My travels: South America - Amalia Glacier, Puerto Montt, Valparaiso

Amalia Glacier, Chile

Date: 2013-02-08

Amalia Glacier, also known as Skua Glacier, is a tidewater glacier located in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. The glacier originates in theSouthern Patagonian Ice Field. From 1945 to 1986, its terminus retreated 7 km (4.3 mi), being, along with the recession of the O'Higgins Glacier, the most dramatic retreat of the glaciers of the mentioned icefield during that period.

The glacier partially surrounds Reclus volcano and erodes the northern flank of it.

It is scenic cruise to Chilean Fjord. The weather is cloudy with rain. A tender with photographers to shoot passengers on Star Princess. The scenery is like Alaska glacier park.

From Princess Log of the Cruises:

Around 06:00 on Friday morning, Star Princess reached the end of the Magelian Strait and turned to a Northerly heading to follow the Chilean coastline. Our stay in the Pacific Ocean was short, and after a few hours we etered Nelson's Strait, and resumed our navigation along the Chilean Fjors's towards the famous Skua Glacier in the Amnalia field.

Position: 51 degrees 29.1 minutes South 74 degrees 18.8 minutes West
Sky: Overcast, passing showers
Wind: North, Force 10/11

If it is sunny, the scenic would be great. Photos taken around 4 PM local time.

Puerto Montt, Chile

Date: 2013-02-10

Puerto Montt is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region, 1,055 km to the south of the capital, Santiago. The commune spans an area of 1,673 km² (646 sq mi) and had a population of 175,938 in 2002. It is bounded by the communes of Puerto Varas to the north, Cochamó to the east and southeast, Calbuco to the southwest and Maullín and Los Muermos to the west. Founded as late as 1853 during the German colonization of southern Chile, Puerto Montt soon outgrew older neighboring cities due to its strategic position at the southern end of the Chilean Central Valley being a gateway city into Chiloé Archipelago, Llanquihue and Nahuel Huapilakes and Western Patagonia.

Puerto Montt has gained renown and grown significantly due to the rise of Chile as the second largest salmon producer of the world during the 1990s and 2000s. However, the Chilean salmon aquaculture crisis of the late 2000s resulted at least temporarily in severe unemployment and exposed weaknesses in the local economy. The city's cultural heritage mixes elements of Chiloé culture with German heritage although the city has attracted a significant number of newcomers from all over Chile in the last 30 years due to employment opportunities.

It is on Sunday, most stores in downtown area are closed, but there are 2 malls open from noon time to welcome cruise visitors. Another special scene in Chile - homeless dogs. We noticed it in Punta Arenas,
now in this city. There are more. They should make German doggy sausage.

Shopping Malls

Food Court

Chinese Food

City Hall

I missed the fish market. One Chinese couple told me they went to the fish market that is from the port, they had abalone - US 20 for 3 pcs.

Valparaiso, Chile

Date: 2013-02-12

Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation (Greater Valparaíso), is located 69.5 miles (111.8 km) northwest of Santiago and one of the country's most important seaports; it is an increasingly important cultural center in the Southeast Pacific. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region. Although Santiago is Chile's official capital, the National Congress of Chile was established in Valparaíso in 1990.

Valparaíso played a very important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century, when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. Always a magnet for European immigrants, Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, when the city was known by international sailors as “Little San Francisco” and “The Jewel of the Pacific.”

Examples of Valparaíso’s former glory include Latin America’s oldest stock exchange, the continent’s first volunteer fire department, Chile’s first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world. The opening of the Panama Canal and reduction in ship traffic dealt a staggering blow to Valparaíso, though the city has staged an impressive renaissance in recent years.

Star Princess is docked in commercial pier. Free shuttle bus take us to the passenger terminal. From there, we picked our luggage and got on bus to Santiago. We paid $74 for the bus to Santiago. The destination is Inter-continental Hotel Santiago. It is in the area not far away from the hotel I booked. Google map says the distance is 1.8 km by car. Public tax did not like to take us, so a private Intercontinental taxi took for 5000 Chilean peso.

Chilean navy base