CRUISING BETWEEN BUENOS AIRES AND VALPARAISO: Revised for 2016/17

Towering majestic mountains draped in permanent snow, massive glaciers plunging into crystal clear fjords, lush forests of southern beech and other exotic plants combine to make the journey by ship between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile one of the most incredible cruise itineraries in the world. With the revere of seasons in the Southern Hemisphere, the cruises to this part of the world are scheduled between December and March, which is that part of the world's summer. Days are generally mild and the nights a bit nippy. And on occasion it can snow right down to the shore in the middle of summer. This is a land not only of rare beauty, but it is populated by guanaco, vicuna and penguins. And there are pods of wales and herds of sea lions that feed in the rich offshore waters. Along the route you will see many magnificent volcanic cones that sit in quiet repose, draped in snow. But every so often, as in 2015, one of them will put forth a catastrophic eruption that is both terrifying as well as spectacular. And yes this is also earthquake country. It is the volatility of the geology that is what has created the great beauty of the fjord and lake country of southern Argentina and Chile. The small port towns all have more of a central European flavor as opposed to what one expects in South America. In fact German and Welsh are the next most widely spoken languages after Spanish. And the local architecture even has somewhat of a Bavarian feel. On restaurant menus you will see the word "kuchen" instead of "torts" to describe cakes and you are more likely to have spaetzle as a side dish at lunch or dinner. This book will bring the geography, history, lifestyle of the people and ports of call to life in a way that the mass market tour guides cannot do. It is a culmination of my many years of travel in this part of the world after 46 years as a university geography professor.