2013: Day 18; Valparaiso, Chile

We made port about 0645 under cloudy sky and cooler temps. Again we tied up with the port side of the ship out so our cabin had a view of the harbor and a part of the port and city. The other side had a view of a mountain of containers.

view from our deck

This day's adventures began with a ride through part of the city then onto the Pan-American Highway, which here is 4 lane freeway and reminded me much of Washington State. After a nice long drive we came to the Casablanca Valley and through vineyards to the Vina Mar vineyard. There we had a fine tour and tasting. Although production has moved to another facility, this site is a fine stop.

With a morning wine tasting under our belts we rode off to the ranch Puro Caballo, a bit out of the way but well worth the travel. This place gets high ratings on Trip Advisor. We were greeted by men and women in traditional costume and escorted to an outdoor reception where we were provided with Pisco Sours, Vino and empanadas. Horses were calling each other from the adjacent stalls and a mounted team demonstrated a few of the characteristics of the horses. Next came a display of horse and rider prowess at a nearby ring. These specially bred and trained horses are magnificent animals. Following the show we moved to the dining room for a fine lunch of roast on potatoes, salad fixings and more local vino, followed by traditional music and dance.

Back to Valparaiso we went to the Museo Fonck for a look at a great display of artifacts from Easter Island (Rapa Nui.)

A Moai statue from Easter Island

Another fine ride through the city and into the terminal, another switch of transportation and a shuttle to the ship. There was plenty to watch as shipping came and went and the container yard was busy and noisy. At 1830 we let the lines go and were pulled away from the pier by a tug, turned around and headed out to sea. By now the sun had come out (briefly). Once to sea the clouds came back and visibility dropped, but not so much as to prevent me from spotting part of the Chilean Naval fleet heading toward port. 4 warships and their oiler. The minesweeper preceded them into port about the time we were leaving.