December 1, 2025

Santiago, Chile

Monday Morning. While I woke up the first time at 04:15, I did manage to go back to sleep about 07:15 for an hour or so. Mary slept the whole night from 21:30 until 09:30. I went down for a cappuccino and brioche at 08:30 but Richard and Susan weren’t there. So, I went to the mezzanine level and checked in the Silver Sea.

We are on the second bus to the airport at 12:20. As is usually the case the suitcase needs to be outside the room by 06:30. Breakfast is from 07:00 to 10:30. The charter flight for us is DAP 820 and leaves Santiago Aviasur Terminal at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCEL) at 13:55.  We will land in Aeródromo Guardia Marina Zañartu (WPU) at approximately 17:40. We have been advised that there is nothing at the arriving airport.

It is apparently a thirty-minute ride from the airport to the pier where the Endeavour will be docked. That translates into getting on-board about 18:20. Just in time for dinner. The ship is slated to embark at 21:00. Richard and Susan are on a later bus and should arrive about an hour and a half after us.

I checked in with Mary after getting the bus and flight information from Silver Sea and then went down and joined Richard and Susan for cappuccino and brioche. I brought Mary back a cappuccino and a cinnamon roll with apple pieces for her breakfast.

We continued to weight and repack things so we were within the weight limits. I worked on the blog while Mary did hers. Then we took a nap for an hour. Afterwards we met up the Susan and Richard’s and walked to the Mall Parque Arauco which is about 500 meters down the Avenue Kennedy from the hotel.

Richard needed some batteries for some electrical seasickness bands. Maria had also told us about a restaurant in the mall which was excellent. The mall is the third biggest of the Chilean shopping malls. Which is really hard to believe given how large it is. The company that runs them is located in Santiago and manages 24 hopping malls in Chile, Peru and Colombia. The Paraguay Arauco Mall has 350 different stores and 65 different restaurants.

Maria said that Margo was by far the best restaurant in the mall. So went went on the hunt for it. Apparently, we entered on the “far end” of the mall, or at least at one end. We did see a sign for a food court, and there was one, however this food court was dedicated to McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s and similar outlets.

Fortunately, there was an interactive electronic display which helped point us in the right direction, although the directions were difficult to follow. Mary found a young lady manning a both and asked here where it was. In a combination of English and Spanish she gave me directions, I didn’t understand it all but find the Starbucks and go straight I understood.

Well, I found the Starbucks, P.F. Chang’s, Chilis, MUU and lots of others before I saw the sign for Margo. This isn’t a tourist spot, even though the mall itself is. We got a table outside but under a pergola, so we weren’t in the sun.  The waiter spoke little English and pointed to the QR code on the placemat which indicated this is where we would find the menu. The menu had an English option.

I ordered the Filete saltano con papas fritas y arroz. The English goes like this – Peruvian style stir fried loin, with French fries and steamed rice. In Spanish – Cortes de filete de res salteandos en un mezcla de soys y pisco con cebolla moraga, cilantro, tomate y toques de aji: todo acompañado de papas fritas y arroz.

Mary ordered the Picante de camarones con fetuccini. The English goes like this – Peruvian spicy shrimp sauce with homemade fettuccine. In Spanish – Picante de camarones (salsa Blanca con habas, aji amarillo y aji panca) acompañado de fetuccini; todo decorado con queso parmesano rallado (Plato levemente picante).

Google translate translates this as Spicy shrimp (White sauce with broad beans, yellow chili pepper and panca chili pepper) accompanied by fettuccine; all decorated with grated parmesan cheese (Slightly spicy dish). All of this was added for you to understand several things. One, the translation by the restaurant may not say what it says in the regional language but may tell you something about the dish. The google translation may technically be a word for word translation but may or may not tell you the same thing as the restaurant’s translation. This has been proven true in most places we have visited.

A fried shrimp salad that Susan got for lunch.

Our recommendation is to just go with it. Be adventurous! Hey, what do you lose if you really don’t like it? A couple dollars? Maybe, just maybe you’ll find something really great. Both Mary and I totally enjoyed our dishes.

After lunch we found as easy route back to the hotel. Again, it was nap time. I worked on the blog for a while and Mary played word. At 18:30 we went downstairs and met Richard and Susan for a drink. About 19:30 they took off and went to the Japanese Fusion restaurant at the hotel for dinner. We had eaten enough for the day, and it was getting late, so we went back to the room. Where I worked on the blog and Mary played word.

Everything is packed and ready to go. Bags are tagged. They go out at 06:30. Tomorrow we start the cruise. The first two days are on Drake’s passage and should prove to be the roughest sea we will meet. Looking forward to it!!

Buonanotte e ciao,

Enrico e Maria