Funny place, Valpairiso. The ship was moored right beside the harbour and the dock gate, yet the port authorities insisted on bussing us to the other end of the port area(about 2 miles!) for the cruise terminal. We then had to make our own way back to the same area.
We decided to walk, as that way passed through all the squares. You can imagine Ian's comments on the subject, but nevertheless, it was done-slowly!! Fortunately the weather was kind.
Some of the city is on the flat, the bit we walked, but the rest is built on a number of hills. To access these on foot is done by 'ascenseurs' or funicular railways. Very old and very quaint. The newest was built around 1913. At the top of the one we took were great views over the port and beyond. They do not run to the very tops of the hills, only to where the city reached at the time they were built.
After a stroll, we descended and enjoyed the harbour area. when it was time to go back to the ship, we took a trolleybus. When we first left the terminal, we had passed the terminus, so we applied dead reckoning and got back safely. Don't know how old they are, but the design shape implied that the buses were probably around 50 to 60 years old!!
On the way bck through the terminal there was a wine tasting going on-for free!! Never people to pass such a thing up, we took part. Most enjoyable, and we discovered a very nice Chilean wine made from a grape named Carmenere. More about this wine later.
Wednesday was a good day. Having had a good golf put, Ian won the shuffleboard and his team the morning quiz. This was followed by a Rounders lunch. If one is going the whole way round, ie Southampton to Southampton, one is known as a Rounder,and each sector there is a special lunch just for the Rounders. A good time was had by all-though it does take up a bit of the day !!
Thursday was different. Not so successful at golf, but spent the rest of the morning wine tasting. They had three different Carmeneres among the 15 wines on offer. Two were very good, and have gone onto our dinner drinking stock. After a quick lunch we went to dancing class at 1.15pm. Our teacher, Lorraine, really put us through it, learning three active dances for tomorrows 'tropical' night (more practice to come!). We were all 'perspiring hard' at the end!
On each sector, a number of passengers get together to write and put on some sort of play; last sector was a pantomime and quite funny. This time it was an attempt at a comedy, and fell rather flat. We went to support someone in it. After that was a tea dance, and then Ian went off to the quiz. This afternoon, his team scored 20 out of 20, which meant that the quizmaster had to do 20 press-ups. (if it is a lady, then it is either those or 20 high kicks) Doesn't happen often.
Tomorrow, Friday, is Arica. We have nothing planned, except to do our ususal and explore the place as best we can. It is getting warmer, 25C today, and that might curtail us a little bit, but we shall see. This part of Chile is close to the Attacama desert, so sees virtually no rain at all, but can, so we are told, be dusty.
Probably one more post before Lima, and our jaunt to Macchu Pichu.