EmmJays Travel Journal

February, 2003

My friends, Margaret and Caroline had decided that they wanted to circumnavigate the South American continent while it was winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. They convinced me that this would be a great trip to take so I agreed to join them. The ship, The Olympia Explorer was a small Greek ship that was designed to carry up to 400 passengers. It was to be a unique trip as Professors from Chicago University were on board giving classes for university credits and the retired US Ambassador to Iraq and Pakistan was a guest speaker giving lectures on Politics.

We left from Port Los Angeles late into the evening of February 7^th and headed out to sea.

Puerta Vallarta, Mexico

We spent a full day at sea before reaching our first port of call. The weather had warmed up significantly so out came the summer clothes. Having arrived at around 2pm we decided to just walk into the town and wonder around. We had no set destination or purpose. The downtown area had pebble stoned streets and a seaside promenade. We went to the market, checked out all their wares then wondered back to the ship around 6pm. The ship departed at 8pm.

Acapulco, Mexico

Our travel club had arranged to take us out when we arrived in Acapulco. The ship docked at 3pm and once the gangplank was lowered, all 25 of us were in taxis heading out along the scenic highway to a restaurant on a hill overlooking the sea. We were there for cocktails and to watch the sun set. The view from 1500' above sea level was lovely. We then headed out to watch the La Quebrada Cliff-divers. Local divers perform a ritual that requires not only bravery, but knowledge and technique as they hurl themselves at night, into a vertical free fall from a platform high upon the cliff side (the equivalent of diving off a 12 storey building). Divers must ensure that they propel themselves out horizontally a minimum of 30' to avoid crashing into the jagged rocks below. We had our evening meal there while we watched and cheered as several divers successfully completed their dives.

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

A day at sea allowed us to attend some excellent lectures on volcanoes, earthquakes and dinosaurs. Having docked at 7am we grabbed a taxi and passed by two active volcanoes as we headed for Antigua, Guatemala's capital located in the Elmita Valley. In 1775 this city was officially born. It is an enchanting city. It was once the former Spanish colonial capital of Central America. It has a blend of ruins, restored colonial buildings and some new buildings of colonial style. The central plaza included a Cathedral, the Municipal Government Building and the Palace of the Captains General. We spent all day in Antigua enjoying the city. On our return we stopped at a Macadamia Nut Farm where all of the equipment used to harvest the oil was antique. There was no modern machinery on the site whatsoever. All the ladies were given a facial with the oil and we all bought a bag of nuts to go. It was quite a treat.

Balboa, Panama

Two days at sea included more lectures on the earth's mysteries, global climate change and what we had learned in Guatemala. Many people saw hot lava on the ground from where one of the volcanoes had erupted the day before we arrived. Others, including myself had picked up some cooled volcanic rock as a keepsake. I was especially stunned to learn that there are 150 active volcanoes in Guatemala.

We were down the gangplank in Panama by 9am and looking for taxis. Caroline and I had commandeered one at the same time as two gentleman had flagged him, so we agreed to share. I got in the front with Margaret and the 2 men and Caroline got in the back; it was a tight fit. Once in town we went our separate ways. Panama is a city of contrasts from old to new. The strong indigenous heritage combined with the colourful Afro Caribbean influence has come to create one of the most intricate shopping experiences in the region. Woven baskets, masks, Indian woven blankets, delicate tagua carvings, wood and painted works filled the shops. Having shopped ourselves into exhaustion we got a taxi outside a huge hotel and returned to the ship about one hour before departure.

Manta, Ecuador

A sea day preceded our two day visit to Ecuador. A good number of the passengers had booked a tour to the Galapagos Islands so we had 2 days in port to accommodate this. At breakfast we had met Norm an American, and his wife Laura who was born in Panama. She spoke Spanish fluently so we asked if we could tag along with them today and they agreed. They were traveling with two friends, so our group was now 7. This meant that we could hire a van for the day instead of a taxi ... more room and more economical. We did a tour of the City of Manta, checked out the markets, the countryside and the coast road. The second day took us into the countryside again to a lovely town which was founded in 1535. The Spanish influence was apparent in the architecture and culture. We attended a catholic mass in a very old church. On the way back we did a little shopping.

Salavery (Trujillo), Peru

Our ship was new, fast and very light. When the wind whipped up the waves they slapped at the hull making for very strange noises on board. We had a full day at sea prior to making port in Salavery and this very condition existed throughout the day and during the night. Margaret introduced us to Paul, a friend whom she had known from previous trips she had taken. Norm and Laura had booked a ship sponsored shore excursion with their friends for Salavery, so Paul joined Margaret, Caroline and I for the day.

We hired a taxi and headed for Chan Chan, the ancient capital of the Chimu Empire (13^th century). It is the largest pre-Columbian City in the Americas and the largest mud city in the world. At the height of the empire it housed about 50,000 inhabitants and contained vast wealth. We spent half our day investigating Chan Chan, then our driver took us to a pier that had some touristy type trinkets where we spent very little time, then he drove us by Arco Iris Huaca, a Chimu pyramid temple located 5km north of Trujillo. After a drive around the city it was time to return to the ship.

Callao (Lima), Peru

An overnight sail and we were in Lima by 8am. This was a major stop as over fifty percent of the passengers were booked to fly from Lima to Cusco and Machu Picchu. Paul asked Margaret to join him but she decided not to. I know that I could not go because my asthma could become an issue at such a high elevation. Machu Picchu is a spectacular and imposing citadel located in the valley of the Urubamba River. The city rises 7900' above sea level. Oxygen tanks are on-site as it is hard to breathe in the thin air. Other passengers were taking flights to see the Nazca Lines, which are geometric designs drawn in the desert that are clearly visible from the air.

Laura negotiated a van/taxi for three days for the gang of 7 and we were off exploring Lima. We left the port of Callao for downtown Lima and the Plaza de Armas. In the middle of the plaza (this is a square, not a shopping arcade) there is a splendid bronze fountain dating back to 1650. We visited the Lima Cathedral which was almost entirely destroyed during the 1746 earthquake. Within walking distance of the square is the San Francisco Church. The colonial architecture included a monastery, the church and the chapels of La Soledad and El Milagro. We paid for a tour ticket and really enjoyed it.

Continuing our trek the next day at Miraflores, which had beautiful parks, squares and avenues. It was a lovely day just to drive around and enjoy the city and its suburbs. Our driver gave commentary to Laura who translated it all back to us Gringos in the back of the van. On our last day we left the port, traveled the Pan-American highway en route to the Pachacamac Ruins. The sacred city covering 4 square miles originated in the pre-Inca period. When the Incas conquered the city in 1470, they built a major city, one being sacred and the other temporal. We spent hours climbing steps and investigated alcoves. With the time spent at the ruins and the drive back, eight hours had passed. The ship left two hours after that.

Antofagasta, Chile

A full day at sea with more lectures in the ships lounge. This time the topic was Iraq and the impending war. The retired US Ambassador to Iraq was not in favour of the war and he gave his reasoning for this. As he had been the US Ambassador to Pakistan prior to taking on the role in Iraq he delivered a lot of grass roots knowledge to his point of view. He convinced me that George Bush and his administration was headed down the wrong path. We had a break out session after the lecture where we could ask the Ambassador questions. I attended and really enjoyed the debate.

In Antofagasta, Margaret, Caroline and I left the ship at 9am and walked into town. Margaret stopped to use the internet and Caroline and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the towns square and its park. Margaret joined us later and we expanded our walk to include the outskirts of the town. Having walked all day we returned to the ship for 'happy hour'. During happy hour we met the former UK Consulate General to the USA. She was very interesting to talk to.

Coquimbo, Chile

The following day we docked in Coquimbo, Chile. With Laura in the lead we headed for the downtown area by the way of the main square, the Plaza de Amas to La Herradura. The legends of the pirates and corsairs of Sir Francis Drake, Bartholomew Sharp, Davis and others who plundered these Pacific shores took refuge in this place and hid there treasure here. We did not find any gold but we did enjoy the incredibly engaging people of Chile.

Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile

We had three days to explore Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar. Laura had a van ready and waiting for us at 8am and we were on our way to Chile's sprawling capital city, Santiago. The countryside was so picturesque as we passed through the rich fruit growing valleys of Casablanca and Curacavi. We stopped at a winery for a tour and taste of the local grape. We all purchased a few bottles to take with us.

After having arrived in the heart of the city the driver parked and we continued on foot to the Palace grounds. We bought tickets and toured the grounds. The President of Chile was in residence when we were there, but of course we did not see him. We drove around the city viewing it from the van then we headed out of the city through heavy traffic to the countryside. Out of the valley and on to the cliff road we enjoyed this scenic drive tremendously.