Here - Wisconsin Alumni Association

In partnership with the Wisconsin Alumni Association
The Skies of the Southern Hemisphere:
An Exclusive Invitation to tour
the Renowned Observatories and the Andean North of Chile
March 15-26, 2015
Santiago, Chile
HIGHLIGHTS: THE SKIES OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE AND THE ANDEAN NORTH
● Enjoy dramatic scenery of the Andean north and its unusual wildlife, including the Andean
flamingo, vicuña and viscacha.
● View the world’s highest major geyser field, El Tatio, against the snow-capped Andes.
● Enjoy a day in Chile’s wine country, with lunch at the historic Santa Rita winery.
● Learn from lectures by distinguished faculty members from the University of Wisconsin Department of Astronomy about the skies of the Southern Hemisphere and cutting-edge research.
● Go behind the scenes of some of the most advanced and largest observatories in the world:
ALMA, Paranal, Gemini and Las Campanas (the Magellan Project).
● Observe the skies with amateur telescopes in the Atacama Desert and at the Collowara Observatory, near the scenic town of Andacollo.
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Vicuña
Atacama Desert
Flamingo
Moon Valley, Atacama Desert
ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotel Torremayor is a three-star hotel conveniently located near the airport in Santiago
(Providencia), close to Mall Panoramico, Sernatur and Clinica Santa Maria. Also nearby
are San Cristobal Hill and Sculpture Park.
Hosteria San Pedro is a colonial-style hotel built from volcanic rock. If offers pleasant
accommodations and an outdoor pool, and it is only a 10-minute walk from central San
Pedro.
Hotel Radisson is located on the main coast avenue of the city, facing the Pacific Ocean,
approximately 19 miles from the Cerro Moreno Airport. Amenities include a business
center, mobile phone rental, health club, meeting space, the Brick Restaurant and a
cocktail lounge. Room amenities include work desks, minibars, dual-line telephones,
wireless Internet access, complimentary bottled water, complimentary coffeemakers, ironing boards, safe deposit boxes and cable televisions.
Hotel Costa Real is widely regarded as the best and most sophisticated hotel in La
Serena. Its location in the city center near the coast makes it the perfect place for
professionals and tourists alike. The hotel offers 51 rooms, meeting rooms, a pool, bar
and business center. Its El Gran Gabito restaurant is an unforgettable experience thanks
to its innovative menu based on ingredients from the area of ​​the Elqui.
Atacama Desert
Itinerary
Day 1 • Sunday, March 15
DEPART U.S. / SANTIAGO
Depart from your home city for Santiago, the capital
of Chile.
Overnight flight
Meals aloft
Day 2 • Monday, March 16
SANTIAGO
Arrive this morning in Santiago and transfer to our
four­star hotel, located in the area of ​Providencia. An
afternoon city tour will introduce us to this city at the
foot of the Andes. Late afternoon, gather for an orientation and welcome dinner.
Hotel Torremayor
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Day 3 • Tuesday, March 17
SANTIAGO / CALAMA / SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
This morning, fly north to Calama and transfer to San
Pedro de Atacama for a three-night stay. On the way,
we will stop at Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountains).
Shaped over time by the rain, wind and sun of the
Atacama Desert, its form as we know it today is full of
natural sculptures, different types of stratifications and
varied colors due to its mineral diversity. In the evening, we visit the Moon Valley, with its extraordinary
landscape caused by the erosion of the Salt Mountains.
This evening, we have our first introduction to the
Southern skies under astronomer Alain Maury’s
expert leadership.
Hosteria San Pedro
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Paranal Observatory
springs. Enjoy lunch at La Estaka restaurant before
returning to the hotel for an afternoon lecture. We will
have the remainder of the day at leisure until dinner.
Hosteria San Pedro
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Day 5 • Thursday, March 19
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
This morning, visit the largest astronomical project in
existence, the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array, or ALMA. Following a lecture and lunch,
we’ll explore the immense Salar de Atacama, with its
various species of flamingos. Here we’ll see lagoons
of beautiful colors and many volcanoes. Look for
vicuñas, viscachas and other wildlife of the area.
Hosteria San Pedro
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Day 6 • Friday, March 20
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA / ANTOFAGASTA
Today we turn our attention from the celestial heavens
to the ancient past, with a visit to the archaeological
site of Pukará de Quitor. Savor one last lunch at La
Estaka before transferring to Antofagasta via private
motor coach. Dinner will be served at the hotel upon
arrival.
Hotel Radisson
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Day 7 • Saturday, March 21
ANTOFAGASTA / PARANAL / LA SERENA
This morning we’ll drive to the Paranal Observatory,
home of the VLT (Very Large Telescope), often described as the worlds largest. Located on top of Cerro
Paranal in the Atacama Desert, it has four 8.2-meter
telescopes. The Paranal Mountain was chosen because
Day 4 • Wednesday, March 18
of its excellent atmospheric conditions and remote location. After touring the facilities, we will have a
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
snack on the bus ride to the airport in Antofagasta for a
Early this morning, we depart on an excursion to El
Tatio, the world’s highest major geyser field, to see the flight to La Serena. We will be met at the airport and
great outflow of geysers at sunrise. Afterward, relax in transferred to our hotel in La Serena.
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the warm mineral waters of the Termas de Puritana hot Hotel Costa Real
El Tatio Geyers
Day 8 • Sunday, March 22
LA SERENA
Take a guided city tour of La Serena this morning.
Then, in the early afternoon, travel to the picturesque
town of Vicuña to visit a Pisco distillery. We’ll learn
about this Chilean liquor and enjoy a Pisco tasting in
the cellars of Pisco Elqui. Have lunch at a local restaurant and enjoy the afternoon at your leisure until
dinner. Depart on a nighttime excursion to the one of
the newest public-observation centers in Chile, the
Collowara Observatory. Located 1,300 meters above
sea level on the summit of Cerro Churqui, this observatory offers us an up-close look at the planets and
constellations via a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope.
Hotel Costa Real
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Day 9 • Monday, March 23
LA SERENA
Today we travel north of La Serena by road to Las
Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes for a
daylong tour of the Magellan Project site and the two
6.5-meter telescopes housed there. On arrival at the
observatory, we’ll have a special boxed lunch before
our exclusive tour of the inside of the installations.
Return to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the afternoon
at your leisure until dinner.
Hotel Costa Real
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Day 10 • Tuesday, March 24
LA SERENA / SANTIAGO
This morning, visit the Gemini South Telescope, an
8.1-meter telescope located at an elevation of 8,900
feet, in a region with some of the clearest skies in the
world and surrounded by the snow-capped Andes.
Afterward, visit the adjacent Southern Observatory
for Astrophysical Research Telescope, a high-performance, modern, 4.1-meter-aperture astronomical
Magellan Project
Baade Telescope
telescope. On the return to La Serena, tour the fertile
Elqui Valley and stop at a Pisco distillery. In the late
afternoon, transfer to the airport for an evening flight
to Santiago. Enjoy dinner on your own in Chile’s
vibrant capital.
Hotel Torremayor
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Day 11 • Wednesday, March 25
SANTIAGO / U.S.
Today we explore the beautiful valleys and wineries
of Chile’s central region, where renowned Chilean
wines are produced. Later we’ll gather in the gardens
of the historic Viña Santa Rita for a farewell lunch
and wine tasting. We return to our hotel, and the
remainder of our afternoon is unscheduled before
driving to the airport for our overnight flights home.
Overnight Flight
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Day 12 • Thursday, March 26
ARRIVE U.S.
Arrive in the U.S. and connect with flights home.
Meals aloft
Viña Santa Rita
COSTS AND CONDITIONS
LAND PROGRAM COST………………………………………………..$6,945
(Per person, double occupancy)
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT ………………………………………………..$1,125
If you request to share a twin room, we will attempt to find a roommate for you. However, if at the time of
final payment, no roommate is available, a single supplement will be charged.
SAMPLE COACH AIRFARE FROM MIAMI……………………….…$1,200
(As of August 2014 and subject to change.)
INCLUDED
Nine nights’ accommodations in a three-star hotel in
Santiago plus first-class or best-available country-style hotels s private lecture rooms s airport transfers for recommended flights s all land transportation by private motor
coach s on-tour flights (Santiago/Calama, Antofagasta/La
Serena, La Serena/Santiago)* — however, increases in the
in-tour airfare after the initial pricing of this program are
not included s meals as specified in the itinerary s bottled
water during outings s baggage handling s basic gratuities
to local guides and drivers s service charges and taxes s
entrance fees on planned excursions and visits s all
domestic airport departure taxes s professional, Englishspeaking guides at all locations and a tour director
throughout s arrangements for all private visits to the
observatories s private nighttime viewing with amateur
telescopes in the Atacama s pre-departure information s
administrative expenses, coordination and mailings s
customized luggage tags and name tags.
policies, any increases in the in-tour airfare (included as
part of the program cost), security and fuel surcharges will
be passed on to the participants.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This exclusive expedition is designed for University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni and friends who are interested in
learning about the astronomy, wildlife, geology and superb natural landscapes of northern Chile. Walks are approximately one mile long (sometimes over uneven
terrain), with pauses to observe and discuss and can be
longer at the participant’s discretion. Some excursions will
reach altitudes of approximately 9,000 feet. The altitude
in San Pedro de Atacama, where we spend three nights, is
8,000 feet. On the day we visit the geysers of El Tatio, we
will briefly reach altitudes of 13,000 feet. Las Campanas
Observatory is located at an altitude of 8,900 feet; the
Paranal Observatory is located at altitude of 8,645 feet;
the Gemini Observatory is located at an altitude of approximately 7,241 feet. ALMA’s operations support facility
NOT INCLUDED
is at an altitude of 9,514 feet. There will be an optional
U.S. domestic and international airfare (quoted
visit to the site of ALMA’s radio telescopes on the
separately) s passport fees s room service s alcoholic
Chajnantor Plateau, located at an altitude of 16,400 feet.
beverages (except those included in the welcome and
Passengers must have a medical release signed by their
farewell meals) s meals not indicated in the itinerary s tip personal physician in order take part in the Chajnantor
to tour director (at passenger’s discretion) s excess bagPlateau visit. All the hotels are located at comfortable altigage charges s private transfers s medical expenses s per- tudes. Because some of the travel will be in remote areas,
sonal items such as laundry, phone calls, snacks and
flexibility is required concerning time schedules, food,
personal insurance s any increases in the in-tour airfare*
weather and dust. To enjoy this experience, participants
(included as part of the land program cost), airport taxes, must be in good physical and mental health, and they
security or fuel surcharges imposed after the initial pricing must be able to keep up with the pace of the group. Proof this program.
gram participants requiring extraordinary assistance must
be accompanied by someone who can and will provide all
*Please note that the land program cost of $6,945 inrequired assistance. We describe this trip as moderately
cludes the internal airfare at a cost of $600 (as of August
active. Travel is by regular, scheduled jet aircraft and
2014). Because of the recent fuel increases and airline
private, air-conditioned motor coach.
RESERVATIONS, DEPOSITS AND FINAL PAYMENT
To reserve a space on this tour, please mail or fax your
deposit of $800 per person, along with the completed
reservation form, to: Wisconsin Alumni Association, 650
N. Lake St., Madison, WI 53706. The initial deposit may
be charged to a credit card. Final payment is due on
December 12, 2014, and must be paid by check.
Reservations are acknowledged in order of receipt.
Royal Adventures (CST #2009579-40) handles all
bookings, ticketing and invoicing.
TOUR SIZE
This program is based on a minimum of 15 paying passengers. If there are fewer than 15 paying passengers,
a supplement of approximately $300 per person will
apply.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
Refunds, less a $400-per-person cancellation fee, are
made if we are notified in writing on or before December 12, 2014. No refunds are made after that date. All
cancellations must be made in writing. There are no
refunds for unused meals, accommodations or other
trip features.
INSURANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY
The purchase of trip cancellation insurance is highly
recommended. An application for trip cancellation insurance will be sent from the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) to all confirmed travelers. This insurance is
designed especially to protect you from trip cancellation
penalties and to provide baggage and accident/sickness
coverage. You may reach Travel Insurance Services
directly by calling (800) 937-1387. Neither the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni
Association nor Royal Adventures accepts liability for
any airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a non- refundable airline ticket or other expenses incurred by tour participants in preparing for the
tour. A detailed statement of limitations and exclusions
of liability will be provided to passengers upon enrollment and is available to prospective travelers on
request.
QUESTIONS
Please call Sheri Hicks in the WAA Travel Department
toll free at (888) 922-8728 or (608) 262-9521, or you can
email her at [email protected].
RESPONSIBILITY
Royal Adventures, its owners and employees act only as
an agent for the various independent suppliers and
contractors providing transportation, hotel accommodations, restaurant and other services connected with
this tour. Such travel and services are subject to the
terms and conditions under which such
accommodations, services and transportation are
offered or provided. The University of Wisconsin–
Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Association, Royal
Adventures and their respective employees, agents,
representatives and assigns accept no liability for such
travel and services. The University of WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin Alumni Association and Royal
Adventures assume no liability for any injury, damage,
loss, accident, delay or other irregularity that may be
caused by the defect of any aircraft or vehicle or the
negligence or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out or performing any of the services
involved. Additionally, responsibility is not accepted for
losses, injury, damages or expenses of any kind due to
sickness, weather, earthquake, strikes, local laws, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature, quarantine,
force majeure or other such causes. All services and
accommodations are subject to the laws of the country
in which they are provided. The Astronomy Board of
Visitors and Royal Adventures reserve the right to make
changes in the published itinerary whenever, in their
sole judgment, conditions warrant, or if they deem it
necessary for the comfort, convenience or safety of the
tour participants. They reserve the right to withdraw
this tour without penalty, in which case participants will
be issued a full refund, except if the tour is canceled due
to force majeure or other forces beyond our control, in
which case the recoverable portion of unused services
or accommodations will be refunded. The right is also
reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a
member of the tour, or to substitute another qualified
leader or special guest. Baggage and personal effects
are the sole responsibility of the owners at all times.
The price of the program is given in good faith based on
current tariffs and rates, and is subject to change. Any
tariff, exchange rate or fuel increases will be passed on
to participants. The Astronomy Board of Visitors and
Royal Adventures do not accept the liability for any airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a
non-refundable airline ticket. The air ticket, when
issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the
passenger and the airline concerned. As part of the
Vicuña
consideration and right to participate in this tour, each
participant will be asked to sign a liability release.
RESERVATION FORM
Enclosed is a deposit of $________ ($800 deposit per person) to hold _______ place(s) on
The Skies of the Southern Hemisphere Tour from March 15 to 26, 2015.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Name as on passport
Date of birth
_________________________________________________________________________________
Name as on passport
Date of birth
Address___________________________________ City _____________________ State__________
Zip code __________________ Email(s)_________________________________________________
¨ My check is enclosed; OR
¨ Please charge the deposit to:
¨ AMEX ¨ Visa ¨ MasterCard ¨ Discover Card
Card # __________________________________ Exp. date ____________ Security code _______
¨ I wish to pay $1,125 additional for a single accommodation. (Limited availability – please call WAA).
¨ I will share accommodations with_______________________________________.
¨ I/We will take care of our own international flight arrangements to/from Santiago, Chile.
¨ Please make round-trip flight arrangements from_____________________________________.
I/We confirm that I/we have carefully read the Costs and Conditions and the Responsibility sections of the
brochure and agree to their terms.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Signature
Date
_______________________________________________________________________________
Signature
Date
Mail, email or fax this form with credit card authorization
or check payable to ROYAL ADVENTURES to:
WAA Travel, 650 N. Lake St., Madison, WI 53706-1476.
(608) 262-9521 or toll free (888) 922-8728
Email: [email protected]
Fax (608) 262-3332
uwalumni.com/travel
For specific trip details, please call Royal Adventures at (800) 453-4754.