%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  A little bit of spice to flavor the pot. |
|
I've never really gone camping or otherwise gone out into the great outdoors. The only time that barely comes close is one time I went on a church Core trip. It wasn't even my regular church but it was the only one that fit with our schedule. They had some group stuff that was not overall bad. But it can be intimidating sometimes being part of a group who know each other when you don't know many yourself. It was a little teeny bit scary being away from home. Even it was just for a few days. I especially can remember when this girl Jennifer dressed up as big foot to scare everybody. That was memorable. I'm glad to say I went and got a bit closer to my spirituality. There's not too much I can say for the outdoors other than I really don't see myself as ever being the outdoors type. But I applaud people who are. I just can't say that will ever be me. |
| Aug 22--Day 3: There's a lot of natural beauty to wonder at around here. It's hard to take it all in before we're on the move again. The natural beauty just takes your breath away. So glad paces like this exist, so animals can have at least one safe haven left in the world. I did see some sheep scattered here and there. They'd look up on occasion and then go back to eating. It's like one of the neighborhood's neighbor's dog. Whenever I walked my dogs near their house, their little Chihuahua would bark. 'Miss Daisy' would acknowledge it was only us and then continue on her day. It felt like that. Guanacos, such furry little dears. Hope they don't spit. Some of them looked like they at least considered the idea. The babies are adorable but hard to see b/c they keep close to the adults. Such an adorable sight though. Those rugged peaks really are something else. Almost intimidating in a way. Definitely make good natural art though. Pretty impressive to see up close. I like waterfalls. They're so peaceful and tranquil. Even more so in their natural setting. The lakes were lovely as well. And of course gray glacier lives up to it's name. Almost doesn't seem real. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=xf0RNIQj&id=0CCD37B3C4DD9F... |
| See the enchanting frozen landscapes of Chilean Patagonia on a 4-day excursion from Puerto Natales. Marvel at the monumental glaciers and floating ice floes of Ultima Esperanza Fjord; visit a rustic cattle ranch after a scenic drive through Patagonia’s dramatic countryside; and gaze at the steep slopes and shimmering lakes of Torres del Paine on guided hikes. Gain a fascinating insight into the region’s history and geology from your knowledgeable guide and enjoy selected revitalizing meals. Luxuriate in 3- or 4-star accommodation and enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation from Punta Arenas airport Feast your eyes on the dramatic sights and enticing landscapes of Chilean Patagonia on this enriching 4-day excursion. Gaze at the frozen witchery of glaciers and see the snow-capped peaks of Torres del Paine mountains; witness the wild country tableaus of the National Park and cruise past the languid ice floes of Ultima Esperanza Fjord on a unique boat journey. I've decided I'm staying at the Lilac Hotel. Just the name sounds fun. Plus there's the ocean{which probably means the price is higher} but that's what you pay when you want to be beach side. I'm really delighted with my choice of accommodations actually. Anyway, back to the adventure at hand! There is some truly breath taking scenery going on here. It's really amazing what some frozen water can do. A lot of it is truly stunning. I wish I could more accurately describe the splendor and the wonder of nature's frozen majesties. This has got to be one of my fav. views of today. Truly beautiful. The Ultima Esperanza Fjord is truly a wonder to behold! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297400-d318181-Reviews-Channel_of... I like this one too. The coloring of the sky is really lovely. It's a great view of the fjord at early morning/late evening. Just might be from our guided tour of the Torres del Paine. Either way, can't beta that view! https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=zUBudSzR&id=EF6E088804A92C... Really so much beauty in nature to be discovered today. There really aren't enough words to describe the experience. |
| We had a nice tour of Chile today. I especially loved the Silesian MUSEUM! SO MUCH TO LEARN OF A COUNTRY'S PAST AND CULTURE BY VISITING MUSEUMS LIKE THIS ONE. The building alone was impressive so I looked forward to going inside. They had some great exhibits on display. I liked the animals and even what looked like fossils. This was really intriguing for me. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297401-d3219757-Reviews-Salesian_... I also enjoyed seeing this while there. I want to say there's been a movie out about him fairly recently back home. It was nice to see him honored in this way. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297401-d3219757-Reviews-Salesian_... Good chance I'm having this for dinner this evening! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g297401-d3855623-Reviews-La_Cuisin... Looks like an even naughtier dessert! Have to make sure I save enough room for it! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g297401-d3855623-Reviews-La_Cuisin... |
| Might as well rename it Penguin Cove! So many penguins, everywhere you look. I need to sit down to take them all in. The babies are all fluffy when they're maturing and gaining their adult feathers. Some you can see coming in from the waves. It's actually kind of cool how graceful they become when they hit the water. I wish someone would record it so I'd have something worth while to post on FB for once! The spray and the sand are sort of getting uncomfortable after awhile. I'll probably have to clean up and launder some clothes so I stink the rets of the trip. Maybe just a few more minutes before I go. It's not like I'm getting this chance again, am I right? https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294271-d1838045-Reviews-Bluff_Cov... |
| Glad we could come out here. Love to see all the penguins out around here. It's interesting the babies look like brown blobs until they age and become adults. They are much colorful in adulthood. So much noise, and the chicks just wander around. I sat down to try and get a shot and also to try and lessen the noise. While I was getting the camera ready some chicks came over and investigated. They attempted to test out the camera. I think they were disappointed it wasn't food I had. An adult waddled up and they soon left. I got some great shots of the penguins though. The sea lions were more aggressive, louder, not to mention way bigger, and I give due caution around them. I tried not too get to close to them. I got a nice shot of a sea pup from the masses. It was real cute. Great spot to check out the wildlife. I'm glad we stopped here. It really made my day! |
| It's too bad we don't have more time here. There's some interesting things I wouldn't mind checking out. I wouldn't mind seeing some penguins! Not sure what's planned next, so not sure what to look forward to. Just part of the surprise factor I guess. Really not looking forward to the mountain of doom my wardrobe has become of late. I think I may do a few things, nap, lay around outside watch the sky go dark. Maybe have a light meal before turning in. |
| The tango and dinner show was really well done. The dancers really put on a show for us. It was quite an enjoyable evening for all. The flan Dulce de leche that was good. The flan didn't do it for me. I had a spoon to make sure I got al the caramel, and that was good. Earlier in the day, we did some more sightseeing. Though I probably enjoyed touring Punta Gorda and Pocitos, as well as La Rambla de Montevideo. Pocitos was interesting to look around. Punta Gorda was also really nice, very picturesque, at least to me it was. La Rambla Montevideo was one of the better sight seeing spots of the day. A very active area when we were visiting. Overall, I'd say the trip went very well. |
| Visited Barrio Hist'orico today. It really shows the age of the place. So old and ''historic''. You can practically feel the age of everything. Not to say it's totally drab and boring. There's a not too unsurprising splash of color here and there to liven the atmosphere just a bit. So that's nice to see. Real De San Carlos brought up odd feelings. Now it looks like some old colocoseum almost. Not good for much now, They might tear it down and save themselves the eye sore. But it there's any kind of history and sentimentality connected here, I wouldn't know. Knowing it used to be a bull fighting ring, I don't feel to bad about this place falling apart. Lends almost a certain, poetic justice. Needless to say, I was quite content to leave that place behind us. That Colonia del Sacramento Lighthouse looks like it didn't know what it wanted to be. I'm not quite sure if it's behind some ancient building or if that's part of the lighthouse itself. But it's an interesting view none the less. Being seemingly out in the middle of no where by it's own. A funny little quandary in Uruguay[?] Downtown Colonia was nice and gave us a good idea of the culture and history of the area. The port was active and busy today. We watched a bit at the activity on the water before moving on. A nice view before wrapping up our tour today. I might curl up to read for a bit. Maybe visit the pool when it's not as warm and I'm not as tired. Anyway, we got to see some of Uruguay's history and culture today. That's never a bad thing. |
| From what I gather from the description of where we'll be going today, it's kind of similar to sea world only over seas. Interesting. Sea Refuge : An Orca and Dolphins performance where caregivers will show us the world of cetaceans and the work of the Mundo Marino Foundation. Today's word will be highlighted. It means:are a widely distributed and diverse clade of aquatic mammals that today consists of the whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Now you know. The orca quite had my attention. Especially had one point it looked very amused they we thought it actually listened to the person during the demonstration. As if it was reminding that it could easily kill a human or two if it so desired. I was equally unnerved at how it always seemed to swim in my general vicinity, mocking me. - The Sea Lions Island : A performance of Sea lions along with sea elephants, trying to save the island from an evil business woman who wants to build a hotel complex in their habitat. I rather enjoyed the show. It was even more amusing when a child behind us asked ''when did sea creatures learn to perform?'' Much amusement had there. - Penguins shelter: A breeding Penguin Colony inside a recreation of their natural habitat. One penguin mom was very testy today. She chase off anyone who got too close to her egg. Hubby looked quite content while this was going on. Probably glad to get a break from it himself. - Sea lions bay: In this representation of natural their environment, between rocks and waterfalls, we can feed and watch sea lions. I wasn't aware the speed these creatures have. One popped up behind me for the fish and started me so I dropped it into it's eagerly awaiting maw. Quite pleased with it's accomplishment. An older one looked quite put out that I'd fed the young start up before feeding him. It just looked at me with an uncanny resemblance to my older dog back home. He was slightly satisfied when I got another fish for him. Shortly after him, a young female came looking for a hand out. It was a long day of feeding hopeful sea lions on my end. - Submarine encounter: Enjoy a cetaceans watching through a panoramic window of a sink of a diameter of 30 meters. This pool hosts dolphin pups born each year in Mundo Marino. I saw one pup Milo that was just three months old I was told. He seemed to be checking me out as well Probably wondering what odd fish I was. - Terrestrial Safari: guided expedition into the wild natural world to discover how animals, plants and the environment are related to conform a rustic habitat. Honestly I just took in the sites. I might have missed some key info but my brain was running on tired by that time. It was a nice scenic area tour around. - Paradise Lake: magical lake and waterfall hosting colorful birds, flamingos, fish and flowers. A very peaceful restful place indeed. Some curious birds came over seeing if I had any hand outs. More than one went away disappointed I'm sure. Just rested my eyes for a minute, or more, and then Lyn was telling me it was time to leave. Such a great time had there. Wish I could have got more pictures in but I'm afraid the camera was water logged by an over eager sea lion. Hopefully some will come out okay though. Never a dull moment when animals are involved. |
| I'm not cut out for the gaucho lifestyle. The building was quaint. The gauchos were quite skilled in their craft. They didn't mind showing off for visitors at all. They kept trying to get people to ride. But the horses looked like they were daring us to try and ride them. I felt safer sticking with the carriage ride. At one point even our carriage horse paused to take in the antics of the would be riders. The animals seemed to get a kick out of it as much as the gauchos themselves. A good time had by all. The La Ventana Tango show reminds me of Chicago in a way. It just has that kind of feel. I've already figured out dessert. I'm going with: Dulce de leche crepe. Whatever it is, it looks evil. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=uz%2f8Ku%2fU&id=AEBB380C01... Dinner-sorrentinos stuffed w/mozzarella and ham. So it pasta, ravioli looks like. 1st course- maybe a few beef empanadas. Not sure if the greens will get eaten though. It really was a lovely time. The dancers were quite energetic and entertaining. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
