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Chile and Easter Island

In the midst of all the ice a small green location of life with crashing water from the melting glacier.

The second half of the twentieth century was unfavorable to Valparaíso, as many wealthy families abandoned the city. The opening of the Panama Canal and reduction in ship traffic dealt a serious blow to Valparaíso’s port-based economy.

Looking out from the bridge of the ship in the fjords.

We are cruising on the Las Montanas Fjord, which threads between the Cordillera Sarmiento and the Cordillera Riesco mountain ranges.

The White Lady, a 7,000 foot peak, and the Cordillera Riesco is best known for Grupo la Paz, a cluster of jagged rock towers.

The water is so still as we pass in the fjord. It is a photographers dream with the reflections upon the fjord.

I cannot remember the last time I saw water so still for several hours.

Valparaíso played an 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. Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, as a magnet for European immigrants, when the city was known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco" and "The Jewel of the Pacific".In 2003, the historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

Cruising by smaller craft through the bay of Alsina Glacier.

Captain of the ship. In 1978 Constantino Kochifas Cárcamo, father of the present Captain, developed this family tourist business , using his creativity and professionalism to turn it into a national and international product.

We next visit the Bernal Glacier where we are able to off load onto land and we walk up to the glacier.

Melting water in front of the Bernal Glacier forms a lagoon.

Edge of the lagoon

We are able to walk up to the face of the Bernal Glacier which you can actually touch..

Valparaíso is a major city, seaport, and educational center in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. Greater Valparaíso is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about 120 km northwest of Santiago by road and is one of the South Pacific's most important seaports. Valparaíso is the capital of Chile's third most populated administrative region and has been the headquarters for the Chilean National Congress since 1990. Valparaíso has seven universities.

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