south america

[lrn376]

Help - Confused- My DH and another couple are taking the Valparaiso to Ft. Lauderdale in Feb, 2005. We will be arriving in Santiago 3 days prior to our cruise. As of now, my plans are to stay in Santiago for 2 nites and then 1 nite in Vina Del Mar to be near the dock. Can someone please tell me where the ship leaves from. Do I stay in Valpariso or Vina Del Mar the nite before we board the ship.

Has anyone ever taken the tour at the Placio de Goberino in Lima, Peru? Does anyone know of a private english speaking tour guide in Lima, Peru.

 

Thank you so much for your help. Lois

[olderpilot]

Lois,

 

Vina Del Mar is about 15 miles north of Valparaiso. You should be able to get to the pier in about a half hour. Vina is more oriented toward tourism than Valpo.

 

Jerry

[lrn376]

Jerry, thanks for the input. Lois

[Bill S]

Lois: the ship leaves from Valparaiso, but Vina and Valpo are so close together, it really doesn't matter where you stay the night before. You will have a great cruise-we did Valpo to Rio last year and it was definitely a cruise of a lifetime--Enjoy!

[valpojamie]

Hi Lois,

 

I am living in Valparaiso. The other fellow was correct in that Vina is more oriented to tourism. Typical large selection of restaurants, beach front and more. They don't call it the garden city for nothing! Valpo is the 2nd largest in the country. Architecture is time locked and quite stunning for turn of the century. We get many exchange architecture students year round. We have the hills and the views.

 

Personally I'd only stay in Santiago for a day and enjoy the others on the coast. You have several wineries and small coastal towns with amazing seafood.

 

For all of this it is very inexpensive and easy to book private tours.

 

Now for Peru I only have second hand knowledge, that being said it is from crew members. They have had individual taxi tours hold them up at knife and gunpoint and then they had to walk back to the ship from the middle of nowhere. These tours were picked up inside the security of the actual port...or so they said. It is why many passengers are timid with taking individual tours here in Chile. The two countries are very diferent from and economic and security standpoint, amongst others.

 

If you need any more help with anything just email me.

 

All the best,

[lrn376]

dear Bill S, thanks for the knowledgeable info. i can start to try and decide which of the two places i would like to stay in. Lois

[Sandy R]

We did the Santiago/Buenos Aires cruise a few years ago. We stayed 3 nights in Santiago and 1 night in Vina del Mar. I wouldn't recommend staying in either Valpariso or Vina. Valpariso is a port city and not a very nice one at that. The day we boarded the ship, some passengers decided to get off and explore Valpariso. Most came back pick-pocketed or having their camera stolen. As far as Vina del Mar goes, when we were there, there were mainly Chilians vacationing there. Whatever you do, don't stay at the O'Higgins Hotel... it was awful, no air conditioning, old and yucky. If it were me, I'd stay in Santiago another night. We stayed at the Hyatt and it was wonderful, a resort style hotel. Another night there would have been delightful. Oh... my husband was pick-pocketed in Santiago. But we made ourselves a target... I wore gold earrings and had a very expensive camera around my neck... stupid! I don't do that anymore.

 

Sandy