The Buddhists say that life is suffering. The capitalists say that life is a struggle. The communists say that life is a team-effort. But the Chileans say that life is beautiful. Why? Because sometimes you are just born with a full deck of cards. Chile is perhaps the only wine making country on Earth that seems to have everything exactly where it wants it.
The Mare and Via Australis are both 236-foot passenger ship, (Mare Australis built in 2002; Via Australis built in 2005) with ice strengthened hull sailing in the passages of Tierra del Fuego. The ship has 64 cabins capable of carrying 132 passengers on 4 decks yet it is still small enough to sail into small inlets to access remote locations. Twice daily dismemberments in zodiac boats allow passengers to experience the beauty of the remote landscape, its animals and flora.The cabins all have private baths, large windows, lock box, independently controlled AC/heat, wardrobe and 110 volts US type electricity.
The Atacama desert is found along the coast of Chile, South America – right next to the Pacific Ocean – the biggest body of water in the world. Much of the desert extends up into the Andes mountains and is very high in elevation. Unlike more familiar deserts, like the Sahara desert in Africa and the Mojave in California, the Atacama is actually a pretty cold place, with average daily temperatures ranging between 0°C and 25°C. The annual rainfall (or lack of it) defines a desert, but that doesn't mean that it never rains in Atacama.
When we think of Eastern Island we think of of huge stone carved figures – monoliths – that dot the coastline. They are called Moai – (pronounced moe-eye). Moai are statues carved of compressed volcanic ash on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The statues are all monolithic, that is, carved in one piece. However, less than about one-fifth of the statues that were moved to ceremonial sites and then erected once had red stone cylinders pukau placed on their heads. These "topknots," as they are often called, were carved in a single quarry known as Puna Pau.
Nestled in the arm of the hills, sloping gently down to meet the sea, La Serena rises from an oasis in the semi-desert of the 'Norte Chico' or 'Little North'. Miles of startlingly arid, rocky landscape suddenly give way to cool verdure and fertility, surprising the weary traveller who stops to rest, soaks up the sunshine, enjoys the white sandy beaches of the Pacific and wonders at the natural beauty of the surroundings. The city of La Serena lies some 470 km. north of the Chilean capital, Santiago, and today boasts a population of approximately 120,000. Steeped in history, it was founded in 1544 by Juan Bohon by order of the conquistador.
The Buddhists say that life is suffering. The capitalists say that life is a struggle. The communists say that life is a team-effort. But the Chileans say that life is beautiful. Why? Because sometimes you are just born with a full deck of cards. Chile is perhaps the only wine making country on Earth that seems to have everything exactly where it wants it.
The Mare and Via Australis are both 236-foot passenger ship, (Mare Australis built in 2002; Via Australis built in 2005) with ice strengthened hull sailing in the passages of Tierra del Fuego. The ship has 64 cabins capable of carrying 132 passengers on 4 decks yet it is still small enough to sail into small inlets to access remote locations. Twice daily dismemberments in zodiac boats allow passengers to experience the beauty of the remote landscape, its animals and flora.The cabins all have private baths, large windows, lock box, independently controlled AC/heat, wardrobe and 110 volts US type electricity.
The Atacama desert is found along the coast of Chile, South America – right next to the Pacific Ocean – the biggest body of water in the world. Much of the desert extends up into the Andes mountains and is very high in elevation. Unlike more familiar deserts, like the Sahara desert in Africa and the Mojave in California, the Atacama is actually a pretty cold place, with average daily temperatures ranging between 0°C and 25°C. The annual rainfall (or lack of it) defines a desert, but that doesn't mean that it never rains in Atacama.
When we think of Eastern Island we think of of huge stone carved figures – monoliths – that dot the coastline. They are called Moai – (pronounced moe-eye). Moai are statues carved of compressed volcanic ash on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The statues are all monolithic, that is, carved in one piece. However, less than about one-fifth of the statues that were moved to ceremonial sites and then erected once had red stone cylinders pukau placed on their heads. These "topknots," as they are often called, were carved in a single quarry known as Puna Pau.
Nestled in the arm of the hills, sloping gently down to meet the sea, La Serena rises from an oasis in the semi-desert of the 'Norte Chico' or 'Little North'. Miles of startlingly arid, rocky landscape suddenly give way to cool verdure and fertility, surprising the weary traveller who stops to rest, soaks up the sunshine, enjoys the white sandy beaches of the Pacific and wonders at the natural beauty of the surroundings. The city of La Serena lies some 470 km. north of the Chilean capital, Santiago, and today boasts a population of approximately 120,000. Steeped in history, it was founded in 1544 by Juan Bohon by order of the conquistador.