Day 37, Puerto Montt

Day 37 – Puerto Montt, Chile 

Our anchor hit the harbor bottom around 7 AM as we prepared for our day ashore in Puerto Montt.  Today would be a tender port and we will be taking a HAL tour to avoid having to deal with the tender ticket lines.  The Granddaddy of all tender lines will probably be off Easter Island when we arrive February 16^th. 

The water was calm, and tendering went quickly this morning.  The lines were not very long as this port doesn’t have the massive interest of other ports. 

HAL TOUR DESCRIPTION

A Taste of Chile:  Fresh Fusion:  In Partnership with Food & Wine Magazine 

Departs:  10:00 AM  Approximately 6 hours  Price $209.95 

Chile’s lake district is a region of deep-blue bodies of icy-cold water, ice-capped volcanoes and an exciting culinary scene that’s well worth discovering.  On this immersive experience, you’ll experience the region with Richard Knobloch — a German-born chef who runs one of Chile’s best restaurants and whose creative food transcends borders.  Meet Chef Knobloch and set out for the local market, known for its wide variety of fresh local seafood as well as an array of ethnic ingredients and vegetables.  Together you will explore the market and pick up the best ingredients — mussels, fish mushrooms and more — while learning about the local culture.  Then, continue to Puerto Varas. as Knobloch welcomes you to the restaurant, where you’ll enjoy an apéritif.  Using some of the ingredients that you gathered today, he prepares a three-course lunch or dinner.  You are welcome to join in the cooking.  The dishes showcase a fusion of local ingredients, fresh seasonal produce and global cooking techniques.  After your meal, return to Puerto Montt. 

DEPARTING THE SHIP

We arrived in the Main Stage a few minutes before our scheduled 9:30 AM meeting time.  Since we were the last to arrive, our group left for the tender platform immediately.  Tenders were leaving from the platform on A deck, forward, which is typical.  We merged in with a line of people with tender tickets as we moved down the final staircase. 

Ten minutes after boarding the tender we departed and 15 minutes later we arrived at the Cruise Terminal’s small tender pier.  There can be a 20-foot tidal swing here at Puerto Montt.  When we arrived around 10 AM, the tide was at the low point for the day which required a fairly steep walk up the ramp to the cruise terminal.  When we returned in the afternoon, the tide would be 20 feet higher and the ramp was at an easier angle to manage.  Here is the tide table for the last few days. 

LANDING ASHORE

Once inside the cruise terminal we passed a gift shop selling souvenirs, snacks and wine.  

We boarded our waiting tour bus in the parking lot and were soon on our way.  There were 20 of us on this tour. 

MUNICIPAL MARKET

Our first stop was the Municipal Market, only a few minutes away.  There were a large assortment of vendors selling fresh fish, meats and produce along with flowers, cheese and honey.  

We met Chef Richard Knobloch outside the market.  He would take us thru the market as he bought the ingredients for today’s meal.  

We started by getting 2 fresh Hake, a nice white fish that proved to have a wonderful taste and texture.  Other stops included purchasing cheese, honey, fresh vegetables, mussels and clams.  At each stop, Richard would explain what he was buying and the characteristics he was looking for.  

At 1.7 miles from the Cruise Terminal, walking to the market is not out of the question if you are looking for somewhere different to visit.  The market was filled with locals and we didn’t see many tourists. 

BRAVO CABRERA

Back on the bus we drove 12 miles to a restaurant called Bravo Cabrera which is on Lake Llanquihue , the second largest lake in Chile. 

The restaurant was informal, with a large bar in the center of the dining area, that had a wide selection of draft beers.  We were here on a Sunday and the clientele was exclusively local, except for our group. 

We were offered a local beer or Pisco Sour while we took turns going into the kitchen to observe Chef Knobloch direct the kitchen staff.  We all had an opportunity to assist with some minor tasks like breaking up walnuts or chopping vegetables.  

After about an hour, we gathered at a large table where we would enjoy our meal.  We were served more Pisco Sours or the beverage of our choice accompanied by cheese and olive appetizers as we waited for the first of 4 courses.  

• Squid Ceviche
• Hot Beet Soup
• Baked Hake with wedge potatoes and green beans
• Cream based Honey, blueberries and walnuts desert.

The food was all very good and we were served our choice of wine or soft drinks.  Our meal was served leisurely taking almost 2 hours for the four courses.  We finished up around 3:30 PM and headed back out to the bus for the short ride back to the cruise terminal, arriving about 3:50 PM. 

YARN SHOPPING

We had about 40 minutes to the last tender and Judy wanted to buy some Alpaca yarn from a shop we had visited in 2018.  We had a picture of a street sign in front of the shop, which was essential, as the shop itself didn’t have a name or a sign.  The shop turned out to be a brisk 15-minute walk. 

The shop is on the side of the street across from the bay.  You must look for the sign in the picture to find the shop, since the address Angelmo 2448 is not visible anywhere on the storefront.  

Judy bought 8 cakes of a fingering weight alpaca in 4 different colors:  blue, turquoise, gray and olive.  She was pleased to buy all this yarn for about $30.30 USD. 

We spent 10 minutes shopping and then 15 minutes briskly walking back to the terminal.  We arrived at the cruise terminal exactly at 4:30 PM and joined the end of a long line for the last tender. 

Sentados Frente at Mar

The sculpture shown in the following picture is called “Sentados Frente at Mar” and is a fun spot for a photo.  We took this picture in December 2018.  This is about 1 mile from the Cruise Terminal. 

OSCAR NIGHT

Tonight the Main Stage broadcast the Oscar preshow and Awards Ceremony on the big screen.  I stopped by to check out the decorations and snacks and discovered that there weren’t any decorations and the only snacks were some bags of popcorn sitting off to the side.  The Awards Ceremony started at 10 PM and was lightly attended.