Andes And Cape Horn Grand Adventure

November 16, 2025 - Leaving MCI @ 5:30 a.m. for LAX @ 8:30. Thanks Valerie for taking us to the airport and keeping Maxine. Early morning photos:

Aboard ship at 1:00 p.m. First stop is Deck 14 for pizza.

Three times around Deck 7 is one mile. It is quite windy and wondering how Heather can see!!

Leaving the past behind.

First night suuset - beautiful!

November 17, 2025. At Sea. Cloudy/Sunny

R&R - Read book "Confronting Evil: The Worst of the Worst" by Bill O'Reilly. Eat, sleep, exercise, tea, repeat.

November 18, 2025. At Sea. Broken Clouds.

R&R continues.

November 19, 2025. Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. Sailfish Capitol of the World. The primary container gateway on the Pacific coast for Mexico. Products shipped: agricultural goods like bananas, lemons, and corn; manufactured goods such as cars, beer, and cement; and natural resources like minerals and lumber.

Tour: Easy Manzanillo

Brown Bobby

Tropical Kingbird

Container Shipping - volcano behind

Bananas

Honduras Mahogany - fruit not edible.

Bahia de Santiago

Condos and apartments on the rich side

Religiously, the Colima dog is associated with the Aztec deity Xolotl, “Lord of the Underworld”, who aids the deceased in their journey into the afterlife.

? Church as seen from ship + containers.

November 20, 2025 - At Sea - side trip to Puerto Vallarta as staff member and passenger needed medical attention.

Local medical help coming

Loading staff member

Long way to shore.

November 21, 2025 - At Sea - 81⁰ Clear and smooth sea.

Tea time: delicacies and orange herb tea

And who wants more?

November 22, 2025 - At Sea - 81⁰

Eat, read, sleep, dance.

November 23, 2025 Puntarenas, Costa Rica

88⁰ Clear. North 349.12. Wind 6.4 mph

National Flower - Purple Country Girl (orchid)

National Bird - Clay-colored Thrush

Main exports:

optical, photo, technical, medical apparatus (36 percent of total exports), edible fruits, nuts, peel of citrus fruit, melons (16 percent). Others include: electrical, electronic equipment, plastics, coffee and tea.

TOUR: Jungle River Cruise - bus ride x 1 hour to Tarcoles River.

Poor housing with barbed wire around.

The river boat as Heather goes down the ramp.

Snowy Egret - showing it's golden slippers

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Bare- throated Tiger Heron

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Wood Stork

Black Necked Stilt

Wild Muscovy Drake

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Brown Pelicans

Magnificent Frigate Bird

Tricolor Heron

Neotropical Cormorant

Cattle Egret

Royal Tern

Boat-billed Heron

Mangrove Swallow

Little Blue Heron

Mangrove trees

Bananas - notice the flower

Used to dye meat, dairy products, hair coloring, nail polish, lipstick, etc.

November 24, 2025 - At Sea

Eat, Drink, Read, Dance, Sleep

November 25, 2025 - Puerto Amador, Panama. 88⁰ Humidity 84

National Bird: Harpy Eagle

National Flower: Holy Ghost Orchid

Exports: copper ores, followed by bananas, seafood (especially shrimp), and refined petroleum. Other significant exports include special purpose ships, refined palm oil, and various agricultural products.

No tour today. See previous blogs for Panama. Walked briefly outside ship.

Panama - cloudy and very humid

Bird's Eye view of Panama City (Carib Grackle) K03-20-0089

The Bridge of the Americas connects the Americas across the Panama Canal on International Highway 1. 5,427 feet long.

Also the The Frank Gehry BioMuseo in Panama City, Panama, a building designed to celebrate the vibtrant colors of flora, birds, and nature in Panama.

Yellow- headed Caracara - top

Yellow- headed Caracara - underside

Yellow-headed Caracara - Perched

Brown Pelican

Magnificence Frigate

Green Flasher butterfly

November 26, 2025. At Sea. 81⁰ Humidity - 88%

Usual + crossing equater show.

An equator crossing ceremony, also known as "Crossing the Line", is a maritime tradition where new sailors ("pollywogs") are initiated into the brotherhood of experienced sailors ("shellbacks") after Crosby the equator. The ceremony dates back to the 16th century, involves a series of hazing-style rituals and a "royal court" led by King Neptune.

King Neptune and Queen

The pollywog criminals - drunk, immoral, and farting. Faces smeared with fish.

Newbies kissing the fish.

November 27, 2025 Manta, Ecuador

While it is primarily a seaport – home to the country's major tuna fishing fleet – Manta is also a center for the chemical industry.

Country most ecologically diverse in the world. Increasing drug and crime problems.

National Bird: Aldean Condor

National Flower: Chuquiraga.

TOUR: Best of Manta - Montecristi, Cancebi, Ivory Nut Factory.

Blue-footed Booby

Small narrow streets.

Fish Market - get it before noon

Kapok Tree. Illegal to cut down. Notice hole on left side of trunk where animal tried to get water.

Visiting a museum of days past. Police presence everywhere we go.

Farmers worked from dawn to dusk. Hanging from the tree is an example of the Oropendolas very long nest.

Buildings still built with bamboo and palm leaves.

Court house across from the Monticristi Panama Hat Factory with police watch.

Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador. Teddy Roosevelt wore one on Panama at the canal dedication - so called Panama hat!

Factories in Ecuador

The process takes 3 to 6 months or more depending on how fine the weave. Cost $60.00 - $25,000. Monticristi makes the finest. Check label inside hat for origin.

UNESCO site.

Tagua, also known as "vegetable ivory," is a natural material derived from the seed of the tree in South America. It resembles real ivory in color, texture, and density but is an eco-friendly alternative harvested from trees in Ecuador. Used in buttons, jewelry, and artistic carvings.

Our guide showing how it comes. The nuts are inside these husks. He is also on many of the nuts that are drying.

A saw to cut.

Carving

The tourist police.

This process was over six hours!

Tuna weighs 60 - 500 lbs!

Lots of trucks with containers waiting to be filled.

The distant Andean volcanoes like Cotopaxi can be seen from Manta.

Harry watching the Chiefs vs Cowboys. Sadly Chiefs lost.

Thanksgiving on ship. P.S. pumpkin pie not good :(

November 28, 2025 - At Sea 72⁰ Humidity 88%.

Eating, Walking, Coffee, Reading, Knitting, Dancing, Blogging. Temperature is wonderful!

November 29, 2025 At Sea 70⁰ Humidity 89

Activities as usual Sea day + hot tub and Pina Colada.

November 30, 2025 66⁰ Humidity 88.

At Callao port in Lima, Peru.

Exports: main exports are copper, gold, and other minerals, along with a growing list of agricultural products like fruits and vegetables, and processed goods such as

Bird watching from ship as we are going into Lima tomorrow. Also a little shopping on the pier.

Main exports: main exports are copper, gold, and other minerals, along with a growing list of agricultural products like fruits and vegetables, and processed goods such as fishmeal.

National bird: Andean cock-of-the-rock

National Flower: Cantuta

Inca Tern again - my favorite!

December 1, 2025. In Callao Port in Lima, Peru. Lima, the capital of Peru, lies on the country's arid Pacific coast. Though its colonial center is preserved, it's a bustling metropolis and one of South America’s largest cities. The Plaza de Armas and the 16th-century cathedral are the heart of old Lima Centro.

Tour: Easy Lima

The bus ride to town is about 45 minutes. Our tour guide was Ruth who gave great information.

Tour guide Ruth

Street photo

Street photo - power lines look like a fire hazards

Lima Cathedral

Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo

San Francisco Church and Catacombs

Post Office and Telegraph

Insert mail here

The changing of the guards take place every day at noon.

Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador who founded Lima.

San Miguel Archangel

Prominent monument located in the Óvalo Gutiérrez roundabout of Saint Michael the Archangel, who is the patron saint of the Miraflores district in Lima, Peru

Business District

Huaca Pucllana is a pyramid site built around 500 AD by the Lima culture of Peru. The pyramid was built with seven platforms made from adobe bricks and is around 82 feet (25 meters) high, and has a plaza surrounding it. The pyramid was a site of ceremonial and religious power. located in the Miraflores district in centralized Lima.

Parque del Amor - A kiss in a park created and designed to celebrate the purity of love.

Paddington Bear - This statue was donated by the British Embassy in Lima to the Municipality of Miraflores as a symbol of the enduring friendship and cultural links.

This noisy bird made me happy

Rest time while viewing the ocean

The ocean - a beginning surfers playground

Riding a wave.

December 2, 2025 Port of San Martin - gateway to Pisco and Paracas, Peru.

70⁰ Humidity 78 % Sunny. High UV.

a stunning desert meets ocean landscape rich in wildlife. We did not go to the Ballestas Islands on this trip. (See previous South America trip) .

A shuttle 20 minute shuttle bus ride took us into Paracas City. A small town with a big tourist section of souvenirs. Harry got an alpaca cap.

View of town and desert from ship

Entering the Paracas National Reserve

Miles of desert

Town photo

Flamboyant Tree

A view of the souvenir shops

Yes, we love Inca Cola!

Several restaurants

Watching her tourist shop while holding child on the phone

Police protection.

December 3, 2025. Sea Day

Ditto Sea Day

December 4, 2025. Sea Day. 64⁰ Humid 73%

Perfect temperature to have coffee on the deck outside our room.

Heather wanted to go to the dining room and have Love Boat Dessert

Christmas trees and decoration throughout the ship.

December 5, 2025 - 66⁰ Humidity 74%

Arrived at Coquimbo/LaSerena, Chili.

Exports: copper and other minerals, fresh fruits (like cherries, grapes, and kiwis), fish and seafood, and forestry products such as wood pulp and wine.

National bird: Andean Condor

National Flower: Copihue

TOUR: Easy Coquimb/LaSerena

Going to the bus for the tour. Backgroun - the city. And the photographer is in the photo.

Monument celebration 200 years of Christianity.

Mosque - funded by the Kingdom of Morocco in honor of Mohammed VI of Morocco. Now a cultural center.

The Coquimbo lighthouse, actually the iconic Faro Monumental in nearby La Serena, is a historic maritime landmark built by the Chilean Navy (1950-51), known for its distinctive architecture, panoramic ocean views.

Waves bigger as we go to LaSerena.

Lifeguard station - man sleeping

Our tour guard - Janice - a teacher.

Lots of dogs loose around town

Chilean Sea Fig Plant

Garland Daisy

Lots of graffiti

Fire Station

Houses have fenced around with spiked tips or rolled barbed wire. More crazy wiring.

Break from school

In LaSerena local restaurants are cheaper than tourist spots.

City Square Mall - vegetables, fruit, restaurants, clothing, jewelry in many small shops.

Some mango juice

San Augustin Church

Post Office

Fountain on Plaza de Armas

December 6, 2025 - San Antonia 64⁰ Humidity 73% Cloudy. Ozone layer is very thin - so sunburn easily.

It has become the main freight port in Chile, surpassing Valparaíso in the 21st century. San Antonio is also the hub of the fishing area.

We took a shuttle bus to the tourist area in town.

City view from ship

Cruise ship is located in the commercial port. Shuttle bus moving through

About a 5 - 10 minute walk to shopping area

Lots of small booths. Two dogs sleeping through the chaos.

Nice fruit

Lots and lots of fish

Not Heather's favorite!

Walking back pushing the usual booths - hats, clothing, jewelry, sunglasses, food, etc

Beautiful flowers along the rocky shore.

December 7, 2025 At Sea 64⁰ Humidity 74%

Activities - Ditto.

December 8, 2025 Puento Montt 64⁰ Humidity 73%

Tender boat to town and then we walked.

Photo from ship

This cross and chapel was erected in honor of Pope John Paul II for his intervention in a border conflict between Chili and Argentina

Tender boat taking us from ship and town

Chilean Blue Mussels, mollusks, snails, etc

Tide is down and they are collecting clams

Cancellated Clams

Bleeding Hearts

Lavender

Daisy with bee

View of the ship. Heather wrapping the finger woven ear warmer.

The lady finger crochets using mirno sharp wool and alpaca wool that she spins. Colors natural flowers.

Happy crafter

Lots of Sea Lions playing around the ship.

December 9, 2025 Chacabuco, Chili. 64⁰ Humidity 73% Cloudy and windy. Stayed

Aboard ship.

Puerto Chacabuco is a small town in the Patagonia region of southern Chile in the Aysén Province located at the head of Aysén Fjord. Fish and shellfish processing are the main industries there. There were fish pens in the bay near the tender port.

Photo of town from ship show snowy mountain peaks.

Opposite side of ship shows some houses build in the mountain side.

Quite a few fish pens around town.

Leaving Chacabuco.

Beautiful fjords with snow-capped mountains on our way back to sea.

December 10, 2025 At Sea 64⁰ Humidity 73% Cloudy with some drizzles.

Usual activities.

Fun watching these big birds crash into big waves.

December 11, 2025 At Sea 46⁰ Humidity 98% Usual activity

At Sea

Amelia Glacier - in the Strait of Magellan is astunning, blue, retreating tidewater glacier in Chile's Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, known for its ice towers, calving, and the mysterious Reclus Volcano beneath its ice, making it a popular stop on Patagonian cruises for close-up views.

Amelia Glacier

Because of very high winds we skipped the stop in Punta Arenas. We'll head around to the Beagle Channel.

Waves as seen from Deck 5 Midship.

After leaving the glacier and back to open sea we encountered waves (15 - 20 feet). No dishes fell off the tables. Ballasts worked well.

December 12 At Sea 39⁰ Humidity 97%

Cloudy with of and on light rain.

Megallen Strait to Beagle Channel.

The route is difficult to navigate due to frequent narrows and unpredictable winds and currents. Maritime piloting is now compulsory in the Beagle Channel.

Entering Beagle Channel it was quite foggy

Beagle Channel glaciers refer to the spectacular tidewater glaciers, like Italia, Francia, and Holanda, found in the "Glacier Alley" of the Beagle Channel in Chilean Patagonia, where massive ice formations cascade from the Southern Patagonian Icefield into the strait.

Looking back to the West as we leave the Beagle Channel.

Lighthouse in the Eastern entrance.

December 13, 2025 Ushuaia, Argentina 41⁰ Humidity 81% Winds housing to 30 mph. We were to take a boat tour to see wildlife but forfeited it!!

Ushuaia from the ship. Two other Cruise ships were beside us - Celebrity and ?

Windy made it very cold! Our time walking the pier was brief.

Back to ship and International Cafe for some hot drinks. (This sweet lady is very short but has a big smile)

December 14, 2025 At Sea and to check out Cape Horn - Southernmost tip of South America - end of the world.

Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos) is a notoriously treacherous, rocky headland on Hornos Island, the southernmost point of Chile's Tierra del Fuego archipelago, where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet, infamous for violent storms, large waves, and shipwrecks before the Panama Canal, now a challenging, symbolic passage for adventurous sailors, featuring a monument to lost mariners and a lighthouse within a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Sculpture of a flying albatross that pays homage to the sailors who perished around the Cape.

Lighthouse maintained by Chilean Navy.

As seen the lighthouse and the Albotross monument. Cape Horn is home to the largest ship graveyard in the world. Over 800 ships sank there and 10,000 sailors found their watery graves in the area.

December 15, 2025 Port Stanley - Falkland Island. 45⁰ Humidity 93% rainy to sunny

We did not leave the ship as Heather sick.

Tender to town is 30 minutes each way. To see penguins is a 3 hour round trip. We saw them out last time here.

Tender boat seen going to shore.

Photo from ship - colorful houses.

December 16, 2025. At Sea 50⁰ Humidity 77%

R&R

Coffee with a smile

Days of Hanukkah December 14 - 22

December 17, 2025 73⁰ Humidity 27% Puerto Madryn. We walked down the long pier and around town.

Quite a large town. We just walked along the ocean front.

Some statues along the waterfront

Lots of vendors. Harry bought a belt.

Birds and Nettles seen where the ship was docked.

December 18. 2025 At Sea 63⁰ Humidity 75%

Heather not feeling well. Down to medical for some medicine. Tamiflu for him and us.

Harry sick - cough and fever. Enjoying soup, crackers, roll with cheese, and tea on our room.. Me being nurse....

December 19, 2025 Port Stanley - cold, rainy, and very windy. Isolation - no penguins. Lots of Christmas decor around the ship.

December 20, 2025 - Montevideo, Paraguay. Harry is in isolation feeling a bit better.

December 21, 2025 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - In isolation so stayed on ship. Time to pack.

December 22, 2025 - Buenos Aires, Argentina. Had planned a city sightseeing tour which they canceled. We left the ship about 10:30 for a scenic ride to the airport for a 10:00 pm flight to Dallas (11 hour flight) the another 2 hours to Kansas City!!