Travel Whine with Ron
March 3, 2010
Betty and I have been anticipating this holiday for a couple of months now. Our plan was to fly to Santiago, Chile and from there make our way to Valparaiso and board the Insignia for a 27-day cruise up the coast, through the Panama Canal, and down the coast to Rio. We have tours planned in Peru, Equador, Panama and Brazil, and other stops in Aruba, Grenada, and French Guyana.
The trip has yet to start but it has not been without adventures. First, the cruise line told us we could not board without a Brazilian Visa. Then we learned we could not get a Brazilian Visa without documentation of Yellow Fever shots. Then we learned that Yellow Fever shots are not given to those over the age of 65. Fortunately, an Antigonish doctor agreed that we weren’t a lot older than 65.
You all, of course, know of the huge earthquake (500-1000 times more powerful than the one in Haiti), that hit near the city of Concepion (about 275 km from Santiago) on Saturday. Betty and I spend out days on the internet seeking information. The airport in Santiago was severely damaged and closed until yesterday, when it was partially opened using tents to process people through customs and immigration. Out flight which is scheduled to leave Toronto on Saturday evening is on Lan-Chile and Lan is still not showing any scheduled flights. However, there are indications that flights may return to more-or-less normal by Friday. If we don’t make it to Santiago, we can’t catch the ship in Valparaiso. This means we are out a lot of money and that this Blog may not have more than one entry.
On our last several trips we sent e-mails to a distribution list. This time, however, I have opened a blog. That way we may be able to more easily send pictures. However, unlike what I do with my wine blog I will not send e-mails indicating when a new entry has been posted. If you are interested in what happens to us just check the blog every now and then. I expect to post entries every few days starting early next week.
Finally, I have attached one pre-trip picture to show you that Betty has learned to pack lightly.
March 3, 2010
Betty and I have been anticipating this holiday for a couple of months now. Our plan was to fly to Santiago, Chile and from there make our way to Valparaiso and board the Insignia for a 27-day cruise up the coast, through the Panama Canal, and down the coast to Rio. We have tours planned in Peru, Equador, Panama and Brazil, and other stops in Aruba, Grenada, and French Guyana.
The trip has yet to start but it has not been without adventures. First, the cruise line told us we could not board without a Brazilian Visa. Then we learned we could not get a Brazilian Visa without documentation of Yellow Fever shots. Then we learned that Yellow Fever shots are not given to those over the age of 65. Fortunately, an Antigonish doctor agreed that we weren’t a lot older than 65.
You all, of course, know of the huge earthquake (500-1000 times more powerful than the one in Haiti), that hit near the city of Concepion (about 275 km from Santiago) on Saturday. Betty and I spend out days on the internet seeking information. The airport in Santiago was severely damaged and closed until yesterday, when it was partially opened using tents to process people through customs and immigration. Out flight which is scheduled to leave Toronto on Saturday evening is on Lan-Chile and Lan is still not showing any scheduled flights. However, there are indications that flights may return to more-or-less normal by Friday. If we don’t make it to Santiago, we can’t catch the ship in Valparaiso. This means we are out a lot of money and that this Blog may not have more than one entry.
On our last several trips we sent e-mails to a distribution list. This time, however, I have opened a blog. That way we may be able to more easily send pictures. However, unlike what I do with my wine blog I will not send e-mails indicating when a new entry has been posted. If you are interested in what happens to us just check the blog every now and then. I expect to post entries every few days starting early next week.
Finally, I have attached one pre-trip picture to show you that Betty has learned to pack lightly.
Great adventure ! I will follow it as a fellow. Hope you will have much fun.
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