Travel through our eyes!
January 16, 2016
Today it was our turn to sail through the Panama Canal Locks we visited yesterday. This was a very cool experience because we took a tour of the Gatun locks and saw exactly how they work so being on the ship made it that much better.
I couldn’t believe how close we were to the wall on either side of the ship its pretty amazing.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.
January 15th – 16th, 2017
Today we took a unique tour of Fuerte Amador. Just imagine traveling down the tracks of the first transcontinental railroad in a comfortable domed railcar, while viewing what is widely considered to be the 8th wonder of the world; the Panama Canal, as well as spectacular Gatun Lake. This was a cool experience of traveling from one ocean to another, crossing the amazing continent of the Americas in just over one hour!
Once we arrived at the Pacific side railroad station, we boarded the train for a 75-minute rail journey. The glass-domed car gave us an outstanding panoramic view while traveling through the lush rainforest.
Crossing the Continental Divide, we were on the Atlantic side, where we disembarked the train and got on a bus to the Gatun Locks. Once at the locks, we climbed the 78 steps to the observatory platform where we were lucky enough to see a cargo ship passing and observed the functionality of the locks.
Here’s a little history about The Panama Railroad was the brainchild of a group of New York Financiers who wanted to create an easy passage for the increasing gold rush traffic. The railroad took five years and eight million dollars to build and was completed in 1855. During its first 12 years of operation, the train carried over 750 million dollars worth of gold and silver and collected one-quarter of one percent of each shipment as the duty. The railroad was rebuilt in 1909 during the construction of the Panama Canal, and without it, the canal could not have been built.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is the Panama Canal Daylight Transit.
January 13, 2017
Today we woke up at 3:30 am and drove to Quito airport to take an hour flight to Manta to meet up with the ship. Once we got to the ship, we went to our suite and dropped off our luggage went to eat breakfast and then took a nap. The only bit of Manta we saw was the drive from the airport to the pier. We also rented out Prive and invited some of the great people we met while on the ship and we had a great meal and a great time.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Fuerte Amado (Balboa), Panama.
January 11, 2017
Today once again we had to wake up early because we had an extremely long day ahead of us. After a quick breakfast, we then boarded our shuttle bus and headed to the train station to board the train that was going to take us to the bus that was going to drive us to Machu Picchu. It’s like that jingle “Take the train to the plane” lol
Machu Picchu and everything we learned about the Incas and how they used to live and what they built was utterly fantastic. Pictures are good, but they don’t do it justice. We were lucky enough that it only drizzled a little bit, so we were able to get amazing pictures.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Quito, Ecuador.
January 08, 2016
Today we are going to see the most iconic manmade wonders in and around Arica, many of them pre-Inca, including the world’s oldest mummies and giant geoglyphs in the barren Atacama Desert, which is the driest in the world.
The first stop on tour was just outside the city limits, where we visited the San Miguel de Azapa Archaeological Museum. Exhibits reveal the intricacies of several ancient cultures and include mummies that predate the ones in Egypt by more than 3,000 years. Other displays showed how the semi-nomadic Chinchorro people lived along the coast and in the desert. Still, the geoglyphs are the most impressive sights in the remote desert. The giant, unique and geometric works of art were created by Indians scratching the salty surface of the brightly colored rocks and even using primitive paints.
Next, we drove south on the Pan-American road to the middle of the desert and Pampa Chaca, where Diaz Fleming, one of the greatest sculptors in Chile, has created the impressive Tutelar Figures as an homage to the Andean people. Rising out of the desert sands, they depict sacred symbols of the indigenous Aymara people. We also were treated to a show with native dancing.
Our last stop on today’s tour is Colon Square, one of Arica’s most popular spots. Its architectural highlight is the pink-and-white Church of San Marcos. The famed French architect and structural engineer Gustave Eiffel designed the church, which aside from the wooden doors, is constructed entirely of metal. Now more than 125 years after its construction, it has been deemed a Chilean national monument.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Lima/Machu Picchu, Peru.
January 06, 2016
Today we drove around Coquimbo heading towards La Serena, and we passed by the main square called Plaza de Armas.
We stopped by the old lighthouse in La Serena which looks like a castle with a tall tower. We also stopped and saw a Catholic Church of St. Augustine which was great because they were in the middle of mass, so we got a chance to record it in Spanish. Today’s tour was short because there isn’t much to see or do in Coquimbo.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Arica, Chile.
January 04th – 05th, 2017
Today we drove to the central part of the city so we can start the walking tour of this city full of colorful graffiti art everywhere. The city consists of two completely different sections: the lower part adjacent to the port area is known as El Plan, and the hillside section is known as Los Cerros or El Plan Alto. We rode on one of Valparaíso‘s most picturesque funiculars to continue our walking tour to the bar/restaurant for a short stop for refreshments at the quaint yet beautiful square located on Alegre Hill.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Coquimbo, Chile.
January 02, 2017
Today we drove to Petrohue Waterfalls on the way we stopped at this place on the side of the road that sold snacks and souvenirs. It had a small farm next to it with Lamas and goats.
Our tour guide told us that Puerto Montt is the capital, and is one of the most spectacular areas of Chile. Hundreds of picturesque lakes and dozens of active volcanoes dominate the landscape.
We drove by Lake Llanquihue, South America’s third-largest natural lake, dominated by the impressive snow-capped Osorno Volcano.
The last and most impressive stop was Vicente Perez Rosales National Park where we saw the famous Petrohue Waterfalls.
After visiting these magnificent falls, we drove back to the pier
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Valparaiso, Chile.
January 01, 2017 – New Years Day
Today in Puerto Chacabuco, Chile we wanted to take it easy since yesterday we had a big party on the ship so we decided to take a walk by the pier and there were tents set up with handmade items by the locals.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Puerto Montt, Chile.
December 30th – 31st, 2016 – New Years Eve
Today we sailed through the Chilean Fjords heading towards Puerto Chacabuco, Chile. John and I both thought that the landscape was beautiful just as it was in Alaska. We were lucky enough to have a wrap around balcony, so we got a chance to see a lot more of the fjords than most people on the ship. Enjoy the pictures below.
Follow us on our journey the next destination is Puerto Chacabuco, Chile.
