CHILE HATES US

We are continuing to sail south just off the coast of Chile, and it is slow going. Chile is very long (2700 miles!) and its restrictions have been very difficult. We pick an excursion, choose where to spend the day, get ready ... and the excursion is cancelled. We have yet to set foot on land in this country (save for a few steps inside the ports); we just watch the jellyfish floating beside our veranda.

We didn't blog from Antofagasta, trying to spare you the details (like the dead dog lying on the sidewalk). Chile finally allowed us off the ship to take a three hour panoramic bus tour. We were closed into the passenger compartment while the driver's area was fumigated, and then we peered out the window at the old (1870) ruins of a silver mine, the Methodist Church, and the advanced electrical wiring in this town. Two days later we arrived in Valpariso, a fascinating place that we viewed from the deck because we couldn't bear another three hours on a bus. Bill painted some charming watercolors, one of a church in Puerto Montt (from a photo model). Today we came to P. Montt eager to get on a bus so we could see the church. We were sealed back in, drove a hour and a half to see a volcano (Osomo) in the distance, just above a land slide that washed out our road. We turned around and drove back to the pier, glimpsing the church a block away.

Back on the ship and .... we had to be Covid tested. This is our third test this week, once before each port. Our noses hurt, and we wonder why the authorities mandate testing and then won't let us in, even if we test negative. Then a drink poolside and a long aaaaaaah.

Finally, we append a photo of fellow travelers who found the weather terribly warm today (we wore sweaters).