There and Back Again by D.A.Webb

I had been putting it off, but the day finally arrived. My wisdom tooth was not getting better and something had to be done. It all started Saturday before leaving for the trip. While eating cereal, I lost a filling in my wisdom tooth. Luckily Dr. Scharfenberger, our family dentist worked me in between appointments. It was a complicated case as the tooth was in poor shape and had splayed roots. A proper restoration or extraction would require a specialist. I needed to leave in three days for the cruise and there just wasn't enough time. I opted to replace the filling in hopes it would last until we returned. Sadly, it did not. Thankfully Royal Caribbean added a well qualified dentist to the World Cruise medical staff. Information travels quickly on a cruise ship and I heard good things about Dr. Nathaly our ship's dentist. She had all the necessary credentials so I scheduled an appointment. Dr. Nathaly was very thorough and presented the same options I heard months before. This...

Enjoyed an afternoon of classic walkabout street photography with a splash of architecture to add perspective.

We spent two days and nights docked in Lima and spent the first day resting and enjoying the harbor sights. The port was busier than most shuffling containers about, but then about eleven the real show started. I always enjoyed photographing pelicans, but typically only see one or two snoozing on a post. When they do fly off, I am seldom ready. Birds in flight are always a challenge. Today a school of bait fish surfaced just outside our balcony and about three dozen pelicans flew in for lunch. The show lasted about thirty minutes and was nonstop excitement. Nothing like being in the right place at the right time.

Today's tour is less about culture and more about nature as we ventured into Paracas National Reserve. Like so many of our South American ports, Serenade shares the port with cargo vessels and buses shuttle passengers between ship and customs. Obviously this is for safety concerns, but they probably anticipated my getting lost in the maze of stacked cargo containers.  Once on the tour bus, we exited the port and expected to see a busy metropolis. We saw nothing but sand and sky. We were in the desert headed for Paracas National Reserve.  We chose this tour based on the reserve's unique seashore. I had never experienced an interaction between desert and ocean and figured it would be a lesson in extremes. There are many challenges. This is 'Tour Photography' which is much like 'Street Photography' in that the photographer has no control over light, subject or time of day. Today the main subjects are desert and ocean. Both receive harsh mid day sun. Both ...

After leaving the glaciers, icebergs and fjords behind, we headed towards the equator along the western coast of South America. As expected the South Pacific gradually calmed and the weather quickly changed from biting winter squalls to inviting summer breezes. All was good onboard, but ashore something was drastically different. Most ports were surrounded by deserts.  One might expect the coastal climates of North and South America to be similar. Both border the Pacific with major mountain ranges inland. They reside in different hemispheres, but that only accounts for the opposing seasons. The difference is most North American coasts receive significant rainfall resulting in lush green environments, while most South American coasts receive little rainfall resulting in vast deserts. Don't take my word for it, check out the greens and browns in Google Maps satellite view. We know this difference exists, but why? There must be another factor drastically affecting rainfall.  The ...

Today's excursion was a cultural tour to Codpa Village. The bus ride was enjoyable and at times seemed like we were traveling into the past. As we drove towards the mountains, we entered the Atacama Desert and after two hours reached an elevation of 7,076 feet and the hidden valley containing Codpa village. The village's central structure is a 16th century Spanish church surrounded by additional buildings completing the village of about 1,000 residents. Traditionally they were self-sufficient, but now days rely on weekly resupply runs for additional necessities. Their local school provides primary education for the village kids and those in surrounding areas. The guest students arrive each Monday by bus, spend the week attending school and return home on Friday. Graduating students often leave the community seeking opportunities outside those found in the community. The 16th century Church of San Martin de Tours is the main village structure and one of many important mis...

With the ship docked in Valparaiso, our excursion headed inland to Chile's Capitol and largest city, Santiago. It had everything we learned to expect in South America, but what caught my eye was the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago. Despite many earthquakes and wars, the current structure looked immaculate with no signs of disrepair. It was obviously old, well respected and maintained, but why?  The current Metropolitan Cathedral was completed in 1800 and is probably the fifth and possibly the seventh structure in that location. In any case, it all began in 1541 when the first structure was built and later destroyed that same year. Given the current Cathedral's immaculate condition and past reconstruction efforts, Christianity is obviously well accepted and an important part of the community. Why is this so and how did it happen? The answer is linked to Spanish colonization.  Spain's obvious colonization goals were to extract gold and silver from the Americas, stim...