAAAAAAAHjk/KAfx67aR_ZcQ8ybjRc22inIE5xwNlsGGACEwYBhgL/s1600/Walking%2Bin%2Bthe%2BRain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="1600" height="560" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5u7BrQW2iZU/XEzkZKE99pI/AAAAAAAAHjk/KAfx67aR_ZcQ8ybjRc22inIE5xwNlsGGACEwYBhgL/s640/Walking%2Bin%2Bthe%2BRain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The down-rushing of the Holy Spirit was only Adam's Ale, after all. We were all soaked to the skin but the air was warm. We dried from the shoulders down on the bus ride back to the ship. The only discomfort was the feeling of sitting in urine-peepee with such wet pants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A hot afternoon sun returned to chase away the flash storm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dry clothes awaited in our stateroom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shore-bought Malbec wine smoothed out the afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">...ooo0ooo...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>next post is <span style="color: #cc0000;">Punta del Este and Montevideo</span></i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-561537977112751602019-01-25T23:03:00.002-08:002019-01-31T09:48:32.204-08:002. South to Buenos Aires<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">South to Buenos Aires</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span><span style="font-size: large;">he sun dips below </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Corcovado</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Mountain taking today's temperature down to 30C. Humidity lingers at 50 percent. Passengers, excited about the cruise that lies ahead, are still sweating from the Brazilian heat wave. Are they ready for the </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">mystery </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">voyage:</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> sharing 20 days with 1,000 strangers?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Captain Strazicic, our vessel's commander, is as cool as a cucumber as he directs his crew and the harbour personnel</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to separate us from the dock for an on-time departure.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-SjGns-t9w/XEfStpY4o_I/AAAAAAAAHbk/UaJZDlGadDs8sNAV9MwH0Yvqjqoi_xtngCLcBGAs/s1600/Twilight%2BDeparture%2Bfrom%2BRio%2Bcropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1581" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-SjGns-t9w/XEfStpY4o_I/AAAAAAAAHbk/UaJZDlGadDs8sNAV9MwH0Yvqjqoi_xtngCLcBGAs/s640/Twilight%2BDeparture%2Bfrom%2BRio%2Bcropped.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>dockside view</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo above, which I tweaked a whole lot to bring up detail in the fading light, is busy and needs description:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The sun is setting behind the left shoulder of Jesus the redeemer. The hilltop housing (right centre) is the favela slum, juxtaposed with the high tech office building (left). Our ship is reflected in the lower left windows. Large indigenous Brazilian faces on a dockside warehouse - artwork commissioned for the 2016 Olympics - please the cruise-ship passengers, three of whom stand with their backs to the ship's rail. What are they looking at?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is dark now. As we head through the harbour channel to the open sea another ship comes in to take our berth. S</span><span style="font-size: large;">ome passengers are dining below.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Joanne is preparing for our late sitting, and I am out on deck capturing precious things with my camera.</span> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5et3BUERFZw/XEftFKdtF9I/AAAAAAAAHbw/H5XaVhDlY4IgJ6p3aPhsQGqb_mENILiXwCLcBGAs/s1600/Woman%2BLeaving%2BRio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5et3BUERFZw/XEftFKdtF9I/AAAAAAAAHbw/H5XaVhDlY4IgJ6p3aPhsQGqb_mENILiXwCLcBGAs/s640/Woman%2BLeaving%2BRio.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>ships in the night</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lovely lady is alone with her thoughts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am drawn into the romance of the scene. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The light is seriously gone. Should I or shouldn't I? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can't help myself. She is frozen in her own time, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">long enough for me to fiddle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">with my camera settings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't get her name.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEX9Ve2ZInY/XEfxoOv1jQI/AAAAAAAAHcM/5yZlXL96_tUyzUwP0AKyiEbpU15lKwjeACLcBGAs/s1600/Sunset%2BAfter%2BRio%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEX9Ve2ZInY/XEfxoOv1jQI/AAAAAAAAHcM/5yZlXL96_tUyzUwP0AKyiEbpU15lKwjeACLcBGAs/s400/Sunset%2BAfter%2BRio%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>red sky at night, sailors' delight</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a hot night, and the first of many captivating sunsets to come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the way to Buenos Aires we stopped for a day at Ilha Grande, a semi-tropical island - no photos from there, then a day at Santos, port city, about 90 minutes by bus to São Paulo. We were advised by a friend who had been there that we may want to give </span><span style="font-size: large;">São Paulo a miss. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">We were not that keen on mingling with</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">17 million people in t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he third largest city in the world.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KNZsM3c25fY/XEj4qXV6-5I/AAAAAAAAHcw/ILl823pL5UwnilT1orXlCwtyr6yEUIO4QCLcBGAs/s1600/Santos%2BHaze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KNZsM3c25fY/XEj4qXV6-5I/AAAAAAAAHcw/ILl823pL5UwnilT1orXlCwtyr6yEUIO4QCLcBGAs/s320/Santos%2BHaze.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>The haze was unappealing</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We chose instead to stay on board that day, basking in the sun in the surreal world of service deluxe on deck 14.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We met some nice people who did one of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">big</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> pricy shore excursions and wished they hadn't.</span> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FyFJqHLtXqI/XEj4o13Z3kI/AAAAAAAAHdE/Byz_1tl9pjwVtm8Hnfkdfb55mva8GhfOACEwYBhgL/s1600/Container%2BShip%2Bin%2BSantos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FyFJqHLtXqI/XEj4o13Z3kI/AAAAAAAAHdE/Byz_1tl9pjwVtm8Hnfkdfb55mva8GhfOACEwYBhgL/s400/Container%2BShip%2Bin%2BSantos.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>All the South American ports were shared by <br />cargo ships and cruise ships alike</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The thing about cruise ships is that they often have to tie up to industrial docks. Any old sailor will tell you that the port is usually the worst part of a city - dirty, scuzzy, old worn down, and often dangerous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But the grunge and the roughness is generally well-considered by our shipping line. S</span><span style="font-size: large;">ecurity is extreme, s</span><span style="font-size: large;">afety is assured. The to and fro of shore excursions are typically,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> nice coaches - cocoons on wheels, hosted by the informative patter of local guides.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xEpGDbCR44I/XEj4o6YJaiI/AAAAAAAAHdA/Td1RR0zdlYQxu8NNnWj8rcjfyQ4jKarEgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Santos%2BAutos%2BDock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xEpGDbCR44I/XEj4o6YJaiI/AAAAAAAAHdA/Td1RR0zdlYQxu8NNnWj8rcjfyQ4jKarEgCEwYBhgL/s400/Santos%2BAutos%2BDock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>The port of Santos' population </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>is almost half a million people</i></span></span><br />
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We happen to come from Vancouver, where the cruise ships berth in rather beautiful, if not, stunning surroundings.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">TIP for viewing photos:<br />There is more in the photos than<br />can be displayed in this format. <br />Click on a photo to enlarge it then<br />return to the page by clicking on<br />the left arrow of your browser.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next photos, I promise, are the worst images you will see in this blog. I was not going to use them, but the world is not all about beauty, and after all, I'm not doing an ad for cruising.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lo-0zYZn9aQ/XEj7qzHh9SI/AAAAAAAAHdM/YpyHgVZGvBs1FLbBmcwcsCXJR0XZEL2MwCLcBGAs/s1600/Santos%2BFavela%2BWS.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lo-0zYZn9aQ/XEj7qzHh9SI/AAAAAAAAHdM/YpyHgVZGvBs1FLbBmcwcsCXJR0XZEL2MwCLcBGAs/s640/Santos%2BFavela%2BWS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The left and right of this favela, this urban shanty town, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">is </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">book-ended by </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">deep-sea shipping docks for dry bulk </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">freighters, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">huge container ships, & tankers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KNpZK2Mr0U/XEj9-WrdtwI/AAAAAAAAHdg/CTaxvQBMM9cu4eRuj_W-at6PPnbap4U0wCLcBGAs/s1600/Santos%2BFavela%2BFamily.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KNpZK2Mr0U/XEj9-WrdtwI/AAAAAAAAHdg/CTaxvQBMM9cu4eRuj_W-at6PPnbap4U0wCLcBGAs/s640/Santos%2BFavela%2BFamily.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are 21 people in the water and on the shore,<br />from babies & toddlers, small children & teenagers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> to parents & grandparents.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5rf3UbainfM/XEkEO7cKeMI/AAAAAAAAHd0/h6rgbr-pbHEQitV-mdN9aKS-uz91DEYhACLcBGAs/s1600/Marina%2Bat%2BAnchor.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5rf3UbainfM/XEkEO7cKeMI/AAAAAAAAHd0/h6rgbr-pbHEQitV-mdN9aKS-uz91DEYhACLcBGAs/s640/Marina%2Bat%2BAnchor.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As <span style="color: purple;">we</span> look down from our $600 million dollar ship upon </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the favela, this is what </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">they</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> see - close and looming high above.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Us </span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">and</span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> them</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r-6I7jt2fWs/XEj9-ALEcBI/AAAAAAAAHdk/vSiZ1Y-mneQj9h2bZUfCtiPeoaWDkzk5ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Santos%2BFavela%2BBoy%2Bin%2BTrash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r-6I7jt2fWs/XEj9-ALEcBI/AAAAAAAAHdk/vSiZ1Y-mneQj9h2bZUfCtiPeoaWDkzk5ACEwYBhgL/s640/Santos%2BFavela%2BBoy%2Bin%2BTrash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> See the boy in shorts standing on the pile of rubble?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In all fairness, there are some nice things to see and do in Santos. Two shore excursions were titled, </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">Highlights of Santos</span></i><span style="font-size: large;">.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> But why would a hundred cruise ships a year park so close to these people? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i style="text-align: start;">DISCLAIMER: being a cruise-ship-tourist-for-a-day in these places can surely be unfair for a city. Images of all kinds are a magnet for me and my camera. The editorializing is just me shooting from the lip.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tonight we will be leaving Brazilian waters. It will be our last meal where we will have to pay a $25 (US) Brazilian surcharge on our table wine. What is the government doing with all that money?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>GREETINGS FROM THE POPE </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>in Buenos Aires</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Pope Francis is from Buenos Aires, </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>though this may not be his effigy </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We booked a Buenos Aires city tour online at home before we left. Our guide for this inexpensive excursion, Hernan, was everything you would want in a guide: punctual, friendly, educated and informative, a good sense of humour, accommodating (more on that, below).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have captured some of new city Buenos Aires and old city </span><span style="font-size: large;">Buenos Aires.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Just like every other world centre, we see urban slum and decay mixed together with business towers of metal and glass. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Clearly, </span><span style="font-size: large;">BA</span><span style="font-size: large;"> is</span><span style="font-size: large;"> on the list of cities with impressive world class architectural and engineering landscapes. The juxtapositions of poverty and wealth, the spread of rich and poor, however, seems just a little a little more pronounced in South America than in North America and Europe. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Plaza de Mayo</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Metropolitan Cathedral overlooks Plaza de Mayo.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Mausoleum of national hero San Martin </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Mausoleum in the church includes three life-size female statues that stand guard over the remains of Argentina's national hero, General Jose de San Martin who freed Argentina, Chile, and Peru from the Spanish Empire (circa 1818).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Argentinian guards stood as wooden soldiers but they were very much alive. Close up I could see the perspiration on their faces. This guard nodded at me, very imperceptibly with maybe a millimetre of head and eye movement, just enough to advise me that I must remove my hat when entering the sacred chamber. He did that very graciously about three times while I was milling around, slack-jawed, marvelling at the space, until I finally realized that he was trying to communicate with me. I felt almost embarrassed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eLdYKcDgqRU/XEvSowUWe0I/AAAAAAAAHfc/XyYrF_uXhmkAfyXbaziVwpzAxfG2AJDDACLcBGAs/s1600/BA%2BLeft%2BGuard%2BCU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1116" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eLdYKcDgqRU/XEvSowUWe0I/AAAAAAAAHfc/XyYrF_uXhmkAfyXbaziVwpzAxfG2AJDDACLcBGAs/s400/BA%2BLeft%2BGuard%2BCU.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Try that body language on someone: see how small a movement you can make to get them to do something. Don't move your eyebrows.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">...oooOooo...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>next post is </i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">More Buenos Aires</span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Joanne friending in the BANOS</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZgdc95JQ0g/XFHxNC_6riI/AAAAAAAAHsg/zXYBroGaV-op9VMwNc_-LTid1DtmhIGEACEwYBhgL/s1600/the%2Bphotographer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1600" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZgdc95JQ0g/XFHxNC_6riI/AAAAAAAAHsg/zXYBroGaV-op9VMwNc_-LTid1DtmhIGEACEwYBhgL/s200/the%2Bphotographer.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.3s;"><a href="http://www.noordinaryseaman.com/" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.3s;" target="_blank">www.noordinaryseaman.com for more photography and writing </a></span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681478627245332112.post-39887796601477214402019-01-17T17:20:00.001-08:002023-11-16T16:56:32.811-08:001. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Rio de Janeiro</span></h2>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D2HxNCHMEmg/XEIWGwyQdkI/AAAAAAAAHaY/fx62yCHkGicI2pmn-qKNShYKk3J-IHM7wCLcBGAs/s1600/blog%2Btitle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1112" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D2HxNCHMEmg/XEIWGwyQdkI/AAAAAAAAHaY/fx62yCHkGicI2pmn-qKNShYKk3J-IHM7wCLcBGAs/s400/blog%2Btitle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span><span style="font-size: large;">his trip was a step into the deep end of travel that for us is usually by land in familiar countries where we are comfortable with the local languages. The southern Atlantic and Pacific are, indeed, deep and cold oceans, even in the summer months of December and January—our winter. The voyage took us to the "end of the world". This very special trip was far more tame than it was wild. After all, we were in the lap of luxury on a rather high-end cruise; we did not venture all that far from shore; we made new friends. Despite the fantasy world of the cruise ship, we richly experienced the good, the nearly bad, and the seriously ugly: our kind of travel, after all.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>offering of the coconut water at Copacabana</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a brief blog to share some of our travel experiences through photographs and text. As usual, do not expect a commercial travelogue, do anticipate some editorializing, and maybe some goofiness.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Getting to Rio de Janeiro on three planes was 22 hrs of terrible: Vancouver-Minneapolis-Atlanta-Rio. We arrived as <i>z</i><i>ombies</i> early morning pre check-in time at hotel, sleepless, and humourless. But the mind soon scratches out that dark <i>whose-stupid-idea-was-this</i> cloud, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">and the fun </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">began.</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once rested, fed, rested more, then stripped down for the 36 degrees C and 60% humidity it was time to jump in the lake/ocean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Joanne stole a picture of the old man and the sea, well, the oldest man on the beach, anyway, as he staggered out of the south Atlantic surf, refreshed and ready for showtime</span>.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Q: Wad in da coconut?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>A: Funny juice in da coconut</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Das wad in da coconut</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Jo in da coconut</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Gary in da coconut</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Wanna drink mo coconut</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Gary gon coconut</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Coco crazzeee</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Nut!</i></span></td></tr>
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</span><div dir="auto" style="color: #313131; font-size: 1rem; word-spacing: 1px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #313131; word-spacing: 1px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large; word-spacing: 0px;">We walked around to shop for wine, beer, snacks, and to meet our guide for two days, Fernando. (</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; word-spacing: 0px;">Candy, m</span><span style="color: black; word-spacing: 0px;">any thx for the recommendation). </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large; word-spacing: 0px;">What a guy. Did so much touring with Fernando,</span><span style="color: black; font-size: large; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">including meals in local establishments where you won't find a tourist, </span><span style="font-size: large;">beating</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> the lineups</span><span style="font-size: large;"> at the famous hot spots</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">, shopping with the locals, commentaries on current affairs, both cultural and political, and a momentous late dinner out with him and his wonderful wife, Valerie.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QruCh-1p_4/XD_mtSbjaRI/AAAAAAAAHWM/j9GPXld8hFw6LYv9CPRq-3riKYbt77arACEwYBhgL/s1600/Pintado%2BReataurante.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QruCh-1p_4/XD_mtSbjaRI/AAAAAAAAHWM/j9GPXld8hFw6LYv9CPRq-3riKYbt77arACEwYBhgL/s400/Pintado%2BReataurante.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We ordered the specialty of the restaurant—pintado, a (large) freshwater fish found in the rivers of South America.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8LMTWaWj3M8/XD_sIKU7f2I/AAAAAAAAHWY/_v8glGhD36Um2AvsJX4YZZJx1DxqZGqtACLcBGAs/s1600/Pintado%2Bin%2BRio.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1290" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8LMTWaWj3M8/XD_sIKU7f2I/AAAAAAAAHWY/_v8glGhD36Um2AvsJX4YZZJx1DxqZGqtACLcBGAs/s400/Pintado%2Bin%2BRio.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The fish was grilled and served on skewers, not a delicate meat, but very tasty. Do a search on pintado and you will see a type of very large catfish. </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: medium;">There is more in the photos than<br />can be displayed in this format. <br />Click on a photo to enlarge it then<br />return to the page by clicking on<br />th<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">e</span> left </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(128, 0, 128); color: purple;">arrow of your </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple;">browser.</span></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Christ the Redeemer on the peak </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>of Corcovado Mountain</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">On the peak of the 700 metre Corcovado Mountain stands the famous landmark </span><span style="font-size: large;">statue of </span><span style="font-size: large;">Christ the Redeemer. From the city, you drive through the jungle-like Tijuca National Park and snake up the hill to parking, elevators, escalators and stairs, all of which are accessible through the souvenir shop. </span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This "modern wonder of the world" was erected in 1931. Sculpture and engineering by French and Brazilian collaboration. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JuKlNNIDxJQ/XD_KQl3hchI/AAAAAAAAHVY/WxCnosqwW6QGG9rkenfwCPFQlmOEUPrtACEwYBhgL/s1600/Rio%2BAerial%2Bfrom%2BCR%2BLoRes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1600" height="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JuKlNNIDxJQ/XD_KQl3hchI/AAAAAAAAHVY/WxCnosqwW6QGG9rkenfwCPFQlmOEUPrtACEwYBhgL/s640/Rio%2BAerial%2Bfrom%2BCR%2BLoRes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>View of Sugarloaf and Guanabara Bay </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>f</i></span><i>rom Christ the Redeemer</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">The view is awesome—on a clear day. </span><span style="font-size: large;">We were lucky with </span><span style="font-size: large;">the weather. Often in </span><span style="font-size: large;">this sub-tropical climate </span><span style="font-size: large;">the robed man is obscured in cloud.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Rio's outer harbour and Sugarloaf</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">My filtering and tweaking of the photographs helped reveal what is seen here. Over most of the city there is a yellowy blanket of befouled air. This is </span><span style="font-size: large;">typical of big cities </span><span style="font-size: large;">on hot days when the wind is not blowing—</span><span style="font-size: large;">Paris, Los Angeles, Vancouver ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zrqOeU5NVj4/XD__2yX1J3I/AAAAAAAAHWw/bmVT6uaMi3Im4UBFyyg-9V13UHh7CFxTgCLcBGAs/s1600/Christ%2BRedeemer%2BCU.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1600" height="490" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zrqOeU5NVj4/XD__2yX1J3I/AAAAAAAAHWw/bmVT6uaMi3Im4UBFyyg-9V13UHh7CFxTgCLcBGAs/s640/Christ%2BRedeemer%2BCU.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Standing 30 metres tall, blessed art thou all</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Rio's geography is truly amazing. Sugarloaf Mountain is most unusual. What a natural tourist attraction. Do not go up there if you are afraid of heights. One can really feel the rush of </span><span style="font-size: large;">vertigo at the top.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cMeGX_tgOIE/XD_KSkU-sKI/AAAAAAAAHVg/UWMNMe5YZGk5PgX06xmtXdacGNUPAcNUACEwYBhgL/s1600/Sugarloaf%2BSkyride.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1600" height="488" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cMeGX_tgOIE/XD_KSkU-sKI/AAAAAAAAHVg/UWMNMe5YZGk5PgX06xmtXdacGNUPAcNUACEwYBhgL/s640/Sugarloaf%2BSkyride.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Sugarloaf cable car</i></span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Below, is Copacabana Beach. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: left;">The water is remarkably clear and clean, as is the sand. </div></span>
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;">And it is warm(ish) for bathing!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uyV_7E6mvpc/XD__2yoqz3I/AAAAAAAAHXA/C8m61XoXE58ZuGuN5FmIKRHYbBoRF4XCACEwYBhgL/s1600/Copacabana%2BBeach%2BLS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uyV_7E6mvpc/XD__2yoqz3I/AAAAAAAAHXA/C8m61XoXE58ZuGuN5FmIKRHYbBoRF4XCACEwYBhgL/s640/Copacabana%2BBeach%2BLS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Copacabana Beach from Sugarloaf<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V82ZWOZ9IBA/XEDTlIW2yvI/AAAAAAAAHY8/64LglkLxaCkXnMfXy39QKy4GNR9CEyj_ACLcBGAs/s1600/Copacabana%2BBeach%2BMS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1600" height="434" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V82ZWOZ9IBA/XEDTlIW2yvI/AAAAAAAAHY8/64LglkLxaCkXnMfXy39QKy4GNR9CEyj_ACLcBGAs/s640/Copacabana%2BBeach%2BMS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Copacabana<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Our hotel was a block from the beach. Zoom in on the photo (above) and you will see long dark lines in the sand extending from the street to where the people are lounging. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wHgSefIcHxQ/XEDSyKe4I7I/AAAAAAAAHYs/68_Ju1kFxM4g63i8KTOhzgbClvRWKp8vQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Jo%2Bon%2BCopacabana%2BBeach.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wHgSefIcHxQ/XEDSyKe4I7I/AAAAAAAAHYs/68_Ju1kFxM4g63i8KTOhzgbClvRWKp8vQCEwYBhgL/s320/Jo%2Bon%2BCopacabana%2BBeach.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The cool damp path</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">These are soaker hoses that leak water onto the </span><span style="font-size: large;">scorching </span><span style="font-size: large;">sand creating a narrow wet patch to walk along. From where they end, the burning soles of your feet send you goose stepping to the waves.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Walking along the wet zone of the beach requires a heads up be-prepared-to-duck-deek-kick readiness. This is one of Brazil's main football training grounds. Very impressive!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3vJX2TqR4o/XEDSzoXonaI/AAAAAAAAHYw/GddebJd0TeUKklKxEu4iYb9CRHvl4qCAwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Soccer%2BBalls%2Bon%2BCopacabana%2BBeach.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3vJX2TqR4o/XEDSzoXonaI/AAAAAAAAHYw/GddebJd0TeUKklKxEu4iYb9CRHvl4qCAwCEwYBhgL/s640/Soccer%2BBalls%2Bon%2BCopacabana%2BBeach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Soccer balls are always flying on Copacabana Beach<br /><br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ0E3X4qEl0/XEAAJhNS84I/AAAAAAAAHXQ/Is5kq9s7jiMeZ1TjscjyecISvketC15WwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Rio%2Bhill%2Bslum.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="1600" height="361" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ0E3X4qEl0/XEAAJhNS84I/AAAAAAAAHXQ/Is5kq9s7jiMeZ1TjscjyecISvketC15WwCEwYBhgL/s400/Rio%2Bhill%2Bslum.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Favela Rocinha at Christ's backside</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This favela—a shanty town that developed into an urban slum—is one of many poor and rough neighbourhoods in Rio. Surely, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Christ the Redeemer blesses these citizens too, though his back is to them. </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rio was our first experience of Latin American cities with serious infrastructure problems. On the drive from the airport to our hotel we passed many abandoned shells of buildings. Some are multilevel concrete structures where construction stopped several years ago because of lack of funding. These concrete skeletons loom large. Someone's investment gone bad? Somebody's dream became a nightmare? Embarrassment for governments at all levels.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHNujPvPR6o/XEDZd0S5VvI/AAAAAAAAHZk/gt5FwCM7h8Q8gr7QBR16ffeFu-5qZarDACLcBGAs/s1600/Street%2BFood%2Bon%2BLadeira%2BSanta%2BTereza.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHNujPvPR6o/XEDZd0S5VvI/AAAAAAAAHZk/gt5FwCM7h8Q8gr7QBR16ffeFu-5qZarDACLcBGAs/s640/Street%2BFood%2Bon%2BLadeira%2BSanta%2BTereza.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Street food on Ladeira Santa Tereza</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Near the corner of heartache & crime<br /> </i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We never felt unsafe in Fernando's company. He ordered our food. They speak Portuguese in Brazil, right? And little English. He brought us the national high-test cocktail— <i>caipirinha—</i>with<i> </i>sugar cane liquor, lime, ice). </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Caipirinha =</i> happy tranquilizer.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">The word for thank you is </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>obrigado </i>(roll the rrr)<i>.</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Pedestrians on any street in old Rio must frequently have eyes down to avoid a twisted ankle, or worse. Broken or missing pavers, collapsed sidewalks, loose stones—they are ever-present, so watch your step.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cbsvTv4NvH0/XEDSz5x3IKI/AAAAAAAAHY4/JZZ-9pxWPZMEzjXiBK1zFjhm5CreSdGDwCEwYBhgL/s1600/rat%2Bnest%2Bof%2Bwires.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="1600" height="301" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cbsvTv4NvH0/XEDSz5x3IKI/AAAAAAAAHY4/JZZ-9pxWPZMEzjXiBK1zFjhm5CreSdGDwCEwYBhgL/s400/rat%2Bnest%2Bof%2Bwires.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Typical rat-nest street wiring<br /><br /><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8s_hLr_Pik/XEDSxvFu57I/AAAAAAAAHYo/d-q6BKIFOfYQzcA839pv_p8UuUymq2NZgCEwYBhgL/s1600/GELO%2Bhouse.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1184" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8s_hLr_Pik/XEDSxvFu57I/AAAAAAAAHYo/d-q6BKIFOfYQzcA839pv_p8UuUymq2NZgCEwYBhgL/s640/GELO%2Bhouse.jpg" width="472" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ECUypQd0_g/XEDYXE47UoI/AAAAAAAAHZY/-LFUKIJtwmg6Os9A3_TMOUFeezGKtBDzQCLcBGAs/s1600/St%2BArt%2Bout%2Bof%2Bcontrol.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ECUypQd0_g/XEDYXE47UoI/AAAAAAAAHZY/-LFUKIJtwmg6Os9A3_TMOUFeezGKtBDzQCLcBGAs/s1600/St%2BArt%2Bout%2Bof%2Bcontrol.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ECUypQd0_g/XEDYXE47UoI/AAAAAAAAHZY/-LFUKIJtwmg6Os9A3_TMOUFeezGKtBDzQCLcBGAs/s1600/St%2BArt%2Bout%2Bof%2Bcontrol.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ECUypQd0_g/XEDYXE47UoI/AAAAAAAAHZY/-LFUKIJtwmg6Os9A3_TMOUFeezGKtBDzQCLcBGAs/s1600/St%2BArt%2Bout%2Bof%2Bcontrol.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ECUypQd0_g/XEDYXE47UoI/AAAAAAAAHZY/-LFUKIJtwmg6Os9A3_TMOUFeezGKtBDzQCLcBGAs/s1600/St%2BArt%2Bout%2Bof%2Bcontrol.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ECUypQd0_g/XEDYXE47UoI/AAAAAAAAHZY/-LFUKIJtwmg6Os9A3_TMOUFeezGKtBDzQCLcBGAs/s640/St%2BArt%2Bout%2Bof%2Bcontrol.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: right;">Street art in old Rio is intricate, messy, political, scary, beautiful, and more or less out of control. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /></span>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Brazil has the greatest number of practising Catholics in the world.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">The gilded chapel at the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Mosteiro de Sao Bento, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Benedictine Monastery (1590)</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"> is jaw-dropping. We have seen much Catholic architecture in the western world but nothing like this. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The gilded chapel</i></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Santa Joanna was equally impressed.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">The ship departs at 1900. Gotta go!</span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.noordinaryseamn.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1600" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZgdc95JQ0g/XFHxNC_6riI/AAAAAAAAHsc/a-OgC4fC6Qwklq4gT8ks-VIS8yJi3FTcQCLcBGAs/s200/the%2Bphotographer.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.noordinaryseaman.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">www.noordinaryseaman.com for more photography and writing </span></a></td></tr>
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