Last Day on the Ship and Wandering PA

This morning I said goodbye to Bob as he headed back to the US.  In the next day or so everyone on the LMG will either be on a plane home or on the ship headed south once again.  It’s a sad feeling, since I spent so much time with them over the past three weeks.  I’ll definitely miss them, which is strange to say about people you knew for such a short time.  But this cruise has had a significant impact on my life.

Today I got rested up in the morning, and then went back to the ship to finish up some last minute things.  It was strange being back, with everyone basically gone.  But I got to buy the obligatory t-shirt and say some last goodbyes, so it was a nice visit.  Afterwards I decided to walk up the hill away from port for a good view of the city.  It ended up being a great decision, although I walked a TON.

Ran into some more dogs, which is always fun, and even saw a few cats while walking through the houses.  So that was neat.  I did a little more souvenir shopping as well, and took a break at a chocolate shop that came highly recommended.  I had some fudge with raisins and "te con leche", which was basically boiling milk that I seeped my tea bag in.  Holy crap...amazing.  Allie, you will have to try this, you'd love it!  I sat and read my book while sitting there, and for a bit forgot I was in another country.

I also went to a few travel agencies to plan my last day here tomorrow, and booked a trip to Fort Bulnes, the first Chilean settlement in Patagonia.  Unfortunately I discovered that all of the penguin colonies around here don't have penguins yet, so that was a bummer.  At least I saw them in Antarctica.

I went back to my hotel and spent some time relaxing before heading out to dinner around 8 PM.  I had plans to meet people from the ship at a bar at 9:30, so this was perfect timing.  I chose La Marmita - a place I'd heard rave reviews about, and was certainly not disappointed.  The place had a really homey feel, and the staff was super friendly.  I basically asked the waitress to recommend what I should eat, and it was a fantastic decision.  I got a complementary ceviche dish with a sort of dip that resembled a cucumber applesauce (with no apple...just texture wise).  It was really tasty.  Next I got a Magallenic Crab dish that was similar to the "chupe de centolla" I'd had before, but better.  It was more creamy, had a bit of a tomato flavor to it, and was rich without being overpowering or greasy.  Perfection.  My main course was a "filete de vacuno" (steak) that was served with "papas al vino" (potatoes, that were marinated in wine, but from their color I'd guess they were boiled in it).  It was a fantastic dish, although the steak was a tad overcooked, but I blame that on my inability to request the right thing in Spanish...I'll know better now.

Stuffed from a fabulous dinner, I went to the bar and met up with some friends and had a drink.  It was a good time, but sad because it's likely the last time we'll get together.  When we all got tired, we headed our separate ways and I went to bed.