Valparaiso/Chile

January 23, 2024 Valparaiso

The day actually started quite pleasantly. Well, before I could leave the ship, I had to clarify a small problem with my credit card with the "Guest Service". That was done quickly and I was on land shortly before 8 a.m.

There was a police officer there with a drug-sniffing dog. I immediately fell in love with the latter and voluntarily let him sniff me for drugs. Then I boarded the shuttle bus that would take us from the port area, sat in the last row and took a photo of my newest four-legged friend through the window.

Now just visiting a foreign city is an exciting thing. I unintentionally managed to increase the thrill many times over. How exactly cannot be clarified: Had my smartphone slipped out of my pocket on the bus or had I forgotten to put it in my pocket?

The fact was that in the terminal building I realized that I no longer had it. The shuttle bus was already on the way again. Now my second device was used, which I can also use to access the Internet abroad (I use my first device as a camera outside the ship because of its better optics). I had my problem translated into Spanish and informed the officials in charge of welcoming guests. Then I waited for the buses to come from the ship to the terminal.

I had to wait a long time because each transfer took about 15 minutes, plus waiting and boarding time. I didn't know which bus I was on, but I caught a glimpse of the driver. Shortly before 9:00 a.m. the bus with this driver arrived at the terminal. I explained my problem to the driver via translator, and after all the passengers had gotten out, he let me get in. And sure enough: my smartphone was in the last row of seats. My trip was saved.

I decided to look for the battery for my bathroom scales and headed to the nearby shopping center, which has two large stores. It almost worked in the first one: they had button cells there, just not the right type. At the second store, the cashier even asked the manager, who explained that they didn't carry these types of batteries. A pity.

My next destination should be the cemetery “Cementerio No.1”. On the way there I passed a market hall surrounded by chaos, beautiful squares and busy shopping streets. I tried my luck in a Chinese shop and found what I was looking for: the right battery for the equivalent of just US$ 0.50.

Google Maps reliably guided me through the crowd. At some point I was supposed to turn into a "street" that I didn't see at first. But then I saw that the "street" was a narrow, steep and seemingly infinitely long staircase. I dragged myself up with difficulty, tripping several times, but at least I got to the top. There I met two middle-aged people who also wanted to visit the cemetery but couldn't find the entrance. I didn't let that discourage me and started walking around the cemetery wall. I disturbed a stray who was escaping from me through a gate - the entrance I was looking for.

I was feeling sick and dizzy by now. My meager breakfast and coffee with milk were not enough fuel for this tour. I lay down on a comfortable grave slab for a quarter of an hour, took a few nice photos and made my way back. Going down the “stairs to hell” was much easier. Back in the crowd, I found a café and enjoyed a large mug of really good coffee. Strengthened, I walked back to the ship.

At the end of the day I attended the performance of stand-up comedian Derrick Cameron.

PS: My scale is now working and shows that I have gained six kilos since the start of the trip. Damn!