Disembark at Punta Arenas, Chile/Carlos Pueblo

Disembark at Punta Arenas, Chile/Carlos Pueblo

After leaving Puerto Chacabuco, Chile, the ship was two days at sea through

the fiord of Chile, Southern Hemisphere. I comparing with the Northern, the

time of our arrival carried less snow or glacier in the South. I could lazily stay

in the room and observed the fantastic scenery outside. The ship disembarked

at Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost city of that nation. The port was very

popular before 1914, the opening of Panama Canal, as a major shipping route

for commercial vessels between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. I had almost

finished my routine walk of the old town until I ran into Lucia of Brazil again on

a street. She invited me to join her to tour the city on private hired taxi and of

course we had developed a way for me to pay her back. We did have a very

interesting tour indeed.

The driver, an elder gentleman, brought us back to his company’s command post

to register the new venture, a tour of the government housing projects, driving

along the coast line to a small fishing harbor, over viewing a newly established

medical center, and finally dropped us off at a free port shopping center. He pointed

out that the housing projects were all over the nation including the capital city,

Santiago. Chilean citizen can own the house, a single dwelling with a small yard with

minimum monthly payment and eventually have the title and deed. It was started

a term of presidency of Michelle Bachelet, the current incumbent. He said that she

was very aggressive at her first term and quite slowly on this second term for such

project. I admire her very much and so does Professor Jim Drumond, the lecturer at

the ship. This is an old story or current history of South America including Richard

Nixon, CIA, Henry Kissinger, Salvador Allende, Pinochet’s Coup. I always like politic

and my interest of such knowledge sometime surprises newly acquaintance.

The elder driver is a gentleman as Lucia says with grown up children as lawyer and

teacher. Before he dropped us off in front of the tax free port mall, he clearly instructed

us how to get back to the old town terminal. I bought a cowboy hat made in China. The

taxi is really like a small scale of bus or van for public transportation. Passengers can hop

on and off with a fixed rate per person by distance. I didn’t see any of the city bus at all.

Lucia and I had had a very fine late lunch at a fancy restaurant with lobster, abalone, and

a bottle of red wine; however, my share was U.S.$90 which stopped me in the future to

join her for another taste of cuisine.

Coming back from Edinburgh, Scotland/Carlos Pueblo

Coming back from Edinburgh, Scotland/Carlos Pueblo

The fall trip of Scotland was consisted of three nights stay in Edinburgh

in two parts, first we flew in to London to have a complete visit of Queen

Mary’s rose garden at the Royal Regent Park, then we flew north to Scotland.

During the three days stay, we visited the old town Edinburgh including the

world famous University of Edinburgh, then we took a train back to London

and a shuttle bus to the cruise terminal at Southampton to hop on a 11 days

transatlantic voyage to New York City. On our way back, we disembark at

Lerwick, Shetland Island of Scotland,  Reykjavik, Iceland, St. John’s, Newfoundland,

Canada, Portland, Maine, and finally Manhattan, New York City. Every city has

stories to tell even at Laguardia Airport waiting for the plane to come back.

Finally, after three attempts to observe the rose blooming at Queen Mary’s Rose

Garden, I met the fall blossom. I took about 350 shots on my Canon for my records

Of the famous rose gardens around the world, for example, Malaga City Hall in Spain,

the Palace Rose Garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, the city Rose Garden in Buenos

Aires in Argentina, Queen Elizabeth Rose Garden in Vancouver, Canada, the Buthart

Gardens of Victoria, BC, Canada. I also gather some photos of Rhododendron, cherry

, tulip, peony, mums, and dahlia etc. from all over the world where I have visited on.

In Edinburgh, we did reach the old town campus of the University of Edinburgh and in

a result of that we also visited a tapestry museum nearby and I learned a life time favorite

issue, Harris Tweeds and a store named Walker Slater on Victoria Street. A well learned

front desk clerk at the operational museum answered my question about the wool fabric

suits of Scotland which I admired so much even living in Houston, Texas. A sale clerk at

the store clarified that the one I mentioned was really made in either England or Italy

while Harris Tweeds were heavier and for severe cold winter. Harris tweeds is actually

located in the North Scotland that I shall find my opportunity to visit during my life time.

I still keep about five or six wool suits in my closet even though I don’t have the chance to

wear them nowadays.

The most enjoyable time of this fall trip to Scotland was actually on the ship. I was anxious

to see my sweet hearts from my previous transatlantic voyage from Houston to Barcelona,

Spain at the same ship. I missed my eldest adopted daughter Christina by one week due to

her leg injury; however, I did see Mylene, the younger daughter and  Aiza, another honey,

and furthermore, Amy and I have adopted seven more daughters from Philippine and Peru,

another two are fellow passengers from Ireland which I visited in 2016 and my recollection

did impressed them.

愛丁堡和跨洋行歸來/莊峻華

愛丁堡和跨洋行歸來/莊峻華

前晚從愛丁堡行，搭郵輪回紐約，輾轉返家，心情愉快，極欲

描述旅行高潮，只好暫時擱置我的南美行，我現在是落後南美

行之一大半，百慕達行之美洲盃帆船賽，還有此次蘇格蘭行，可

以忙碌作文到明年春天，然後再旅行日本，搭船回國。這次旅行

，在倫敦遇上攝政王公園內之玫瑰花開，在愛丁堡參觀愛丁堡大

學，心儀一生之哈里斯特威特夾克西裝，誤機回倫敦，改搭火車

，穿過美麗之英國原野，傳奇誤車到郵輪碼頭，及時改搭郵輪專

車，在船上像是返家，新認七位美麗養女，真是開心。

瑪莉女皇玫瑰花園，在皇家攝政王公園內，規模甚巨，我曾四次

錯過花開季節，瑪莉是伊莉莎白一世之大姊，同父異母，先後入

繼英皇，故事傳奇，剛找到花園，秋花零落，倒是花株高大，結

有串串玫瑰花果，後來漸入佳境，另一大區，仍舊怒放，朵朵巨

大，不若春花，這是我多次旅行中之最佳回憶，另外一提幾處稍

大玫瑰花園，西班牙瑪拉噶市府旁，丹麥哥本哈根皇宮，阿根廷

布宜諾斯艾利斯市立玫瑰花園等，當然還有許多迷人之櫻花，牡

丹大理花，均藏在世界各處角落，都是我之最愛，我常比喻花開

，像是少年美女。

愛丁堡大學是一馳名全球之學府，台灣之許信良先生，曾來此校

深造，本校校園就在愛丁堡老街區，校園整潔美麗，新收購一緊

鄰醫院，準備整修，醫學院已經遷離本校，我們很仔細參觀校園

，然後參觀一毛繡帷博物館，繡帷是一種藝術，來自中東毛毯編

織，博物館牆上，有張成品相片，介紹此館替紐約百事可樂總部

，繡帷作品，真是令人嘆為觀止，我在樓下詢問一位聰明美麗之

蘇格蘭小姐，就是短紅髮，碧目雀斑，她聽聞下，立刻知曉，拉

我到其電腦前觀看圖樣，然後寫下店名，臥克史列特，產牌哈里

斯特威特夾克，在不遠老街維多莉亞街上，我從小即愛蘇格蘭毛

製西裝。

上船前，尚發生兩處危機，錯訂返程機票，改搭火車，又買不到

赴碼頭巴士票，及時改搭昂貴郵輪專車，當天港口下雨，因禍得

福，專車直接開到船旁，行李直接送到房間內，更妙者為，郵倫

甚至給予若干優惠額，我也無心追問，船上尋找菲律賓長女，發

現她已經一週前回馬尼拉養傷，船上十一日，橫渡北大西洋，容

我後述。

船靠智利砂點港/莊峻華

船靠智利砂點港/莊峻華

智利砂點港，朋塔阿連那斯，是該國最南城市，附近人口約十三萬人，

我們在海上行駛三日，經過太平洋內海，山巒遠處，幾點雪跡，但仍舊

不是山峰積雪，我上岸後開使逛街，找上幾家銀行，嘗試現金卡，仍然

不管用，反正這是智利終站，不再需要智利披索，找到一家雜貨店，買

上十粒牛奶軟糖備用，老街四四方方，很快走盡，正想回船，又在街頭

遇上巴西之露西雅，她拉上我，攔上一計程車，說是逛街去，她先問妥

兩人車資，然後先回車行報告，再行出發，我在們經海岸公路，到一魚

港碼頭，然後再到自由港區，就是免稅區，司機交代如何搭車回去港口

一家豪華餐廳，然後再逛幾家商圈市場，她想再逛，我就先行上船。

砂點市主要政府機關，就是監獄，把犯人放逐到邊疆，舉世皆然，此城

一度易名為麥哲倫，為記念這位航海家，經過南美南端，有一海峽因此

命名，後來又恢復原名，離南極冰洲僅九百哩。市容樸實無華，智利城

市，無甚公共運輸，多半是台灣過去之叫客計程車，隨時上下車，司機

兼車掌，也有包車情況，露西雅攔下第一輛，是位資深老司機，一

路上帶我們參觀新舊住宅區，這像是美國公眾住宅，但不是高樓大廈，而

是獨門獨院，內外院面積不大，居民廉價向政府購買，分期付款，不一定

是貧民，多半是中等收入以上家庭，他提到蜜契兒˙巴克列總統，她之德

政，其實他也歸功於其前任，開始此德政，他說她之首任內，較為積極，

露西雅翻譯老司機語，她說此人老紳士也，子女均長大成人，律師教師等

專業。

我年輕時讀過巴克列父親之故事，他是左派艾倫德總統親信，命為首都糧

相，解決糧荒，季辛吉和中情局，策劃右派軍人政變，艾倫德遭殺，巴克

列入獄被整肅而亡，女兒蜜契兒，醫科畢業，能言多種歐洲語言，軍事獨

裁結速後從政，郵輪上南美洲講堂，朱蒙特教授也特別提到她。老司機應

我們請求，在海岸路旁停車，讓我拍攝幾張海鳥相片留念。經一魚港後，

他指遠處新穎建築，是砂點區醫院中心，提供老人醫療服裝。他放下我們

在郊區免稅自由港，讓露西雅購買禮物，我看中一頂牛仔帽，在中國製造。

我們按老司機指示，走到大路上等候計程車，座滿就車開，沿途有人上下，

回到海港老街餐廳，露西雅要吃飯，於是我破例花錢在船外用餐，她點上

龍蝦，鮑魚，飲水，和橙汁，十分油膩但可口，又有紅酒佐膳，她付現金

，我付信用卡其餘，結果是九十美元，讓我心疼不已，決定以後回復獨行

街頭，不再與她為伍。

Fun bridge game on board/Carlos Pueblo

Fun bridge game on board/Carlos Pueblo

I was invited to a fun bridge game on a multi purposes bar on Deck 13 next

to a steak house where I intended to invite my friend for dinner. Actually, I was

checking the location of that restaurant and walked into the bar and made up

to the fourth on the table. It was very awkward that I only learned how to play

bridge when I was at high school one summer back to the 60’s. I knew how to

count the points and after the first game under their instruction that I could open

my call, response to my partner’s call, and figure out how to exhaust all trump

cards at all hands.

One partner is a second generation of Chinese living in San Francisco and the other

two are American. We played very basic game at least I knew that I did fit into their

level of game until several days later an advanced player walked in to replace me.

Lincoln, the retired Chinese American engineer told me that I should come in some time

to watch this guy to play. I didn’t go; however, Lincoln and his wife became my good

friend on board almost everywhere we met.

The bar where we played was really not open during day time. It was open for some

Leisure program such as bridge, chess, mah-jong, and some painting classes with

an instruction of a painting artist and participants to pay materials. This is one of the

program which Sandra’s department was in charge of.

I have met so many retirees on board and only they can afford this kind of travel.

Lincoln and his wife would continue their trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I was making

this trip at the last minute and could not make the visa available.

     

船上橋牌局/莊峻華

船上橋牌局/莊峻華

因為要帶露西雅晚餐，所以白日到十三層，勘察地形地物，有一酒吧

白天空閒，三人圍成一桌橋牌局三缺一，於是邀我湊上一腳，我約有

半世紀，未成打過橋牌，十歲曾經幫四位青年工程師洗牌發牌，懂些

橋牌道理，應該是高中時代，但也從未喜好過，三位中，一位是住舊

金山之退休土木工程師，兩位也是退休美國人，只是未調查身份，都

是紳士，我們開始輪流當夥伴，第一次後，他們就看出我之破綻，教

我數點數回叫或起叫牌，然後就是數王牌張數洗盡，雖不上手，但也

差強人意，時常應邀牌局，一直到有位高手加入。

這位華裔美人，後來就常在船上碰面，十分親切，其夫人喜歡韻律舞

蹈活動。他有林肯當作名字，是第二代，在加州政府退休，然後又在

旅行社工作，有我不知之內幕，如購買郵輪股票，也有優待，其他者

我因有多次經驗，又非便宜船價不可，方法引起其興趣，回家後誤置

其電郵資料，希望有朝一日出現。

郵輪節目部，也提供麻將牌，給有興趣者，也教人繪畫，並且提供材

料，材料收費，但講師由節目部安排，都在此酒吧大房間舉行。我很

喜歡這位林肯，和其夫人，他是慢條斯理之紳士，據說喜歡漢堡包，

年輕時後，岳父母大人來訪住，夫人烹煮廣東料理，有時後他需要外

漢堡解饞。抵達阿根廷後，他們繼續兩週，前往巴西聖保羅港。

Lucia of Brazil/Carlos Pueblo

Lucia of Brazil/Carlos Pueblo

At the cruise terminal waiting room of Valparaiso, Chile, I sat next to

Lucia and her friend. Later we met again in the Garden Café on Deck 12

and became good friends on board. She ran into me on a street at

Puerto Chacabuco and took me to the town of Coyhaique on an empty

returning bus. She is a widow of a Chilean spouse and speaks good Spanish.

Her group left her earlier to Coyhaiwue and she hoped to join them there.

The bus driver nicely chatted with her about the town, beautiful Simpson

River and big correction facility. She translated every sentence to me

because of my insufficient Spanish. She wrote a note to the driver and explained

to me that he asked her some medicine. She was a physician before retirement

in both Brazil and Chili. Later I learned that she was a plastic surgeon. We went

to a famous restaurant for empanadas, a kind of baking food with delicious inside.

We couldn’t find a seat on both restaurants and finally got one piece and could

only sat at a bench in a pretty city park. Several couples inside the first restaurant

came out and chatted with her about her specialty.

Then, she likes to have a beer. We walked toward the city blocks and found a

Japanese restaurant. We met a room full of cruise entertainers and beautiful Sandra

of the cruise program staff and her boyfriend, co-worker. The restaurant allowed me

to break my second US$100, first one was on the express bus from San Diego Airport

to downtown. Now I remember the sweet senior couple to guide me to my hostel on

two subway trains. I invited her to have some benefit of my platinum member status,

such as behind the scene tour, two free paid restaurants, a free drink party, etc. We had

had two dinners with her and her roommate separately; however, we got stop on the

behind the scene tour due to non-registered and then she refused to be embarrassed

one more time with me for the free drink even though I got an OK from the CruiseNext

manager, Paroma, another fine character on the ship.

Surprisingly, I ran into her again on the next disembark port of Punta Arena three days later

and had had another wonderful day, a taxi ride of the city and a delicious seafood late lunch.

She liked to dance every night and finally participating a farewell dancing program performed

by fellow talent passengers directed by Sandra, the same charming Filipino girl we ran into at

the Japanese restaurant. Because I was short of my cash and didn’t resolve my ATM card and

mostly not expecting to spend money at all, I avoided her invitation to join her on every other

stop since then, yet it was interesting.