This South America season the Seabourn Sojourn is cruising between Valparaiso, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Through the Chilean fjords and around Cape Horn, this is one of the most popular segments of a South American cruise; and for that reason they are going to be repeating it for the entire two and a half month season.

When the Sojourn came through Montevideo, guests and crew came-up to see my new apartment. They had just come from Port Stanley in The Falklands, where they had a glorious day and saw king penguins, etc. The next day the cruise was to end in Buenos Aires. Some of you may know that Argentina has been raising concerns again about the sovereignty of The Falklands and has been threatening to not allow cruise ships into Argentina that have been to The Falklands. My friends said they did not know what impact if any their visit would have.

After the next cruise began in Buenos Aires, the Soujourn stopped in Montevideo where again I had lunch with the same friends. It seems the Argentines were not happy that the ship had gone to the The Falklands and told them they would be unwelcome in the country were they to do it again. Well, as it is part of their published itinerary - they did. As luck would have it weather was bad and they could not get in to port; nevertheless they had committed themselves in the attempt.

The next stop was to be Ushuaia, Argentina. They were informed they were not welcome and were being labeled a “pirate ship.” The ship went on to Chile where extra time was added in Puerto Montt. No final decision has been made regarding how to handle the rest of the season.

Seabourn is not the only cruise line affected by Argentina’s actions; Holland-America, Princess, Oceania, and Regent have similar itineraries. They have only two choices; eliminate the call in The Falklands or avoid all Argentine ports. Avoiding all Argentine ports includes Buenos Aires which is not only a major draw for guests but is also the turn-around port where cruises begin and end. Without Buenos Aires additional arrangements must be made to fly passengers in and out of nearby Montevideo - that could be costly. Eliminating The Falklands is much easier but takes away the much relied upon revenue from the seasonal cruise ship visits.

For a good look at the down line affect on the community please click on the link.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/9741833/Cruise-ship-row-strangling-Falkland-Islands.html

Antarctica truly is the last frontier. The lure of the White Continent has called to explorers and adventurers; whalers and furriers; scientists and conservationists.

During the past thirty years tourists have also ventured beyond the notorious Drake Passage to explore Antarctica with its smoldering volcanic beaches, islands filled with squawking penguins and magnificent blue tabular icebergs. Most of those tourists arrived by ship. Due to the increase in ships of various size and shape, and the environmental threat they pose, in 2011 the Antarctica Treaty Organization started to regulate tourism by prohibiting in Antarctic waters any ship that burns “heavy fuel.” (See my blogs of 2010-07-30 No more big ships in Antarctica after August 2011 and 2010-02-20 Antarctica tightens restrictions on cruise ships.)

The new regulation excluded all but small, expeditionary-type vessels and larger ships that can burn lighter, cleaner fuel. In response to the demand for Antarctic itineraries Crystal Symphony will be returning to Antarctica in 2013/2014, as will Azamara Quest, Holland America’s Prinsendam, Princess’s Star Princess, and last but not least, the Seabourn Quest will make its inaugural cruise. Though most of the larger ships will do only “scenic sailing” (no landings allowed for ship carrying over 400 passengers) Crystal does advertise that it includes “a boots on the ground experience” which looks to be a flight and landing.

While onboard the Crystal Symphony I had the opportunity to ask Captain Egil Giske how the Symphony will comply with the new environmental regulations. He explained that the new Antarctic requirements are exactly the same as those imposed upon ships in the State of California. I had a chance to look into those requirements and it looks like the switch to a lighter, cleaner, more eco-friendly fuel requires no alteration to the engine department however it is more expensive. According to the number of ships back in the market looks like the cost of the expense can be off-set by the demand for the destination.

I have not heard of any immediate plans for Regent’s return to Antarctica but all I can is, I’m ready!

Okay, I know that many of you are anxious to know how everything is here in Montevideo. Well, first of all, my apartment which is in an old building in the Old City - Ciudad Vieja - is still not completely complete. It is liveable and I am here. Details to follow.

This area is going through a lot of changes. Since I was last here there are very chic stores including La Opera, from Buenos Aires, right here on the corner of the pedestrian street Sarandi. More cafes. Some very exclusive looking little restaurants and a new “W-style” hotel on my street corner. My neighbor, Andres, is a terrific young man who has invested a considerable amount of money in restoring his place. We are just the two of us on the upper floor. He did what I would have liked to have done - restoring everything. But then he has had the time and money; me not so much.

One thing that we both needed new was a roof. As inspections are not required here nor does the owner need to disclose anything about the condition of the place, neither Andres nor I were aware that all our investment would be for not if we didn’t get a new roof on fast. So we did. Amazingly, it was completed two days before what is being called The Storm of The Century; hurricane force winds and terrible rain. Our new roof held but as I was not here for the weeks that followed, all the moisture that would normally escape through the roof is now coming through the walls. As a result all my new plaster is blistered and I have outbreaks of mold. Nothing that can’t be fixed but it needs to be dried out — big time. Paper becomes soggy. My clothes feel like damp rags. My hair looks like a poodle. I am buying a dehumidifier which should help and soon it will be summer.

My kitchen is really cute. My dear friends Shirley and Jorge did an incredible job sourcing the tiles and granite. I would not give any awards to the kitchen “designer” - I have never seen a kitchen where you cannot stand in front of the sink and have to move the stove to get to cabinets - but considering what it looked like before - no complaints.

Last February, Elda Pauluzzi and I bought the appliances. It would have been nice if the “designer” would have taken their size into consideration but again, no complaints. The one thing I was so excited about was an Italian washer/dryer combo - came in at almost $900. I was assured it was installed and worked. Yesterday I gave it a test run — oh boy! I don’t know where the drainage hose goes but I do know it ends up on the other side of the kitchen on the floor. The place was flooded. Then the machine began spin cycle — because this thing uses centrifugal force to dry - it is really, really powerful. It started to bash the counter which started to crack. Then it walked out like Robby the Robot and hit the stove. Scratched the new hardwood floors before unplugging itself. Because the machine was still filled with water I had to hold it through four spin cycles before it drained into a bucket! Mama mia! I pushed it back into the counter and continued the dry cycle which was quiet and uneventful — and very dry. Think this puppy is going to have to find a new home.

I have an incredible new bathroom. My cute little bathtub is perfect for me. I adore having individual water heaters for HOT water on demand. The bathroom’s upper surfaces are not fixed yet - again waiting the drier conditions.

Old buildings are like children, they need constant attention. I am afraid that as I will soon be leaving again the apartment will digress without someone here staying on top of all the little issues. I cannot yet do a final painting nor can I buy furniture until everything is dry. Shirley and Jorge left me a few things to use for the time being; it doesn’t look as beautiful as I had been dreaming about - but it’s okay.

Good news is that property values are going through the roof - so anyone looking to buy here or along the beach - now would be the time!

More later.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN PRESENTS PLANS FOR NEW CRUISE TERMINAL IN URUGUAYIn:

• Montevideo
• News
• Ports
• Royal Caribbean
• Uruguay

Royal Caribbean presented a plan to Uruguay authorities of an exclusive terminal for their ships at the port of Montevideo, which would include a hotel and would involve a total investment of 40 million dollars.

El Pais reports that the Administration National Port Authority (NPA) and the Ministry of Tourism are studying the tourism investment project presented by Royal Caribbean to define an area exclusively for the cruise ship docking at the port of Montevideo and to build a hotel on an adjoining block.

Royal Caribbean looked at investing in Uruguay eight years ago when it considered building a cruise terminal in South America.  After considering their options, Royal Caribbean opted to go to ports in Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires due to costs.

The site of the proposed cruise terminal is an area currently used for shipping, the public moorings A and B of the port of Montevideo, which operates the ANP.

Pacheco said that “initially build a lightweight terminal that also include the actual building of the Ministry of Tourism, which will have to relocate elsewhere, as suggested by the authorities,” adding that Royal Caribbean would seek access to a block adjacent to the building the PA to build a hotel on four floors with 200 rooms.

“The idea is to make a base port to embark and disembark passengers from different countries of the company,” he said, adding that the shipping company also plans to build in that area a place to set up shopping malls and cultural centers. Similarly, although not official, Royal Caribbean would be interested in a larger project in Punta del Este .

In another example of protest by Argentina for the British occupation of The Falkland Islands and the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the conflict, Argentina denied entry of  the Princess Cruises ship Star Princess and the P & O ship the Adonia en-route to Ushuaia after calling on Port Stanley, The Falklands. Prior to the arrival of Prince William, who transferred to The Falklands as part of his routine military training, the MERCOSUR countries of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina threatened to close their ports to ships coming from the The Falklands. The denial of entry to Ushuaia was the first time the threat was fulfilled by Argentina.

This article just appeared in the UK paper The Independent:

British cruise ships denied entry to Argentinian port
Peter Woodman

Two British cruise ships were refused entry to an Argentinian port yesterday as tension mounted between the UK and the South American country over the Falkland Islands.The P&0 Cruises ship Adonia and the Princess Cruises vessel Star Princess were not allowed to dock at Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina. Both vessels, part of the Carnival company fleet, had called at the Falklands on Saturday.

Argentina is known to be upset at the deployment of the Duke of Cambridge on the Falklands as the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Falklands war approaches.

The Adonia is now sailing towards Punta Arenas in Chile – the next port of call on its 87-night South American cruise. The Star Princess is on a 14-night South American cruise which started from Rio de Janeiro on 18 February.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are very concerned to hear the Adonia and Star Princess have been refused access to the port of Ushuaia.

“British diplomats in Argentina are urgently seeking to clarify the circumstances surrounding this incident, and we are in contact with the company concerned.”

A spokesman for Argentina’s Naval Prefecture said the ships had decided to change their destination and denied they had been refused permission to dock at Ushuaia.

“There were no problems with the port authority and there are no problems on board the ships,” he said.

But Argentinian press reported that the incident marked the first time the authorities had enforced a law passed last August that prohibits British ships or vessels partly belonging to British companies docking in Argentina.

The decision was made by provincial governor Fabiana Rios, an ally of President Cristina Fernandez, a month after the Falklands government turned away the Star Princess, citing health-and-safety reasons, after it had stopped in Argentina.

Great progress is being made as the city prepares for the widely anticipated 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janiero.

The downtown is undergoing the most dramatic transformation including the new project for the improvement of the port area called Porto Maravilha. During the games it is expected that up to ten cruise ships could be used as floating hotels, expanding the hotel occupancy. The need for an attractive, efficient port to handle the increase in traffic has resulted in a new public park, a new museum and the demolition of the old unsightly viaduct. Traffic will now be diverted by way of proposed tunnels under the downtown; a light rail system extending to the port will also connect up outlying areas where various events will be held.

The long term plan is that all these improvements will be permanent and add to the betterment of the city and the neighborhoods. Already construction has started for the Olympic village housing which will revert back to public housing housing after the games.

One would not usually associate drought conditions with the rainforest but it does happen. In the past decade The Amazon has been hit hard by two years of devastating drought conditions in 2005 and 2010. Not only did smaller tributaries dry up stranding isolated villages but dry conditions were responsible for some of the largest forest fires ever recorded. The photos are of Boca de Valeria in February 2011 and ten months later in December 2011.

We will hope that this year’s rainy season is plentiful and river levels are restored to normal levels.

Here’s the most popular titles of books I noticed guests reading in preparation for or about South America:
Panama Canal
Path Between the Seas by David McCullough

Colombia
One Hundred Years of Solitude  by Gabriel Gracia Marquez
Love in the Days of Cholera     by Gabriel Gracia Marquez

Ecuador
The Panama Hat Trail    by Tom Miller
The Ecuador Effect     by David E. Stuart

Peru
Cradle of God: The Story of Hiram Bingham    by Christopher Heaney
The Last days of the Inca     by Kim MacQuarrie
The Feast of the Goat    by Mario Vargas Lllosa

Chile
The House of the Spirits  by Isabel Allende
The Poems of Gabriela Mistral
The Essential Neruda (Pablo Neruda)

Argentina
Tango: An Argentine Love Story      by Camille Cusumano
The Old Patagonia Express    by Paul Theroux

Falkland Islands
The Battle of The Falklands    by Mark Hastings and Simon Jenkins
Guide to Birds of the Falkland Islands     by Robin W. Woods

Brazil
Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon     by Jorge Amado

The Amazon
The Lost City of Z    by David Grann
Black Orchid        by Nicholas Meyer
The River of Doubt          by Candice Millard
State of Wonder        by Ann Patchett
Fordlandia        by Greg Grandin

General

1491        by Charles Mann
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage    by Alfred Lansing
Over the Edge of the World:
Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe    by Laurence Bergreen

Panos Karan, the 28 year-old, classical pianist who has graced the stages of concert halls around the world (around as cruise ships on the Seven Seas) has taken his talent to a new audience - the children of the Amazon. Forming his own non-profit organization, Keys of Change, Panos is introducing another dimension of music - classical music - to the children along the Amazon from Coca, Ecuador to Belem, Brazil. He has planned 88 recitals in communities ranging from modern cities to rural villages where his portable keyboard will require the portable generator he is also carrying.

Keys of Change was established in 2010 to improve the lives of children around the world through education and music - primarily the classical music that Panos knows so well. His first concerts were in Quito before flying over the Andes to begin his adventure on the Amazon. The headline of the Quito newspaper El Universo reads, “A Greek wants to bring classical music to the jungle.”  If you’d like to read the entire article from El Universo: http://www.eluniverso.com/2011/03/02/1/1380/un-griego-quiere-llevar-musica-clasica-selva.html?p=1354

Oh ya, every once in a while it feels good to say, “I told you so!” The city of Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, is finally coming into its own. It has been with great anticipation that I have waited for the day the “modest” city would emerge out from under the long shadow cast across the Rio de la Plata by Buenos Aires. I don’t know, maybe its my penchant to root for the under-dog, but I always felt the two cities were like twins separated at birth; both with equal beauty and potential, but due to fickled finger of fate Buenos Aires flourished, while Montevideo floundered. But the makings of a beautiful and vibrant city have always been there lurking under years of neglect. Now the city has found its own identity and is attracting the attention is has long deserved. 

Located on the east coast of South America, the country of Uruguay is the size of the state of Colorado and has a total population of 3 million, half of which live in Montevideo. With a Mediterranean climate and coastal breezes from both the Atlantic and the Rio de Plata, Montevideo does not suffer from the high humidity and up-river in Buenos Aires. Additionally having coast on the blue Atlantic creates wonderful white sand beaches right in the middle of the city; but if that isn’t good enough a few hours away is the world-famous resort of Punta del Este. Uruguay enjoys one of the highest standards of living and is ranked among the best countries for quality of life, health and safety. Montevideo extols the same wonderful architecture, seductive tango and delicious gaucho traditions (including the parilla) as Buenos Aires but at a fraction of the population, cost, traffic and hassle. With beautiful suburban residential areas and a newly restored historic Old Town, Montevideo is attracting investors and ex-patriots from all around the world.

Next year the Seven Seas Mariner will be calling on Montevideo twice when it travels from Rio de Janiero on November 26, 2012 to Buenos Aires and then again on December 6, 2012 from Buenos Aires back to Rio. For those of you thinking of something new and different why not board the ship in Monte Carlo on November 9 and stay on through to Buenos Aires visiting such fascinating cities like Barcelona, Cartagena, Malaga, Casablanca, Agadir, Las Palmas, Porto Grande, Recife, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro before continuing down the sunny Brazilian coast to Buenos Aires and Montevideo!   

For more on Montevideo check out the following link that will take you to a great article posted in the Wall Street Journal.

> http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703409304576166963505972244-lMyQjAxMTAxMDAwODEwNDgyWj.html