After two days in Lima, Peru and a day in Chile, we are off to Easter Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in the southern hemisphere.  As we head due west, there will be five days at sea with limited internet capability.  It is no surprise there is no connectivity as there is absolutely nothing here except sea and more sea. We are travelling at 30k and the depth under our keel is over 12,000 feet.  Wind continues at about 20 mph.

Chile was exceptional as it was such a surprise after Peru. Chile was crowded, traffic was horrendous and poverty was everywhere except in a very small area on the coast.  Peru with much less population was not crowded, very little traffic and fascinating to see how the civilizations have developed.  In Chile we visited an olive plantation where some of the best olives in the world are grown.  I also learned that the only difference between green and black olives is the length of time they remain on the tree.  Green olives are picked first and black olives much later.  Within a year after picking and storing in acetic acid they are ready for bottling and export or sale.

We also went to a local market and saw amazing stands of fresh fruit, vegetables and spices.  All this produce is cultivated in valleys that run up from the coast into the Andes mountains and are fed by either underground rivers or man-made channels coming down from the mountains.

Tonight is another formal night and this means a jacket and tie for me and a dressy outfit for Susan.  Formal nights are always on sea days and pictures are always taken.  Menus for dinner reflect the culture of this country.