Category: Peru

Woke up to realise that we were moored in Callao.

Headmaster came on the Tannoy, saying that the medical transfer had been completed and we would resume our original course. He added that we would carry out an additional search when we reached the area where the crew member had been lost. Unfortunately (and as expected) we would not be able to stop in Panama but would proceed through the canal, with the next stop at Aruba, in the Caribbean – that means a further five days at sea.

Ray Mears is now one of the guest speakers and gave a very interesting talk – much of it was about conservation and repeated what has been seen before on TV.

Another speaker is some sort of “life coach”, who is becoming ever more strident in her exhortations about we should do and eat, to become fully cogniscent centigenarians – it is all in her book, which is on sale outside the theatre.

Perhaps she should take a tour around the buffet and the dance floor, to realise that there are many lost causes. Having said that, the chair aerobics and the trivia may give her hope. This would be severely dampened by observation of the line dancing class and sequence dancing.

Another speaker is discussing unsolved murders. Today’s subject was supposed to cover a murder on a cruise ship, where the body was thrown overboard – unsurprisingly, this was substituted by a gruesome, 1920’s shooting.

Trivia breakthrough was a flash in the pan, and we fell back to our previous level.

Received invitations to a complimentary wine tasting and Captain’s cocktail party but not sure if we will attend.

Did some pedalling in the afternoon but noticed that not mentioned by life coach as having any benefit.

Lynne’s cold had turned into a persistent cough, so she visited the medical centre. Doctor gave her a full examination and fortunately, said there was no cause for concern, while presenting her with a bill for $US160.

Headmaster confirmed what we all knew – no stop in Manta, Ecuador. The Foreign Office had advised U.K. travellers not to go there, since the beginning of the year. As a compensation, he has arranged for a stay in Panama. The plan was for us to sail through the Canal without a stop – apart from the locks – but we will now have the opportunity to go ashore.

At about 7am, there were frantic announcements for a sous chef – Richard Tan – to report for work. It was finally determined that he was not on the ship and had last been seen at 1:30am.

The ship came to a halt and we retraced our course to our 1:30 location, where we began a search pattern, with a helicopter coming to assist.

When it started to get dark, the Captain said that we would remain in position and restart the search at first light.

An hour later, there was an announcement, saying that we had to return to Callao, to evacuate two seriously ill passengers.

Many of the passengers had been on the decks and balconies during the day to lookout for the missing crew member and there was a genuine sadness throughout the ship.

It’s a different environment to a hotel and although there are about 1,000 crew members, you get to know many of them.

For the record, we were joined by two new Trivia team members and equalled our best score of 17 – just 2 behind the winners. Perhaps we are contenders for a gold star.

Set out at around 10am, with 5 others to find the restaurant – looked it up in Google maps, so was not difficult.

No taxis big enough for all of us, so split into 2 groups and took taxis to Miraflores – posh resort area of Lima. Negotiated price of taxi first (as recommended) and agreed on $US30.

The driver (Luis) confirmed that Callao was a rough area – I suppose like any other major port but with the added complication of drugs. He said that all of the drivers knew one another and it was in their own interest to ensure there were no rogues and that the tourists were not ripped off.

It was quite a quick journey and we reached our destination within about 40 minutes.

We had decided to have a coffee first and take a stroll along the scenic clifftop promenade.

The restaurant was a 30 minute walk away and 4 of us decided to walk, while the others chose to take a taxi.

Google maps came to our aid again but it was really just a long, straight walk to the restaurant.

We were surprised to find that it was at the side of an Inca pyramid and the open dining room overlooked it.

The restaurant was excellent, with an extensive choice of Peruvian food, wine and of course “Pisco sour” – a head exploding, local spirit, mixed with lemon juice.

It was expensive but well worth it and we left at around 2:30, to take taxis back to the shuttle bus to the ship.

Our taxi driver said that his two children would finish university in a couple of years and he then intended to embark on his foolproof money making scheme – buy a plot of land 1,000 chickens. That would be 1,000 eggs a day and lots of chicken meat, after about 2 years. We went on to discuss chicken sheds, chicken shit and the threat of Avian flu.

He was not deterred but did have a Plan B – find a rich, blond, European woman. His preference was for a Swiss but any Nordic woman would do. He asked if there were any women in the U.K. who would meet his requirements. I said that there were some blonds but they tended to use hair dye.

Still too full to eat dinner but had an impromptu “Sail Away” party on the top deck, with more contraband wine and some fantastic views.

Warm, sunny and humid when we docked in Callao, at about 8am.

This is a massive port and full of all types of cargo ships but mainly bulk carriers, loading grain.

The are shuttle buses to the main square but we were warned not to travel too far from there, as not deemed safe. Bit of a shantytown and really only option was to take a taxi into Lima – about 45 minutes away, depending on traffic.

We negotiated a 5 hour tour with a taxi driver, Richard. He had a modern vehicle with 6 seats but after some halfhearted efforts to recruit more passengers, we decided to take it ourselves, at a price of $US150 – still much cheaper than Cunard excursions, at about 150 each, with cheapest excursion to be dropped off in Lima costing 100 each.

Turned out to be an inspired choice and we visited most of the sights in Lima, including some that were not on the tour itineraries.

We were able to see the contrasts between the well kept splendour of the historic centre, the Inca pyramids, the wealth of the Miraflores area and the poverty of the “Favellas” on the surrounding hillsides.

Apparently, 13 million people live in Lima (25% of Peru population), together with around 2 million undocumented immigrants – mainly Venezuelans 

Also had the chance to talk about Peru and living in Lima. As with most people we have come across in South America, Richard was welcoming and friendly but pissed off with the government and corruption, wondering why, in such a rich country, the people had so little.

We returned to Callao and the ship after around 7 hours, rather than the advertised 5 but still charged the agreed price – obviously, added a tip for such a memorable day.

Think I am beginning to come to a definition of first, second and third world countries:

• Third – get out to first by any means
• Second – work hard to educate your children so they can emigrate to first
• First – wonder why all of these people can’t just stay where the “belong”

Bright and sunny but humid.

Trivia team was depleted again, as two American ladies did not turn up – realised later that they had formed their own team of two.

Did not hold us back and we equalled our best ever score of 17. Still three short of the winners, who had a clean sweep of 20. We would have had one more point if my correct answer had not been overruled – may look again at transfer offers.

Should have had correct answer to painter of “Girl with a pearl earring” – Vermeer – as we have had the question before but name of female lead in Phantom – Christine – was beyond us.

One of our friends has a recommendation for a restaurant in Lima and we had a “Planning Meeting” on deck, with several bottles of contraband wine, to work out the details.

Finally decided that it would be lunch on our second day, 3 March. Would have preferred the first day, as no pressure on getting back to ship in time for departure.

No time for dancing and a bit too unsteady for pirouettes.

Arrived at about 8am and went ashore at 9:30. Warm and sunny, as would be expected as we get closer to the equator.

Northernmost port in Chile and just on the boarder with Peru and Bolivia, to the East. Used to be Bolivia’s coastline and only access to the sea but that was scuppered by the war, in 1880 – 83, between Chile against Bolivia and Peru – as previously noted, U.K. egged on Chile, who, fortunately, won.

Usual cross on the top of a hill but this one overshadowed by a statue of a mini Christ the Redeemer – called Christ of Peace. A bit ironic, as it is also the location of a military museum, celebrating the victory and complete with rusting Gatling guns and cannons.

Interestingly, the statue was donated by Spain, in the 1980’s but was “guarded” by the military for twelve years until it was finally erected.

Not much choice of excursions at the port entrance but as there were four of us, chose a minibus, rather than cramming into a taxi.

The bus could take about 20 people but the driver was satisfied with 14 and off we went, on our four hour tour.

First stop was the hilltop museum and statue, then off into the Atacama desert, to see some monoliths. Think they were supposed to be from the original inhabitants and linked to the Nasca lines (which we did not see) but they were made from, what looked like, fairly recent, brown concrete.

Carried on to pass through the fertile Azarpa valley, which is irrigated by a river, whose source is high in the Andes, before visiting a museum full of prehistoric implements and bones, then back to the ship.

The driver/guide tried hard to describe the scenery but he could could only speak “Pidgin” English and was basically a lunatic.

Quiet evening with clocks going back an hour, then another one tomorrow, to get onto Peruvian time – strangely, it is 2 hours behind Chile but not a big change in longitude.

Perhaps, the difference from Southern Chile to Northern Peru justifies it.

Now in Peruvian waters and heading for Lima. Got up to a bright, warm and sunny day.

Trivia was the first since the departure of two (of our six) team members but when we arrived, we had already been joined by two elderly American ladies.

They were hardened travellers and spent much of the year cruising on discounted voyages – seems like the vacancies on the sector from San Antonio to Fort Lauderdale have resulted bargain prices.

One of them told me that her husband did not like to travel and said that she could do it, when he was dead – he is and she is. Apparently, very happily and making up for lost time.

Had lunch on the deck with a group of friends and returned to the cabin for a siesta.

Went to the gym later in the afternoon, to do some pedalling.

The usual crowd was there with some very athletic runners pounding the treadmill and some lesser athletes taking a stroll. Afternoon spinning class was about to start as I left and Lycra clad gym bunnies were about set out for the mountains, accompanied by the exhortations of their leader and thumping music in their ears.

Gala night again, so put on best frocks and headed for the dance floor. Still seems to be some agro among the dance hosts and professionals with a small group of passengers making complaints – sources tell me that it’s the sequence fascists, who are sulking for not being allowed to wear their Lederhosen and insignia.

Jolly evening and went to theatre show at 10pm – would usually go to the earlier 8 o’clock performance but we missed it and someone told us that it was good. Think they were exaggerating.