Antarctica 2019

·         I’m punch drunk 3 ½ hours at DFW.  Later realize it’s because I’ve taken patch off.  Able to shower.   3 coffee have no impact.  I wear my sleep mask (not always sleeping) most of flight. ·         Car service guy is great including taking luggage downstairs at our house. ·         Snow on the ground.  I’m having after effects from scop.

Relaxing morning.  Beautiful warm, sunny day.  Maxine was up earlier than Tom (what else is new?) and went up to the rooftop bar to enjoy the daytime view of the mountain.  Nice buffet breakfast where we ran into the Belgian couple from the ship.   It was nice to be greeted with hugs!   They praised Santiago and told us that the city and Uber are both safe.   Then we packed up and left our luggage with the hotel.   Took an Uber to the nearby shopping mall which could be in Los Angeles -- shops of every common international brand and food franchise.  We took the 2 ½ hour hop-on hop-off bus ride.   Very well done tour with good info, synchronized location, shaded upper deck.   Continued to see people from the cruise.   It was like we were all touring Santiago which is probably true.  Spent some time touring and shopping in the mall then Uber back to the hotel to pick up the car ride and our luggage.   Relaxed at airport club before 10:40 pm flight to Dallas.   Since we wanted to sleep

7 am wakeup for final breakfast followed by disembarkation.  Turned out we were sharing our tour/transfer with two of the people at our table for dinner with Steve Stevens.  They recognized us and figured there couldn’t be many Maxines on the ship.   After waiting about a half hour, our tour guide, Alwin, returned to pick us up and we were on our way.  We drove along the coast through some pretty beach towns and rock strewn beaches.   Apparently the rip tide is so strong that it’s illegal to ocean swim in this area.   Saw Pablo Neruda’s beach house and had lunch at a beachfront restaurant.  Afternoon included the largest swimming pool in the world -- it was big and basically fronted a 15 tower condo complex reminiscent of Las Vegas.   Wine tasting at Emiliana, an organic vineyard and label owned by Concho y Toro.   Landscape and light of countryside on the way to Santiago strongly reminded us of Southern California.  It was a little spooky.   We got to our hotel about 6 pm.   We were

Had breakfast outside this morning.  Roland came to tell me that the chef didn’t have the right ingredients to make the foie gras dish Tom requested for dinner tonight.  We found an alternative of cold foie gras which I knew Tom would like.   Poor Roland must have dreaded having to tell me they couldn’t fulfill Tom’s request.  I’m glad we found an alternative.   Worked out for a final time then team trivia.   Since we were the Cosmos we all wore pink/red and had the bar make us a version of a cosmo for the costume contest.  Others were more creative but it didn’t matter in the end since we won the cruise team trivia competition!!   First prize was another Seabourn backpack.   This one is more of a city pack.   Plus we all received Seabourn hats as participation prizes.  Spent a chunk of time this afternoon packing and revisiting areas of the ship.   Late afternoon cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at Officer on Deck.   We sat with Bernhardt and Lisa Anne as well as Tom and Anita (and his

  VERY early wakeup for excursion from Puerto Montt to Emerald Lake, Petrohue Rapids and Puerto Varas.  We were on one of six Seabourn buses for this excursion, probably the only time we felt like we were being herded on this cruise.  Scenery was pretty, the entire area was upscale resort and Puerto Varas is a pretty town.   We arrived back at the ship for mid-afternoon departure.  Tonight was the last formal night and the Farewell to Antarctica and Crew Salute including the premier of the voyage video.   It was nice to salute the crew and the video is fantastic!  The drone footage of the minke whale playing with our kayak group is amazing!   We’re so excited to have this as a reminder of the experience. ·         Up at 515 for our lake/etc tour.  As I along with everyone else are sitting there extremely sleepy I see gay guy enter who is in a riotous good mood amusing self.  End up talking to him in line.   And to his partner on the boat.   Partner has been to Bend, Oregon bec

Woke up to smooth sailing and gorgeous scenery in the Chilean Fjords.  Ate breakfast outside.   Beautiful!   Worked out in the gym and then we won again at team trivia so we’re feeling optimistic.  Today was Galley Market Lunch which was basically an elaborate buffet staged in the galley.   Had lunch with Maggie and Tom from trivia.  They live in Michigan but seem to do a lot of traveling, especially in winter.   Ordered caviar and enjoyed it on our veranda with the champagne Seabourn gave us at sailing.  Sunny, relatively warm day today so we enjoyed being outside including dinner at the pool.   Beautiful and more interesting food than The Restaurant.   Too bad the Antarctic weather didn’t allow us to enjoy more pool dinners.  Gorgeous sunset. ·         We’d gone to bed at 11.  I’d taken an ambien.   Up at 730 for views.   Breakfast in colonnade but on outdoor section in back  Double order of french toast and syrup. Attention from everybody. We are most decidedly on “the list”.

Rocky day at sea.  Tom spent morning and early afternoon in bed.  Team trivia went well and we extended our lead.  Let’s hope we can keep it up.   Q&A with captain and crew about running the ship.  Dinner with Paul from kayak/expedition group.   Thanked him for a great experience and very interesting to hear about his experiences.  So different from the way we live. ·         We’d had an invite to an Expedition team member dinner. Turned out it was one of the 3 who were with us for the whale and kayak adventure!  He’d radioed back to Collin to tell him to send up the drone and Collin apparently replied, “look up” ·         As a prelude to dinner I try to find a beer I like. Doppelbock is perfectly fine but the Maibock is better.  At our table 2x Cosmin (sommelier) wants to get me a second beer ·         Other couple at table. Wife is senile.  Married 48 years. What was your undergrad major = I don’t recall.  Have you been on Seabourn before = I don’t know, I’ll have to as