Feb 28 - Cape Horn

This morning the captain took the ship around Cape Horn and through part of the Drake Passage. The cape is at the south end of the Hermite islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are part of the country of Chile. The water was some of the roughest that Sam has experienced, but it wasn’t too bad. Sam did take pictures as he rounded the cape, but the weather was cloudy and misty, so decided not to post them. 

Feb 27 - Ushuaia, Argentina

When Sam woke up this morning, the ship was sailing through the Darwin Channel, also known as the Beagle Channel. Along the way, he saw at least six (6) glaciers.

The ship docked at the town of Ushuaia, Argentina. The name means Bay facing Sunset. This town is the southern-most city in the world. The only way to get here is by boat or plane. It is on an island in the area that Magellan named Patagonia. It is now part of the country of Chile. One of the really big islands in this area is called Terra del Fuego. It means Land of Fire. When Magellan saw it there were many lights all over the island. The lights were from the fires of native families that lived separately throughout the area.

The short excursion that Sam took today was on a catamaran out into the bay to several of the small islands. He got to see Argentinian sea lions where they live. Sam thought they were lazy. Most of them were just lying on the rocks. They were also loud when they were “barking” at each other.

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Feb 26 - Punta Arenas, Chile

Sam’s excursion off the ship today is in the town of Punta Arenas, Chile. The name means Sandy Point. This is the southern-most city in Chile, and on the continent of South America. Many years ago, this was use as a jail – a place to send people who were being punished. From around 1860 there were many immigrants from countries in Europe and Russia. The town was very important for ships traveling around South America. They would stop here for supplies. When new fashions came from Europe, the women in Punta Arenas would have them before the women in San Francisco. The fortunes of the city were changed in 1914 when the Panama Canal was completed. Then ships had a shorter and safer route to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 

In the winter, the nights in Punta Arenas are very long. The sun goes down as early as 4:30 p.m. and wouldn’t come up again until 9:00 a.m.  They have snow from March through November each year.

On the tour, Sam saw the city and the harbor from a high place. He went to a cemetery that was similar to those in New Orleans, mausoleums and vaults above ground. Then he went to a museum that had many of the things that the immigrants used.  Finally he went to the center of town and saw houses of the wealthy people that built the city. He saw a statue of Magellan in the city square.

 

 

Feb 25 - Strait of Magellan

Today was a sea day but Sam really liked the views. He was sailing through the Strait of Magellan. It is the route that the famous explorer took around South America. He was the first person to sail around the world almost 500 years ago. He had a group of five ships that found their way from Europe and found a way to sail around the American continents. There are hundreds of islands in Patagonia (the name Magellan gave to the area). Some islands were inhabited, but most were not. Since that time, once the countries of Argentina and Chile were formed, the end of the continent was divided between the two countries.

Feb 23 - Puerto Montt, Chile

Sam is in Puerto Montt, Chile today. He will be taking an excursion to see some of the country side and other towns/cities in the area. There was a double rainbow this morning that Sam viewed from his balcony.

Sam noticed this door for one of the cabins down the hall. He thinks Tinkerbell is on the cruise. He will keep watching for her!

 

Before going out on the excursion, Sam had to put on his raingear. It has been raining off and on and more rain is expected. Even though it looks like a plastic bag on his head, he hopes that you can see there is an opening for his face so he can see and breathe.

Puerto Montt, Chile is second largest salmon processing area in the world. The salmon comes from farms not from fishing in the ocean. Tourism is also a main source of income for the region. Puerto Montt is the capital of the 10^th region. It was settled by 60,000 German families as part of an immigration program that was established by the Chilean government. Also, Puerto Montt is the southern-most point of the Pan American highway. You can drive from Puerto Montt all the way to Alaska!

Another town that Sam visited is Puerto Varas. It is located about 20 miles north and is on the shore of the largest fresh water lake in Chile, Lake Llanquihue. It is formed by glaciers up in the Andes Mountains.

These areas of Chile used to have large dairy farms. They could not compete on the international market, trading dairy products, so are mainly now just for local consumption. There is a lot of industry coming to the area with less land used for farming.

The last town that Sam visited today is Frutillar, Chile. This was another of the towns that was settled by German families. Much of the architecture in the area reflects the style of buildings you might see in Germany or Bavaria. This town decided that they wanted to be a center for the arts. They built a beautiful theatre where concerts and shows can be performed. There was a museum that housed items from the early German settlers. Sam was interested in an old side-saddle and a wooden rocking horse.

 

  On the way back to the ship, the guide, Esteban, shared some information about his country. He said this part of Chile is in what they call the central valleys. On the east are the Andes mountains and on the west by the coastal mountains. This is the breadbasket area of Chile. Washington and Fuji apples are grown here and marketed to the world. From here to the south, Chile consists of as many as 3000 islands. Most of the people in the area are descendants of the Amapuche (spelling?)people that were the earliest inhabitants. It is unsure whether they came from the Polynesian islands or across the Bering Strait. It is probably a combination of the two. When the Spanish first came to this area in the 1500s, they were looking for a city made of gold. When they didn’t find it, they left. There is no evidence here of a Spanish settlement. They get a lot of rain each year, averaging 3 meters. The lake measures 150 square kilometers and at the deepest is nearly 1000 feet or 300 meters. Many of the homes are heated by a wood burning stove. The stove is considered the “soul” of the house. It is set away from the wall so that families can gather around the stove.

Feb 22 Sea day - Chile

Today was another day at sea. That means the ship does not stop at a port. Sam has to find things to do on the ship. One of the new activities Sam tried today was going to the spa. The spa has exercise equipment; you can get a massage, get a haircut, or get a manicure/pedicure among other services. Sam met Nordia in the spa. She is from Jamaica. She has been working on cruise ships in the spa area for 8 years. It was fun talking to Nordia about her country and her experiences.

 

Sam also tried speed Sudoku today. He did not win, but it is fun to play games.

There are lots of opportunities to play trivia games on the ship. Today, Sam was part of a team that worked together to answer trivia questions. The team will compete each sea-day on this cruise to accumulate points.

Feb 20 - Valparaiso, Chile

Sam is in the backpack and ready to go into the port city of Valparaiso, Chile. He is going on a bus tour to see the city.

 

Valparaiso has 45 hills that surround the harbor area. It is the main seaport for Chile. There are 300,000 people that live in Valparaiso. Because of all the hills, there are steep roads/sidewalks. Good exercise for the people! Valparaiso was established sometime around 1580 when the Spanish came to the area.

Some of the things that Sam saw from the bus are: the first official library in Chile that was built in 1919; a monument to those that fought in a conflict/war with Peru in 1879; the headquarters for the Chilean navy; the national maritime museum; the building for the first newspaper in South America (1827); the modern Parliament building; a casino that was built in 1914; and the Fonck Museum. At the museum, Sam had a picture taken next to a moai (statue) from Easter Island. Easter Island is part of Chile. It is a five hour plane ride from the coast out into the ocean.

The tour guide shared this information about Chile. It is about 4200 kilometers long from Arica in the north to Puenta Arenas in the south. The widest part of the country is only 250 kilometers.  Valparaiso’s annual rainfall averages 500 milliliters. Copper is the main export for the country of Chile. It is mined from the mountains. Chile won independence from Spain in 1910. The two most popular sports in the country are soccer and “drinking”.

The city next to Valparaiso is Vina del Mar. It is more modern. It was founded in 1874 and is also known as the Garden City. Many of the original houses had garden areas or balconies in the front of the house that were filled with flowers.

Feb 19 - Sea day - Chile

Today was a day at sea. This is the last full day of the first leg of Sam’s 48 day cruise. Tomorrow he will be in Valparaiso, Chile. Tonight he needs to pack up his belongings so that he can move to another cabin for the remainder of his cruise.

At dinner tonight, Sam said “good-bye” to some of his new friends that are leaving the ship tomorrow. About 1700 passengers are only on the ship for this first leg of the cruise.

Sam played a cover-all or blackout bingo game tonight…… he just needed 2 more numbers when someone called “bingo”. 

Feb 17 Peru to Chile

This morning, Sam got up early again because he has to travel back to Cusco, by bus, to catch a plane that will take him to the country of Chile so he can get back to the ship. While Sam has been in Peru, the ship has been sailing to the next country.

The bus to Cusco took a different route than he was on two days ago. This time he saw what is called the “high Andes” country. It was beautiful! There was a lot of agriculture, many farming areas. In Peru they grow 43 different kinds of corn, about 80 kinds of potatoes, as well as tomatoes, onions, and many other vegetables!!

The wait at the airport was not as long this time because the plane was a charter flight, not a commercial one. That means only people that were on this excursion from the ship were on the plane. From the plane, Sam could see snow on the tops of some mountains. He knew he was getting closer to the coast when all the mountains he saw were brown and sand covered instead of green. Then there was desert. Before landing in Chile, Sam could see that there was something being cultivated in the desert. As the plane came closer to the ground, he saw trees. Maybe fruit trees or olive trees, he didn’t know. There must have been some kind of irrigation system to get water to the plants, because this was the desert!

The plane landed in Arica, Chile. It is the most northern city in Chile. When the Spanish people came to this town in the 1500’s, it became an important seaport for them. They shipped silver and other valuable things that they found in Chile and Peru back to their country, Spain.

It was a short bus ride from the airport to the ship. Sam was glad to be back to his cabin. From his balcony, he watched a freight ship being loaded. He saw many sea-birds on the water. On the shore he saw a very high rock, hundreds of feet high that people were walking on. Sam was tired of walking. He just wanted to watch from his balcony.

Feb 16 - Mchu Picchu, Peru

This morning Sam woke up when he heard birds outside his window. He looked out the window and saw mountains. Although it was raining lightly, Sam did look around the place he was staying. It was very nice, peaceful, beautiful and quiet. But he had to eat breakfast early and get on the bus by 7 a.m. The bus ride took him to Ollantaitambo, Peru. Sam got to walk around the town a little and see another place that had many more steps to climb and rock walls that were built by the Inca people hundreds of years ago.  Allie showed some of the buildings and features of the town that also went back to the time when the Incas lived there. Then it was time to go to the train. Sam got to ride in one of the little taxis that he had seen in Guatemala and Ecuador. It was a short ride, but fun. The train was really fun. Some of the people rode facing the front of the train, the others faced the back. There were tables between the seats. The roof of the train was domed and had windows! When the train was moving, you could see the mountains, the Urubamba River and some of the little rivers that poured into it. The river was really full because this is the rainy season. The train went through four short tunnels. Sam rode the train through the town of Piscacucho, Peru. This is a town were people that want to walk to Machu Picchu could start their journey. It is the beginning of one of many trails that the Inca people created in the mountains. It takes four days to walk from Piscacucho to Machu Piccchu. Sam wants to ride the train!

 

The train ride ended in Aguas Calientes, Peru. Then it was back on a bus to go up the mountain. The rode up the mountain went left, then right, then left, then right, etc. about a dozen times, all the time going higher and higher. Finally Sam was on the mountain. Before going to see Machu Picchu, Sam had lunch in a restaurant. While he ate, he heard musicians playing music that new to him. He liked the sounds.

 

Machu Picchu! It was a lot bigger than the other places that Sam had seen yesterday and earlier today. Sam saw llamas grazing on the side of the mountain. Allie had a lot of stories about this place. She has been coming here for 20 years. She walked on the Inca trail. Last week she was a guide for a photographer from National Geographic!

When he left Machu Picchu, Sam had to take a bus, a train, and a bus to get back to Urubamba to the hotel. It was a long day, but Sam saw many things and met lots of nice people in Peru.

Feb 15 - Peru

Today Sam will be leaving the ship for a few days and traveling in the country of Peru. Sam wants to see Machu Picchu. It is a city that the Inca people built in the mountains hundreds of years ago. The trip will include traveling on a plane, a bus and a train. From the ship, Sam rode a bus to the airport in Lima, Peru. Lima is the capital of Peru and is on the coast. The coast of Peru is very hot this time of year there is not much rain, and land along the coast is desert. Sam will be traveling into the mountains today. In Peru, they are part of the Andes mountain range.

After a delay at the airport, Sam was finally on the plane. He didn’t see where he was going because he was in the overhead luggage compartment.

When the plane landed, Sam was in Cusco, Peru. Sam liked the parts of the city he saw, but he didn’t have his picture taken because there was a light rain. He did peek out from the side pocket of the travel bag. In the city square, there was a church that was built by the Spanish people that came to Peru in 1537. That is almost 500 years ago! The streets are really narrow, just like some of the other countries that Sam has visited. Sometimes it was hard to breathe in Cusco because it is so high up in the mountains.

Next Sam rode on a bus to see a place that was built by the Inca people, hundreds of years ago before the Spanish people came to Peru. There were lots of granite/rock walls, steps to climb, and stories from Alejandra. Allie is the guide that is leading the group Sam is with on this excursion. There is also a person from the ship’s staff, Virginia, and a person from the travel agency in Peru, Alex that are traveling with Sam. Allie tells really interesting things about the Inca people and how people live in Peru.

Then Sam was back on the bus traveling down from the Cusco area to a town called Urubamba where he will sleep the next two nights. One of the towns Sam saw along the way was Corao. Allie told the group all the people that live in Corao farm land that is up on the side of the mountain. Some of the farm land is really high up on the mountain. Every morning they walk to the farm land. They bring all of their animals with them. They may have cows, donkeys, pigs, sheep, and chickens. All the people and all the animals walk from their home to the mountain, every day. It is like a parade!!  Then before the sun goes down, the parade comes down the mountain and back to the town. Have you ever seen a chicken in a parade with a cow or a pig?

It was dark when Sam got to his hotel. He liked his room. At first he thought the lights were broken. They only one that worked was by the door when he came in. After trying all the lights he could find, with no success, Sam called the front desk. The maintenance man came to see what the problem was. He said that all Sam had to do for the lights and all the electrical outlets to work was to put his room key in the slot by the door. Sam tried it and all the lights he had tried to turn on earlier came on at the same time!!

Feb 14 - Valentine's Day at Sea

Sam was at sea again today. No pictures to post, but he wants to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!!  Tomorrow will be a really big excursion off the ship. Sam will be in Peru. He gets off the ship in Lima and will spend two nights on land. The destination is Machu PicchuAndes Mountains. Sam will be on a plane, a train, and a bus to get there. He hopes that he will get sick. Sometimes when you go high up in the mountains, you can get sick. He has been walking steps between the decks on the ship instead of taking the elevator, so that he is ready for all the walking and hiking at Machu Picchu.

Sam will get back on the ship on Sunday afternoon in Arica, Chile! He hopes to send you some pictures that night.

Feb 12 - Ecuador

Sam wanted to show you where he sleeps. It is hot in South America. It is summer down here when it is winter at home. To stay fresh, Sam sleeps in his “sleeping bag” in the ice bucket in the cabin.

 

Sam woke up around 1:30a.m. this morning to document the ship going across the equator. All the numbers for latitude on the screen are at zero (0). He is now in the southern hemisphere.

One of the places that Sam visited today in Ecuador is Montechristi. This is the home of the Panama Hat. The hat became very popular when the Panama Canal was being built. When the people from Ecuador went to help with the canal, they wore the hats made in their country. Other workers and people at the canal liked the hats and wanted to buy them. So the hats are originally from Ecuador, but they are named after another country. This lady is one that makes the hats, all by hand. It is hard work and takes a long time to complete each hat. Grandpa bought a hat.  Sam also sat in a hat tree with a variety of Panama Hats.

Next Sam went to a factory that made buttons and other decorative items from the nut of the tagua palm tree that grows in Ecuador.  Once the nut is ready for processing, it is sliced into 4-5 pieces. Each piece is individually put into a hole cutter. Then the button pieces are sorted, by hand for color, flaws, etc. Sam met Nicole at one of the stands that was selling other items made from the nuts.

 

The last stop in Ecuador was in the town of El Chorillo. Here a family used the leaves of the agave plant to make fiber to be woven and sewn into bags to ship the coffee that is produced in Ecuador. Even though there were machines used in this process, it was very hard work. Sam wanted to share a picture of the agave plant. You may have seen one before.

 

 

 

Feb 11 Heading for the Equator

Sam is looking at the map on the television in his cabin. Today the ship will be crossing the equator. The equator is the widest part of the earth between the north and south poles. The weather in the tropical part of the earth is warm all year. There are many rain forests in this part of the world with many plants and animals that Sam has never seen.

 

 

Some of Sam’s towel friends decided to watch a movie on the big screen out by the pool. Can you find Sam with his blue hat?

Feb 9 - Guatemala

Sam is in the country of Guatemala. It is in Central America. Today he saw three volcanos, banana trees, and fields of sugar cane when he was on the tour bus. The pictures he is sharing are from the town of Antigua, Guatemala. It used to be the capital of the country. But they had several earthquakes throughout the years and got tired of rebuilding the town. So the people left the town and established their capital in Guatemala City. But some of the people wanted to go back to Antigua.  The city is a national treasure and there cannot be new buildings built in the town center. There are many ruins that can be seen around town.  Sam ate lunch at an old building that had been restored in part and is now used as a hotel and restaurant as well as a historical site. This picture is of one of the ruins of an old church.

 

Here is Sam near the ruins.

Another interesting stop that Sam enjoyed was the jade factory and museum. Here Sam is sitting next to a display of jade.

This is a harpsichord made of jade. The harpsichord is the national instrument of Guatemala.

Feb 8 - Huatulco, Mexico

Today the ship is docked in Huatulco, Mexico. Sam sees beaches near the ship. There is also an interesting little town. Sam is not planning on getting off the ship today. He is hoping to go ashore in Guatemala tomorrow.

Feb 7 - Bingo

There are games  of bingo played on the ship almost everyday. Sam is checking it out.

Feb 6 - Games on the ship

Sam has been exploring the ship. He found many exciting things to do. There is a chess board. Sam filled in for a pawn that was on break. Can you see him?

 

There are not many children on this cruise, so Sam is waiting for someone to play with at the splash pad. It looks like a lot of fun!

 

There is a giant, twisting, turning water slide. The attendant at the top of the slide told Sam that he is too short. So Sam can only watch other passengers enjoy this activity.

 

 

 

 

 

Guests can also play connect four with this over-sized game board. Sam pretended he was one of the game pieces. Sam likes to have fun!

 

On the 14^th deck, there is a 9-hole miniature golf course that has a pirate theme. As long as he stayed out of the way of the golf balls, Sam enjoyed “playing  golf”.

 

This is the first time that Sam has been on a cruise so he didn’t know about the towel animals. Every night when the cabin steward prepares the room he leaves a towel animal on the bed. Sam has made friends with a dog, a snake, and this elephant so far.

Feb 3 - Boarding the ship

After spending a night at hotel in Los Angeles, Sam is back at the airport waiting for the bus that will take him to the cruise ship.

The bus dropped Sam off at the pier where the ship is docked. Before getting on the ship, Sam needs to go through check-in.

The attendant said that Sam is cleared to get on the ship!

 

 

This is the first time that Sam has seen the ship. He is on the gangway, the ramp that goes from the check in area to the ship. The name of the ship is the Carnival Splendor. It is really big. There are fourteen (14) decks.

After a quick snack, Sam found a seat to watch the Super Bowl game on a really big screen on the Lido deck.  There are many things do see and do on the ship. During his trip, Sam will share some of the fun activities and sights he finds.

Sam really likes having a balcony in his cabin.  

Travel day!

Sam decided to travel in the outside pocket of the gear bag.  The bags are packed and he is ready to go.

This is Sam after going through security at the Cedar Rapids airport. He had to go through the xray machine. 

 

After leaving Cedar Rapids, Sam has to change to a different plant in Dallas, Texas. He is looking out the window at the plane that will take him to Los Angeles, California. There is a lot of things to do to get a plane ready to fly.

 

 

It is fun to look out the window of an airplane. Everything looks different. Houses and cars are very tiny.  Sam saw mountains, rivers, lakes, desert areas, and clouds.