January 7th NCL Star cruise to Antarctica , Argentina and Chile with a 10 day stay photo travelogue

[MicCanberra]

We too have found there is often a communication/ interpretation issue in countries where English is not the first language. We booked a private tour in Chile for 4 of us, only to find we were with 1 other private tour group of 4 and 2 small groups in a larger mini bus for 12 pax. There was no seat for the guide, so he stood up in the van the whole tour. When queried, we were then told that the bus was shared but the actual tour of the winery and city were private. The winery had 2 more small groups  join our group (now 20 strong) and the city tour had (16). Sometimes you just have to laugh it off and just roll with it.

[scubacruiserx2]

12 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

We too have found there is often a communication/ interpretation issue in countries where English is not the first language. We booked a private tour in Chile for 4 of us, only to find we were with 1 other private tour group of 4 and 2 small groups in a larger mini bus for 12 pax. There was no seat for the guide, so he stood up in the van the whole tour. When queried, we were then told that the bus was shared but the actual tour of the winery and city were private. The winery had 2 more small groups  join our group (now 20 strong) and the city tour had (16). Sometimes you just have to laugh it off and just roll with it.

 

  That sounds similar to a number of experiences that we have had in a number of countries . Since we do mostly semi private/private tours with local guides we've seen lot's of variation between guides , partly

communication/ interpretation and partly cultural . 

 This cruise on the NCL Star to Antarctica began last year as a cruise to Northern Europe . U.K. , Norway and Iceland in May of this year with a week in Iceland to finish the cruise . In some ways similar to avoid the crowds and go to cool places . But the devil was in the details and the guides in the Nordic countries refused to book or talk with us until after the New Year . And the cruise / stay would have cost double what this trip cost . We have run into some intransigent behavior with a lack of cooperation when it comes to requesting photo stops - even with mostly solo guides . They seem to know what's best for us as they are the experts - at twice the price .   Your tour sounds like a Chicken Bus tour in the words of our guide in Guatemala .

Edited February 29 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 The flight from El Calafate wasn't comfortable but it was short and we were soon back at the Sheraton Convention just 15 minutes from Jorge Newberry Airport . We even had the same room so it was Deja Vu all over again . There is a driver rental in the hotel so we set an early morning time . We had hoped to get to EZE early to eat breakfast at the AA club as we were flying Business Class again ? 🙏

  The driver was 1/2 hour late and we got in a logjam at customs and immigration and PSA . So breakfast would be on the plane . The last final act before boarding the plane is putting your carry on luggage on an exam table so the PSA doctor can probe around or have you remove everything that you had nicely packed . We were finally seated on the big bird and ready for the lights out flight . But unlike Pavlov's bell , we were trained to salivate when the overhead lights came on .

 

 

 

 

 

The flight was mostly listening to my oldie favorites on my wired noise cancelling headphones . A USB outlet kept my antique Ipod and I Touch alive like Dr. Frankenstein's creation of spare parts .

 I had some good music to snooze to between feedings . 

 The next meal I broke tradition .

 

 

 I was desiring a Malbec from Bariloche to go with my pasta but I enjoyed it anyway .

 

 

 

  On the flight down we saw the remake of the 1991 movie Point Break and it was a decent action movie . But on the flight home it just music and the information station .

 

 

 

 

 We did hedge our bets this time by befriending a nice single elderly lady who was bilingual . The last time that we returned from EZE to MIA they made an announcement in Spanish only that the luggage carousel had changed , even though the sign said that it was at the original carousel . Miami Dade County is currently officially more Hispanic than Anglo .

  

Edited February 29 by scubacruiserx2

[MicCanberra]

7 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

  That sounds similar to a number of experiences that we have had in a number of countries . Since we do mostly semi private/private tours with local guides we've seen lot's of variation between guides , partly

communication/ interpretation and partly cultural . 

 This cruise on the NCL Star to Antarctica began last year as a cruise to Northern Europe . U.K. , Norway and Iceland in May of this year with a week in Iceland to finish the cruise . In some ways similar to avoid the crowds and go to cool places . But the devil was in the details and the guides in the Nordic countries refused to book or talk with us until after the New Year . And the cruise / stay would have cost double what this trip cost . We have run into some intransigent behavior with a lack of cooperation when it comes to requesting photo stops - even with mostly solo guides . They seem to know what's best for us as they are the experts - at twice the price .   Your tour sounds like a Chicken Bus tour in the words of our guide in Guatemala .

It wasn't quite that bad but it certainly wasn't what we had booked.

[scubacruiserx2]

3 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

It wasn't quite that bad but it certainly wasn't what we had booked.

 

  Most of the time we have been quite happy with our private tours , and they like our cruises have met or exceeded our expectations . We mentioned one or two gone astray and ultimately we just want what we have booked and paid for like you and most people . 

 Today is the last day that we have given Aerolineas Argentina to refund the money that we paid for Business Class from El Calafate to BA , which we have not received in terms of their promise kept by performance as promised or a refund as they promised . 

 It's been more than a month and our TA who is a native Spanish speaker has spoken with AA more than once is trying again today . It appears that the charge will have to be disputed with the credit card and we can no longer rank AA at the upper level and recommend them as we have done in the past .

 

Edited February 29 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

 By a strange twist of fate , 2 leaplings were in Stanley , the Falkland Islands yesterday .  🐸 🐸

 The NCL Star was in from 0600 - 1600 and the HAL Oosterdam  from 0800 - 1800 . There must have been some lineup for tenders in the afternoon ! Blame it on the Leap Year . 😉

[scubacruiserx2]

  After our gathering of the bags at MIA we had some problems with our Global 1 machines . They told us to see the Customs and Immigration officer and he breezed us through . A rogue cabby found us and we were off to the Brightline station in Miami where I recognized the streets , but not all of the new buildings sprouting up like mushrooms . 🍄

  We had enough time to grab a bite to eat in the Brightline lounge before our pre booked train . Fortunately for us it was a semi express train to Orlando with the only stop in Palm Beach . 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlPdE9-C0Zo

 

 We had picked up a dry cough on our flight and we were coming into a cold front moving through in Florida . Since we  retained our sense of smell , and didn't have chills , we thought it was just a cold from the flights and the weather change . But our oldest Grandson who picked us up and took us home also tested positive for Covid as we did . He only had it 3 days but had the chills and a fever and ours was more just a prolonged cough for almost 2 weeks .

[MicCanberra]

Hope you have fully recovered by now, sometimes it (the cough) can linger

[valemart_1]

On 2/28/2024 at 7:40 PM, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 That does sound amazing . It's about 5 1/2 hours from El Calafate and we noticed that you can cross over from Route 40 to Puerto Natales , near Torres del Paine perhaps making a loop on the way back . We would need to spend a couple of nights . 

 

I will try to sum up our feelings after taking the time to visit Cape Vírgenes 12 years ago:

We were on our way back from Ushuaia, returning home to Bariloche via Route 3. We´d already done about 4,000 Km and an extra 260 Km there and back to Rio Gallegos seemed insignificant.

 

It´s a gravel road and it wasn´t in great shape… BUT to have set foot in Cape Vírgenes, with all its history, had a special mystique. It was discovered by Magellan, who named it in honour of the Day of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins!!! It was absolutely unspoilt, not a tourist in sight - the land belonged to the penguins. The lighthouse was empty and the little museum likewise.

 

Would I recommend it? If you´re a history buff, maybe… But it entails about five hours on a dirt road, six hours without a restroom, and staying two nights in Rio Gallegos, an unattractive town. For widely travelled people like you and your readers, who´ve got to see some amazing places, maybe it isn´t worth the sacrifice, especially if you´ve been to Punta Tombo and/or Volunteer Point.

[valemart_1]

5 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 We had picked up a dry cough on our flight and we were coming into a cold front moving through in Florida . Since we  retained our sense of smell , and didn't have chills , we thought it was just a cold from the flights and the weather change . But our oldest Grandson who picked us up and took us home also tested positive for Covid as we did . He only had it 3 days but had the chills and a fever and ours was more just a prolonged cough for almost 2 weeks .

I hope you both have fully recovered from Covid, and thank you for this wonderful travelogue!

[scubacruiserx2]

3 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Hope you have fully recovered by now, sometimes it (the cough) can linger

 

 It's pretty well gone but we're gonna swab any way . There's also pollen in the air and maybe an early Spring since we have 5 pineappletles so far .

[scubacruiserx2]

3 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

I hope you both have fully recovered from Covid, and thank you for this wonderful travelogue!

 

 You're welcome and thanks for going along for the ride . Here's a few photos from Torres del Paine from our last trip there when it wasn't so windy . This was the Large waterfall this time with a video and the last time when it wasn't so windy that we could hike to the water fall for a better view of the Masstif .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zapatito de la Virgens near the waterfall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upland geese and chick

 

 

Gunaco playa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

  So what's new on the home front ? We keep getting bombarded with mail from the expedition cruises . They want twice as much to do what we did . Here's the cheap one .

 

 

 

 

 So Nat Geo has finally discovered Glacier Alley , Torres del Paine or the Falkland Islands . All for 25 K - 45 K p.p. base priced .

 

 My older camera ( 12 yo is having a few issues so it's been retired ) , so in with the new . It looks similar from the outside but it should up our game .

 

 

[valemart_1]

19 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 You're welcome and thanks for going along for the ride . Here's a few photos from Torres del Paine from our last trip there when it wasn't so windy . This was the Large waterfall this time with a video and the last time when it wasn't so windy that we could hike to the water fall for a better view of the Masstif .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zapatito de la Virgens near the waterfall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upland geese and chick

 

 

Gunaco playa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great photos of Torres del Paine! They made me want to take a look at my old pics once more, and it´s funny to see that sometimes we´ve taken the same photo, but yours are much better quality - I just use a pocket camera… Here are a few to complement yours.

 

Back in Argentina we stopped at a gas station where we saw a mechanic working on a truck, and his two young guanacos kept nudging him, attracting attention. He told us he´d adopted them as babies when their mother died in the Patagonian steppe, and bottle fed them for months. Here´s a pic…

[scubacruiserx2]

2 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

Great photos of Torres del Paine! They made me want to take a look at my old pics once more, and it´s funny to see that sometimes we´ve taken the same photo, but yours are much better quality - I just use a pocket camera… Here are a few to complement yours.

 

Back in Argentina we stopped at a gas station where we saw a mechanic working on a truck, and his two young guanacos kept nudging him, attracting attention. He told us he´d adopted them as babies when their mother died in the Patagonian steppe, and bottle fed them for months. Here´s a pic…

 

 We love these photos . They prove that good  things come in small packages , and the best camera is the one that you have ! Especially for candid shots like the chulengos !

[scubacruiserx2]

 I love my pocket camera and it's the one that I used for videos  food and Panorama photos . This time last year we celebrated our anniversary by going to San Francisco for 2 days , Kauai for a week and San Francisco for 2 more days ( Yosemite ) . All of these photos were from my pocket camera .

 

  Doors off helicopter flight in Kauai 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The NCL Pride of America sailing from Kauai

 

 

 

This tree is over 100 meters tall ( panorama shot to get it all in )

 

 

We hiked a couple of miles at elevation in feet of snow in Yosemite National Park

 

 

 

Bathroom break

 

 

Half Dome and El Capitan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where we spent the night - in the woods

 

 

This waterfall 's spray turned to snow before it hit the ground !

 

 

 The park is currently closed this weekend expecting feet of snow 

 

https://abc30.com/yosemite-national-park-full-closure-blizzard-warning-sierra-nevada-weather-conditions/14480336/

Edited March 2 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

  Next week I hope to field test my new full size camera by shooting birds . There's a place half way between where we live and Port Everglades that is great and free . If you are in Ft. Lauderdale and rent a car it's 45 minutes away on the highway .

 In 1999 the US decided to release 5 Quarter dollar coins a year in the order that they entered the Union . The front is the same but on the rear each state was different . 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_State_quarters

 

 The photos are of the 2014 Florida Quarter and the 2 birds that it honored . The photos are from the bird place and why you need a telephoto lens to reach them from a distance and not disturb them from mating and nesting .

 

  

 

 The bird drying it's wings swims underwater to catch it's food like a penguin and when it's wings dry it can fly . It's an Anhinga also called a Water Turkey or a Snake bird when it swims because only the head and long neck sticks up like a snake .

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The other bird is the Roseate Spoonbill , the only spoonbill in the US but not  commonly found here .

 

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

 

[scubacruiserx2]

  If you liked this thread you might like 2 others that we did in the past on a different cruise line ,

 

 The first is a very similar cruise cruise just before Covid in 2019 with 4 days in Antarctica on the HAL Zaandam .

 

 

 

 The next was a 6 week cruise on our favorite HAL ship from Alaska to our home port in Ft. Lauderdale , Florida . We had 2 years during Covid to save and the trip was paid before we left . It went thru the Panama Canal and Central America and the Caribbean where we saw volcanos , thus the fire tittle .

 

 

 

[valemart_1]

On 3/2/2024 at 8:03 PM, scubacruiserx2 said:

 I love my pocket camera and it's the one that I used for videos  food and Panorama photos .

Loved your pics! IYou´re a great photographer, regardless of what camera you´re using!

I enjoyed this Tribute to Pocket Cameras! I began with a modest Olympia and ended up with a nice Sony with a very good zoom. I use it for everything: castles and cathedrals, landscapes, people, and wildlife. But I get the most satisfaction with snapshots that capture the moment! Like these in South America:

1.    Sea lions in Isla de los Lobos, Beagle Channel.

2.    Tour guide retrieving a football at Estancia Harberton, Ushuaia.

3.    Guanaco on salt lake by RP 41 in Santa Cruz province

4.    Choique

5.    Family of guanacos

6.    Puerto Natales, Chile

7.    An ice floe in Lago Argentino

8.    Cave of the Hands

9.    Historic narrow gauge train “La Trochita”, Esquel.

[scubacruiserx2]

16 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

Loved your pics! IYou´re a great photographer, regardless of what camera you´re using!

I enjoyed this Tribute to Pocket Cameras! I began with a modest Olympia and ended up with a nice Sony with a very good zoom. I use it for everything: castles and cathedrals, landscapes, people, and wildlife. But I get the most satisfaction with snapshots that capture the moment! Like these in South America:

1.    Sea lions in Isla de los Lobos, Beagle Channel.

2.    Tour guide retrieving a football at Estancia Harberton, Ushuaia.

3.    Guanaco on salt lake by RP 41 in Santa Cruz province

4.    Choique

5.    Family of guanacos

6.    Puerto Natales, Chile

7.    An ice floe in Lago Argentino

8.    Cave of the Hands

9.    Historic narrow gauge train “La Trochita”, Esquel.

 

 

  Thank you for writing in and your encouraging words . My wife and I both own Sony pocket cameras , but not the same model as hers has more reach with a 200mm lens built in . She was able to capture some videos on our last trip to Antarctica that I couldn't get .

  You have a good eye for timing and photos of people as those were the 3 that I liked best . 

 The football team working together for a common goal .

 The synchronized diving and the lighting . I had to enlarge it to confirm my thing that it is a man and a woman .

 And the train where the light is on the engineer so that he is the focal point of the photo . Well done .

 

 Here's Pat's videos one is penguins jumping on an iceberg and the other is 3 Orcas chasing a penguin - why you shouldn't swim alone .

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

 One thing that we didn't show on our thread was photos of Perito Moreno Glacier calving . Here's some stills and videos that we took from a previous trip .

 

 

A block of ice the size of a semi truck

 

 

 

 

 

 

A HUGE iceberg of blue ice that floated up from beneath the Glacier

 

 

 

A little later a boat went out to see it

 

 

 

 

Edited March 5 by scubacruiserx2

[valemart_1]

4 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 One thing that we didn't show on our thread was photos of Perito Moreno Glacier calving . Here's some stills and videos that we took from a previous trip .

 

 

A block of ice the size of a semi truck

 

 

 

 

 

 

A HUGE iceberg of blue ice that floated up from beneath the Glacier

 

 

 

A little later a boat went out to see it

 

 

Those are so good!!! Perito Moreno glacier is on my list of favourite places. And I particularly enjoyed the penguins in Antarctica!

Continuing with snapshots of South America, here are some more:

1.    Two Indian children leaving school in Susques, north of Argentina, at almost 4,000 meters´ altitude.

2.    A Bolivian lady wearing the traditional bowler hat in the main square of La Paz.

3.    Our hostess on the Isla de los Uros, the floating islands of the Uro tribe, Lake Titicaca, Perú (alt. 3,810 m).

4.    Out on a reed canoe with her little daughter.

5.    Off the main square in Cuzco, Perú.

6.    The adobe city of Chan Chan, unearthed in Northern Peru.

7.    Crossing the Peruvian desert.

8.    Pelican in Arica, Northern Chile.

9.    Vicuñas crossing the highway. They´re related to guanacos, llamas and alpacas, much more elegant, but their fine fur left them on the brink of extinction.

[valemart_1]

3 minutes ago, valemart_1 said:

Those are so good!!! Perito Moreno glacier is on my list of favourite places. And I particularly enjoyed the penguins in Antarctica!

Continuing with snapshots of South America, here are some more:

1.    Two Indian children leaving school in Susques, north of Argentina, at almost 4,000 meters´ altitude.

2.    A Bolivian lady wearing the traditional bowler hat in the main square of La Paz.

3.    Our hostess on the Isla de los Uros, the floating islands of the Uro tribe, Lake Titicaca, Perú (alt. 3,810 m).

4.    Out on a reed canoe with her little daughter.

5.    Off the main square in Cuzco, Perú.

6.    The adobe city of Chan Chan, unearthed in Northern Peru.

7.    Crossing the Peruvian desert.

8.    Pelican in Arica, Northern Chile.

9.    Vicuñas crossing the highway. They´re related to guanacos, llamas and alpacas, much more elegant, but their fine fur left them on the brink of extinction.

Bonus track, in Egypt:

 

1.    Resting at the foot of the Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara.

2.    Repairing the pyramid.

3.    Donkey ride.

4.    Locals enjoying a shisha water pipe in Cairo.

5.    Luxor Temple.

6.    King Tut´s mummy (forbidden photo!)

[tsahall01]

OMG!!  I saw the picture of the cave of hands and thought to myself--That's a creepy bedding set, I certainly wouldn't sleep in it!!  Then I realized it was the picture of the cave!  LOL!!  All the pictures are great, BTW.  Haven't been to Antarctica, but did the cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago on HAL--great cruise and we had perfect weather, so we made all the ports, including the Falkland Islands.  The cruise around the cape was beautiful and very calm.  The captain got as close as he could so we could see the memorial quite well!

[scubacruiserx2]

18 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

Those are so good!!! Perito Moreno glacier is on my list of favourite places. And I particularly enjoyed the penguins in Antarctica!

Continuing with snapshots of South America, here are some more:

1.    Two Indian children leaving school in Susques, north of Argentina, at almost 4,000 meters´ altitude.

2.    A Bolivian lady wearing the traditional bowler hat in the main square of La Paz.

3.    Our hostess on the Isla de los Uros, the floating islands of the Uro tribe, Lake Titicaca, Perú (alt. 3,810 m).

4.    Out on a reed canoe with her little daughter.

5.    Off the main square in Cuzco, Perú.

6.    The adobe city of Chan Chan, unearthed in Northern Peru.

7.    Crossing the Peruvian desert.

8.    Pelican in Arica, Northern Chile.

9.    Vicuñas crossing the highway. They´re related to guanacos, llamas and alpacas, much more elegant, but their fine fur left them on the brink of extinction.

 

  Thank you for sharing these personal photos of Peru , part of South America that we  have only seen from photos from our son and DIL . They have been to several of these places and our son still says that the best Pizza that he has eaten was at Lake Titicaca !

  Is that a photo of you and your husband in the boat ? If it is then you resemble the maker of our favorite Malbec , Crios . It's a great story of the first female winemaker .