The trip has begun. After being in an airplane for 13 hours (18 on the clock as Santiago is 5 hours ahead of Los Angeles), I arrived in Santiago at 6 AM today.The flight was uneventful, although some drama was added before I left home as Karon read some documents indicating I was going to be overweight on the charter flight from Santiago to Ushiua, Argentina. So the result was to unpack suitcases in the driveway and get rid of excess stuff.
I must say it is really nice to get to a new foreign country, and after getting in all the necessary customs lines - entry/exit fee, passport control, document for where you are staying in Chile and are you carrying any agricultural products into the country, and no pen to file in the forms, and having all your gear Xrayed just before exiting to the street - to be greeted by someone who then gets you on the bus, gets you to the hotel, registered, etc. etc. Hassle free. And at the hotel we are greeted with water, cookies (at 7 AM!), and then sent to a room with 2 flat screen TVs (never mind that the stations are in Spanish), bathroom, bedroom and sitting room.
This afternoon there is a 2 1/2 hour tour of the old section of Santiago, and a get together dinner tonight.
Tomorrow it's off to the airport very early to catch the charter flight, followed by lunch aboard a catamaran in the Beagle Channel, and then we board the National Geographic Explorer around 5 PM to start the voyage to Antarctica and 2 days at sea. Our luggage will be delivered to the stateroom, where rumor has it that I do have the room all to myself. I have also learned that the meals are buffet style, so bring on the chow!
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