The image above was taken from our stateroom veranda as the sun began its descent to the west. Earlier, we had departed from Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Before that, we had a delightful stop in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Until we arrive in Santiago, future stops will be more intimate.

Both centers of government are located at the mouth of the River (or estuary) of Rio Plate. This water system connects the South American coast with the heart of the continent including today’s Paraguay,  Bolivia, Chile, and Western Brazil. Not surprisingly, as colonial powers began sniffing around in the 16th century, they quickly decided that military hegemony over this area was most essential. Control the entrance to the river and you could effectively exploit the riches to be found inland, including hoped for treasures in gold and silver.

The question was who would win the contest? With such promised riches, several nations competed for supremacy  … Spain, Portugal, France, the Dutch, and (of course) England. The Portuguese established a hold to the north in what would become Brazil. Spain to the south in what became Argentina. The north side of the Rio Plate is where these two maritime nations met.

After many skirmishes and battles, the Spanish pushed the pesky Portuguese back to the north. In 1776, Argentina was recognized as a separate and distinct entity by the Spanish crown, separating it from Peru which was the original colonial base on this continent. For a while, the powers in Buenos Aires sought hegemony over much of central and southern portions of South America. But the locals in Montevideo, Asuncian (and other growing jurisdictions) pushed back. They wanted to control their own destinies. The contours of today’s South America began to take shape.

In the early decades of the 19th century, the locals followed a pattern established by their American cousins to the north. The British helped the locals in North America form militia to fight during the French and Indian wars. Such militia forces later helped end British rule in the colonies. Likewise, such local forces were used by Spain to push back Portuguese incursions from the north. Similarly, they were essential when the locals decided that rule from Spain was more trouble than it was worth. It was not long before Spanish control ended in the early decades of the 19th century.

To keep this manageable, I will keep my comments on the two capitals very brief. Both have areas of neo-classical architecture, adjacent to charming (often cobblestone) streets along with modern skyscrapers that contain million dollar residences. You can feel the cultural differences in the foods, music, and even local enthusiasm. In 2022, Argentina won the Word Cup in football (soccer). Four million people crammed the main avenue (broadest in the world) to celebrate.

We were fortunate to be in Montevideo during the annual Carnival Season. It is a 40 day event of rioteous color, imaginations on steroids, and latin music. You would have to be here to appreciate it. Our stay was too short.

Before signing off, a comment about the Viking Ocean experience. Aside from the excellent food and service, it is clear Viking caters to a more mature crowd… old farts that is. No kids, no casinos, no frivolous nonsense. One thing it does offer are excellent guides at each stop. One comes away with a greater appreciation of what they have experienced.

What really impresses me is the educational experiences provided on board during the travel portion of our journey. Perhaps I should not be surprised. After all, Viking is a significant supporter of PBS in the States, more essential after Trump cut its federal funding. But we also discovered that it supports ventures such as Seawatch, an international effort devoted to ecogical causes.

On this trip, we have had wonderful lectures on history, astronomy, and ocean ecology. The resident experts really know their stuff, being members (for example) of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society.

Of course, we have the usual diversions … music and even an opportunity to keep up with our favorite sporting events like Big Ten basketball 🏀 and the Superbowl.

Excuse all errors. Have to run. The adventure continues.