Tuesday, 10th February, the Port of San Antonio, 17 degrees

It was very dark still when we got up this morning. It was an early start as we were due to leave the ship at 7.30 for a full day’s outing. We are off to Santiago which is about 110 kilometres away and is the capital of Chile.

Probably best that I speak more about San Antonio, the port where we are berthed, tomorrow as we are going to spend more time there, but today we are going to the big City.

As dawn broke the sun came out and was shining brightly when we left the ship. Blue sky at last. San Antonio is an enormous and I mean gi-huge container port. It has surpassed Chile’s previous largest port, Valparaiso, in freight volume and you only have to spend a few seconds on the quay to feel a small speck in a big container metropolis.

So today we were off to see the sights of Santiago. Our journey there took us nearly two hours on a very busy motorway. It was immediately clear, once we had escaped the industrial landscape of San Antonio, that the motorway follows a corridor between the mountains that follow the coast to the west and the towering Andes to the east.

The trees which edged the road looked pretty parched and limp and everywhere was very dusty. The soil was sandy and most of the buildings we passed outside of San Antonia were single storey. Some were designer shaped but the majority were pretty minimalist and reddish brown in colour. As we got further out fields came into view. Some had tractors driving across them but others had single workmen tending the crops.

Chile is well known for its wine and we hadn’t gone far before a sea mist came up. This apparently is the key to the success of its viticulture. The main varieties of wine produced in Chile are Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay (Whites) and Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere (Reds). Carmenere is one of our favourites. It is a grape type originated in, but lost to, France but is flourishing in the rich soil here. Other produce grown in Chile are all types of fruit (except bananas which they have to get from Ecuador) and particularly cherries. The Chinese really enjoy Chilean cherries it seems. Fancy!Chile also grows a lot of maize. (Which they pronounce my-ees. Ed)

As an aside while we travel to Santiago – I thought him initially something of a joke as his name was so unlikely, but a person written large in the history of Chile is Bernardo O’Higgins. He has already been mentioned in despatches, but apparently he was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry and is considered one of Chile’s founding fathers. He was actively involved in the Chilean War of Independence in the 1800’s and helped free Chile from Spanish rule.

Back to our day. Santiago is a large sprawling city and having passed through the industrial suburbs we came to a thriving city centre. To add some local ‘colour’ we had the treat of the Changing of the Guard occurring just as we reached Constitution Square. We first wondered what was going on – but then as we approached the square from the other side there was a marching band, horses and all sorts – it felt like a special parade all for us! Apologies for the odd colour in some of my photographs but they were taken out of the bus window…..

(I particularly love the guy, you can just about see in the final picture, following the horses with his wheelie-bin. Perhaps he has a thriving compost heap. Ed)

Like all city centres, there were a lot of ministerial buildings, big banks and grand entrances,

but what was truly magnificent was the Cathedral. Designed by an Italian in the early 1500s – it was so long

The Italian chap who was responsible for the Cathedral also built the old mint, now a cultural centre, called La Moneda. It is currently being renovated but it was definitely impressive.

I found it rather difficult to believe our guide who told us the water in the river that went through the City centre was pure enough to drink – it certainly didn’t look very pure!

After our sightseeing tour we were taken to our lunch stop where Keith and a number of others had their first Pisco Sour experience. I love them! They are made from pisco which is a locally made brandy, freshly squeezed lime juice topped with whisked egg white. Ours was made with lemon = yummy! Pisco Sour is originally a Peruvian drink. (Not according to Chileans. Ed) We had a very nice meal and were then treated to a show of Chilean dances with a lot of audience involvement at the end of each style of dance. It was great fun – interesting how different people react to this type or thing though – Keith and I look for the way out. Many look for the opportunity to join in!

Apologies for the side view – it was our location but I think you get the gist!

Lunch over, it was time for a bit of retail therapy – my first of the Voyage really. We were taken to an artisan village, and unlike some of these experiences it really was full of local artisans. It was a collection of skilled artisan workshops on land left for just that purposes by a benefactor, There were all sorts of crafts going on. Weaving, ceramics, woodcarving, art of all forms. It was also hot. The temperature was up to 28 degrees – Phew! We did get a cold lemon drink – but only just! – and Keith had a taste of Matt’s beer. His own beer reached too late to drink!

It was then time to head back to San Antonio. There was almost silence on the bus as the affects of a good lunch, beer and wine, further enhanced by the artisan pit stop, took hold and most fell asleep, us included!

Back to our forest of containers in San Antonio, we certainly didn’t need supper so instead after a few circles of the deck we joined the queue for the barbecue being served on the top deck and ate our snack outside with the gulls of the port flying over us and a big container ship berthed beside us. It was a glorious evening weather wise. A breeze had come us to relieve the heat and it was very pleasant sitting there and thinking – we are in Chile!

On the way back down to our cabin we realised there was another local dance show on in the theatre. We were so glad we made the effort to go as it really was a run through very similar dances to those we saw earlier, but somehow with more polish and authentic musical instruments. It really was very good. The best show we have seen since we have been on board. We respected the ‘no photographs’ – so sadly no photographic evidence of this one.

And so to bed! I was so tired that my missive did not get completed before went to bed and has been finished this morning.

Today we will investigate San Antonio – once we get out of the container base!