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Sometimes You Just Have to Take Time to Paint

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 23, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023; Isla Robinsón Crusoe, Chile After sailing 416 miles west from our last port of San Antonio, Chile, we arrived at Isla Robinsón Crusoe in the Juan Fernádez Islands. It wasn’t smooth sailing. A weather system further south sent

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
6 comments

Valparaíso: Chilean City of Both Natural and Painted Views

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 21, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Friday, Oct. 27, 2023; San Antonio, Chile When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! We didn’t exactly get lemons today, but our tour guide gave us quite the surprise to make up for the fact that the scheduled winery was closed for

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
10 comments

Getting to the Roots of Pisco in the Foothills of the Andes

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 20, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023; Coquimbo, Chile We almost made it to Argentina today, or so it seemed after a long two-hour bus ride into the Elqui Valley near the northern Chilean port of Coquimbo. We traveled into what our guide called the

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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Days at Sea: A Little of This, A Little of That

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 19, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023; At Sea, Pacific Ocean Three sea days in a row seems a real treat – especially when the clock jumps forward two hours over that span. Sleep in a bit, paint a little, read some and plan for

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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Crowds Celebrate October in Lima’s Historic Squares and Streets

Posted on October 22, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 15, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023; Lima, Peru My day started on a low point, or perhaps I should say a high point – on the weight scale in the fitness center. I’ve gained a few pounds in the past month while on board

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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From Food to Dance, Peru Paints a Colorful Picture

Posted on October 20, 2023October 21, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 14, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Friday, Oct. 20, 2023; Lima, Peru How much can one person eat in a day? I put that question to the test today on another foodie tour. We had a great traditional Peruvian lunch, and less than an hour later stopped for

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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A Step Back in Time to Peru’s Chan Chan Temples

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 12, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Wednesday, Oct.18, 2023, Trujillo, Peru We’ve all heard of the Incans and the Mayans, but there were many, many other civilizations spread across North, Central and South America for centuries. (And to think that we were taught that Columbus discovered this world

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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Delicious Ecuadorian Epicurean Tour with a Side of Security

Posted on October 17, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Days 9-10, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Sunday and Monday, Oct.15-16, 2023, Guayaquil, Ecuador “Is it safe to walk around town on your own?” This is a question we all ask at some time or another on a long cruise. We are visiting unfamiliar places and don’t know what

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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Ecuador: South American Home of Tuna, Hats and Buttons

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 8, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Saturday, Oct.14, 2023, Manta, Ecuador I would not have known that we crossed the equator this morning had a fellow cruiser not risen early to get a picture of the latitude on her smartphone app. Apparently the cruise director mentioned it, but

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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Transiting the Path Between the Seas Never Grows Old

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Days 6-7, 2023 Grand South America and Antarctica Thursday and Friday, Oct.12-13, 2023, Panama Canal Transit and Sea Day Holland American ships have been transiting the Panama Canal since 1916, with its first passenger ship crossing a few years later. My first transit was nine months ago. What took me

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2023 Grand South America/Antarctica
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I’m a writer in love with the sea, sailing, travel and sketching.

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