Beginning of South American Trip, Rio d J.

[Ratch]

Close to the town of Ushusia is the Tierra del Fuego National Park. I will let the pics say it all. Ratch

 

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Now we leave Argentina and enter the Chilean Fjords, passing the Amilia Glacier, on the way to Puenta Areanas (Sandy Point, Chile).
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https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...C34411D60D963C868CB0C34&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

 

[davenn]

The same could be said of those that free climb El Capitan in Yosemite, swim the English Channel, climb Mt. Everest, speed X++ miles/hr around Daytona and Le Mans, or a hundred plus other dangerous activities anyone could name. They don't have to risk their lives like that, so why do it?

because it is the personal challenge

 

[davenn]

Close to the town of Ushusia is the Tierra del Fuego National Park. I will let the pics say it all. Ratch

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WOW, that could be anywhere in southern South Island of New Zealand
Makes me feel homesick

 

[Ratch]

because it is the personal challenge

Then why all the publicity and adulation? Why not do it quietly and celebrate or suffer in silence? Why not volunteer to be test subjects for dangerous drug tests, or train to be test pilots where they could do some good? Why pick some inane, insane, lame brain act of conditional catastrophe or crash for cash? Why do the Flying Wallendas Circus Act have to perform 100 feet above the ground instead of 10 feet to show off their unparalleled balancing skills? Is it to attract the few, the sick, the disgusting crowd that hope to see them fall and kill themselves? Ratch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Wallendas

 

[Ratch]

Now we leave Argentina, and arrive at Puenta Areanas (Sandy Point, Chile). Chile is shaped like a long string bean and pasted against the west coast of South America. PA is in the southern part of Chile, and is blocked from the northern part of Chile by the Andes Mountains. The only way to get to the northern part of Chile is to bypass the Andes through Argentina, or by sea, or by air.

The first three pics are of King Cormorants who hang around where fishing is involved. The forth and fifth pic is a far view our ship moored at the dock, and the last pic is a close up rear view of our ship. The ship is small as far as cruise ships go (900 passengers), but superbly designed and very comfortable.

Pics 7 and 8 are Bougainvillea bushes which I thought were very pretty in bloom. The rest of the pics are views of the harbor showing other cruise ships and the town itself from a vista viewpoint. Also, there are interspersed pics of owner's yards where folks planted pretty flowers that I could not resist any more than a dog can pass a fire hydrant without stopping. Ratch

 

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Leaving Puenta Areanas, we pass through the Chilean (chilly) Fjords. Lots of ice, glaciers. and mountains. Ratch

 

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Getting close to the end of the trip now. Arriving in Valpariso, Chili, where we leave the ship and travel overland by motor coach to Santiago to catch a plane to the US.

The first pic in Valpariso shows the only statue taken from Easter Island, which Chile governs. It is sitting outside of a museum. The next pics are scattered shots of the bay and the town. Ratch

 

[Ratch]

Now I am coming to the end of our trip. This will be my last post. Traveling by motor coach from Valparaiso to the capital Santiago along highway 68, we pass through a fertile valley where lots of veggies are grown. Further north from the highway is the Atacama Desert, where many celestial observatories have set up their equipment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_Desert Some parts of that desert have no recorded rainfall ever.

Pics #4,5,6,7 are the president's palace or some government building, I forget which. Pic #22 is the tallest building in SA. I know it doesn't compare to the skyscratchers they have in NYC, Chicago, or Dubai, but it is what they have in Santiago, and they are proud of it. https://www.bing.com/search?q=gran+torre+santiago&filters=ufn:"gran+torre+santiago"+sid:"ed0f4ab4-6d0b-396a-8381-69a2fd39d805"&FORM=SNAPST The rest of the pics are ordinary city shots and some floral blooms I could not resist.

Now a word about the graffiti in pics # 8 and 9. Thus far, I have been shielding you all from the pics that show this blight that seems prevalent in Rio, Montevideo, and the larger cities of Argentina and Chile. It just spoils the front of the buildings. I get the impression that the citizens are not happy with their governments which seem to be either inept, corrupt, or both. The graffiti seems to be both gang and politically related, and the governments can"t seem to get a handle on either problem. Don't become too politically laissez-faire folks, or your government might turn into a narco gang state like Mexico has already.

Upon reaching Santiago, we waited in a luxury hotel lounge courtesy of the tour company for the 9 hour evening flight to Atlanta, Georgia. During the day, we toured the city. We arrived home several days before the Corona Craze set in and everything really locked down tight. So we were lucky in that respect.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my presentation. Bye for now. Ratch