December 27, 2008 at sea
Sorry that postings to this blog have been so sporadic, but after David's computer was fixed and we did post, there was no service for days on the ship!

To fill you in on the past few days:

Puerto Montt, Chile, December 24th. We took a Crystal shore excursion: Lake Country Landscapes.
Mary McKee joined us on this bus trip around Puerto Montt and then to two small towns ourside of
Puerto Montt: Puerto Varas, known as the City of Roses, and Frutillar, a small town with a decidedly
German feel. At Puerto Varas, we were able to see two majestic, snowcapped volcanoes Osorno and
Calbuco. They were at the other side of Lake Llanquihue and it was a beautiful site. I must say,
this was a rather weak shore excursion, but I did manage to buy a few souvenirs, so all was not lost.
Our guide explained that it was the custom to exchange gifts on December 24, but we saw many people working in their yards, or at their jobs. There seemed to be none of the hustle to get home on
Christmas Eve.

Christmas was wonderful on the ship, from a second tree lighting ceremony and carolers on December 24th to Santa Claus on the 25th, it was very special. We enjoyed playing Santa Claus by distributing small gifts to our favorite crew all over the ship. This is such a hard time for them--being away from family and sometimes being too busy to call home. Christmas dinner was delicious and people were wearing flashing Christmas lights and glowing ice cubes were in drinks all over the dining room.

It was a really festive atmosphere. Dinner selections ranged from roast turkey with stuffing, to
Pagan ham (what is Pagan ham???), to a magnificent dessert selection including Buche de Noel, Plum Pudding, Mincemeat Pie, etc. Why, oh why is the food SO GOOD on this cruise???? David and I are not willing to step on a scale, but I am pleased to report that all pants for both of us button easily!

After dinner on Christmas day, the entertainers (Rich Block, Jim Brochu, Michel Bell, Colin Slater,
etc put on a special Christmas show which was very entertaining. The seas had been rough off an on,
but quieted for dinner. The staff and crew had a special Christmas dinner later in the evening in
Lido. It would be great if they asked for guest volunteers to serve the crew! I think I'll suggest
it.

We are very happy with our table mates at the doctor's table. The doctor is a delightful host, warm
and funny and our table is usually one of the last to leave the dining room.

December 26, 2008 at sea

Rough seas intermittently as we left the inside passage and went out into the ocean, but as we
entered the Straits of Magellan, it quieted considerably. The weather had a little bit of
everything to offer: rain, snow, hail and then 2 huge rainbows! As we watched the Strait of
Maggellan unfold, it was like watching an endless loop: rain, fog, sun, rain, fog, sun, etc. The
weather in this area is dramatic and exciting even if it did prevent the full visilization of some of
islands.

 Today, David and I and Natalie and Rod accidentally crashed a first time Crystal cruiser
cocktail party in the Palm Court. We had planned to meet there for drinks and none of us knew there
was a private party. Jane Self, the Crystal Society Hostess, stopped by our table and told us we
were welcome at any party on the ship---so nice. We had a wonderful meal in Prego with Natalie and
Rod after cocktails. Norbert performed a magic trick at the table. Our original table at the window
was still occupied when we arrived and he sat us next to them. When they left, he and a helper
whisked that table away and moved our fully set table intact to that location and then moved us all
in our chairs to be seated there! Talk about service!

 At the cocktail party, the Captain made an announcement that another cruise ship had not been able to dock in Punta Arenas, our next stop, because of 148 MPH winds!!!! Can you imagine? We'll have to see what the am brings! I forgot to mention that we have been to Hanukkah services often, and have enjoyed the Rabbi very much.

December 27, 2008 Punta Arenas, Chile

We awoke to sunny skies today and the ship easily docked at the port. Two other ships were in port
today: Celebrity Infinity, which has been shadowing us throughout this cruise and a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, too. We did a Virtuoso tour today provided by our travel agent,  It was a day of changeable weather, with some rain and clouds, but the bulk of the day, sunny with a brisk wind. It seemed so strange to be bundled up in fleeces, rain jackets, hats and scarves after coming from the heat of Valparaiso and even Puerto Montt.

We did a tour of Punta Arenas, went to the Museo Salesaino Maggiorino Borgatello that features the Salesaino Indians, plants and animals indigenous to the region and an odd collection of black and white photos taken by an early missionary. The stuffed animals and birds seemed so old that one had the feeling of being in an attic at the Smithsonian. I never cease to be amazed at how successful the culture of the Native Peoples was until the missionaries came and forced them to wear clothes, go to church and deny their beliefs. Despite the brutality of the climate here at this spot at the end of the world, the Native Peoples did not wear clothes, they went into the cold ocean, and they had very little disease. Enter the Spanish missionaries, and the Native Peoples began dying from illnesses. The photos show them looking exceedingly uncomfortable in their ill fitting, non-native clothing. This barbaric need of missionaries to convert Native Peoples is such a scar on the history of the world. Pardon my emotionalism on this matter!

 After the museum, we had a half an hour in the town square to shop at stands run by local citizens. The amazing thing about Punta Arenas is that here is this city in the middle of Patagonia, miles and miles from anywhere---and it has everything a city in the states would have on a smaller scale: multiple banks, supermarkets, shopping centers, discount stores, a university, a music conservatory, homes ranging up to about $1,000,000, etc. Everything not produced locally has to be brought in by plane or cargo ship or trucked in a very long way. Yet it has a busy port and airport and functions somewhat independently from the rest of Chile given it's isolated location. The winds blow so hard during the summer, that streets in the downtown area have banisters for people to hold onto so that they are not blown away.

 After our visit to downtown, we were taken to an estancia on the outskirts of town. At first, I thought this place was just a very attractive restaurant, but El Galpon is a working farm and very successful, and well done, tourist operation. The owner, his wife and four children serve as hosts. The dining room is an the old farm stable (the farm was established in the 1920's as a dairy farm) and makes a very inviting dining room with open pit for grilling meat). First we were shown a film about the colonization of the Magellan region. Then we were taken on about a 30 minute walk through part of the property overlooking Punta Arenas, the Straits of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego and the Darwin Mountain range. The panoramic views were spectacular. Our guide, Tomas Dick, the owner of the estancia explained about the various trees, bushes and grasses. We were then taken to a shed, with seating, for a sheep shearing demonstration. It took the experienced sheep shearer less than 6 minutes to shear a sheep using an older style belt engine powered shears. Evidently the sheep are happy to have this heavy coat removed ( I don't know if anyone asked them) and are able to regulate their body temperature within 24-48 hours by eating a large quantity of food. We were able to see and touch several sheep and alpacas. We then walked back to the dining room, past geese, ducks and emus, for a really delicious lunch. I had the lamb that is grown on the estancia (which is evidently a 2 1/2 day horseback ride to reach the end of the land), David had beef, chicken and lamb, all of which, he said, were good. Red or white wine was served with the luncheon. It was an interesting afternoon. El Galpon is well run and definitely commercial, while keeping you under the impression that you are dining with Tomas Dick and his family. It would be an interesting business model. We returned to the ship under continuing sunny skies.

I think tonight will be a good night for a movie in the cabin and room service!By the way, I forgot to mention that the sun doesn't set until after 10 pm--a nice long day.

Tomorrow we will sail down the Beagle Channel toward Ushuaia. We will pass 5 glaciers on the way.
The Captain has just announced that we will be sailing around Cape Horn at approximately at 7 pm. We will have to make a short stop at Port Williams for clearance as we leave Chile. Symphony will take on two pilots before we sail Cape Horn. Our next stop will be Ushuaia, Argentina day after tomorrow.