Regent Voyager 

On route to boarding our ship in San Antonio we visited the city of Valparaiso.  Valparaiso (Paradise Valley) is a very hilly town but I managed to climb many stairs to the upper level prior to returning via the antique funicular. 

Once we had checked in to our ship a beautiful orchid as well as a bottle of Champagne (the French stuff) awaited us in our stateroom.  In the evening we dined at Prime 7 (steakhouse) where we were served wine in cut-crystal glasses

 

We are meeting lots of interesting people (mostly Americans).  We lunched with a retired military type who noted that he and I were similar in age to Biden.  He wanted to know if I felt that I could deal with that kind of responsibility at my age.  He was a life-long Republican until switching once Trump became President.  He noted that only after he knew that we were Canadians did he feel safe to ask a political question.  He then told a story about biking in Nova Scotia many, many years ago.  He fell and smashed his hip.  However, his commanding officer refused to allow him to have surgery in N.S.  Instead, a hospital plane flew from Vietnam to Greenwood in order for him to be evacuated.

Saturday night was “formal” night and we were invited by a New York heart surgeon and his wife to join them for dinner.  He was born in India and did his training there.  I asked him if it was difficult getting accredited in NY.  Very easy, he responded, just two easy tests.  Fortunately, he didn’t want to practice in Nova Scotia. 

On Sunday we had an unexciting tour of two lakeside towns (Puerto Varas and Frutillar). 

Then at 6:00 p.m. everyone was asked to take a wine glass and leave our rooms.  This was a “block party” and we spent a fun half hour getting to know our neighbours up and down the corridor.  We then had a leisurely dinner in Sett Mari (Italian restaurant).  In fact, we went through so many courses that at the end of the meal it was too late to attend the evening show (a comedian). 

Monday we drove through a relatively isolated section of Patagonia.

This area was not settled until 1921 and now is primarily an area of salmon farming. Scenery was very nice and we stopped for a short walk along the Rio Simpson.

Although we had missed lunch we made it back to the ship in time for high tea.