Pit Stop: Peru

 

Today we were in Callao, Peru. The weather is still warm (79 degrees) - a lot warmer than our Texas weather right now! Hope our friends and family are all staying toasty warm inside. It's not surprising that Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter!

Before nightfall yesterday, a heavy fog set in. We could see absolutely nothing off of the ship. All night the ship’s fog horn blew at regular intervals warning any other ships that we were near. In addition to the fog, the entire ship had a really “fishy” smell - ugh! We’ve never experienced either of those things while cruising. Thankfully, both had dissipated before noon. But it was really foggy this morning when walked around on the fitness track.

 

a very foggy ocean view

fitness track on a foggy morning

sun is coming out - we see land!

Today was what was officially called a “docked” sea day – a first in Oceania’s 20 year history. Our original itinerary included stops in Peru but they were cancelled due to the political unrest that is going on there right now. We were a bit disappointed not to get to go there but at the same time we’re thankful that our safety is their #1 priority. Photos below are coming into port in Callao, Peru.

 

tugs accompany the Insignia into Port Callao

every container is the size of an 18 wheeler truck!

 incredible numbers of container on barges

 

It was still a necessity to stop for refueling (and bananas, ha!) Have you ever wondered how a gas tank on a cruise ship gets filled? Neither have I. But it turns out that gassing up a cruise ship is quite interesting to watch and again, we had a birds eye view just off our balcony that lasted the entire afternoon. I’ll share a few photos from the day.

 

fuel tanker siding up to ship

tug boats edge it up to cruise ship

placing vacuum hoses around area in event of leakage

hooking up this heavy hose from tanker to ship was no easy feat!

Even though we were originally told that we would not be allowed off the ship, we were informed this afternoon that we could get off and walk around the port. I was really glad because there were locals selling their colorful textiles and crafts, mostly made from alpaca wool. Everything you can think of is made from these colorful textiles (blankets, hats, sweaters, handbags, etc) along with carved gourds, jewelry, clothing and stuffed animals made from alpaca fleece (SOO soft)!! I bought a colorful blanket which will be cozy to nap under and which can also be used on my table. I also picked up some colorful Christmas ornaments for our girls. 

 

friendly lady who made my ornaments

llamas and alpacas - so soft!

lady who made my throw

 

colorful Peruvian textiles

Peruvian textiles are woven on a backstrap or four-post loom