In the Valley of Paradise

Valparaiso literally means "the valley of Paradise" ... we didn't find it quite as good as that, but we did enjoy its 47 hills, its colourful timber buildings built one above another up the steep slopes, and its "ascencores" - metal caravan-style boxes in which one can travel up and down as in a funicular railway - they were like public-transport Black Marias, except that they were all painted mustard yellow!
After touring the city, and nearby Vina del Mar, a fashionable beach resort, we, like many of our shipmates, headed for a nearby supermarket ... mainly to buy wonderful fresh Chilean fruit, and good Chilean wine. Then we sat on the deck and watched dozens and dozens of little boats buzz around the harbour, on dozens of different endeavours - this is a fun place!
The "Valley of Paradise" could well be another name for the Carnival Splendor - not only are we revelling in luxury, and all the wonderful food we can eat (and then some - most Americans eat at least two 'Starters' before the main meal - some have been seen to order up to 4 desserts!) - but, with more than 3000 passengers, most of them older than we are (!!!), the number has been dimininishing, as some head for "The Valley of Paradise" in the sky - at least 6 have died since we left Florida. We've all got to know the code word which comes over the loudspeakers - it's "Operation Brightstar" ... we think that one more has become a 'bright star' in the heavens! Please be assured that we have no intention of joining their numbers, and are exercising and cutting down our food to gargantuan levels, instead of super-gargantuan.
Last night the ship turned back on its route for two hours, then headed the same way again without explanation ... no-one knows whether someone went overboard or not. Popular theory has it that someone dumped the cruise director (who calls himself 'Goose', but is known by most as "The Goose", as in "total idiot") overboard - it would make a great plot for a mystery novel, as there are so many likely protagonists! We are innocent - so far - life remains fun!