On Sunday, March 9, at 8:45 PM, I received a text confirming that the chauffeured ride arranged by Silversea had arrived. At first glance, I didn’t see a vehicle. But when I looked again, I barely made out a black Suburban parked with its lights off. Living in the mountains on 15 acres with no streetlights, dark is truly dark up here.
As soon as I waved, the driver turned on his lights, hopped out, and introduced himself. I was impressed—he was 15 minutes early despite having to navigate five miles of curvy, unlit roads.
For door-to-door bookings, Silversea partners with Blacklane, a global chauffeur service. Think of it as an Uber for business clients, acting as an intermediary between companies like Silversea or airlines and local chauffeur businesses. Blacklane takes a cut of the fee. Our driver was so skilled and unfazed by our challenging roads that I asked for his card. On long international trips, I typically hire a driver—it’s more cost-effective than parking at San Francisco International and far safer than driving home exhausted after a long flight.
A Smooth Check-In
Check-in for our Copa flight to Santiago via Panama City went smoothly. We breezed through security—there was no one in the TSA PreCheck line—and then made our way to the United Club Lounge.
The lounge is in the G gate terminal, while our flight departed from the B gates. We received some misdirection about how to get from G to B, as the B security checkpoint closes early. Eventually, we and a few other passengers discovered that the A security checkpoint was still open. From there, we made it to our B gate just in time to board.
As soon as the plane reached 10,000 feet, I fell asleep for nearly five hours.
A View From Above
One of the things I love about air travel before a cruise is the chance to see the Earth from 35,000 feet. Soon, I’d be at sea level, experiencing an entirely different perspective.
Flying over Nicaragua, I initially mistook Lake Nicaragua for the ocean. With the help of the onboard flight map, I realized I was looking at the two distinct peaks of Concepción and Maderas on Ometepe Island. Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater lake in Central America, and in 1825, the U.S., France, and other countries considered building a canal there. The lake would have provided ample freshwater for locks and reduced the amount of land that needed excavation. However, after much political maneuvering and concerns over volcanic activity, Panama won out. The canal project began with the French (1881–1894) and was completed by the U.S. (1904–1914). Interestingly, Nicaragua is once again considering building a canal today.
Approaching Panama, I saw the sea dotted with ships waiting for entry into the canal.
I’ve never transited the Panama Canal, so I’d love to hear from anyone who has or plans to. I have visited the locks near Panama City and spent a week at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. One of my favorite experiences was having lunch each day at Don Caiman (Alligator Restaurant), overlooking the Chagres River—part of the canal’s waterway—while watching ships glide by.
Clouds
I am easily amused by clouds—more so when I’m flying above them than when they’re releasing rain or snow on me.
On the flight from San Francisco to Panama, I saw fluffy clouds that looked like cotton candy. The Panama-to-Santiago leg of the journey was mostly over flat clouds that resembled the back of a sheared sheep.
Santiago
After two 6.5-hour flights, we finally approached Santiago as the sun began to set.
We breezed through border control but had to wait about 15 minutes for our luggage. A Silversea agent met us at Arrivals and accompanied us to the Ritz-Carlton lobby.
Our ninth-floor room was lovely, with various lighting options—lamps, canister lights, sconces, and modern backlit panels framing the bed for mood lighting. The bathroom, clad in marble, featured both a soaking tub and a separate shower. The toilet was in its own water closet.
I appreciated the coffee and tea setup, which allowed me to enjoy a quiet cup before facing the day. Most importantly, the bed and pillows were supremely comfortable—so much so that I slept in and missed breakfast. I was grateful to have booked an extra night at the Ritz. Tomorrow I should wake up in time for the airport shuttle scheduled for 11:30 AM.
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