We are off!

On 18 Feb 2020 we started our journey leaving Melbourne, via Sydney, for our 2 month  trip to the South American continent as well as taking in Antarctica and the Caribbean. The 57 day cruise on Seabourn Quest departs from Santiago in Chile and ends in Miami.

Clearly it will be an awesome experience - and a test of our discipline in order to avoid the need of a crane to get us off the ship on completion.

But first we will spend  5 days in Santiago before boarding on the 23rd.

Santiago Day 1 - 5


The flight from Sydney to Santiago was uneventful. Landed in the morning and was greeted by a very hot and dry climate. Getting through immigration was a breeze but getting the transportation to the Hotel was not. Won't dwell on this except to say travelers be wary of what taxi to get.Santiago is interesting. Our Hotel/Apartment is right in the middle of central downtown, close to some very good restaurants and sights. Looking out of our window we see:


We went venturing up there for a closer view on the 2nd day. Worked up a good thirst.


Day 3 was a bit of a disaster. Julie was studying the local architecture (daydreaming) and stepped into a hole, twisting her ankle and hobbling back to the room. But recovery was well underway by the next day. Amazing what magical powers a bottle of wine possesses. 

The next night we found a very good restaurant and had some Chilean fare. Nice ambiance and even a better bottle of wine. Finally a late night.

We met up with a couple of fellow travelers last night. Had a very nice dinner, enjoyed some of the local street entertainers and then back to the hotel for our final night in Santiago. Santiago was interesting but wouldn't come here specifically. It is a good staging point if you are headed to other South American sights.

Up early (mixture of jet lag and excitement for the adventure) and did final packing. Travelling down to the port of San Antonio shortly with the 2 fellow travelers. 

Location: Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile

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