South America (2005): South America (2005)

December 26th, 2004 (Sunday)

The day had finally arrived!

At 10:00 AM the driver showed up with his van and we were on our way to LAX to catch our flight.

Waiting in the long queue in the American Airlines Terminal we overheard a conversation between one of the attendances and a woman, waiting for a flight to Boston. The lady was way in the back of the queue and needed to catch the flight soon. We offered to help her and let stand her in front of us.

The airline attendant asked us if we heard the latest news: apparently a big earthquake hit South East Asia and several hundreds people were known to be dead.

Once we entered the Passenger Hall we saw again the woman from the queue and she offered to buy us coffee as gratitude toward our deed. We accepted. The lady’s name was Patricia and she told us that thanks to our gesture she was able to catch a flight to New York and from there she was booked on another flight to Boston.

The flight to Miami (Three and a half hours) was pleasant and the connection flight to Buenos Aires (Eight hours) was accommodating as well. We slept most of the way.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

December 27th, 2004 (Monday)

Hola Buenos Aires!

After the immigration process we met with Sal, who greeted us with “Shalom”. Few minutes later Marcos, the driver, showed up with a van and we headed toward our hotel.

On the way Sal had told us few facts about Argentina in general and Buenos Aired in particular:

Second in South America only to Brazil in size and population, Argentina is a plain, rising from

the Atlantic to the Chilean border and the towering Andes peaks. Argentina is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay on the north and by Uruguay and Brazil on the east. The northern area is the swampy and partly wooded Gran Chaco, bordering on Bolivia and Paraguay. South of that are the rolling, fertile Pampas, which are rich in agriculture and sheep- and cattle-grazing and support most of the population. Next southward is Patagonia, a region of cool, arid steppes with some wooded and fertile sections. (we will visit Patagonia later on as we will board a cruise line next week)

==========================================================================================================================================================================

First explored in 1516 by Juan Díaz de Solis, Argentina developed slowly under Spanish colonial rule. Buenos Aires was settled in 1580.

Population is about 39 millions where 12 million of them live in Buenos Aires.

Argentina is the world's eighth largest country and unlike most Latin American nations, has a population that is principally of European descent, especially of Italian and Spanish origin. The Mestizo portion of Argentina's population is

very small, except in the northwest, because there has been little mixture between European and indigenous peoples. The native population, which has steadily declined since the coming of the Europeans, who decimated its ranks and its culture, is still strong only in parts of the Gran Chaco and the Andean highlands. Italian, Spanish (including Basque), French, German, British, Swiss, and East European immigrants came to Argentina during the 1880s; other large in-migrations of Europeans (including many Jews) occurred in the 1930s and following World War II. There has also been some in-migration of Chileans, Bolivians, and Paraguayans.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Buenos Aires was first founded in 1536 by a Spanish gold-seeking expedition under Pedro de Mendoza. However, attacks by indigenous peoples forced the settlers in 1539 to move to Asunción (now the capital of Paraguay), and in 1541 the old site was burned. Juan de Garay, who set out from Asunción, began a second and permanent settlement in 1580. Although Spain long neglected Buenos Aires in favor of the riches of Mexico and Peru, the settlement's growth was enhanced by the development of trade, much of it contraband.

In 1617 the province of Buenos Aires, or Rio de la Plata, was separated from the administration of Asunción and was given its own governor; a bishopric was established there in 1620. During the 17th century the city ceased to be endangered by indigenous peoples, but French, Portuguese, and Danish raids were frequent. Buenos Aires remained subordinate to the Spanish viceroy in Peru until 1776, when it became the capital of a newly created viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata, including much of present-day Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Prosperity increased with the gradual removal of restrictions on trade, which formerly had to pass through Lima, Peru. The creation of an open port at Buenos Aires by Charles III of Spain, however, only made the local citizens (porteños) more desirous of separation from the Spanish

Empire. In 1806, when Spain was allied with France during the Napoleonic Wars, British troops invaded Buenos Aires; their expulsion by the colonial militia without Spanish help further stimulated the drive for independence from Spain. Another British attack was repelled the following year. On May 25, 1810 (now celebrated as a national holiday), armed citizens of the cabildo, or town council, successfully demanded the resignation of the Spanish viceroy and established a provisional representative government. This action inaugurated the Latin American revolt against Spanish rule.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Argentina's official independence (July 9, 1816) was followed by a long conflict between the Unitarians, strongest in Buenos Aires provinces, which advocated a centralized government dominated by the city of Buenos Aires, and the federalists, mostly from the interior provinces, who supported provincial autonomy and equality. In 1853 the city and province of Buenos Aires refused to participate in a constituent congress and seceded from Argentina. National political unity was finally achieved when Bartolomé Mitre became Argentina's president in 1862 and made Buenos Aires his capital. Bitterness between Buenos Aires and the province continued, however, until 1880, when the city was detached from the province and federalized. A new city, La Plata, was built as the provincial capital.

On our way to the hotel we saw the Palace Of Congress (Palacio De Congresso). This building houses the Argentine Congress (Chambers of Deputies and Senators). Italian architect Victor Meano designed the building and it was inaugurated in 1906. Its exterior is Greek-Roman, with a coating of white marble, Corinthian columns and decorated edges.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We noticed Argentineans sipping some herbs from a special cup. We found out that this is a very popular drink called Matte made from herbal tea from Amazon rainforest. Many Argentineans “schlep” their thermos along and keep adding hot water to the cup and keep on sipping it.

As we crossed a large avenue we saw the Obelisk. This 67 meters high tower, designed by Argentine architect Alberto Prebisch, was built and inaugurated in 1936 and commemorates four historical moments related to the city.

We arrived at the hotel and met with Ariel, the other tour guide provided for us.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Ariel took us to a nice European-Style restaurant (Café’ Primafila at The Buenos Aires Design Center in Recoleta) for lunch.
The Recoleta area is the most fashionable place in Buenos Aires to dine; this neighborhood looks like Paris. It is a posh shopping area, with well-known restaurants, cafés and streets it is adjacent to the Cementario de la Recoleta, Eva Peron's final resting place, which we will discover later on.

After a most delicious lunch we headed to Iglesia Del Pilar, a church that was inaugurated in 1732. We left the church walked into a bazaar, outside of the building, toward our awaiting van.

We drove around the city and were amazed by the wide boulevards and parks. We passed by Torre De Los Ingleses. This tower is located in the center of the Plaza Britannia renamed Plaza Aeronáutica Argentina. It was built by British residents in commemoration of the centennial of the Revolution of May and was inaugurated on May 24, 1916.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We arrived at The Plaza de Mayo, which is the country's political center. It is located between the Cabildo and the Casa Rosada, and has witnessed political and social demonstrations as well as national celebrations.

We walked around the plaza to explore the many historical buildings, including Casa Rosada (or

the pink House). This building houses the Executive Power. It was built in 1580 and after many renovations and with the

cooperation of Italian architect Francisco Tamburini, the facade was reconstructed and given Italian French look. During the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, towards the end of the 19th century, the building was painted pink, based on the idea of combining the colors of the two political sectors at the time: red for the federals and white for the unitary-, and the resulting color was pink, hence its popular name of "Casa Rosada” (Pink House). The Granaderos, an elite army group with colorful uniforms, guard the building. It was there where Evita Peron addressed the crowd from one of its many balconies.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We also saw the Piramide De Mayo (May Pyramid). It dates from the 25th of May of 1811 and was the first monument built in Buenos Aires commemorating the revolution of 1810. It was later covered with bricks increasing its size and adding a statue representing the "Republic" on the top, and near the base it was surrounded by agriculture, commerce, science and art related sculptures. The original pyramid is in perfect conditions and is located in the inside of this one.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

The car was waiting for us at the other side of the plaza as we headed toward Cementario de la Recoleta.

The Recoletos monks founded it in 1822 and it is internationally renowned for having famous sculptures, tombs and mausoleums of illustrious political figures and Argentine families. Among the sculptures there are numerous works by Lola Mora and among the famous people buried here, is Eva Perón, among others.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We headed back to Hotel Bel Air for an afternoon nap and saw an amazing street: Avenida 9 Del Julio. This 120 meter (400 feet) wide and 2,600 meter (8,500 feet) long avenue, is considered the widest avenue in the world. There are numerous coffee shops and neon signs along its way, as well as the Obelisk and heavy traffic.

After a two-hour nap we headed for dinner at La Cabellriza in the Puerto Madero area. A wonderful example of urban renewal of the old abandoned warehouses along the four dock areas that made up Puerto Madero has

become alive again with residential and commercial activity, from ghosts to a happening center. The old brick warehouses line on the west side of the port with grand promenades along the waters and small parks throughout. A beautiful bridge “connects” both side of the river. The attractive contact with the river and an area of high-gastronomy restaurants together with new office blocks and shops make this place an ideal rendezvous for business people at lunchtime and for friends and tourist in the evening.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

La Cabellriza is a favorite local steakhouse. It has a huge Bar-B-Q in the front of the restaurant and seats are available both inside and outside the place.

We sat outside, breathing the air from the river and ate dinner based on many kind of meat. Sharone, Gary, and Ya’ara ordered fish and some vegetarian dishes.

After dinner we strolled along the promenade and arrive at Café
Tortoni, located on Avenida De Mayo.

This Art Nouveau building was built in 1858, and it houses one of the oldest literary cafes in the city and where tango and jazz bands still play at night.

We arrived to the café at around midnight and the place was packed! We sneaked inside the theater, located inside the café to listen to singers, serenading to an excited crowd. We had some delicious coffee (café con leche’) and had some deserts.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We arrived to our hotel close to 1:00 AM, exhausted but nevertheless, happy and satisfied.

We turned on the TV and watch in horror the early results of the Tsunami. Apparently 55,000 people are known to be dead thus far.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

December 28th, 2004 (Tuesday)

We all woke up at 8:15 and after breakfast, at the hotel; we were greeted by Sal, who showed up at around 10:00, along with Marcos.

We drove by Synagogue Libertad on our way to La Boca.

Perhaps the most colorful area in Buenos Aires is La Boca (the Mouth), which sits along the port. Here an assortment of brightly painted low houses made of wood and metal burst upon the eyes.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

The main street here is Caminito, which has an artisans and painters fair, open air tango shows, and typical Italian cantinas. A couple was dancing the Tango and after their act they invited the crowd to wear some of the traditional cloths and posed for pictures. La Boca soccer team is a world famous one and is one of the two teams in the city. Diego Maradona came from here and is still a favorite son of this neighborhood.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

After a short walk we headed to the National Immigration Museum, located next to the port. It is Argentina’s “Ellis Island”. Thousands of immigrants went though this huge “warehouse” to get their chance of starting new life in Argentina.

Our next stop was Unsay Street. The Jewish section of Buenos Aires.

Sal described the Jewish history of this city:

Argentina is home to the largest Jewish community in Latin America, with more than 250,000 members, (200,000 in Buenos Aires alone). Despite its size, the community is shrinking, due in part to the emigration of its younger population to other countries (Including Israel). Most Jews here are Ashkenazi and a smaller percentage, Sephardic. Throughout different periods in history, Argentina's Jews have enjoyed peaceful co-existence, but have also had turns facing fierce anti-Semitism.

The Jewish community is active in all realms of society -- politics, religion, education, arts, media, film and music -- and many of its members are prominent figures in these fields. There are dozens of educational institutions, social groups and sports clubs within the community. Most synagogues here are traditional, with orthodox synagogues outnumbering conservative and reform houses of worship.

In Buenos Aires, the heart of Jewish life can be found in this street (Unsay), site of one of its more prominent synagogues, Yesod Hadat, which we visited right after a kosher lunch at Mama Jacinta restaurant, where the food was excellent but the service was awful.

We drove by the old location of the Israeli Embassy as Sal described the two-terror attack on the Jewish life in Buenos Aires:

In 1992 and 1994, two bombs devastated the Argentinean Jewish community, and marked the arrival, for the first time, of Middle Eastern terrorism to South America. While the two cases, which are thought to be related, have been officially under investigation for over 13 years, little progress has been made, and the responsible parties have not yet been apprehended.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Argentina's Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was the sight of the first explosion, a car bomb, on March 17, 1992. The bomb killed 29, and injured over 250. Among the victims were Israeli diplomats, children and clergy from a church located across the street, and other passersby. The investigation of the case was assigned to Argentina's Supreme Court. Chief Justice Ricardo Levene was given the task of investigating and presenting his findings to the court. For over two years, however, the investigation languished, and virtually no action was taken, despite the fact that Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the explosion immediately after it happened.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

It was not until July 18, 1994, that the case again received serious attention. On that date, the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Seminaro Rabinco Of Argentinas Aires was bombed; 87 people were killed, and over 100 injured. Judge Jose Galeano was assigned to investigate, but, like Judge Levene, he made little progress.

Our next stop was the Seminario Rabbinical of Buenos Aires, which opened its doors in 1963. We arrived at the School’s Library, which is unique with the books and article collections. We met Judy, an artist and bought some of her art creations.

We headed back to our hotel, thanked Sal for a wonderful day and decided to spend the evening on Calle Florida (Florida Street). We walked on Avenida Santa Fe arriving to a big park (at the corner of Cordoba Street), where an exhibition took place of pictures from the beginning of the century Latin America.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We found Calle Florida to be one of the great shopping streets we have ever seen; everything was there from leather to books to clothes to jewelry. We enjoyed the tango dancers in the street as well as the many stores.

We spent a couple of hours there and headed back to the hotel, stopping on our way for dinner, at a corner restaurant, right on the busy Avenida 9 del Julio.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We arrived back to the hotel at around midnight and tuned into the TV set and CNN: more than 80,000 people are now known to be dead in South East Asia.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

December 29th, 2004 (Wednesday)

After a delicious breakfast we checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport, with Sal and Marcos, where we boarded a plane to our next destination: Iguazu Falls. A driver was waiting for us and drove us to the hotel.

We were delighted to find that we had made, by far, the best choice of hotels. We stayed at the Hotel Sheraton International Iguazu Resort, the only hotel allowed inside the Parque Internacional Iguazu. The Sheraton Iguazu is an ultra-modern hotel with all the best amenities and beautifully appointed rooms. The hotel has wonderful facilities: large swimming pool; excellent tennis courts; spacious dining facilities; Internet services; game room; beautifully kept grounds; and perfectly groomed pathways through the jungle for easy walks to the falls, which we could see in the distance from the hotel lobby.

The driver mentioned to me that in order to pass the border to Brazil, we need a visa, which costs $120 per person. I was surprised and disappointed to hear the bad news as we already planned to cross the border on Friday.

After checking in the Sheraton, we decided to head to Puerto Iguazu, located 20 kilometers north of the falls. A short ride on a bus took us to the El Centro of the city. The temperatures were in the high 90’s and the humidity was very high. We walked toward the main street to have lunch. On our way, I tried to use the ATM at one of the banks, and my card was “swallowed” by the machine. I called (Sharone did the talking…) an 800 number provided by the machine to see what actions I need to take to have my card back and was told to come the next day and show my passport to the manager, and the card would be returned to me.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We stopped at a local restaurant for a late lunch and enjoyed the food tremendously. We kept on walking the streets toward the central bus station and returned to the hotel in the early afternoon hours.

Gary, Ya’ara and myself plunged into the Hotel’s pool and met some interesting people.

After a nap (we were so exhausted…) we decided to return to Puerto Iguazu for dinner. The Hotel receptionist suggested eating at El Quincho. Since there are no buses in the evening we hired a taxicab for the rest of the evening for an amazing low price: $23.00

The driver took us to the restaurant (Emly stayed at the hotel with Ya’ara) and we sat down at a very nice and busy place, which had a yard in the front with this huge BAR-B-Q. We sat inside and enjoyed a most delicious dinner while listening to live Argentinean music.

We returned to the hotel at 12:30 AM and once again we were devastated to learn the size of the disaster in South East Asia. Today’s estimated were at around 125,000 dead people. Another piece of news of the day was a tragic fire at a Buenos Aires disco, where 179 people died.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

December 30th, 2004 (Thursday)

The buffet breakfast at the hotel was most delicious. Piles of cheese and different meat laid side by side to a variety of breadbaskets, breakfast rolls, different fruits and juices

I already decided to forget about the ATM card. I used the hotel’s Internet services to e-mail the bank and asked them to cancel the card and reissue a new one.

Our driver waited for us and after short trip took us to a “train station” where we met our guide Muriel. We joined a group of about 40 other people, boarded a train, which took us to the heart of the park.

After a short walk we stood up with our mouth opened as we watched one of the wonders of the world: The Iguazu Falls. (Cataratas)

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horseshoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River, Iguazu Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth.

These details do nothing to describe the grandeur of the falls, the tremendous amount of water thundering down 269 feet, the tropical location and the sheer beauty that led Eleanor Roosevelt to say "Poor Niagara".

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Iguazu Falls are divided by various islands into separate waterfalls. During the rainy season of November - March, the rate of flow may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic m) per second (!).

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Iguazu Falls, called Cataratas del Iguazu in Spanish, lie on the Argentina - Brazil border and are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

Downstream from the falls where the Parana and Iguazu rivers meet, so do the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Each country has created a landmark in their national colors on a spot in each of their countries where you can see all three. We however, will see the falls “only” from the Argentinean side.

The name of the falls comes from the Guaraní word for "great water."

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We walked the trail, leading us to the heart of the falls and could not believe our eyes. The noise, the smell and the sights will stay with me forever.

We headed to our next adventure as we took a boat ride on the bottom of the falls.

We were provided with huge plastic bags where we were to put all of our belonging (especially the camera equipment and wallets) as this was going to be a very wet ride. The boat maneuvered in the river and entered one of the caves as water, from one of the falls, poured into the boat. We were soaking wet but nevertheless all one could see is smiling faces all around the boat. In a matter of fact, the water was great for cooling us down, as the temperature outside have reached a three digits mark.

The boat landed on the other side of the park and after a short climb we found a Safari truck waiting for us for a short trip in the surrounding jungle.

The final destination of the truck was at the train station where we had a delicious lunch at the buffet (for an amazing low price of $6 pp) and boarded a train, which took us to the “Devil’s Throat”.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

A short walk and we stood on top of the largest fall.

The waterfalls are the finale’ of a river that is a kilometer-and-a-half wide! It is a pretty shallow river, which makes sense since it is over a kilometer in width, but when all this water culminates at the "Devil's Throat," one gets to witness the ferocity and untamed beast that mother nature unleashes in this majestic display of a waterfall. The Devil's Throat is only one of hundreds of the waterfalls of Iguazu, yet it is the most impressive!

==========================================================================================================================================================================

A couple of hours later we were back at the hotel wet, tired but extremely happy!

A shower and a short nap made us all feel so much better!

Dinner at La Selva was delicious. The restaurant itself was very elegant but yet, the prices were very moderate.

After dinner we asked the driver to take us to a local Ice Cream Parlor and tasted the local Ice Cream. It was yummy!!

We were back at the hotel at around 10:30. As we entered the lobby, a couple of singers were entertaining the guests, who were all seated at the bar. Tova and I started to dance; right there in the lobby and few other couples had joined us.

What a day!

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Back in the room we watched CNN: more than 150,000 people are now known to be dead!

==========================================================================================================================================================================

December 31st, 2004 (Friday)

We woke up early and after a quick breakfast we headed back to the park: As our plans had changed due to the Visa to Brazil issue, we decided to explore Martin Island.

We used, the now familiar trails, and headed down to the river to catch a boat (free service), which took us to the island that is surrounded by the waterfalls. We walked up the many steps and took the path around the island to stand on top of the falls.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

A beautiful, perfect rainbow was underneath us and the view was outstanding. We continued to explore the island and saw huge iguanas, colorful birds and other animals, as the island is surrounded with a (mini) jungle.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We returned to the hotel at 11:45 AM, showered and went to the nearby restaurant.

Back in the hotel, the driver was waiting for us for a short trip to the airport. We boarded the plane and after a short 3 hours flight we landed in Buenos Aires, where Marcos was waiting for us.

Once again we checked into the accommodating Bel Air hotel and our rooms were upgraded to nice suites.

We decided to go to dinner at a local restaurant. The streets were empty as this was New Year Eve and the Argentines celebrate the Holiday with their families at home. We managed to find a nice little restaurant and sat down for a nice dinner and celebrations.

At midnight we joined the restaurant patrons in welcoming the New Year!

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Happy 2005!

January 1st, 2005 (Saturday)

We woke up rather late, as Ariel scheduled to arrive at 10:00 AM. Gary already made plans to visit a synagogue in town for Shabbat Services and we were going to join Ariel.

Right after breakfast, we met Ariel and squeezed into his car (Marcos and the van took a day off!).

Traveling through all different neighborhoods of the city and watching the coastal area, a fairly uncommon scene...even for those who live there. At the end of the trip there was Tigre, a small neighborhood that developed as a result of the activity in the Delta. For a long time the island of Tigre was the summer escapade for the high classes in the city.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Some facts about the Delta, the widest in the world, are impressive. Ninety million tons of sedimentation carried by the Parana River produces an accumulation of land of approximately 20 inches every year, forming the different islands that constitute the Delta region, one of which is Tigre.

We boarded a small restaurant-boat, and started our 2 hour-long journey around the delta. The food, on the boat, looked awful, and we opted to wait ‘till we get back to shore to get some food. The ride was nice and the beauty of the summer homes made a great impression.

As we arrived back to the dock, we found a nice restaurant right on the bank of the river. We sat on the balcony and had a very nice lunch.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Ariel took us to a train station and we boarded a train to take us back to the city. Ariel would meet us at a pre-determined station (I forgot its name…). Ariel told us that in the 60's the train was deactivated to become active again in 1990.

We met Ariel at the destination and he offered to take us to his Gallery. After a short visit there, we headed to our hotel for a rest.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

At 8:15 PM Ariel picked us up for dinner at the Palermo District (Hollywood). Palermo is the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires, crossed by wide avenues full of luxurious houses, flower gardens, woods and lakes. In Palermo, located in the north end of the city, there is something for everyone. Here some of Buenos Aires' most expensive restaurants intermix with the bars of the Plaza Serrano. The district is “the place” to be when night falls on Buenos Aires and thousands of people are walking the streets.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We opted to go to a very nice and attractive restaurant named La Prima. The food was most delicious, the service was superb and the price was ridiculously low. We were so impressed by the colorful water bottles, served to our table that we asked the waitress to keep a couple of bottles for souvenir.

After dinner we were scheduled to go to a Tango Show. However, due to the tragedy in the disco all events were cancelled for this evening, as the country was officially in mourning.

We drove around and ended up in an ice cream parlor next to a park. This was by far one of the best ice creams I have ever tasted.

We returned to the hotel at around midnight.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 2nd, 2005 (Sunday)

After a delicious breakfast we met with Ariel and Marcos. We ended up in the huge Jumbo Supermarket complex. This is a three-story building, with the roof used as a parking lot. The top two stories are used for grocery store and the bottom floor is a “mini mall” with about 40 different shops. We bought some necessary goods and returned to the hotel to checkout and pick up our luggage.

Our final destination in Buenos Aires was the flea market in San Telmo. A favorite residential area for the elite in the city's early years, San Telmo is a colorful, semi-bohemian area dotted with cafes, antiques shops, cobblestone streets and colonial architecture. The best time to visit is Sunday (today!), when a flea market fills the Plaza Dorrego, heart of the neighborhood, and performers, including tango dancers, take to the streets. However, today the streets were empty of dancers and other performers as the country continued to mourn those who died in the disco tragedy last week. We toured the streets and ended up in a café, which featured lunch and tango dancers on stage. The food was horrible but the performance was nice.

We spent a couple of hours in the area and climbed the van for the last time as it took us to the port and the awaiting Norwegian Crown Cruise

We found our cabins (6046 & 6048), unpacked our luggage and went to explore the ship.

The ship was built in 1988. Her 527 staterooms are extra large, with picture windows and marble bathrooms. She glows with health features, too: a modern indoor fitness club, swimming pool, Jacuzzis and saunas. Aboard the Crown, service consists of Scandinavian officers and a combination of Filipino, Romanian, Canadian and Indian service staff.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

At around 6:00 PM the ship sounded its horns and sailed away from this magnificent city.

Bon Voyage!

At dinner we found out more about the style of the ship and learned that they offer “Free Style Cruising”, which means that there are no “set” schedules for dinners, and the only required dress code is to show up with long slacks (men) and/or skirt/dresses (ladies) for dinner.

We liked that!!

Sharone and Gary found out that there is a Kosher Menu aboard and they pre ordered some food for tomorrow’s dinner.

After dinner we all went to the “Welcome aboard Show” which was very entertaining.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 3rd, 2005 (Monday)

The ship arrived to Montevideo, Uruguay at around 7:00 AM. We had breakfast and exit the ship hoping to find our tour guide. I prearranged this tour with “Ecco Uruguay” and prepaid the company for a day in the city. Unfortunately, the guide was a “no show”. We called the phone number, provided in the receipt, and were greeted by a Spanish speaking answering machine. I asked one of the other tour guides to leave a message and ended up hiring a different van with a driver (Ricky) and a guide (Danny).

We started the tour at 8:30. Our first stop was at the Holocaust Memorial, which has been declared a national historic landmark. It is an artistic and cultural treasure

. In 1998 it was one of the finalists in the Mies Van Der Rohre Award for Latin American Architecture.

The tour continued in an upper class neighborhood where we saw some beautiful homes in picturesque streets.

The capital with its 1.5 million people is the only large city in Uruguay, sprawls along the banks of the Rio de la Plata, almost directly opposite Buenos Aires. It's a picturesque place of colonial Spanish, Italian and Art Deco styles. Most attention is focused on the Ciudad Vieja, the old city built on a peninsula close to the port and harbor, and the commercial center, located around Plaza Independencia to the east.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We started our tour in the city center, and walked from Plaza Independencia, the grandest of Montevideo's squares.

On the plaza is the black-marbled Mauseleo de Artigas, topped by an enormous statue of the national hero, and the 26-story Palacio Salvo, the tallest building in South America when built in 1927 and still the tallest in the city today.

The Plaza Constitución, neoclassical Cabildo and the Iglesia Matriz, the oldest public building (1799) in the city, are further west. Other important sights in the area include the Museo Histórico Nacional, which consists of four different homes filled with historical effects, and the Museo del Gaucho y de la Moneda, which houses an impressive display of artifacts from Uruguay's gaucho (cowboy) past.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

A short drive took us to Casa Mario leather factory. The storeowner, Shmuel, was delighted to hear that we are Israelis and suggested to visit the Nuevo Congregation De Israel. He also called the Synagogue to pre arrange our visit, as security is very tight in the Jewish sites.

We opted to walk the streets, rather than riding the car and arrived at Nuevo Congregation De Israel (The New Israel Congregation) an hour later. We met with Susie, the Synagogue Director, who told us a bit about the Jews in Uruguay:

The Jewish community of Uruguay is estimated at over 30,000 out of a general population of 3.2 million. Conversos were among the earliest settlers of the region; however, today most Uruguayan Jews are descendants of twentieth century immigrants from both Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities. Most Uruguayan Jews are affiliated with Sephardic, Polish-Russian, German or Hungarian religious communities. The majority of Jews live in the capital Montevideo, with a smaller community in the city of Paysandú. There are Jewish families scattered over other parts of the country but not in organized communities. The community features a number of well-attended Jewish day schools. The country's premier Jewish organization, the Comité Central Israelita del Uruguay, embraces some sixty communities and organizations.

The synagogue was very impressive. It was founded in 1936 by a group of Jews, mostly from Germany and Austria, who fled from the Nazi persecution and arrived in Uruguay. The Congregation's function is to take care of religious, cultural and charitable aspects for Jews living in Uruguay, as well as other issues concerning the Jewish people worldwide. The religious orientation of the congregation is conservative. In the 1950's the present building was opened and it contains a synagogue and offices.

Few streets further we found another Synagogue: Rabbi Meir Baal Ha-Ness. The Synagogue is located in an area called Pocitos.

Our next stop was at the Montevideo Hill. Danny told us that the name “Montevideo” came from “I See a Mountain” in Portuguese ("Monte vide eu") and that Maggelan, on his way to the Great South Sea of the Orient, had discovered the city in 1520. We stood on that “mountain” and saw a panoramic view of the city.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We arrived at the Mercado del Puerto, once the finest port in South America, and now a colorful, lively center filled with markets, restaurants, artists and street musicians.

After a most delicious seafood lunch we walked the market and returned to the ship at around 3:30 PM.

After a LONG nap (5 hours!) we had dinner (oh! How much I like this “Freestyle” cruising…).

Gary and Sharone received their Kosher dishes and we were all on the floor laughng to the way it was served: The kosher meals are stoerd in plastic bags in the ship’s refrigirator (so it will stay kosher). The waiter did not know what to do with this and served it including the plastic bag, still sealed. Sharone and Gary looked at each other with this “what the heck” face as we all laughed. The waiter then took the dishes and with a knife opened the bag, let the content spilled into the plate and served the food as is. (Note: It was the last time that Gary and Sharone insisted to have kosher meals on board as they managed to order vegetrian dishes and fish for their main courses.)

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Later, we all attended the theater for the “Swing, Swing” show.

At the casino, I met an Israeli named Efraim Ben Shimon, who lives in Australia.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 4th, 2005 (Tuesday)

Happy Anniversary!!!

Today marks our 33rd anniversary.

We woke up at around 10:00 AM, as the ship had a “Sail At Sea Day”, which means: “lazy day”.

The kids arranged for a basket to be delivered to our room with sparkling wine and strawberries.

I walked around the ship for one mile and after lunch, I laid around the pool and finished reading my book.

The day concluded with an afternoon nap, dinner, show at the theater, which featured a baritone singer, and a long night at the casino.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 5th, 2005 (Wednesday)

We arrived to Puerto Madryn.

Once again we were disappointed not to find our prearranged guide. This time I did not prepaid so I really did not care as much and when I inquired about a new van and driver, I found out that it was a real blessing in disguised, as we paid about half the price we were scheduled to pay the original tour guide.

Our guide was a really nice guy. His English was almost perfect and his knowledge was tremendous. He offered us to taste his Matte from his cup and we did.

Puerto Madryn, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, is one of Argentina's fastest growing cities. A deep-water port, a commercial center, and a tourism destination, Puerto Madryn is a popular resort destination for beaches, sports and wildlife excursions. It is a wildlife sanctuary for birds and marine species, including rheas, oystercatchers, flamingos, egrets, whales, sea elephants, sea lions, Magellanic penguins, cormorants (shrimps), petrels and many other species of wildlife.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We headed toward Caleta Valdes and after about 50 miles, mostly on a dirt road; we arrived at one of the best places for watching walruses and Magellan penguins in the whole Patagonian coast.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Caleta Valdes is a narrow strip some 30 kilometers long, surrounding and almost cutting off a section of the ocean, leaving only a tiny connecting mouth to the bay.

Here one can see the endless rhythmic rise and fall of the tides. The bay mouth, some years ago, was almost 600 meters wide. However, for the last eight years it has been gradually narrowing, to the current 150 meters. At the moment the northern horn of the bay is advancing southward, and according to some studies will cut the bay off completely at the end of this year. If this happens, there will be two possibilities: a continental salt-water lake will be formed, or through the action of marine erosion and tide forces, at some weak spot in the huge circle, a new outlet will appear. Naturally cut off from all the rest of the region by high and steep cliffs, the gravel beaches of the bay are the scenarios for part of the walrus' life cycle.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We had lunch at the cafeteria and headed to the museum.

We arrived at the museum and saw a futile looking observation tower, which smells of piss. The museum turned out to be an average one with a random collection of old shells, driftwood, and sun bleached bones. All the articles were in Spanish only and I was clueless of what I am seeing. A huge skeleton of a whale was the highlight of this museum.

I followed a British couple around the museum. The woman was clearly as depressed and confused as I was. Disgustingly, she turns to her husband and in a loud upper class British voice told him "I haven't got the faintest clue what this is all about." – I couldn’t agree more!

Luckily, our next stop of Puerto Pirámides was a much better choice. The town is a beach resort frequented by lovers of nature, which provides an unforgettable experience to anyone who travels in the area. Cliffs resembling pyramids, where there are fossilized invertebrates of more than 9 million years, protect its beaches with their gentle slopes.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Our last stop was at Puerto Madryn’s center where we walked the streets and visited an Art & Craft market. We sat at the “Havana Café”, located in a mini-mall, where I tasted one of the best Café con leche’ in my life.

We returned to the ship at 7:30 PM and headed to the dining room for a delicious dinner. Ya’ara was already a popular figure on the ship. Most of the waiters and the crewmembers, along with many passengers got familiar with her “Hi” greeting followed with a beautiful smile and a wave with her hand. Some of the waiters made a special trip to our table to play with her and try effortlessly to make her smile.

The kids arranged for a “Happy Anniversary” ceremony where more than a dozen waiters and waitresses stood behind us and serenaded a love song. The whole dining room sang along and clapped their hands at the end of the “ceremony”.

After dinner we joined the “Not So Newlywed Game”, which was hilarious.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 6th, 2005 (Thursday)

Once again we had “At Sea” day.

I woke up late, had breakfast and along with Sharone and Emly we joined a “Trivia Quiz”. Even though we were able to answer 16 questions, out of 22, we were at the bottom of the list, as other scored so much better than us.

I had lunch and lay to the pool with a new book.

After a very relaxing massage, at the Spa, we headed to the “La Bistro” restaurant, as it was part of the many gifts we got from our children. The food and the wine were great!

We joined the rest of the family in the theater to listen to many nice jokes from a New York’s comedian.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 7th, 2005 (Friday)

We arrived at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands at around 7:00 AM.

After breakfast we “fought our way” to board a tender, which took us to shore.

The entrance to the harbor is very narrow. As we got closer toward the dock, inside the harbor, the wind picked up even more. It was blowing more than 45 miles per hour, and gusting more than that.

Two of the ship's tenders were used for the landing at Port Stanley. They doubled as lifeboats.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

First we walked down Ross Road, the street that fronted the harbor and saw a stone house that dates to 1887 and sits across the road from the dock. We passed the police station and found the post office. There was a hand written sign on the door of the Post Office to the effect that it would be open for an hour in the afternoon for ship's passengers to buy stamps.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Christ Church Cathedral sits across the street from the harbor. In the garden in front of the church there is a large archway made from the jawbones of a Blue Whale. The arch stands nearly 20 feet tall.

A large monument to the 1982 battle for the Falklands Islands stands a short distance past the church. Another monument commemorates the British victory over the German fleet near the Falklands in 1914. We notice that the owners of the duplex in the background have chosen to paint each half of the roof a different color.

We watched the beautiful garden of the Governor’s House and continued down Ross to see the wreck of the Jhelum, which sits grounded in the harbor. It has been there since the 1870s. A tin roof has been installed on the wreck to slow its deterioration. It is considered one of the most important wooden shipwrecks in the harbor.

After a short visit at the local museum we hiked up the hill and crossed back through the residential part of town. Many of the homes had carefully tended gardens.

We stopped in the Globe Tavern. The air in the tavern was thick with tobacco smoke. A group of passengers with a case of Heineken occupied the central table. We ordered some Fish-And-Chips drank some local beer and headed back to the tender to take us back to our ship.

After a long nap we headed to Shabbat services at the ship’s Library. About 20 of the passengers attended. It was nice and short.

After dinner we enjoyed the magic show, offered at the theater, and went to sleep at around midnight.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 8th, 2005 (Saturday)

After breakfast with Sharone & Gary I joined Tova at the gym.

The ship arrived to one of the highlights of the trip: Cape Horn.

It marks the southernmost point of South America and extends into Drake Passage, the Antarctic strait connecting the South Atlantic and South Pacific oceans. The rocky terrain of the cape rises to a height of 424 m (1391 ft). Storms, strong currents, and icebergs make passage around the cape extremely hazardous. During the time of sailing ships, hundreds of vessels were wrecked while "rounding the horn."

The Dutch navigator Willem Cornelis Schouten, the first to sail around the cape (1616), named it for his birthplace, Hoorn, Netherlands.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We were supposed to get off the ship and visit the lighthouse. However, one of the ship’s passengers was very ill (“critical condition”) and the captain made a decision to stop only for pictures taking and get through a traditional ceremony where a bucket of the ocean(s) water is brought to the ship and all participants get their head wet with the water.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

The ship continued its path via the Magellan Straits, a channel that weaves its way through numerous small islands just north of Cape Horn.
The Straits are named after Ferdinand Magellan, who in 1519 successfully took a fleet of 3 ships (out of an original fleet of 5) through these straits for the first time, while trying to get to the Spice Islands in the Pacific. He succeeded, but died later during the expedition.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We had a lengthy dinner (about two and a half hours!) and missed half of the show at the theater. Tova and I watched the movie Collateral (with Tom Cruise) and went to sleep at around 2:00 AM

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 9th, 2005 (Sunday)

Happy Birthday Sole!!

We woke up at 6:15 AM as today we planned to explore Ushuaia, Argentina: the southernmost city in the World.

We had a quick breakfast and were on shore at 7:30.

We were delighted to see the view of the area. Snow-top mountains were all around us in this picturesque setting.

We hired (after a successful negotiations) two taxis and their drivers (Gerardo & Marcos) and started to explore the wonders of this magnificent place.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Ushuaia, as I already mentioned, is the southernmost city in the world, on the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains. It is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and Southern Atlantic Islands Province, and its superlative location consists of sea, mountains and forests at the same time.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Our first stop was at the Tierra Del Fuego National Park; Located in southwestern Tierra del Fuego province, over the borderline with Chile, this National Park is the southernmost example of the Andean - Patagonian forest. It was created in 1960 and has a surface of 63.000 hectares

In this area the final part of the Andes features a northwest - southeast orientation. The peaks alternate with valleys where there are rivers and glacial originated lakes.

We visited Lake Roca and Lapataia Bay and later got to a place, which is known as “The Southernmost Point in the World”.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

On the way to our next stop, The Glacier, we posed for pictures at the train station, where passengers take The Train at the End of the World to the park. We arrived at the glacier and hopped into a cable car, which took us to the top. Tova stayed with Ya’ara at the bottom of the glacier and good that she did as the temperatures started to dip as soon as we left the station. I shivered all over!!

==========================================================================================================================================================================

After a short walk at the top, we headed down and rode the taxis to town where we stopped at a café, which features all kind of chocolates and delicious coffee.

We were back at the ship at 12:30 PM to realize that we must return to this place as the visit of 5 hours was not nearly enough.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We had lunch as the ship started to cruise the Beagle Channel, also called the gateway to the waters of the "end of the world", which connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. I think it was Fitzroy who first discovered it, and then afterwards they didn't have to round Cape Horn anymore.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Two Argentinean boats lead the ship, as the passage next to the port, was too narrow.

The highlight of the channel was experiencing the majestic "Glaciers Avenue" and seeing the endless count of fjords. There were four glaciers. All four were named after European countries: Italy, Germany, Romania, and Spain.

The temperatures dipped to the low 40’s and the wind chill factor made it way less. One unforgettable sight was the color of the water near the glacier: It had three layers of colors: blue, green, and white.

As I came back to the cabin, Tova told me that the critical ill passenger had passed away.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 10th, 2005 (Monday)

We arrived to Punta Arenas, Chile!

After breakfast we left the ship and met our new tour guide: Jorge Jara.

Punta Arenas, the capital of the Magellan’s region, sits alongside the Straits of Magellan. J. Byron discovered this location on the Brunswick Peninsula in the 17th century and named it "Punta Arenosa" (Sandy Point). The city of Punta Arenas, founded in the mid-1800s, grew into a center for commerce, culture and society that spread its influence over the entire region.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

The city is situated astride one of the world's historic trade routes; its prosperity has risen and fallen with that trade. Punta Arenas enjoyed its first great boom during the California Gold Rush, when it served as a haven for great clipper ships. Although the port's importance diminished after the opening of the Panama Canal, the city reached even greater prosperity early in this century as the center of Chile's international wool trade.

Today, Punta Arenas reflects a great mix of cultures, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors, and it remains an utterly fascinating testament to the Chile's rich history. Punta Arenas is also the starting point for excursions to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.
We climbed the elegant van and headed toward Otway Bay (70 km northwest of Punta Arenas) to get familiar with its native penguins. On the way to the bay we stopped several times to view and take pictures of the wild life of the area. We saw sheep, condors, grey foxes, lamas, and swans. We also viewed a coal mine situated on the bay.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Every year, from October thru March, the Magellan Penguins return to land to mate, living in large groups along the beach, a spectacle that looks like a giant convention of sunbathers in Otway Bay.

Dubbed the "bird children" by the local human residents, the penguins are small, measuring up to 70 cm tall, and have a white chest and have a black back like most penguin species.

Watching them waddle along the beach or slip into the sea tends to produce a sense of peace and wonder among human observers.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We arrived at location and walked for about half a mile to reach the reservoir. I have never seen so many penguins in my life and they were “just there” very friendly and unafraid of our presence.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We saw mother penguins feed their babies and enjoyed seeing a group of penguins march with their “tuxedo outfits”.

After about an hour of enjoying the sights we left this incredible place and headed back to the city to enjoy a most delicious lunch at Jorge’s favorite restaurant.

The place used to be a home and we actually sat at this home’s living room. The meal included delicious king crab, fish, and lamb cooked to perfection.

The cook actually came out of the kitchen to talk to us and took the orders directly from us. In a matter of fact he was the one who “decided” for us the type of dishes we should eat!

After lunch we drove to the city’s center and arrived at the main square: Plaza De Armas. The plaza itself is full of huge, old trees (araucaria), and in the center is the Monument to Ferdinand Magellan. We noticed that one of its toes is polished and shiny. Local legend states that everyone who kisses the toe will return to Punta Arenas someday, making the statue a favorite with tourists and locals alike.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Our next stop was El Cerro de la Cruz (the Mount of the Cross), which has a lovely panoramic view of the city and its red, blue and yellow roofs and streets, which slope toward the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego.

The historic cemetery was our next destination.

The cemetery was established in 1894. The wealthy businesswoman Sara Braun donated its massive ornamental gateway, in 1919. There are handsome grounds, adorned with many neatly trimmed evergreen trees (cypress). Mausoleums and gravesites now fill the land space, and new burials are placed in niches.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We opted to skip the Magiorino Borgatello museum, as we saw many buses parked in the area with hundreds of tourists and decided to end the day in the Duty Free Shops, located in a shopping center called the Zona Franca, with several blocks of shops hawking supposedly cheaper electronics, home appliances, imported foodstuffs, sporting goods, perfumes, clothing, toys, booze, and cigarettes. The savings here are negligible, except for alcohol, and the selection isn't what we’d hope for, although there certainly is a lot to offer, including a few supermarkets.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Jorge introduced us to his wife and of his boys, as they came to do some shopping.

We returned to the ship at 6:30 PM to discover a huge change aboard. It turned out that a disease called GI, which has to do with a digestive system disease and its symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting, has been discovered on board. We were required to wash our hands every time we walk to any of the public rooms on the ship, including the dining area, casino, gym, etc. The waiter and waitresses all wore glove and did not allow the passengers to select the food in the buffet dining room, but instead they filled up the plate with the requested food.

We decided to have dinner at the oriental restaurant on board. Its name is “Chop Stickers”. Sharone, Gary, and Ya’ara ended up eating in the main dining room.

After the show, which featured the magician and dancers, I visited the casino and then went to bed at around 1:00 AM

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 11th, 2005 (Tuesday)

For the next two days we will be at sea.

I woke up at 10:30 feeling sick and spent most of the day in bed.

The ship made an unexpected stop at Amalia Glacier.

Amalia Glacier, situated in the central section of the Ice Fields, its long silhouette appears to be hanging between the peaks of the mountains, to see it is an awesome spectacle, its ice towers, and its colors contrasting with the surroundings, create emotions in all spectators.

This glacier is one of the 48 glaciers that compose the Southern Ice Fields, which are considered to be the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world. The Amalia Glacier has a width of approximately 1 kilometer and a height of 40 meters. Its mass of ice is supplied, for the major part, by the intense snowstorms that occur almost throughout the entire year. In this paradise of natural beauty, the ship sailed in close to the face of the glacier and then moved from the south to the north so the passengers can enjoy the entirety of the glaciers spectacular white splendor.

We actually were lucky to see an avalanche, live!

For me this was the highlight of the day as I did not have any meals and went to sleep rather early.

I woke in the middle of the night feeling awful and spent many minutes in the tiny bathroom throwing up.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 12th, 2005 (Wednesday)

I am still sick. Did I encounter the GI Virus? Or am I “just” seasick?

I spent the early part of the day in bed and was able to get out to the 7th deck to enjoy the Chilean Fjords.

This part of Chile is exceptionally beautiful with lakes, snow-capped volcanoes, dense forests and thermal springs. The Pacific Coast of southern Chile is a fjord land, similar to the fjord lands of northern Europe. A dissected region of islands, channels, inlets, straits, and bays, the Chilean fjords is very sparsely populated, with only a few towns and cattle ranches to be seen along the shores. It extends south into Tierra del Fuego, the territory at the southern tip of South America divided between Chile and Argentina.

In the afternoon I felt already much better and by the time we all sat down to have dinner I felt once again 100%. The show after dinner, featured a joggler, who was really bad, as all the balls he was joggling fell to the stage, surredering to the ship's motion and the high waves.

January 13th, 2005 (Thursday)

We arrived at Puerto Chacabuco, Chile.

After breakfast we caught the tender, which took us to shore.

We joined three other couples and hired a mini-bus with a driver and a tour guide (Cano), who surprisingly knew many words in Hebrew (especially the “bad” words).

Puerto Chacabuco is a small coastal city and is one of the gateways to the Aisén region.

The town itself is actually on a fjord, and both the coast and inland area of the Aisén have an untamed beauty that can hardly be described. It's a region of beautiful lakes and valleys, cliffs and waterfalls, rivers and ravines.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We passed through the town and headed to the Simpson National Reserve and its wilderness, about 20 miles north. We stopped at an area of beauty where we saw a beautiful hill called “English Cake” a name that describes its looks. We also visited a small museum with exhibits of local plants and flowers.

The museum was at the bank of the Rio Simpson.

We continued our journey and reached Coyhaique, which means “town between two waters”, and is the main city and the capital of the Aisén region and has a population of a little bit more than 43.000 people. The town is located in the heart of the region and is the entrance and exit gate for the northern and southern areas.

The city was founded in 1929 in a beautiful valley at the junction of two rivers: the Coyhaique and the Simpson, at the foothill of the Divisadero Range.

After a short visit in town we headed back and stopped at a beautiful water fall in the park.When we arrived at Aikens Park we found out that the park is closed to visitors as the Norweigian Cruise Lines reserved the whole park for a “party” for only those who paid for the excursion. We were able to negotiate our way in and visited the lake.

We returned to the ship at around 1:30 PM and went straight to the dining room for a most delicious lunch (we were so hungry!!)After lunch I stood in line to receive our passports back and then took a nap until 6:30 PM.We watched the show “American In Paris” before dinner and then dressed up in our formal suits for dinner.After dinner we watched the show “The Liar Club” and went to bed at around 11:00 PM.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 14th, 2005 (Friday)

The ship cruised at night and arrived at Puerto Montt, Chile.We already got used to the routine of eating a quick breakfast and try to get out off the ship as early as possible.Once again we hired a van a tour guide and a driver. The tour guide in our case was a young fellow, who learned by heart all the English lines he needs to tell us along the way. The only problem was when we asked him questions, which were not covered in his notebook, because for each question he did not understand he would reply with “yes, yes”. It was really funny though.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Puerto Montt is situated on the Bay of Puerto Montt. Founded in 1853, the settlement was named for Manuel Montt, then president of Chile. Early German settlers gave the town a distinctive appearance, which perhaps isn't to everyone's taste. Today, Puerto Montt is a commercial center for an agricultural hinterland, which yields grains (especially wheat), potatoes, and livestock, as well as for the offshore fishing grounds.

We zoomed through town on our way to Puerto Varas, also known as the "city of roses", located in front of Lake Llanquihue, Chile's largest lake, with volcanoes, which reflects in its clear waters.

It is a tidy little town, with lovely architecture and a bustling center. Puerto Varas relies heavily on tourism, but it's also a residential community for Puerto Montt's workers. “The City Of Roses” name was given to the city thanks to the many roses along the streets and avenues.

The clouds over the lake did not allow us to witness the beautiful Osorno volcano’s peak.

We arrived to city at around 9:00 AM and were told that the stores do not open before 10:00. Instead of waiting for the city to wake up, we decided to continue with our trip and to return later on to the city.

Our next stop was at an animal farm where we saw a panther and several lamas.

We then continued to Lake Esmeralda, described by Theodore Roosevelt as the most beautiful lake he had ever seen. However, the weather was not ideal for anyone to discover its beauty, as it was cloudy, windy, and cold! We did not even get out of the van and continued to Petrohue Falls to watch in amazement as bright green water gushes through a series of oddly twisted chutes formed by black volcanic rock.

We toured this amazing place for about an hour and hopped into the van on our way back to Puerto Varas.

After a delicious lunch at Dino’s we walked around the main square admiring the beautiful streets, decorated with roses of all kind and colors.The weather was really “crazy” when sun, clouds, and rain changed very frequently. One minute and the sky were blue and the next minute heavy rain poured into the streets.We found our van parked next to the city’s casino and after a short drive we arrived at Puerto Montt’s downtown area.A picture exhibition occupied the main square and featured naked bodies and faces.

The van then took us to the city’s art market where we said goodbye to the boring tour guide.We found an Internet Café, spent about an hour there and then returned to the ship at around 4:00 PM.Gary attended the Shabbat Services and delivered a story to the 60 plus attendees.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 15th, 2005 (Saturday)

I woke up at 10:30 for blue skies and a warm day. I walked around the ship for about an hour, had lunch and later laid around the pool on the 7th deck. At 2:00 PM I tried my luck in the Blackjack Tournement and lost 4 times in a row!

I returned to the cabin, and along with Tova we started packing:Tomorrow will mark the end of the cruise.

After dinner we all went to the “Farewell Show”, which was very entrtaining.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 16th, 2005 (Sunday)

We all woke up at 6:00 AM and headed into the dining room for our last breakfast on the ship. We said our goodbyes to our favorite people on the ship (Daniella, Jose-Roy, Soozan) and a couple of hours later we were outside the ship and in Valparaiso, Chile.

After the immigration process we met with our new guide, Eva and started to tour the area.

Valparaiso is Chile's second city and its main port. It perfectly captures the geography of the country, a narrow city with hills to one side and water to the other. Valparaiso's maze of cobbled paths is perfect for exploring, and the city is known for its fine arts and excellent maritime museums. The most interesting part of Valparaiso is the old section, where we found colonial buildings, churches and museums.We stopped at a local café for our favorite Café con leche’ and some pastries, and continued our tour.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Our next stop was Viña del Mar. Just north of Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Chile's top beach resort.

Known as the 'Garden City' due to its huge botanical garden and countless palm and banana trees fringing the beaches, Viña del Mar is a relaxing and romantic place.The town was founded in 1874 as a weekend retreat and garden residence for the wealthy elite from Valparaiso and Santiago, and it has remained a top beach destination for Santiaguinos ever since, who most simply call the city "Viña"We stopped at the famous “Flower Clock”, the symbol of this city.Viña del Mar, as I mentioned, is also the most famous beach resort in Chile (which is why it is highly overbuilt with hotels and other tourist facilities).

==========================================================================================================================================================================

It seems to have San Diego-like weather and decent beaches.We stopped at a Sea Food Restaurant, situated on a building, overlooking the ocean and had one of the best meals of the trip, consisting of the famous Chilean Sea Bas.

After lunch we spotted a colony of Sea Lions.

We continued our tour, driving on the highway toward Santiago, the Capitol. On our way we passed Casablanca – The Wine Country of Chile.

We arrived at the hotel (Eurotel) in Santiago and checked into our rooms, which were very spacious (to say the least) as one of them was an apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a study room, kitchen, living room and a terrace.

A short time later we “hit” the streets looking for a place to eat. We finally found a nice and cozy Italian restaurant and had a great meal.We returned to the hotel at around midnight.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

January 17th, 2005 (Monday)

After breakfast we met with Eva and strarted our last day of the vacation, touring the capitol of Chile, enjoying a summer day with temperatures in the 80’s.

The first stop was the at the Government Palace, the splendid Palacio de la Moneda – we attended the Changing Of The Guards as hundreds of green-uniformed soldiers in high black boots goose-step around the square to the Chilean national anthem.

In the square we saw familiar faces from the Crown and for some unknown reason I felt very comfortable being with them.After the ceremony we found a little café and stopped for a delicious café con leche’ and continued our tour.

We entered the palace’s garden where we saw many journalists interviewing a top official.

==========================================================================================================================================================================

We walked to Plaza de Armas, the main square. Main buildings such as the cathedral and the main post office surround the plaza but it has a charm of a village square.We found a restaurant and had a light lunch.

We stopped at the Jockey Club known also as Club Hipico de Santiago.

The second half of the day was devoted to Jewish Santiago.

Eva had a lot to tell us about the subject: Jews have achieved prominent positions in the Chilean government and other realms of influence, and have played a key part in the founding of the country, both before and after its independence in 1813. Approximately 12,500 of Chile's 15,000 Jews today reside in the capital of Santiago. Other smaller communities exist in Viña Del Mar (Valparaiso), and other cities. A group of Indians in the south, the Iglesia Israelita, observe many Jewish customs and consider themselves to be Jewish as well.Jewish individuals were successful under Pinochet's rule from 1973-1988. Pinochet won some favor among the Jewish community (among those not exiled) because of his views on Israel. Pinochet was a strong supporter of Israel despite the 350,000 Palestinians in the country, the largest group of Palestinians outside of the Middle East.Anti-Semitic acts have grown due to small Neo-Nazi groups. Nazi organizations and their publications are legal in this country. Despite this, Jews continue to be influential and active in politics, theater, music, education and the arts. The President sometimes attends Rosh Hashanah services in Santiago.

We visited Circulo Israelita Synagogue the Ashkenazi Synagogue, and headed to the Jewish Fire House: The 5th Fire Company in Santiago, Chile - the only Jewish volunteer Firefighters outside of Israel. Members of the Jewish community created it. It is called "Bomba Israel" (Bomba = pump in Spanish). We were pleasantly surprised to see the fire engines decorated with the Israeli flag and the firefighters wear a shirt, with the Hebrew “Makabei Esh Le-Israel” printed on their back. This year they are celebrating their 50’s anniversary.

JCC was our next stop. This is a rather large complex with a huge gym, a hall for special occasions, soccer field, Olympic size pool and other facilities. Maccabi Games were held there in 2003. The place is used by the local Jewish Community for social events.Since we had some extra time on our hand, Eva took us “uptown” to see how the rich people live. The streets were very clean and beautiful homes stood along the wide avenues.

We arrived back to our hotel, picked out our luggage and headed to the airport.We boarded flight LAN Chile #660, which took us back to Los Angeles.

More Journals

South America (2005)

Monday, January 31, 2005

South America (2005)

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me