Around the Horn

Day 30: Valparaiso, Chile

After a late night and over-indulgence at the Super Bowl party, I managed to drag myself out of bed for a private tour arranged by Mariana, a lovely member of the Hornblowers. We (29 of us) met at Bolero's at 11:00 for the tour, and left the ship to meet Michael, our guide for the day. After a delay in order for some of our participants to exchange U.S. dollars for Chilean Pesos, the form of payment requested by the tour guide, we set off for Vina Del Mar and a photo stop  at the Flower  Clock. We then headed for a local restaurant for lunch and drinks.

The local Chilean fare was delicious, consisting of clams with parmesan cheese in a half shell and some breaded shrimp/cheese appetizers. The starter course for me was a cold salmon plate with capers, sauce and the ever-present parmesan cheese, and an entree of Chilean sea bass, a thick filet of very tasty fish. We were treated to a pre-dinner glass of the national drink of Chile, a Pisco Sour ( very tasty), white or red wine with the entree, and an apertif of anise with dessert ( a light mousse with an apricot puree). After a great meal and great company, we set out for a scenic tour of picturesque Vina Del Mar, the resort town on the outskirts of the port city, and Valparaiso itself.

Vina Del Mar is a beautiful area, with many nice hotels, restaurants and shopping.and is a safe and popular place for tourists. Valparaiso itself is huge and sprawling, with miles of colorful houses stacked together on its rolling hillsides. We were driven to a magnificent lookout point above the city, then taken on a walking tour of the UNESCO heritage area of the city, with its narrow cobblestone streets. As a final surprise, we were led to the Ascensur Conception, one of 14 'lifts' or elevators still operating in the city. This particular one dates from 1883, and took us, 7 passengers at a time, on a short but hair-raising descent into the main financial district and our waiting bus.

After a late arrival at the ship, I prepared to head to the Sheraton Miramar Hotel to meet Dave and his travelling companions from Ohio, George and Susan, for dinner.

Tomorrow : A Morning in Vina Del Mar