Dsquared
David
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Sail Away! 
March 9, 2012
Today, we embarked on the Skorpios II from Puerto Montt. But, first, I must digress to tell the story of how we arrived at the Skorpios pier.

We had our desayuno around 7:00, very nicely prepared early by our lovely Hotel Elun in Frutillar. During breakfast we met the owner, who insisted in speaking English to Barbara, who insisted on speaking Espanol in return. Very funny. We discovered his Ingles may need a little improvement, when he asked if I was Barbara's wife. Hmm...But, in Espanol, esposo and esposa are very close,so I forgave him He was very solicitous of our needs.

Anyway, after desayuno, we drove to Puerto Montt, being very sure that our lights were on when we entered Ruta Cinco (see earlier post). Our rental car agent in Temuco told us to return the car to the P. Montt airport and we had confirmed the same yesterday via phone call. So, off we went to the airport. We had intended to top off our gas tank, but since the agent never mentioned gas and since we passed nada a gas station, we arrived at the airport sin full tank.

Alas, there was no rental car return signage, so we stopped at the terminal, where a young man approached the car. "David?" He was a First Rent A Car P. Montt agent (probably the only P. Montt agent). When we asked about getting transportation back to P.Montt to the harbor, he asked "Porque no desvolvio (return) car to P. Montt?" "Uh, good pregunta",we thought except we were told to bring it here. "No problema". He drove us and the rental car and our equipaje to P. Montt! Not only that, he stopped at an ATM so we could get some dinero and then we all tried to find out where the Skoprios II was docked. It took several attempts including a stop at the Skorpios office which we stumbled upon, to find the right place. We stepped on board at around nueve y cuarto - one of the first passengers. Mucho kudos to our P.Montt First Rent a Car agent, Julio Barcos!!

We were directed to our cabin in the bowels of the ship aka "the cheap seats". We are on the Athens deck, the one without windows to the sea. But, as a compensation, it is very dark when we try to go to sleep! It's a nice cabin with 2 double beds even. There are only 45 passengers on board (max = 106). So, as the captain said, "we will become a familia!"

We are the only Americans. There is 1 other native English speaker, an Australian woman who married a Chilean guy who emigrated to Australia about 40 years ago. However, some of the crew have passable English and for both the Captain's greeting and a slide show about the Chonos (indigenous people in the area we are sailing through), we were provided with headsets to receive the simultaneous English translation of the Spanish presentation. [Wow, that was too long a sentence, I know. But, I have faith in you to decipher it].

Besides us and the Australian, there are quite a few Chllenos, 2 de Mexico, a few from Argentina, 2 de Columbia, 2 de Uruguay, 4 de Espagna, and 3 from the Canary Islands (part of Spain), who are playing Parchesi on their iPad. I must get some games!

So far, the food is quite good. We are seated with an 80 year old woman from Temuco, Chile and her sweet and beautiful 30 year old granddaughter. The granddaughter makes pastries and wedding cakes. It is almost like being in a scene in a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. The other couple are retired folks from Uruguay. No one speaks much Ingles at our table. So, they talk to Barbara who relates the conversation to me, and vice versa. So far so good, Mas o Mano.

Based on lunch and Onces (tea), the food is very good and very plentiful. We are now sitting in the San Rafael lounge, rocking and rolling as we pass through the one rough sea passage crossing the Chonos channel. I battened down the hatches in our room so we should be good to go. Dinner in 5 minutes.
Location: Frutillar     
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Location: Frutillar     
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Location: Frutillar     
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Location: Frutillar     
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Location: Isla Tenglo     
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Location: Isla Tenglo     
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Location: Isla Tenglo     
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