This will not be a normal review since both Anne and Jim provided tons of fun, thorough reading for all those "watching the ICEers! Tom and I enjoyed a wonderful trip, meeting with old and new LCT friends and others onboard Explorer II. I can't imagine doing this trip without the stops in South Georgia which were some of the best landings we had, especially Salisbury Plain with the King Penguins. Of course Tom was happy when we made our stop on the continent as he now has collected them all! We thought we had said our last goodbyes as we left Santiago airport after our charter flight from Ushuaia, but low and behold, at 2:30am there were Dina and Grant, STILL waiting for their flight which unfortunately was hours late. We said another goodbye, wished them luck and off to the Delta lounge for us. Our trip home was uneventful and the memories of this adventure are grand indeed.
The only informative thing I can add is our pre cruise tour company in Santiago. Tom and I chose "Santiago Adventures" for two separate days outside the city. All my emails were promptly answered and our two days were very nice. The first day was a trip to El Morado National Park for a hike (8 miles was the length with a moderate assent of 2000 meters). We had a warm sunny day so it was perfect for our trek. Martin, our guide, added an additional two miles to the hike so we could enjoy the views from the bottom of the glacier- it was definately worthwhile.
Our second day out was a winery tour with Michele and Don. We had a delightful time touring the Maipo Valley area wineries that included: Paseo del Vino, Vina Aquitania and Perez Cruz. We stopped at an eclectic restaurant called Septimo Cielo that was quite nice that started with appetizers and drinks in a garden area followed by a lovely lunch indoors.
As all the ICEers would probably concur, this trip was very special. We feel very fortunate to have been able to visit such a pristine and beautiful area of the world.
Cheers, Pam
PS A special thanks to Anne for arranging a group dinner at the Hyatt. It was a big challenge with the hotel staff and she perservered to get the job done!
