Tuesday, March 21, 2023

This morning, our Celebrity Cruise ship docked in Puerto Montt, Chile. Passengers were invited to exit the ship as early as 7:00am using the same tender boat system we utilized in Punta del Este, Uruguay. Because the ocean is at low tide, the cruise ship couldn’t tie up in the city’s port. Therefore, smaller shuttle boats are used to transport ship passengers to shore.

Andi and I were itching to go somewhere today, so we picked up a tender ticket at 8:00am and then waited about 30 minutes for our number to be called. While we waited, our family grabbed a quick breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe — cereal, muesli, fruit, and waffles.

The weather in Puerto Montt this morning was in the low 50’s. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy morning so the city looked pretty dreary when we arrived.

Andi and I didn’t have a plan for today in Puerto Montt. The 2nd largest lake in Chile, Lake Llanquihue, is near there, as well as Osorno Volcano. We figured we’d hire a driver and see the sights, so we stopped to talk to one of the people lined up by the gate of the port selling tours and taxis. A man named Sergio seemed nice enough as he flipped through a folder of pictures and maps of the area. For $150 USD, Sergio agreed to drive our family to the nearby towns of Frutillar and Puerto Varas, and take us to the fish market in Puerto Montt.

“I can’t believe you talked to one of those vendors waiting by the gate,” Tory said with surprise. We didn’t have a driver for the day lined up, I told her, and Sergio seemed like a good choice. He spoke English, was friendly, and drove a very clean, nice car.

From Puerto Montt, we drove to the small town of Frutillar on the shores of Lake Llanquihue about 30 minutes to the north. Frutillar was founded by German settlers in the mid-1800’s, much the same way Bariloche, Argentina and the midwestern parts of the United States were incorporated around the same time. Germans escaping the Industrial Revolution migrated to both North and South America searching for a better life. Many of the buildings in Frutillar reflect a German style.

In Frutillar, we visited the German Heritage Museum to learn about the town’s history. Upon realization that the museum didn’t accept credit cards, we first had to go to the bank in town to exchange US dollars for Chilean pesos. Cost to enter the museum was minimal ($3 per adult; $.50 per child) and it was beautiful place to walk around.

We also visited the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar which is the largest theatre in Chile and considered to have the best acoustics in South America. It’s a beautiful, modern building on the shores of Lake Llanquihue with a few cafes and shops in its main level. On a clear day, Sergio said you can see Osorno Volcano across the water, but we couldn’t see anything but gray clouds today.

After seeing Frutillar, Sergio drove us to the city of Puerto Varas. The countryside roads between these two towns were peaceful and lush with forest and farmland. Sergio said the largest export of this area is salmon. We saw several salmon farms in the waters of Lake Llanquihue as we drove around it.

The city of Puerto Varas was also settled by German immigrants in the 19th century. Bigger than Frutillar, Sergio told us this is where a lot of Chileans and European tourists like to vacation in the summertime. With the Andes Mountains, Lake Llanquihue, a casino, and tons of shopping, there’s a lot to do here.

Shopping is one thing Andi and I haven’t quite figured out about Chile. Several Argentinians we’ve met in the past few weeks have told us they cross into Chile to buy what they need for clothing, technology, or even tires for their vehicle. Walking around Puerto Varas, Andi and I were amazed by the number of outdoor brands we saw — Patagonia, Columbia, Kuhl, North Face, Arc’teryx. I don't know if Argentinians come to Chile to shop because they don’t have these brands available, or if the prices are better. I tried to ask Sergio, but he had a hard time understanding my question. In general, it seems like Chile has a lot more brands we’re used to seeing in the United States (clothing as well as similar brands in the grocery store).

Today seemed like a sleepy day in Puerto Varas. As the touristic city enters the off-season (today is the first day of fall/autumn in the Southern Hemisphere), I don’t think we saw a very good representation of the liveliness of Puerto Varas. We wanted to eat somewhere for lunch, but most of the downtown restaurants were closed. Sergio suggested we grab something at a local bakery/cafe, but they only had empanadas and individual casseroles to-go (no tables to sit). Finally, we found a table at a restaurant called Cassi’s. We waited to be served for at least 15 minutes, but no one came to take our order. Every table around us was filled with people, but none of them had food either. We didn’t have a lot of time to waste since we needed to be back to the cruise ship by 4:00pm, so Andi and I decided to leave. It’s a shame, too, because the menu at Cassi’s and their dessert case looked amazing.

Andi, Tory, Aden, and I walked to another cafe across the street and sat at a table inside. A waiter greeted us in Spanish, but then sat down at another table with an older woman and never got up to take our order. We waited there for 10 minutes or so, and then left. I’m not sure what was happening with the restaurant service in this town, but apparently eating in Puerto Varas was not in the cards for us today.

We needed to start making our way back to Puerto Montt since our call time for the ship was 4:00pm. We met Sergio at his vehicle and drove 30 minutes drive back to the port. Before we left, we asked Sergio to stop at the fish market so we could see it. Andi and I love going to fish markets just as much as we love visiting farmer’s markets — it’s a great way to get the vibe for a place and they’re always entertaining.

Vendors in the fish market were selling salmon, merluza, octopus, squid, mussels, clams, and more. Three of the fattest sea lions we’ve ever seen waited in the water nearby for scraps. Sergio said the Lakes District of Chile is also known for its cheese production, and there were several vendors outside the fish market selling their cheeses.

Unfortunately, our time in Puerto Montt had already come to a close. We said ‘gracias’ to Sergio and paid him for his time today. Then, the four of us walked into the port, passing through Chilean security screening, before boarding a tender boat back to the ship.

Back on the ship, Andi, Tory, Aden, and I went directly to the Oceanview Cafe for a late lunch (which was more like an early dinner by this time). We filled our plates with pizza, salad, tacos, and pasta. Of course, the sun finally emerged for the day and shone down on Puerto Montt in the distance. Sitting outside in the warm sun felt amazing.

Our cruise ship departed Puerto Montt around 5:30pm heading north toward Valparaiso, Chile. Valparaiso will be our final destination on the ship. The four of us cleaned ourselves up for our last evening on the boat (well, as much as we could clean up since every piece of clothing we have in our backpacks is dirty). Then, we attended the cruise ship’s final performance in the Celebrity Theatre. The show called Star Factory featured singing and dancing to hits of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s as well as aerials and acrobatics. It was very entertaining!

Tory and Aden wanted to go to Camp at Sea one last time tonight, so Andi and I decided to have dinner together at Sushi on 5. We should have known better than to eat at the ship’s sushi restaurant on the final day of the cruise — our food was terrible. The fish tasted like the Puerto Montt smelled. Yuck.

The kids returned to our staterooms around 9:30pm with a haul of gifts from the kids club. They each earned Camp at Sea water bottles, t-shirts, lanyards, and a deck of cards from various activities there. Tory was sad she couldn’t bring a watercolor picture she painted, or the dinosaur she made of modeling clay. I took a picture of them so she could remember her artwork, and she wrote a nice note to leave behind telling the housekeeping staff to “donate” her art to someone on the ship.

Our backpacks are packed and we’re ready to depart the ship early tomorrow morning when we arrive in Valparaiso, Chile. This cruise has been an incredible way to see sights in South America and a fun experience for our whole family. I’d definitely to do it again.

Tomorrow — Valparaiso, Chile!