Live - SIlver Explorer October 25 2017, Guayaquil to Valparaiso

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

San Pedro de Atacama

 

Finally around 11:00, we arrived in San Pedro. That gave us about 45 minutes to look around town before lunch. Our first stop was the church.

 

 

Nice building, and a pretty setting. We didn't go in just yet.

 

 

They showed us where lunch would be, then gave us free time to wander.

 

 

Low one-story buildings and dirt roads. Just a few blocks of city to see. It was crowded with mountain-climbing types and tourists like us. Every other building was a tour agency.

 

 

This was a funky small town which gave me a feeling like we were in Nepal. I don't know why I felt that way, especially since we've never been there.

 

There was a nice craft market, with good prices, but we didn't do any shopping. It was pretty crowded.

 

We headed back to the church. A side view. Maybe the banners reminded me of prayer flags that you'd see in Far Eastern countries.

 

 

The interior of the church was worth a visit. It is reputed to be the second oldest church in Chile, with parts dating back to the 17th Century. The church is constructed from adobe. Obviously there have been plenty of renovations and additions since then.

 

 

Otherwise, we just wandered enjoying the atmosphere, and the views of the mountains in the distance. Then we started to make our way back to the restaurant for lunch.

Edited December 14, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

San Pedro de Atacama

 

The main Plaza, just outside the craft market. Looks like something is going on.

 

 

The kids are all participating. It seems like they are decorating cookies. Yum! I'm hungry!

 

 

We took a quiet side street and headed in the direction of our lunch stop.

 

 

There were a few small shops so we looked around here and there. Nothing to buy yet.

 

We didn't sign up for the Magical Mystical Tour either.

 

 

Finally it was time for lunch. We grabbed a table at the restaurant and waited to see what was on the menu.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

San Pedro de Atacama

 

Lunch also included drinks. Wine was available as well as a local beer. I figured the beer was more hydrating than the wine would be.

 

 

There was salad to start.

 

 

Chicken with potatoes and vegetables for the main course.

 

 

A tasty piece of cake for dessert.

 

 

We had to rush through dessert a little quicker than we expected, as we were one of the last tables served. But the place did OK serving all of us within an hour. Maybe we could have divided the group into two? Those of us on the long tour needed to be out within an hour, but those on the more "leisurely" tour who were staying in San Pedro didn't need to be finished so quickly. But it worked out OK in any event.

 

By 12:45 we were headed back to the buses to continue our tour. Not even halfway done with this long day!

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Atacama Desert, San Pedro Region

 

Heading out of San Pedro, we had a nice view of Volcan Licancabur from the parking lot.

 

 

From here, we drove south into the desert. This part was a little monotonous, and we'd been up for a long time. There were nice mountains off to the east. We passed the area where the large radio telescopes were located but you can't really see them from the road.

 

I napped on and off while Chris took pictures. Finally we reached a point where we stopped and turned around.

 

 

The landscape does remind me of the American Southwest.

 

 

We headed back towards San Pedro, and turned off onto a smaller side road, heading into the desert. Everything looked bright and white in the intense sunshine. We were getting into some of the salt flats now.

 

 

And then we arrived at Laguna Chaxa. Hard to believe that there is surface water here!

 

 

Time for a little hike. It is really bright here, and the air is very dry. Hoping to see some wildlife here in the lagoon.

[spinnaker2]

The vastness is just breathtaking.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Laguna Chaxa, Atacama Desert

 

Ready for hiking! Even with the hat and sunglasses (repaired temporarily with super glue), I still had to squint. The salt flats were blinding in the bright sunshine.

 

 

But the mountains in the distance were incredible! What a view! And I think I see some water there, unless it's a mirage.

 

 

Some flamingoes in the distance, wading in the shallow water. It's real. Some backdrop!

 

 

The reflections are really nice.

 

 

What a landscape. Perfect viewing conditions today. Very few clouds and not much haze.

 

 

A pair of somewhat synchronized walkers.

 

 

And a link to a video of them.

[silkismom]

Enjoying your trip.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Laguna Chaxa, Atacama Desert

 

Two flamingoes walk up to a (sand)bar...

 

 

This group is antisocial. But when they fly, you can see the bright coloration of their wings. So it was good to see them this way too.

 

 

They really didn't want to hang around with us.

 

 

Another overview. You can see how shallow the lagoon really is.

 

 

And a classic flamingo pose. Wonder what that water tastes like?

 

 

In the middle of nowhere, we are standing by a shallow lagoon, chock full of bird life! This is spectacular! I don't want to leave.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Laguna Chaxa, Atacama Desert

 

A rapid sequence of shots.

 

Incoming...

 

 

 

Final approach...

 

 

Landing gear down...

 

 

Full airbrakes...

 

 

And splashdown!

 

 

This flamingo managed to stop its flight and plant its feet - no hop on the landing. A perfect 10!

[mysty]

Love your wit JP!!!! And the photos are spectacular!

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Laguna Chaxa, Atacama Desert

 

Here's a Fabian's Lizard, at the water's edge.

 

 

Cute little guy. Nice coloration.

 

 

The salt flats, with the mountains in the distance. Just awesome! Am I on Mars?

 

 

Another lizard shot.

 

 

Even the lizards were smart enough to get out of the sun.

 

 

Chris, on the other hand, is enjoying herself. I hope she remembered her sunscreen!

 

 

It was time to head back after about a half hour. I would have stayed longer, but between the sun and the dryness, my skin was starting to desiccate.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Atacama Desert

 

One more gorgeous mountain, far in the distance. Pick a name and I'll go with it.

 

 

Back to the buses. It was about an hour to the next stop. More desert scenery along the way. Mars, again?

 

 

The information center and rest area, for a washroom stop. Our familiar Volcan Licancabur tells us that we're back near San Pedro.

 

 

Our next destination - Valley of the Moon.

 

 

A road marker for the start of a scenic driving loop.

 

 

Let's get going. It's after 4:00 and we still have lots to see!

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Valle de la Luna, Atacama Desert

 

Off to the Valley of the Moon! This impressive rock formation greeted us at the entrance. Such intricate carvings on the rock face. It's a work of art.

 

 

There is a lot of sand here, blanketing the rock formations. And areas where salt has risen to the surface.

 

 

Some of the sand dunes seem rather large. Little did we know.

 

 

I liked the patterns in the surface of the sand dunes. It looks like it could have been formed by water, but none of that here. All formed by the wind.

 

 

The rock formations look like islands in a sea of sand.

 

 

And the layers of rock have been deformed by the forces of plate tectonics. It takes a lot of pressure to raise the Andes. These rocks were bent in the process.

 

 

This area also reminds me of the Southwest United States. The mixture of rock and sand is pretty cool. I wish we had time to stop and walk, instead of just looking from the bus windows.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Valle de la Luna, Atacama Desert

 

Salt, sand, and rock.

 

 

A starkly beautiful combination.

 

 

The colors were intense in the afternoon light. The rock formations were a beautiful color.

 

 

A larger rock formation, with a sheer surface. The strata are nicely visible here.

 

 

The view kept getting better. The sky was so blue against the red rocks and the contrast with the white salty surface was amazing.

 

 

We had traversed most of the valley by now. Next up - a stop at a famous rock formation.

 

PS. No enhancements in these photos. They are purposefully underexposed about 2/3EV but that is all. The bus windows may have contributed some filtering effect. It really was that pretty here.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Valle de la Luna, Atacama Desert

 

We parked and got out of the bus to see Las Tres Marias - the three Marys. Apparently these three rocks used to look like three statues of Mary - one praying, one seated, one holding an infant. They look fairly abstract now. Constant erosion will do that.

 

 

Another statue nearby. Not sure what this one was. I thought it looked like a rabbit for some reason. Maybe it was the altitude?

 

 

An overview of the site.

 

 

Some tourists.

 

 

 

The ground was pretty hard. Though it looks soft and sandy, it was not sandy at all. On closer inspection there is a thick layer of crystalline salt at the surface. Pretty cool geology!

 

 

Back on the bus for a minute. Supposedly we will get to walk more in a little bit. That would be great!

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Valle de la Luna, Atacama Desert

 

We turned around and headed back the way we had come. After a few km, we stopped and got off for a short hike along the road. It was nice to stretch our legs.

 

 

And see the rocks up close and personal. You could appreciate the size of the formations much more when you were standing next to them.

 

 

What a landscape!

 

 

A desolate combination of rocks and sand, shaped by wind. We and our vehicles seem insignificant in comparison.

 

 

This wall forms a natural amphitheater.

 

 

I loved the red color and the shape of this formation.

 

 

But on the other side of the road, there was something else that was equally impressive.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Valle de la Luna, Atacama Desert

 

A gigantic sand dune towered over us, on our right side.

 

 

Such a smooth surface.

 

 

It was impossible to capture its vastness in a photo. But we tried!

 

 

You can barely see people in this photo, on the top left of the dune. They seem like ants. It must be close to 100 feet tall. I was a little jealous that they got to climb the sand dune! That looks like fun!

 

 

And one last shot of the amphitheater before heading out.

 

 

With that we got back on the buses to start home, but not without some amusement. We had walked one way down the road, and the buses came down to pick us up, rather than making us walk back, which would have been uphill. You can see a bus in the far left of the picture above, heading for us.

 

Someone from the park started yelling at the bus driver that he couldn't park here, etc. It was kind of funny, as he was riding a bicycle...and he chased the bus and drove up to the driver's window to have this conversation with him. An action shot:

 

 

We got on the bus while the bus driver and the park fellow argued the proper protocol, and then headed out. I really wanted that picture of the official bicycle next to the bus, but I had to be careful that he didn't see me. I didn't want him chasing me next!

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Valle de la Luna, Atacama Desert

 

One last view of Licancabur in the distance.

 

 

And the weird landscape.

 

 

I thought this looked a bit like Uluru.

 

 

Back to the Information Center, but we didn't make a stop. We were running a little behind schedule, and had to make it to our last scheduled event on today's tour. We headed to a scenic overlook called Mirador de Kari.

 

 

Strange rock formations every way you look, and mountains in the distance. This is the East side of the Valley, and we had been over on the West side with the buses. So despite the speed of the tour, we had seen just about all of the Valley.

 

 

They had refreshements for us as well. And a few snacks.

 

 

There were people here getting ready for a Pachamama Ceremony. More on that next, after some snacks!

Edited December 18, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Mirador de Kari - Valle de la Luna, Atacama Desert

 

The two ladies doing the Pachamama ceremony were making offerings to Mother Earth.

 

 

But they were throwing things into the fire, including wine!

 

 

Some of our fellow guests participated in the ceremony. We enjoyed the view instead. It's getting late and our shadows are getting long. We are still a long way from home!

 

 

But the view from this mirador was worth the stop, even though we've been at it for 12 hours.

 

 

A nice backdrop. The evening light is beautiful for pictures!

 

 

Time to get moving. It's a little after 6:30PM and it's been a full day. Only another hour or so of daylight left.

 

 

But there is a 4-hour bus ride before we get home. Ugh.

Edited December 18, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 4th

 

Home to Antofagasta - Odyssey over!

 

Now it was time for the 5-plus-hour ride home. And another snack box for our munching pleasure.

 

The scenery was pretty, and familiar from earlier today. One last glimpse of San Pedro and San Pablo, before they fade into the distance.

 

 

Approaching the airport. Looks like some business coming in! We didn't bother with the bathroom stop at the airport in this direction. We were all happier to save the time and get home faster, and we figured we could use the bus facilities if needed.

 

 

Soon after that, we enjoyed the colors of another spectacular sunset as we passed through the desert town of Calama. It would be nicer with mountains instead of utility wires in the background, but that's where we were.

 

 

As we passed through the town, the sun disappeared. Still another two and a half hours to go...

 

 

It was a long ride, and I didn't sleep at all because I was worried that our driver would fall asleep. The poor fellow had been working much harder than any of us had. How it would be helpful to him, if I stayed awake, was a bit of a mystery. But it seemed to be the right thing to do.

 

So we stayed awake, looked at our pictures, and took more pictures with the last of this evening's light. Now I have my mountainous backdrop.

 

 

We made it back to the port at 10:25, to have one last fun surprise. Today, the port security personnel were checking for drugs. So we all had to disembark the bus at the main gate, and bring our carry-on bags, so that we could pass through an x-ray machine and a metal detector. While we did that, they took dogs on the bus, and around the bus, to sniff for contraband.

 

It was fairly efficient, and it only took about 5 minutes, but it was an extra nuisance after a 16-hour day. Luckily, we were the first bus back and not the second bus. Those poor guys had to wait while we went through this extra security - and then it was their turn.

 

We got back on the bus, and drove the final few minutes to the pier. Finally we were back on board! We took a minute to freshen up, and then went to a late night buffet in the panorama lounge.

 

The food was nice - there were sliders, small sandwiches, fries, etc but for some reason the bar service was not clicking tonight. We asked both servers for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, but neither one returned with a drink. Everyone else was getting served, and they were bringing bottles around topping everybody else off, but none for us.

 

We finished our food and waited a few more minutes, but still nothing. So we gave up and went back to the room for a glass from our personal stash. That hit the spot, and then it was definitely time for bed! A very long day, but well worth the trip.

 

Luckily, tomorrow is a late morning, as we don't reach our next destination until afternoon. So I think we might sleep in.

[jpalbny]

The vastness is just breathtaking.

 

It was overwhelming at times. Great to see, though. And the mountains!

 

Enjoying your trip.

 

Thanks very much. I am still so sad that it's over. I'd certainly go back.

 

Love your wit JP!!!! And the photos are spectacular!

 

The landscape gets most of the credit. The tour operators did pretty well with timing, taking us out early so we got the morning light on the mountains, then the bright mid-day sun to accentuate the blinding white salt flats, and then the beautiful evening light at the Valle de la Luna. It's a photographer's dream out here.

[caradara]

Thank you for the most wonderful photos. We didn't do this day because I got so bus sick on the other, not so long, day. Now we know what we missed. Wonderful reporting.

[jpalbny]

Thank you for the most wonderful photos. We didn't do this day because I got so bus sick on the other, not so long, day. Now we know what we missed. Wonderful reporting.

 

Thanks, Laura. Sorry you missed it, but definitely not a trip for those prone to bus sickness. We were so glad to get off the bus at the end of that unbelievably long day!

 

**

 

Hope everybody has had a wonderful Christmas! I've been remiss in blogging over the past week, as work has been keeping me busy. I had to work this Holiday weekend too, but hopefully I will have a minute to get back to this report tonight. Only a few days of the cruise left!

[jpalbny]

Sunday, November 5th

 

Isla Pan de Azucar

 

 

After that ridiculously long bus tour, we were finally able to sleep in for a change. This was aided by the fact that the stateroom clocks automatically went back an hour overnight! So I thought we weren't sleeping too late. Little did I know!

 

The clocks must have been set up for North America, and were never adjusted for moving into the Southern Hemisphere, as there is no time change here! It surprised me - I though we were early, getting up at 8:00. Turns out we didn't actually get up until 9:00! What is this, a vacation? We had time for a quick bite of breakfast.

 

 

At 10:00 we had a briefing, which we had been strongly urged to attend. We arrived, and the Captain was there. Uh oh - what is going on? It's never good when the Captain stands up to start the briefing...

 

Indeed, there was some major news. Tomorrow's call at Isla Chañaral was canceled! For some reason, the Chilean authorities had insisted on revoking our previously obtained permission to land there. Silversea had been negotiating with the authorities for days, and the Captain had even made a personal appeal this morning, all to no avail. So the itinerary was going to change after today.

 

According to the new itinerary, we'd proceed to Coquimbo a day earlier, arriving tomorrow (Monday), and the stay would be extended a bit due to our early arrival. The longer stay in Coquimbo allowed the Limari Valley tour to be reinstated. That was a piece of good news to make up for the bad news!

 

We'd then arrive in Valparaiso on Tuesday afternoon, instead of Wednesday morning. If only we had known this, we could have arranged to disembark earlier on Wednesday, and we could have gone to Easter Island a day early. Oh well, too late to change that.

 

On the bright side, the Captain was offering tours of the bridge tomorrow morning, if people were interested. So we signed up for that.

 

So a missed port, but some better changes in the itinerary coming up. In fact, we thought that the positives actually outweighed the negatives. Not all bad!

 

***

 

We ran out after the briefing to pay the deposit on the September 2018 Silver Wind cruise, and to ask about the August 2019 Iceland cruise. Then we headed back to the lounge for a cooking demo where we tasted a few different sausages, and several wines.

 

We thought about having lunch out back but the weather was a little cool, and the menu was more of the same sausages. They were delicious, and I was actually afraid that it would have turned into gluttony had we been able to eat more sausages. So we went inside for lunch instead. Imagine - the buffet was the safer choice!

 

We anchored during lunch. Sugarloaf Island in the distance.

 

 

The zodiacs were getting ready to take us for a ride.

 

 

They're in the water. Time to get ready!

 

 

Off for a zodiac ride at Isla Pan de Azucar.

 

 

Hoping for some wildlife sightings today. Instead of having one today and another chance tomorrow, this will be the last wildlife zodiac cruise for this trip.

[jpalbny]

Sunday, November 5th

 

Isla Pan de Azucar

 

We approached the island. There was plenty of guano, but not many birds to be seen. Hmm.

 

 

One lazy sea lion, lounging on the rock. Looks like me after lunch! Is he holding his belly?

 

 

And a trio, striking a pose.

 

 

They are pretty cute. And their necks are so flexible! If I bent my neck that far back, I'd have a cord injury for sure.

 

 

But where are the birds? The island seems empty.

 

 

We saw something splashing around in the water and got closer for a better look.

 

 

It's a sea otter! What a great sighting!