Stats:
- 2 taxi rides
- 2 flights
- 22 hours door to door
- 2 bags arrived intact (the duct tape held!)
We are back home and it is gooood! We walked into our building and kept saying, "Isn't this clean? Doesn't everything look so clean?"
At the writing of the post, we have completely unpacked, gone through two huge bins of mail, Arn has prepared our taxes, Arn has removed the power supply and ordered a new one for our server that died while we were gone, I have run 6 loads of laundry and put everything away, Arn has drained and refilled the hot-tub, I have washed all the camping supplies and unpacked all the bike gear (all has been stored away), we have picked up our new ottoman for the living room, and we went grocery shopping. Not bad for less than 48 hours! Arn has headed out to go kayaking. My plans for a bike ride in the tulip fields have been crushed. While I survived all the harrowing moments with the traffic while cycling, I did not survive a greasy spot on the floor at Fred Meyers (while grocery shopping). With a glass jar in hand, I had a massive wipe out. To avoid landing on the jar of jam as it smashed, I landed on the back on my hand and smashed the knuckles. So, I am currently without a "breaking hand" to cycle. Figures.
We'd love to hear from you. You now know where to find us!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Homeward Bound (Thurs 4/8)
Last night after dinner, I sat in the window and enjoyed the lights of Santiago from the 35th floor. It was a pretty sight. Knowing that we head home today, I grew a bit pensive. Our travels to the southern hemisphere have always been in search of a "second summer". Or, given the order of the year, perhaps it is a "first summer" before the one at home. Our first trip to New Zealand was in 1992, just 7 months after we started dating. While we have returned many times, we haven't been there in over five years. Still, much has changed between our first visit and our last. Last night, I started to reflect on our trips to Chile. Our first visit was in 2003. We were headed to Antarctica and tagged on two weeks in Chile. We booked an organized bike trip with Backroads for our time in Chile. The trip was canceled two weeks ahead of time. With no Spanish language skills, we threw a few ideas together and bought a phrase book. Since then, we have returned 3 more times to Chile, I have mastered restaurant Spanish, and Arn is fluent in what he calls travel Spanish. Also during this time, we have seen a lot of change in Chile. More colleges and universities have been built. Education is stressed more as a means to greater opportunities. This is evidenced by advertising and marketing campaigns highlighting the value of a college degree. We have seen dramatic changes in the skyline of Santiago. Construction cranes and beautiful, new modern skyscrappers are abundant.
We are leaving having had a great trip. The Carretera Austral and our cycle tour will be remembered as a magical time where we feasted on the remote and wild scenery. We both suspect it will be a long time before we return to Chile or Argentina. As I have said before, we have satisfied our curiousities about so many places. So, I sat in the window last night and wondered --- if we come back in 5 or 10 years, how will it have changed? What will be different? I have my own secret wishes for them. Only time will tell what happens.
So, for today's blog, we decided to finish with a sort of "Best" and "Worst" list. It is a random collection of topics, but subjects that were important to our overall experience. Some you will probably already know. Others, well, we didn't include those moments until now. Here goes...
Best breakfast ---
1st Place: Diplomatic Suites Hotel in Mendoza (Arn had grapefruit juice)
2nd Place: Hotel in Puerto Chacabuco (first time we had something other than bread in three weeks)
3rd Place: Xelena in El Calafate (eggs, Dulce de leche bombs, jam in every flavor -- not just peach)
Worst toliet ---
1st Place: Trevelin. Arn dropped a job. It would not flush. Finally, Arn had to cut it in half to flush it. One half of it flushed. The second half still didn't go. So, I dropped a new dump and then the whole thing went. It proved that sometimes in Argentina a turd needs company to leave the bowl.
2nd Place: Villa la Angostora. Arn dropped a job. It flushed, but everything backed up. We had to get maintenance and a toilet plunger. Bet you don't know the word for plunger in Spanish?
3rd Place: Trevelin. Really, it was so bad it must be mentioned again!
Best toilet --
1st Place: Hotel Diplomatic in Mendoza
2nd Place: Hotel Diplomatic in Mendoza
3rd Place: Hotel Diplomatic in Mendoza
Best Sandwich ---
1st Place: This could a tie between the sandwich we ate in a woman's dining room the day we left Futaleufu and the peanut butter sandwiches we made in Puerto Chacabuco. One was the size of our head with lettuce, awesome tomatoes, a hamburger, and roasted chicken. The other was crunchy peanut butter, thick strawberry jam with whole chunks of fruit and a perfect kaiser type bread roll.
Best Dinner ---
1st Place: No question here. This was Butterfly in Bariloche. All seven courses were awesome from the smoked trout to the risotto to the steak to the raspberry mouse.
2nd: La Cabrara in Buenes Aires. This was the shock and awe dinner with 14 side dishes and 19 different fruits and vegtables on the table at the same time.
Best city for food ---
1st Place: Buenes Aires
2nd Place: tie between Santiago and Mendoza
3rd Place: Valporaiso
Best bed ---
1st Place: Los Antiguos (awesome sheets that were clean!)
2nd Place: Buenes Aires (biggest bed we've ever seen)
Worst moment ---
Arn: When a rock nearly killed Deborah
Deborah: When a truck nearly hit Arn
Worst meal ---
For Arn: mystery meat in Amanguel. Five cyclists ate it and not one could identify it.
For Deborah: trout in El Bolson. It had too many bones that were too small to work around, yet too big to eat. The waitress said they eat the bones that size!
Best moment --
Deborah: When I saw Cerro Castillo. It was sceney on steriods that just kept getting bigger and better. It was a beautiful stretch of road. It was cycling perfection.
Arn: 1st -- When the rock thrown up by the crazy driver didn't kill Deborah. 2nd -- Base of Fitz Roy with no wind. 3rd -- Seeing the road downhill coming into Cerro Castillo and our out running of the horseflies.
Best lessons learned:
For Both of Us: For two anal planners, it was great to do a trip with no set plans. There were very few things we missed out on and many more things we were able to take advantage of.
For Arn:
1 -- Less planning and letting it unfold rather than micro managing the plan worked out better. This year's approach was a direct reaction to last year's trip. We missed on a few things but it worked out better.
2 -- Like the scenery better in Chile and the food better in Argentina.
For Deborah:
1 -- My bad Spanish is still good enough to retrieve my lost nightgown.
2 -- It is good to hold onto a wild ass dream as it might just pan out.
Worst statement made by a local ---
1st place: The doctor in Argentina that said while he felt bad for the Chileans in the earthquake, Argentina is now 20cm wider.
Best wine --
Errazuriz 2007 Carmenere Max Reserva from Aconcagua Valley (all 2007 carmenere from this valley are supposed to be silky and delicious)
Best winery ---
Benegas (Mendoza)
Best ice cream ---
El Chalten.
Best hike ---
Without a doubt, this was the hike El Chalten...from hostel, thru the white valley to the base of Fitz Roy and back to town
Best day of riding ---
Too hard to know...perhaps Valle de Los Explorodores or the day into Cerro Castillo. Everyday with good weather was a good day.
Best View from Hotel Room
1st Place: Radison Concoón, Chile
2nd Place: Sol Arrayan, Villa La Angostura, Argentina
3rd Place: Boulevard Suites, Santiago
4th Place: Xelena Hotel, El Calafate, Argentina
Best Place to See Kitties ---
1st Place: Botantical Garden in Buenes Aires
2nd Place: Cabana along road between Pucon and Argentina border (13 kittens)
3rd Place: Streets of Valpo
Biggest surprises ---
- The extent of earthquake damage so far from the epicenter
- How quickly I bonded with "Naranjita" and how hard it was to part with her once she was sold
- How good the food was in Buenes Aires
- How disgusting and dirty the streets were in Valpo
- How stunning Fitz Roy was
- How unbelievably lucky we were with weather on the Carretera Austral after such an auspicious beginning.
Lost items:
- 2 socks (Arn)
- 1 t-shirt (Arn)
- 1pair of silver earrings (Deborah)
Damaged items:
- Holes in Deborah's favorite tatoo arm warmers (with matching scars)
- Purchased new cheap duffle --- end pocket torn off during first flight, holes rubbed into other end on second flight
Packed items never used:
- Folding Bucket
- Water filter
- Most of repair kit for the bikes
- Cook kit used 1 time
- Stove used 1 time
- Bug repellent
- PreparationH (good thing)
- Platypus extra bag for water filtering
- Chemical hand and foot warmers
- GPS (only used 2 or 3 times to see elevation)
Wish we with us:
- More advil (it is $1 U.S. per 400mg pill)
- SD card reader
- 2nd pair of pants
- Long sleeve wool shirt (DC)
Things we most miss about home:
Arn:
- Friends
- Kayaking
- Computer
- Our bed
- Pasta shop
- Ethnic food
- Good pizza
- Pretzels
- Hot tub
Deborah:
- Friends
- Ability to use the phone whenever
- Our bed
- Hot tub
- Road bike
- My chocolate chip cookies
- Listerine
- soft Kleenex
- Jeans
- A real American burger
-Fitted sheets
- Decaf Lattes (the way Arn makes them)
We are leaving having had a great trip. The Carretera Austral and our cycle tour will be remembered as a magical time where we feasted on the remote and wild scenery. We both suspect it will be a long time before we return to Chile or Argentina. As I have said before, we have satisfied our curiousities about so many places. So, I sat in the window last night and wondered --- if we come back in 5 or 10 years, how will it have changed? What will be different? I have my own secret wishes for them. Only time will tell what happens.
So, for today's blog, we decided to finish with a sort of "Best" and "Worst" list. It is a random collection of topics, but subjects that were important to our overall experience. Some you will probably already know. Others, well, we didn't include those moments until now. Here goes...
Best breakfast ---
1st Place: Diplomatic Suites Hotel in Mendoza (Arn had grapefruit juice)
2nd Place: Hotel in Puerto Chacabuco (first time we had something other than bread in three weeks)
3rd Place: Xelena in El Calafate (eggs, Dulce de leche bombs, jam in every flavor -- not just peach)
Worst toliet ---
1st Place: Trevelin. Arn dropped a job. It would not flush. Finally, Arn had to cut it in half to flush it. One half of it flushed. The second half still didn't go. So, I dropped a new dump and then the whole thing went. It proved that sometimes in Argentina a turd needs company to leave the bowl.
2nd Place: Villa la Angostora. Arn dropped a job. It flushed, but everything backed up. We had to get maintenance and a toilet plunger. Bet you don't know the word for plunger in Spanish?
3rd Place: Trevelin. Really, it was so bad it must be mentioned again!
Best toilet --
1st Place: Hotel Diplomatic in Mendoza
2nd Place: Hotel Diplomatic in Mendoza
3rd Place: Hotel Diplomatic in Mendoza
Best Sandwich ---
1st Place: This could a tie between the sandwich we ate in a woman's dining room the day we left Futaleufu and the peanut butter sandwiches we made in Puerto Chacabuco. One was the size of our head with lettuce, awesome tomatoes, a hamburger, and roasted chicken. The other was crunchy peanut butter, thick strawberry jam with whole chunks of fruit and a perfect kaiser type bread roll.
Best Dinner ---
1st Place: No question here. This was Butterfly in Bariloche. All seven courses were awesome from the smoked trout to the risotto to the steak to the raspberry mouse.
2nd: La Cabrara in Buenes Aires. This was the shock and awe dinner with 14 side dishes and 19 different fruits and vegtables on the table at the same time.
Best city for food ---
1st Place: Buenes Aires
2nd Place: tie between Santiago and Mendoza
3rd Place: Valporaiso
Best bed ---
1st Place: Los Antiguos (awesome sheets that were clean!)
2nd Place: Buenes Aires (biggest bed we've ever seen)
Worst moment ---
Arn: When a rock nearly killed Deborah
Deborah: When a truck nearly hit Arn
Worst meal ---
For Arn: mystery meat in Amanguel. Five cyclists ate it and not one could identify it.
For Deborah: trout in El Bolson. It had too many bones that were too small to work around, yet too big to eat. The waitress said they eat the bones that size!
Best moment --
Deborah: When I saw Cerro Castillo. It was sceney on steriods that just kept getting bigger and better. It was a beautiful stretch of road. It was cycling perfection.
Arn: 1st -- When the rock thrown up by the crazy driver didn't kill Deborah. 2nd -- Base of Fitz Roy with no wind. 3rd -- Seeing the road downhill coming into Cerro Castillo and our out running of the horseflies.
Best lessons learned:
For Both of Us: For two anal planners, it was great to do a trip with no set plans. There were very few things we missed out on and many more things we were able to take advantage of.
For Arn:
1 -- Less planning and letting it unfold rather than micro managing the plan worked out better. This year's approach was a direct reaction to last year's trip. We missed on a few things but it worked out better.
2 -- Like the scenery better in Chile and the food better in Argentina.
For Deborah:
1 -- My bad Spanish is still good enough to retrieve my lost nightgown.
2 -- It is good to hold onto a wild ass dream as it might just pan out.
Worst statement made by a local ---
1st place: The doctor in Argentina that said while he felt bad for the Chileans in the earthquake, Argentina is now 20cm wider.
Best wine --
Errazuriz 2007 Carmenere Max Reserva from Aconcagua Valley (all 2007 carmenere from this valley are supposed to be silky and delicious)
Best winery ---
Benegas (Mendoza)
Best ice cream ---
El Chalten.
Best hike ---
Without a doubt, this was the hike El Chalten...from hostel, thru the white valley to the base of Fitz Roy and back to town
Best day of riding ---
Too hard to know...perhaps Valle de Los Explorodores or the day into Cerro Castillo. Everyday with good weather was a good day.
Best View from Hotel Room
1st Place: Radison Concoón, Chile
2nd Place: Sol Arrayan, Villa La Angostura, Argentina
3rd Place: Boulevard Suites, Santiago
4th Place: Xelena Hotel, El Calafate, Argentina
Best Place to See Kitties ---
1st Place: Botantical Garden in Buenes Aires
2nd Place: Cabana along road between Pucon and Argentina border (13 kittens)
3rd Place: Streets of Valpo
Biggest surprises ---
- The extent of earthquake damage so far from the epicenter
- How quickly I bonded with "Naranjita" and how hard it was to part with her once she was sold
- How good the food was in Buenes Aires
- How disgusting and dirty the streets were in Valpo
- How stunning Fitz Roy was
- How unbelievably lucky we were with weather on the Carretera Austral after such an auspicious beginning.
Lost items:
- 2 socks (Arn)
- 1 t-shirt (Arn)
- 1pair of silver earrings (Deborah)
Damaged items:
- Holes in Deborah's favorite tatoo arm warmers (with matching scars)
- Purchased new cheap duffle --- end pocket torn off during first flight, holes rubbed into other end on second flight
Packed items never used:
- Folding Bucket
- Water filter
- Most of repair kit for the bikes
- Cook kit used 1 time
- Stove used 1 time
- Bug repellent
- PreparationH (good thing)
- Platypus extra bag for water filtering
- Chemical hand and foot warmers
- GPS (only used 2 or 3 times to see elevation)
Wish we with us:
- More advil (it is $1 U.S. per 400mg pill)
- SD card reader
- 2nd pair of pants
- Long sleeve wool shirt (DC)
Things we most miss about home:
Arn:
- Friends
- Kayaking
- Computer
- Our bed
- Pasta shop
- Ethnic food
- Good pizza
- Pretzels
- Hot tub
Deborah:
- Friends
- Ability to use the phone whenever
- Our bed
- Hot tub
- Road bike
- My chocolate chip cookies
- Listerine
- soft Kleenex
- Jeans
- A real American burger
-Fitted sheets
- Decaf Lattes (the way Arn makes them)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Santiago (Wed 4/7)
Well, today's breakfast was a new experience --- room service! That is how they do it here. It is actually a nice change to sit in our own mini-apartment and enjoy breakfast and the view from our window. It has been a slow day. Arn says we should try and soak up the heat as it is not going to be this warm at home for a while.
Here was the rundown for the day....
- Breakfast & internet
- Packing (I am ready to GO HOME)
- Two workouts (his and hers) on the exercise bikes in the gym
- Showers
- More internet
- Lunch (another great salad and pizza)
- Movie: The latest Mel Gibson thrill....skip it, unless you are killing time
- Watched episodes of 24 from our DVR at home
- More internet
- Dinner...we returned to the same Italian restaurant.
Now, there is a danger in revealing this itinerary because some people ask us, "what is your typical day like?" Let me tell you, this is not our typical day. In fact, the last 3 weeks have been extremely different than our typical life experiences. At first, I think Arn went a bit crazier than me. Then, I turned into the caged animal. We have enjoyed some awesome food and great wines. However, we are lacking in physical activity. And since leaving El Chalten, we have missed the company of fellow cyclists. We are just ready to get on a plane and suffer the journey. If only one could click one's heels and be transported!
Here was the rundown for the day....
- Breakfast & internet
- Packing (I am ready to GO HOME)
- Two workouts (his and hers) on the exercise bikes in the gym
- Showers
- More internet
- Lunch (another great salad and pizza)
- Movie: The latest Mel Gibson thrill....skip it, unless you are killing time
- Watched episodes of 24 from our DVR at home
- More internet
- Dinner...we returned to the same Italian restaurant.
Now, there is a danger in revealing this itinerary because some people ask us, "what is your typical day like?" Let me tell you, this is not our typical day. In fact, the last 3 weeks have been extremely different than our typical life experiences. At first, I think Arn went a bit crazier than me. Then, I turned into the caged animal. We have enjoyed some awesome food and great wines. However, we are lacking in physical activity. And since leaving El Chalten, we have missed the company of fellow cyclists. We are just ready to get on a plane and suffer the journey. If only one could click one's heels and be transported!
Return to Santiago (Tues 4/6)
We woke up again to foggy skies. Arn's upper back is still very wrenched and he moves a bit like the tin man. After breakfast, we packed up our stuff and hung out reading. We had time to kill before getting the bus. "Packing up" is such an overstatement. Most of what we are carrying has not been opened or touched since we finished cycling. I would say that everything the two of are actually using would fit in one brown paper grocery bag. The rest of it is just heavy gear.
As an aside, I have to admit --- I have had some time in front of the television. I have to tell you about South American infomercials. While I think the ones in the U.S. can be crazy, the ones here are totally over the top. Last year, we watched this "thing" that was the super push up bra. Women were supposed to wear it in addition to their regular bra. This thing hoisted everything so high that a woman could rest her chin on her boobs. The before and after photos were comical. This year, I have watched adds for this super chopper thing. It beats the ginzu knife commerial and it total crazy. My two favorite ads have been for the shoes you wear 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week. The result? Buns of steel! Abs of steel! And legs of iron! Give me a break. Then, there is the "hand massager" that you use to increase your muscle tone. I was not really sure about this..."hand massager" or "sex aid tool". I will leave that one to the customer to decide. It can be ordered everywhere from Panama to Argentina.
Today was our last bus ride and our return to Santiago. It was uneventful. Our hotel is more of a small apartment. It is in a complex next to the Marriot and a block from the super-high-end mall with tons of restaurants and a movie theatre. Our room is nice and on the 35th floor over looking the city. Now, how do we feel about being on the 35th floor after the earthquake? Well, the building is still standing. In fact, we have not seen damage as visible as along the coast. Once we checked out the hotel a little more closely, we noticed the main entrance into the Marriot is closed. The glass atrium has several panels of glass that have shattered. It looks like one giant shattered windshield about two stories over head. Good thing the area is taped off.
We checked out the nearby mall. It is a very nice mall. Clearly, there are some people in Santiago and Chile that are doing extremely well to support such high end retail. On the top floor of the mall, there is the design center. It is full of super modern furniture and accessories. I would love to have this Seattle! For lunch, we had a great salad and pizza. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped in the biggest grocery store we have ever seen in South America. It was huge even for the U.S.
As luck would have it, Arn met a fellow American on the elevator. And then as luck would have it again, I ran into them as they were getting off the elevator (I was headed up). The three of us stood and talked for a while. This guy is living and working in Santiago for 2-3 years. He has been here a little over a year. He and his wife were in Santiago for the quake. For those of you have have been in a quake, you'll appreciate this. He said the shaking was so violent that it would have been impossible to walk out of their condo without falling. They decided to stay in bed. He said many people were injured in the process of trying to leave their beds. He also said their offices in Santiago were completely destroyed --- roof collapsed into the building. He felt sure people would have been killed if it occured during the work day. They have rented suites in our hotel and set up their offices. He said they checked out the fire escape and wondered if the building is really safe. There are cracks 8 to 12 inches wide in the concrete inside the stairwells. They talked with the hotel manager and he assured them a structural engineer had signed off of the safety of the building. They were still concerned and hired their own structural engineer. This guy explained that the cracks are how the building absorbs the shock. Okay. I still have not checked out the stairwell -- maybe tomorrow or maybe the day we leave so I don't have to think about too long. I did tell you we are on the 35th floor?!
After the earthquake discussion, we moved onto restaurants. This guy gave us a great tip and we took it. We enjoyed the best Italian dinner of the entire trip. Arn had a stuffed pasta with seafood and cheese. Mine was pasta stuffed with pumpkin and ricotta and a black truffle sauce. It was sinful. I hope I can get outside for some cycling when we get home...I am going to have a lot of meals to pedal off! Tonight was probably the first night ever that it was too cool to sit outside for dinner in Santiago. This and the fact it is getting dark by 7pm are two clues that fall is here. In the mall, I noticed that all the stores are showing sweaters and boots. So, we are looking forward to a return to spring. While Seattle will be much colder, the days are growing warmer and longer. Well, at least longer. The snow levels are forecasted at 500 feet for Friday. Can you imagine if we fly home into snow in the hills?!?!
As an aside, I have to admit --- I have had some time in front of the television. I have to tell you about South American infomercials. While I think the ones in the U.S. can be crazy, the ones here are totally over the top. Last year, we watched this "thing" that was the super push up bra. Women were supposed to wear it in addition to their regular bra. This thing hoisted everything so high that a woman could rest her chin on her boobs. The before and after photos were comical. This year, I have watched adds for this super chopper thing. It beats the ginzu knife commerial and it total crazy. My two favorite ads have been for the shoes you wear 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week. The result? Buns of steel! Abs of steel! And legs of iron! Give me a break. Then, there is the "hand massager" that you use to increase your muscle tone. I was not really sure about this..."hand massager" or "sex aid tool". I will leave that one to the customer to decide. It can be ordered everywhere from Panama to Argentina.
Today was our last bus ride and our return to Santiago. It was uneventful. Our hotel is more of a small apartment. It is in a complex next to the Marriot and a block from the super-high-end mall with tons of restaurants and a movie theatre. Our room is nice and on the 35th floor over looking the city. Now, how do we feel about being on the 35th floor after the earthquake? Well, the building is still standing. In fact, we have not seen damage as visible as along the coast. Once we checked out the hotel a little more closely, we noticed the main entrance into the Marriot is closed. The glass atrium has several panels of glass that have shattered. It looks like one giant shattered windshield about two stories over head. Good thing the area is taped off.
We checked out the nearby mall. It is a very nice mall. Clearly, there are some people in Santiago and Chile that are doing extremely well to support such high end retail. On the top floor of the mall, there is the design center. It is full of super modern furniture and accessories. I would love to have this Seattle! For lunch, we had a great salad and pizza. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped in the biggest grocery store we have ever seen in South America. It was huge even for the U.S.
As luck would have it, Arn met a fellow American on the elevator. And then as luck would have it again, I ran into them as they were getting off the elevator (I was headed up). The three of us stood and talked for a while. This guy is living and working in Santiago for 2-3 years. He has been here a little over a year. He and his wife were in Santiago for the quake. For those of you have have been in a quake, you'll appreciate this. He said the shaking was so violent that it would have been impossible to walk out of their condo without falling. They decided to stay in bed. He said many people were injured in the process of trying to leave their beds. He also said their offices in Santiago were completely destroyed --- roof collapsed into the building. He felt sure people would have been killed if it occured during the work day. They have rented suites in our hotel and set up their offices. He said they checked out the fire escape and wondered if the building is really safe. There are cracks 8 to 12 inches wide in the concrete inside the stairwells. They talked with the hotel manager and he assured them a structural engineer had signed off of the safety of the building. They were still concerned and hired their own structural engineer. This guy explained that the cracks are how the building absorbs the shock. Okay. I still have not checked out the stairwell -- maybe tomorrow or maybe the day we leave so I don't have to think about too long. I did tell you we are on the 35th floor?!
After the earthquake discussion, we moved onto restaurants. This guy gave us a great tip and we took it. We enjoyed the best Italian dinner of the entire trip. Arn had a stuffed pasta with seafood and cheese. Mine was pasta stuffed with pumpkin and ricotta and a black truffle sauce. It was sinful. I hope I can get outside for some cycling when we get home...I am going to have a lot of meals to pedal off! Tonight was probably the first night ever that it was too cool to sit outside for dinner in Santiago. This and the fact it is getting dark by 7pm are two clues that fall is here. In the mall, I noticed that all the stores are showing sweaters and boots. So, we are looking forward to a return to spring. While Seattle will be much colder, the days are growing warmer and longer. Well, at least longer. The snow levels are forecasted at 500 feet for Friday. Can you imagine if we fly home into snow in the hills?!?!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Concón (Mon 4/5)
We woke up to coastal fog, a still wrenched back and shoulder for Arn, and no internet. So, Arn will not be going for a run today. I am continuing to nurse my foot. We both agree --- I have become the herion addict that has not had a "fix" in quite a while. In other words, I am experiencing a serious withdrawl effect from the lack of endorphins. Given my foot issues, going for a run is not an option. Walking is not aerobic enough to produce the same "high". I am really missing a bike. I can't remember the last time I was off a bike this long. It certainly wasn't went I had a hysterectomy --- I was cycling on a trainer exactly two weeks after surgery. Arn can't remember the last time he didn't paddle a kayak for this long (probably before we started paddling). While I have been out of a kayak for longer than Arn, I don't miss it like he does. And, he isn't craving a bike ride like I am. He had been running.
After breakfast, the Internet returned. This is a very good thing as there is not much to do. Our Plan B is proving not to be such a good Plan B. We are thinking we should paid the fee and come home early. Or, we should have gone to Uraguay to check out the beaches. In a perfect world, the earthquake would not have happened and we would be at my favorite inn --mountain biking, running, swimming, eating and drinking. Oh well.
Our thoughts have defintely turned toward home and all that we are missing...time with friends, our bed, the hot tub, bikes, kayaks, etc. We are both feeling that we want to park ourselves in Seattle and never leave. Arn calculated that out of the last 9 months, we have only been home for 3. "Traveled out" is definitely the feeling.
We enjoyed a walk along the coastline. It felt a lot like a foggy day in Monterey or Carmel, CA. We found a place for lunch and both enjoyed great salmon. My salmon was described as coming with various vegtables including something called "dientes de dragón". This literally means dragon's teeth. While I asked, the waiter could not offer a different translation. They turned out to be bean sprouts. My Spanish food vocabulary continues to grow.
Our afternoon was spent reading, slinging some television from our DVR at home, and watching bad television locally. For dinner, we enjoyed a great dry-aged steak. It looked like something out of the Flintstones. We ordered grilled eggplant, tomatoes, and onions. For dessert, we tried something called "Toblerone". Yes, it was made from Toberlone chocolate, but is was something like a semifreddo, ganache, mousse, fudge thing. Tomorrow, we take out last bus ride --- back to Santiago. We are both hoping for a gym in the hotel. This girl needs an endorphin fix.
This afternoon, I started mapping out my bike rides for the weekend. I am thinking about riding the tulip fields north of Seattle. This month is the Tulip Festival. This, of course, assumes that 1) I can get my car battery reconnected, or 2) AAA can get it reconnected and 3) once connected, it actually starts. I created so much 'drama' in the disconnecting process that I had to call AAA and place two 'phone-a-friend' calls to our friend, Bret, for technical support. Luckily for both of us, Arn was in Ecuador and missed this whole evening of "fun". So, this is on my todo list for Friday afternoon.
After breakfast, the Internet returned. This is a very good thing as there is not much to do. Our Plan B is proving not to be such a good Plan B. We are thinking we should paid the fee and come home early. Or, we should have gone to Uraguay to check out the beaches. In a perfect world, the earthquake would not have happened and we would be at my favorite inn --mountain biking, running, swimming, eating and drinking. Oh well.
Our thoughts have defintely turned toward home and all that we are missing...time with friends, our bed, the hot tub, bikes, kayaks, etc. We are both feeling that we want to park ourselves in Seattle and never leave. Arn calculated that out of the last 9 months, we have only been home for 3. "Traveled out" is definitely the feeling.
We enjoyed a walk along the coastline. It felt a lot like a foggy day in Monterey or Carmel, CA. We found a place for lunch and both enjoyed great salmon. My salmon was described as coming with various vegtables including something called "dientes de dragón". This literally means dragon's teeth. While I asked, the waiter could not offer a different translation. They turned out to be bean sprouts. My Spanish food vocabulary continues to grow.
Our afternoon was spent reading, slinging some television from our DVR at home, and watching bad television locally. For dinner, we enjoyed a great dry-aged steak. It looked like something out of the Flintstones. We ordered grilled eggplant, tomatoes, and onions. For dessert, we tried something called "Toblerone". Yes, it was made from Toberlone chocolate, but is was something like a semifreddo, ganache, mousse, fudge thing. Tomorrow, we take out last bus ride --- back to Santiago. We are both hoping for a gym in the hotel. This girl needs an endorphin fix.
This afternoon, I started mapping out my bike rides for the weekend. I am thinking about riding the tulip fields north of Seattle. This month is the Tulip Festival. This, of course, assumes that 1) I can get my car battery reconnected, or 2) AAA can get it reconnected and 3) once connected, it actually starts. I created so much 'drama' in the disconnecting process that I had to call AAA and place two 'phone-a-friend' calls to our friend, Bret, for technical support. Luckily for both of us, Arn was in Ecuador and missed this whole evening of "fun". So, this is on my todo list for Friday afternoon.
Concón (Sun 4/4)
Well, the Chileans partied last night and we heard it all out the window. It was a long and fitfull night with car alarms, people laughing, and kids crying. Last night was also daylight savings time, so I guess people figured they had an extra hour to party. The Chilean government changed the date for the time change --- they delayed it several weeks because of the earthquake. I am not sure if or how that helped.
Arn went for a run. I decided to wait for the fitness center in our next hotel. This would turn out to be a bad decision for both of us.
Arn encountered a dog on his run. This dog followed him. Then, this dog met up with another dog. Arn turned to make sure he was not about to become dog meat. This was the moment his upper back and shoulder got wrenched. It was and is wrenched badly. He returned from his run in agony. I tried to massage it, but he had a knot over six inches long and one inch wide. That baby smacks of a keeper. He took a shower while I watched more bad television. I would have gone for a walk, but my left foot (yes, the one that required a cortisone injection) is giving me problems. While denial would be better, I am fearful of where this is headed. So, I held out for a fitness center with a bike.
We took a taxi about 13 miles north to Concon. Our next hotel is brand new and on the water. We arrived around noon, check in is not until three, and today is Easter. So, our room was not ready. We checked out the hotel. I am screwed on my desire for a nice fitness center. They are building a new fitness center. There are two bikes facing the wall in a dark corner in the bowls of the hotel. I might get that desperate tomorrow.
We walked into town looking for lunch and to check things out. We have been duped. While on-line we read good things about Concón, the reality is pretty disappointing. There is not a lot here other than a beautiful stretch of coastline, surfers, and an oil refinery. We did manage to find the one good restaurant in town. We both enjoyed fantastic pasta for lunch --- something stuffed with cheese and artichokes. Arn had a putanesca sauce that I could smell the anchovies in from across the table. I went with the tomato sauce (no surprise there). The restaurant is better known for their dry-aged beef. The waiter explained that they are the only restaurant in Chile to offer dry-aged beef. They have a few locations --- one in Concón and the others in Santiago. So, we booked a dinner reservation for tomorrow night.
After lunch, we were able to check into our room. It is a stunning view and perhaps the best of the trip. We are overlooking the ocean. It is a rocky coastline with crashing waves. It reminds both of us of Carmel. Our windows are close enough to the water that we could literally spit into the sea. With the windows open, it is quite spectacular in sight, sound and smell. Perched on the rocks, we can see several types of birds including black cormorants and pelicans the size of a tricycle. I am not pulling your leg --- their bills are at least a foot long and they stand as tall as my mid-thigh. While we saw lots of seals along the drive, I am glad we are not listening to them bark or smelling them. So far, I have not spotted them on the rocks in front of us. We had all the barking and putrid smells in Valpo that one needs for any trip.
The internet was out all day. So, I have watched a total of three movies --- 2 were Hugh Grant films. Clearly, it was not a highlight. Now, Mark Walberg or Christian Bale movies would be a different thing all together.
Given the Easter holiday and restaurant closures, we ate in the hotel. It was much better than expected and actually quite good. Arn had Mahi Mahi and I had a smoke salmon salad. Given that Arn had no relief from wrenched back and shoulder, we were ready for bed with the hope of recovery through sleep.
Arn went for a run. I decided to wait for the fitness center in our next hotel. This would turn out to be a bad decision for both of us.
Arn encountered a dog on his run. This dog followed him. Then, this dog met up with another dog. Arn turned to make sure he was not about to become dog meat. This was the moment his upper back and shoulder got wrenched. It was and is wrenched badly. He returned from his run in agony. I tried to massage it, but he had a knot over six inches long and one inch wide. That baby smacks of a keeper. He took a shower while I watched more bad television. I would have gone for a walk, but my left foot (yes, the one that required a cortisone injection) is giving me problems. While denial would be better, I am fearful of where this is headed. So, I held out for a fitness center with a bike.
We took a taxi about 13 miles north to Concon. Our next hotel is brand new and on the water. We arrived around noon, check in is not until three, and today is Easter. So, our room was not ready. We checked out the hotel. I am screwed on my desire for a nice fitness center. They are building a new fitness center. There are two bikes facing the wall in a dark corner in the bowls of the hotel. I might get that desperate tomorrow.
We walked into town looking for lunch and to check things out. We have been duped. While on-line we read good things about Concón, the reality is pretty disappointing. There is not a lot here other than a beautiful stretch of coastline, surfers, and an oil refinery. We did manage to find the one good restaurant in town. We both enjoyed fantastic pasta for lunch --- something stuffed with cheese and artichokes. Arn had a putanesca sauce that I could smell the anchovies in from across the table. I went with the tomato sauce (no surprise there). The restaurant is better known for their dry-aged beef. The waiter explained that they are the only restaurant in Chile to offer dry-aged beef. They have a few locations --- one in Concón and the others in Santiago. So, we booked a dinner reservation for tomorrow night.
After lunch, we were able to check into our room. It is a stunning view and perhaps the best of the trip. We are overlooking the ocean. It is a rocky coastline with crashing waves. It reminds both of us of Carmel. Our windows are close enough to the water that we could literally spit into the sea. With the windows open, it is quite spectacular in sight, sound and smell. Perched on the rocks, we can see several types of birds including black cormorants and pelicans the size of a tricycle. I am not pulling your leg --- their bills are at least a foot long and they stand as tall as my mid-thigh. While we saw lots of seals along the drive, I am glad we are not listening to them bark or smelling them. So far, I have not spotted them on the rocks in front of us. We had all the barking and putrid smells in Valpo that one needs for any trip.
The internet was out all day. So, I have watched a total of three movies --- 2 were Hugh Grant films. Clearly, it was not a highlight. Now, Mark Walberg or Christian Bale movies would be a different thing all together.
Given the Easter holiday and restaurant closures, we ate in the hotel. It was much better than expected and actually quite good. Arn had Mahi Mahi and I had a smoke salmon salad. Given that Arn had no relief from wrenched back and shoulder, we were ready for bed with the hope of recovery through sleep.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Viña Del Mar (Sat 4/3)
Well, we survived night 1 in our less than desirable hotel room. I have a bunch of bug bites to go with the experience. They must have itched a lot in the middle of the night because they were pretty raw and red this morning.
We had toast for breakfast and headed out for some exercise. Arn went for a run while I went for a walk. The morning temps were cool and very pleasant for running and walking. There were quite a few runners and walkers along the ocean this morning. There were also all the guys with their horse drawn carriages preparing for a day of tourist rides. It was like something out of Central Park in New York City times ten! Yesterday, we noticed that quite a few people actually seem to take a carriage ride. It is not for us. But then, we are the people who say, "a horse killed Superman". After our respective run/walk, we stopped at Starbucks. We both ogled the pastries in the case. It looked like home...chocolate chip muffins, raspberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and lemon cake. We left with a coffee for Arn and iced tea for me.
We found a place to drop off our laundry. It must be express service because of Easter. This is the fastest turn around time of the whole trip --- 2.5 hours. Yes, the place was more expensive, but it also probably the only place that is open near our hotel. We spent a couple of hours in the internet cafe waiting for our laundry. For lunch, I proposed Pizza Hut. We did a bit of the "El Camino" crawl and decided on Mexican food. The place was packed with Chileans. In the same way people in Argentina seemed obsessed with sushi, the people in Viña del Mar seem obsessed with Mexican food. It was actually pretty good and definitely better than Pizza Hut.
After lunch, we figured we would try another movie. On the way to the theatre, we walked a different street. We were stunned by the earthquake damage. Two high-rises were completely evacuated. In both cases, the buildings were between 10 and 12 stories. Windows were shattered throughout the buildings. In one case, rebar punched through the plaster. Both buildings had large cracks and slumps in the structures. Through the windows, it was clear that people had completely moved out. Signs were posted indicating that the buildings are inhabitable. They both appeared to have been built in the 1970s or early 80s. It is frightening to consider --- the distance from Vina del Mar to the epicenter is about the same as San Jose, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA. Luckily, the buildings are still standing and people made it out.
On a lighter note, we have noticed a big difference between Viña and Valpo. We think there is someone in Viña rounding up all the dogs and dropping them off in Valpo. The streets are clean here and we have seen way fewer stray dogs. Don´t get me wrong, we still see them, but in much fewer numbers. We have also noticed "fake dog poop" for sale along the beach. There are all kinds of stalls selling everything you can imagine --- hats, t-shirts, jewelry, and fake dog poop. We think there is some enterprising guy that drives to Valpo, carefully scoops the poop and sprays it with a special sealant. It is like the people in New Zealand that use the fur from dead possums to make houseslippers. They have a great marketing name --- "New Zealand Mink".
For dinner, we returned to the same place we ate last night. We had another good meal and another awesome wine from the Aconcagua Valley. We ordered tiramisu. We just need to wait until we are home and I make it.
P.S. Today's movie? Daybreakers. A story about vampires. Not bad and a very different twist on an old story.
P.S.S. I finished Jon Krakauer's book about the Pat Tillman story. If I had it to do over again, I think I might have read the book that Pat's mom wrote. Krakauer can't tell the story without lacing in his politically views. So, now I am reading, "Body Signs"....another medical book.
We had toast for breakfast and headed out for some exercise. Arn went for a run while I went for a walk. The morning temps were cool and very pleasant for running and walking. There were quite a few runners and walkers along the ocean this morning. There were also all the guys with their horse drawn carriages preparing for a day of tourist rides. It was like something out of Central Park in New York City times ten! Yesterday, we noticed that quite a few people actually seem to take a carriage ride. It is not for us. But then, we are the people who say, "a horse killed Superman". After our respective run/walk, we stopped at Starbucks. We both ogled the pastries in the case. It looked like home...chocolate chip muffins, raspberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and lemon cake. We left with a coffee for Arn and iced tea for me.
We found a place to drop off our laundry. It must be express service because of Easter. This is the fastest turn around time of the whole trip --- 2.5 hours. Yes, the place was more expensive, but it also probably the only place that is open near our hotel. We spent a couple of hours in the internet cafe waiting for our laundry. For lunch, I proposed Pizza Hut. We did a bit of the "El Camino" crawl and decided on Mexican food. The place was packed with Chileans. In the same way people in Argentina seemed obsessed with sushi, the people in Viña del Mar seem obsessed with Mexican food. It was actually pretty good and definitely better than Pizza Hut.
After lunch, we figured we would try another movie. On the way to the theatre, we walked a different street. We were stunned by the earthquake damage. Two high-rises were completely evacuated. In both cases, the buildings were between 10 and 12 stories. Windows were shattered throughout the buildings. In one case, rebar punched through the plaster. Both buildings had large cracks and slumps in the structures. Through the windows, it was clear that people had completely moved out. Signs were posted indicating that the buildings are inhabitable. They both appeared to have been built in the 1970s or early 80s. It is frightening to consider --- the distance from Vina del Mar to the epicenter is about the same as San Jose, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA. Luckily, the buildings are still standing and people made it out.
On a lighter note, we have noticed a big difference between Viña and Valpo. We think there is someone in Viña rounding up all the dogs and dropping them off in Valpo. The streets are clean here and we have seen way fewer stray dogs. Don´t get me wrong, we still see them, but in much fewer numbers. We have also noticed "fake dog poop" for sale along the beach. There are all kinds of stalls selling everything you can imagine --- hats, t-shirts, jewelry, and fake dog poop. We think there is some enterprising guy that drives to Valpo, carefully scoops the poop and sprays it with a special sealant. It is like the people in New Zealand that use the fur from dead possums to make houseslippers. They have a great marketing name --- "New Zealand Mink".
For dinner, we returned to the same place we ate last night. We had another good meal and another awesome wine from the Aconcagua Valley. We ordered tiramisu. We just need to wait until we are home and I make it.
P.S. Today's movie? Daybreakers. A story about vampires. Not bad and a very different twist on an old story.
P.S.S. I finished Jon Krakauer's book about the Pat Tillman story. If I had it to do over again, I think I might have read the book that Pat's mom wrote. Krakauer can't tell the story without lacing in his politically views. So, now I am reading, "Body Signs"....another medical book.
Viña Del Mar (Fri 4/2)
Stats:
- 2 people duped on a hotel...
- 2 non-beach people "beaching it"
- Too many to count ice cream extravaganzas
- 1 great dinner
Four nights in Valpo was enough to 1) see everything we were interested in seeing, and 2) get sick of the filth and dogs. So, we took a taxi about 7 miles north to Viña Del Mar. Viña is where the Chileans go when they want to go to the beach. We are not heat or beach people, but we wanted to check it out. Given that our plan A fell apart with the earthquake, we are making up a plan B. And, we had a first choice hotel in Viña, but we could only get a "smoking" room. So, we had to book into a different hotel. Let me tell you, photos can lie. Reviews on Trip Advisor can also lie. We checked into the worst hotel we have seen since we left the Carretera Austral. There is one significant difference. This is the first time we have had the "privilege" of paying $157 per night for both pink and black mold in the bathroom. Arn said something we the front desk about the contrast between the internet photos and the room. They said all the rooms look the same. Maybe they took photos of a different hotel? Anyway, they knocked $27 off the rate. It is still crazy for where we are staying.
We left our stuff and took to the streets to walk around. We walked along the beach with the thousands of people that have left Santiago and come to the beach for Easter. The temperatures are actually nice --- 70s and sunny. We left the beach and headed to the mall. There was a movie theatre in the mall. We decided to have lunch in the food court and catch a movie. It was McDonalds for lunch and "Lovely Bones" in the theatre. Did you know you cannot get a hamburger without cheese in these parts? Arn asked for a cheeseburger (for me) without the cheese. She looked puzzled. I had a kids cheeseburger --- with the cheese. The movie was very well done and we both recommend it. I had read the book, but Peter Jackson did a better job with the movie than the author did with the book. I rarely say that, but this time I think it applies.
After the movie, we walked around looking for a laundry place for tomorrow. Given the holiday, most things are closed today and will be closed for the weekend. During our stroll, we decided to get ice cream. We found the same ice cream chain that exists in Santiago. It was packed. It was toe to toe and nose to nose. They have a good system. You pay for your ice cream first. You are given a number. When they call your number, you order what you want. So, we had time to watch a lot of ice cream go by. They also have a cafe where people sit and order ice cream. I saw something I had never ever seen before. A woman built an ice cream sundae in a bowl large enough to hold a ten pound sleeping cat! I kid you not --- she scooped in at least 12 scoops of ice cream and the ice cream did not even reach the top edge of the clear glass bowl. It was an insane amount of ice cream! As we walked through the cafe, we laughed --- we only hope some of the ice cream consumed was a meal replacement strategy because huge sundaes abounded on the tables everywhere. Arn had a cone with two flavors --- raspberry and dulce de leche with chocolate chips. I had a single flavor cone with mousse chocolate. The cones were SO huge they served them upside in a plastic bowl.
We enjoyed the ice cream and the walk to our moldy room. We watched most of the movie "Titanic" before heading out for dinner. We had a great meal --- smoked salmon and a steak to share. The restaurant reviews in Viña are not great. So, we made a reservation for the same place tomorrow night. Tonight, we tried a wine from the Aconcagua Valley. It was a fantastic Camenere.
- 2 people duped on a hotel...
- 2 non-beach people "beaching it"
- Too many to count ice cream extravaganzas
- 1 great dinner
Four nights in Valpo was enough to 1) see everything we were interested in seeing, and 2) get sick of the filth and dogs. So, we took a taxi about 7 miles north to Viña Del Mar. Viña is where the Chileans go when they want to go to the beach. We are not heat or beach people, but we wanted to check it out. Given that our plan A fell apart with the earthquake, we are making up a plan B. And, we had a first choice hotel in Viña, but we could only get a "smoking" room. So, we had to book into a different hotel. Let me tell you, photos can lie. Reviews on Trip Advisor can also lie. We checked into the worst hotel we have seen since we left the Carretera Austral. There is one significant difference. This is the first time we have had the "privilege" of paying $157 per night for both pink and black mold in the bathroom. Arn said something we the front desk about the contrast between the internet photos and the room. They said all the rooms look the same. Maybe they took photos of a different hotel? Anyway, they knocked $27 off the rate. It is still crazy for where we are staying.
We left our stuff and took to the streets to walk around. We walked along the beach with the thousands of people that have left Santiago and come to the beach for Easter. The temperatures are actually nice --- 70s and sunny. We left the beach and headed to the mall. There was a movie theatre in the mall. We decided to have lunch in the food court and catch a movie. It was McDonalds for lunch and "Lovely Bones" in the theatre. Did you know you cannot get a hamburger without cheese in these parts? Arn asked for a cheeseburger (for me) without the cheese. She looked puzzled. I had a kids cheeseburger --- with the cheese. The movie was very well done and we both recommend it. I had read the book, but Peter Jackson did a better job with the movie than the author did with the book. I rarely say that, but this time I think it applies.
After the movie, we walked around looking for a laundry place for tomorrow. Given the holiday, most things are closed today and will be closed for the weekend. During our stroll, we decided to get ice cream. We found the same ice cream chain that exists in Santiago. It was packed. It was toe to toe and nose to nose. They have a good system. You pay for your ice cream first. You are given a number. When they call your number, you order what you want. So, we had time to watch a lot of ice cream go by. They also have a cafe where people sit and order ice cream. I saw something I had never ever seen before. A woman built an ice cream sundae in a bowl large enough to hold a ten pound sleeping cat! I kid you not --- she scooped in at least 12 scoops of ice cream and the ice cream did not even reach the top edge of the clear glass bowl. It was an insane amount of ice cream! As we walked through the cafe, we laughed --- we only hope some of the ice cream consumed was a meal replacement strategy because huge sundaes abounded on the tables everywhere. Arn had a cone with two flavors --- raspberry and dulce de leche with chocolate chips. I had a single flavor cone with mousse chocolate. The cones were SO huge they served them upside in a plastic bowl.
We enjoyed the ice cream and the walk to our moldy room. We watched most of the movie "Titanic" before heading out for dinner. We had a great meal --- smoked salmon and a steak to share. The restaurant reviews in Viña are not great. So, we made a reservation for the same place tomorrow night. Tonight, we tried a wine from the Aconcagua Valley. It was a fantastic Camenere.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Casablanca Wine Valley (Thurs 4/1)
Today we did a tour through the Casablanca wine valley. It is about 40 minutes from Valpo and probably 45 minutes from Santiago. It sits in between the two places. It is a relatively new grape growing region as they got started in 1985. They grow mainly Savignon Blanc, Chardonay, and Pinot Noir. Our tour guide is a Brit that fell for a Chilean girl while here on a study abroad program. Now married with two kids, he is giving wine tours in the summer and ski tours in the winter. We were joined by another couple of England for the tour.
Here is the tour in a nutshell --- great tours as everything was in full swing with the harvest, crushing, bottling and packaging. We visited three wineries and one included a fantastic lunch (this chef knew how to cook the meat perfectly). The wines? Not interesting, so I won't bother with names. We love the great value Veramonte Chardonnay that comes from this region. For us, the best Chilean wine still come from Colchagua Valley.
We enjoyed a good seafood dinner overlooking the lights of Valpo. Arn had seared tuna. I had congrio (eel) wrapped in phyllo. Both were excellent.
Tomorrow, we change hotels and move about six miles north to Vina del Mar. It is where the Chileans go when they want to go to the beach. Given the holiday weekend, it is going to be crazy. We couldn't extend our stay in Valpo as our hotel is full. This is okay as three days was enough in Valpo. Our first choice place in Vina was full. So, we had go with something further down on the list. It was well reviewed on Trip Advisor, but we passed it in the van today --- it didn't look that interesting. Oh well. We move again on Sunday. We now have all of our hotels booked until we return home. Two nights in Vina, two nights a few miles further north on the beach, and then two nights in Santiago in a area we have not stayed before. I think our A Plan in the Colchagua Valley would have been a better finish to the trip, but the earthquake literally knocked out that plan. I must tell you, we are both ready to be home. We are missing our own bed, not having to ration socks and underwear, our hot tub, and a place to just hang out. I am seriously in bike withdrawl.
Here is the tour in a nutshell --- great tours as everything was in full swing with the harvest, crushing, bottling and packaging. We visited three wineries and one included a fantastic lunch (this chef knew how to cook the meat perfectly). The wines? Not interesting, so I won't bother with names. We love the great value Veramonte Chardonnay that comes from this region. For us, the best Chilean wine still come from Colchagua Valley.
We enjoyed a good seafood dinner overlooking the lights of Valpo. Arn had seared tuna. I had congrio (eel) wrapped in phyllo. Both were excellent.
Tomorrow, we change hotels and move about six miles north to Vina del Mar. It is where the Chileans go when they want to go to the beach. Given the holiday weekend, it is going to be crazy. We couldn't extend our stay in Valpo as our hotel is full. This is okay as three days was enough in Valpo. Our first choice place in Vina was full. So, we had go with something further down on the list. It was well reviewed on Trip Advisor, but we passed it in the van today --- it didn't look that interesting. Oh well. We move again on Sunday. We now have all of our hotels booked until we return home. Two nights in Vina, two nights a few miles further north on the beach, and then two nights in Santiago in a area we have not stayed before. I think our A Plan in the Colchagua Valley would have been a better finish to the trip, but the earthquake literally knocked out that plan. I must tell you, we are both ready to be home. We are missing our own bed, not having to ration socks and underwear, our hot tub, and a place to just hang out. I am seriously in bike withdrawl.
Another Day in Valpo (Wed 3/31)
Stats:
- 2 funicular rides
- 1 lost sock
- miles of walking tours
- 1 scary lunch
- best pizza for dinner
- tomatoes for dessert!
Today was another day of walking tours. We started by taking the funicular downhill to the center of downtown. This particular funicular was built over 100 years ago. They tested it after the big earthquake last month --- they loaded people in it and gave it a spin to make sure no one important was hurt. Okay, I am joking, but I am probably right. There was a funicular taken out of use after the 1985 earthquake in Valpo. I guess if it gets knocked off the foundation and they can't fix it, then it goes out of operation. These funiculars are both helpful and terrifying. They are steep and rickety. Once downtown, we dropped off our laundry. Arn had a great packing strategy. He brought all the same type of socks plus one spare sock, figuring one would get lost along the way and then he would still have matched pairs. Well, two socks have now been lost, so he is down a pair. And, he has been missing his cotton t-shirt for weeks. Enough about clothes or I am going to start talking about how I tired I am of my one pair of pants and how sick of clothes rationing we both are.
Back to the walking tours --- we started in the financial district. We went inside the Bank of London building that is now the Bank of Santiago. The stainglass domes and marble work were awesome. We then walked into the stock exchange building --- the oldest in Latin America. The trading pit stands as it was once; however, there are no traders jumping and screaming like at the Chicago Board of Trade. In fact, they had placed flat panel computer screens to follow the on-line activity. The security guard was very friendly and invited us in to see everything. He is the first person to quiz us about being married and not wearing wedding rings (for safety reasons, we left out rings at home).
Our tour then headed to the square of justice. We saw the oldest firehouse in Chile. Given the long history of earthquakes in Valpo, many countries have donated fire trucks to Valpo. They keep each set of trucks separate and maintain the "feel" of each donor country in the station that holds those trucks. We saw the American trucks and the German trucks. Really, their trucks look nothing like ours. While the fire station seemed untouched by the quake, many of the other buildings in the square had lots of busted plaster, chucks of walls and roofs were missing, and there were cracks and separations in buildings. We walked up a steep flight of stairs to enter another neighborhood. We walled along promenades over looking the city and strolled past cafes and restaurants. The problem remains --- Valpo is filthy. The dog shit is everywhere. There is trash everywhere. And , there is graffiti everywhere --- some of it is art that someone did on purpose and it looks great. Some of it is the work of derelicts that just wanted to tag someone's house with their name and date. It is both a super cool city and disgustingly filthy looking and smelling place.
As part of our walking tour, we tried to visit the old cemetaries. We were able to get into the immigrant cemetary. There were people buried that came from Europe and the U.S. The most common was Europe. The other two cemetaries were closed and blocked off because the earthquake damaged the entry way stone arches. Anyway, the cemetary of the city's well-to-do did not survive the quake as well.
We took the funicular downhill and found a place for lunch. It was a dive recommended in our book. We ordered the Chilean classic dish for lunch --- "chorillana." Here is how you can recreate this delicacy at home. First, start with a platter large enough to hold a roasted chicken (this is a dish for three people). Fill the platter with as many french fries as it will hold. Really, pile those fries high. Dice up a cooked steak and scatter the meat on the top. Now, chop and fry two onions. Yep, add those to the pile. Fry an egg and place on top of the heap. Last, melt some cheese over everything --- it is the glue that keeps it together. It is not as bad as it sounds, but it is a coronary on a plate for sure.
We hung out in an interent cafe for a couple of hours. We were the only two people not on Facebook. It is all the craze with the younger people in Chile --- same as at home. We rode the funicular back up hill to our neighborhood.
For dinner, we tried a pizza place. It was the best pizza of the trip. It did not satisfy our cravings for our favorite pizzas in Seattle, but it was good. We watched a plate of bruchetta being served to another table. It was amazing looking. The pizza was fairly small and very thin. So, Arn asked how I felt about bruchetta for dessert. Are you kidding? Tomatoes for dessert? Of course! The waiter said it was strange, but agreed bruchetta beats panna cota. The tomatoes were absolutely awesome and it was the best bruchetta ever!
- 2 funicular rides
- 1 lost sock
- miles of walking tours
- 1 scary lunch
- best pizza for dinner
- tomatoes for dessert!
Today was another day of walking tours. We started by taking the funicular downhill to the center of downtown. This particular funicular was built over 100 years ago. They tested it after the big earthquake last month --- they loaded people in it and gave it a spin to make sure no one important was hurt. Okay, I am joking, but I am probably right. There was a funicular taken out of use after the 1985 earthquake in Valpo. I guess if it gets knocked off the foundation and they can't fix it, then it goes out of operation. These funiculars are both helpful and terrifying. They are steep and rickety. Once downtown, we dropped off our laundry. Arn had a great packing strategy. He brought all the same type of socks plus one spare sock, figuring one would get lost along the way and then he would still have matched pairs. Well, two socks have now been lost, so he is down a pair. And, he has been missing his cotton t-shirt for weeks. Enough about clothes or I am going to start talking about how I tired I am of my one pair of pants and how sick of clothes rationing we both are.
Back to the walking tours --- we started in the financial district. We went inside the Bank of London building that is now the Bank of Santiago. The stainglass domes and marble work were awesome. We then walked into the stock exchange building --- the oldest in Latin America. The trading pit stands as it was once; however, there are no traders jumping and screaming like at the Chicago Board of Trade. In fact, they had placed flat panel computer screens to follow the on-line activity. The security guard was very friendly and invited us in to see everything. He is the first person to quiz us about being married and not wearing wedding rings (for safety reasons, we left out rings at home).
Our tour then headed to the square of justice. We saw the oldest firehouse in Chile. Given the long history of earthquakes in Valpo, many countries have donated fire trucks to Valpo. They keep each set of trucks separate and maintain the "feel" of each donor country in the station that holds those trucks. We saw the American trucks and the German trucks. Really, their trucks look nothing like ours. While the fire station seemed untouched by the quake, many of the other buildings in the square had lots of busted plaster, chucks of walls and roofs were missing, and there were cracks and separations in buildings. We walked up a steep flight of stairs to enter another neighborhood. We walled along promenades over looking the city and strolled past cafes and restaurants. The problem remains --- Valpo is filthy. The dog shit is everywhere. There is trash everywhere. And , there is graffiti everywhere --- some of it is art that someone did on purpose and it looks great. Some of it is the work of derelicts that just wanted to tag someone's house with their name and date. It is both a super cool city and disgustingly filthy looking and smelling place.
As part of our walking tour, we tried to visit the old cemetaries. We were able to get into the immigrant cemetary. There were people buried that came from Europe and the U.S. The most common was Europe. The other two cemetaries were closed and blocked off because the earthquake damaged the entry way stone arches. Anyway, the cemetary of the city's well-to-do did not survive the quake as well.
We took the funicular downhill and found a place for lunch. It was a dive recommended in our book. We ordered the Chilean classic dish for lunch --- "chorillana." Here is how you can recreate this delicacy at home. First, start with a platter large enough to hold a roasted chicken (this is a dish for three people). Fill the platter with as many french fries as it will hold. Really, pile those fries high. Dice up a cooked steak and scatter the meat on the top. Now, chop and fry two onions. Yep, add those to the pile. Fry an egg and place on top of the heap. Last, melt some cheese over everything --- it is the glue that keeps it together. It is not as bad as it sounds, but it is a coronary on a plate for sure.
We hung out in an interent cafe for a couple of hours. We were the only two people not on Facebook. It is all the craze with the younger people in Chile --- same as at home. We rode the funicular back up hill to our neighborhood.
For dinner, we tried a pizza place. It was the best pizza of the trip. It did not satisfy our cravings for our favorite pizzas in Seattle, but it was good. We watched a plate of bruchetta being served to another table. It was amazing looking. The pizza was fairly small and very thin. So, Arn asked how I felt about bruchetta for dessert. Are you kidding? Tomatoes for dessert? Of course! The waiter said it was strange, but agreed bruchetta beats panna cota. The tomatoes were absolutely awesome and it was the best bruchetta ever!
Walking the Streets of Valparaiso (Tues 3/30)
Stats:
- hours of walking tours
- lots of earthquake damage
- 1 town that has gone to the dogs
- 1 megastore
-1 cafeteria style lunch
- best pasta of the trip
- best dessert of the trip
We have read that the best way to see Valparaiso, Chile is by walking the streets. Arn had researched a book with over 20 miles of walking tours. So, our plan for the day was simple. Find the book, buy the book, and walk. With a street map in hand, we headed out.
Valparaiso is north of Santiago and located on the coast. It is the largest shipping port in Chile (90% of all port activity occurs through Valpo). Parts of the town were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. Close to the water, the city is flat. In just a few blocks, it heads steeply uphill. There are in excess of 40 distinct hills. So, while you might climb up to one neighborhood, it is down and back up to get to the next area of the city. There are over a few hundred thousand people living in Valpo. If you have been to San Francisco, then you think it is probably a hilly city. By Valpo standards, San Francisco is flat! It is crazy steep. If you have been to Venice, you are familar with back alleys and narrow passages to get through the city. Well, this is like that, but vertical. The passages are crazy flights of stairs that climb 50 to 300 feet.
After a lot of up and down, we found a book store with the walking tours. Of course, the store did not open until 1pm, so we did some exploring "unguided". We took an audiotour of Neruda´s house in Valpo. Who was Neruda? Yeah, if you know, then you were not busy studying thermodynamics or linear programming like I was in school. He was a poet --- "probably the most read poet since Shakespeare". Who knew? Not me, I was too busy with math and engineering. His house was perched in the hills with commanding views of the city and ocean. His favorite chair was called the "cloud" and he kept a wooden trunk stocked with whiskey for his parties. Eventually, we picked up our guide book and continued our exploration.
Valpo is a crazy place. On the same street, there are beautiful houses. They are painted in bright shades of yellow, purple, green, blue, orange, pink, and red. Often, there is beautiful iron work on the windows, doors and fences -- painted white or black or a complimentary color to the house. Then, right next door, there is a dump....corrigated metal shack, peeling paint, broken doors, etc. The juxtiposition is crazy. In places, the city is stunning and next door it looks like a slum on the hill. Now, the city does not belong to the people. Valpo has gone to the dogs! Yes, packs and packs of stray dogs. How does one experience this? It goes like this --- "watch your step, watch your step". There is dog shit everywhere. It smells like dog shit everywhere. I really like Chile, but they need to clean this shit up. It is crazy. The dogs bark, howl and run throught the streets. It is a common sight --- laying in front of the pharmacy, 8 dogs asleep. In front of the mini-market, 6 dogs asleep. Two boxes in front of the produce stand? One dog sleeping in each box! It is nuts. The sidewalks and streets are filthy with dog excrement. Did I mention the smell? Seriously, there is more room to walk in a cat´s litter box that hasn´t been changed in a week! While you can hear the dogs during the day, the howling and barking takes on a whole new level of aggravation at night while you are trying to sleep. Last night, we turned on a fan to cool the room. I told Arn that fan will run all night, every night --- no matter the temperature. It creates white noise and you can´t hear the dogs.
During our exploration, we found the center market for fruits and vegtables. Here are a few prices for you. Over two pounds of awesome tomatoes -- 40 cents. A shoe box of strawberries -- 2 bucks. The produce market was one place without dogs. Why? Because the cats have taken over! At least there was no dog or cat shit! And, the cats don´t run in crazy packs growling and howling. We found one black kitty that reminded us a lot of Bean. It was both good and bad. It was probably the first black tabby like Bean. This kitty had the same markings in her head.
For lunch we headed to what we thought was a mall. It turned out to be a super store --- something like Target ot Walmart with something like Home Depot downstairs. We ate lunch in the cafeteria. We both had a salad and shared an order of fries. If you could have seen the meat, you would have agreed with this strategy. I have not seen that many people eating jello in the same place ever. But, I have not seen that many different varieties of jello desserts in the same place either.
Now, about the earthquake, we saw more damage today than we would have anticpated or expected. We saw broken windows, buckled sides of buildings, places where the sidewalk buckled and collapsed, collapsed roofs, and lots of cracks and busted plaster. It was not on every building, but there was a fair amount of it. Many things were taped off as dangerous and we found lots of piles of debris (bricks and busted plaster).
For dinner, we enjoyed the best pasta of the trip. Arn had gnocchi with blue cheese, walnuts, mushrooms and white wine. I had pumpkin ravioli with fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese. We shared a chocolate brownie with a chocolate and cherry sauce and Dulce de leche ice cream for dessert. It was the best dessert of the trip. They actually pulled the brownie out of the oven on time --- leaving it gooey in the middle. They tend to over bake everything but the bread. We had a great Chilean wine and it was a great evening out. The only bummer --- oh come on, are you paying attention? The bummer was the dog shit dodge on the way back to our room and the ever present howling of at least a dozen dogs. Oh, and let's not forget the smell.
- hours of walking tours
- lots of earthquake damage
- 1 town that has gone to the dogs
- 1 megastore
-1 cafeteria style lunch
- best pasta of the trip
- best dessert of the trip
We have read that the best way to see Valparaiso, Chile is by walking the streets. Arn had researched a book with over 20 miles of walking tours. So, our plan for the day was simple. Find the book, buy the book, and walk. With a street map in hand, we headed out.
Valparaiso is north of Santiago and located on the coast. It is the largest shipping port in Chile (90% of all port activity occurs through Valpo). Parts of the town were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. Close to the water, the city is flat. In just a few blocks, it heads steeply uphill. There are in excess of 40 distinct hills. So, while you might climb up to one neighborhood, it is down and back up to get to the next area of the city. There are over a few hundred thousand people living in Valpo. If you have been to San Francisco, then you think it is probably a hilly city. By Valpo standards, San Francisco is flat! It is crazy steep. If you have been to Venice, you are familar with back alleys and narrow passages to get through the city. Well, this is like that, but vertical. The passages are crazy flights of stairs that climb 50 to 300 feet.
After a lot of up and down, we found a book store with the walking tours. Of course, the store did not open until 1pm, so we did some exploring "unguided". We took an audiotour of Neruda´s house in Valpo. Who was Neruda? Yeah, if you know, then you were not busy studying thermodynamics or linear programming like I was in school. He was a poet --- "probably the most read poet since Shakespeare". Who knew? Not me, I was too busy with math and engineering. His house was perched in the hills with commanding views of the city and ocean. His favorite chair was called the "cloud" and he kept a wooden trunk stocked with whiskey for his parties. Eventually, we picked up our guide book and continued our exploration.
Valpo is a crazy place. On the same street, there are beautiful houses. They are painted in bright shades of yellow, purple, green, blue, orange, pink, and red. Often, there is beautiful iron work on the windows, doors and fences -- painted white or black or a complimentary color to the house. Then, right next door, there is a dump....corrigated metal shack, peeling paint, broken doors, etc. The juxtiposition is crazy. In places, the city is stunning and next door it looks like a slum on the hill. Now, the city does not belong to the people. Valpo has gone to the dogs! Yes, packs and packs of stray dogs. How does one experience this? It goes like this --- "watch your step, watch your step". There is dog shit everywhere. It smells like dog shit everywhere. I really like Chile, but they need to clean this shit up. It is crazy. The dogs bark, howl and run throught the streets. It is a common sight --- laying in front of the pharmacy, 8 dogs asleep. In front of the mini-market, 6 dogs asleep. Two boxes in front of the produce stand? One dog sleeping in each box! It is nuts. The sidewalks and streets are filthy with dog excrement. Did I mention the smell? Seriously, there is more room to walk in a cat´s litter box that hasn´t been changed in a week! While you can hear the dogs during the day, the howling and barking takes on a whole new level of aggravation at night while you are trying to sleep. Last night, we turned on a fan to cool the room. I told Arn that fan will run all night, every night --- no matter the temperature. It creates white noise and you can´t hear the dogs.
During our exploration, we found the center market for fruits and vegtables. Here are a few prices for you. Over two pounds of awesome tomatoes -- 40 cents. A shoe box of strawberries -- 2 bucks. The produce market was one place without dogs. Why? Because the cats have taken over! At least there was no dog or cat shit! And, the cats don´t run in crazy packs growling and howling. We found one black kitty that reminded us a lot of Bean. It was both good and bad. It was probably the first black tabby like Bean. This kitty had the same markings in her head.
For lunch we headed to what we thought was a mall. It turned out to be a super store --- something like Target ot Walmart with something like Home Depot downstairs. We ate lunch in the cafeteria. We both had a salad and shared an order of fries. If you could have seen the meat, you would have agreed with this strategy. I have not seen that many people eating jello in the same place ever. But, I have not seen that many different varieties of jello desserts in the same place either.
Now, about the earthquake, we saw more damage today than we would have anticpated or expected. We saw broken windows, buckled sides of buildings, places where the sidewalk buckled and collapsed, collapsed roofs, and lots of cracks and busted plaster. It was not on every building, but there was a fair amount of it. Many things were taped off as dangerous and we found lots of piles of debris (bricks and busted plaster).
For dinner, we enjoyed the best pasta of the trip. Arn had gnocchi with blue cheese, walnuts, mushrooms and white wine. I had pumpkin ravioli with fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese. We shared a chocolate brownie with a chocolate and cherry sauce and Dulce de leche ice cream for dessert. It was the best dessert of the trip. They actually pulled the brownie out of the oven on time --- leaving it gooey in the middle. They tend to over bake everything but the bread. We had a great Chilean wine and it was a great evening out. The only bummer --- oh come on, are you paying attention? The bummer was the dog shit dodge on the way back to our room and the ever present howling of at least a dozen dogs. Oh, and let's not forget the smell.
On The Road Again (Mon 3/29)
Stats:
- 1 long bus ride
- 1 view of Acongaua
- highest border crossing ever (for us)
Today was all about the bus. From Mendoza, we headed south before turning west. Once westbound, the landscape grew increasing desolate and yet more dramatic. The bus drove into the Andes. The mountains were extremely steep, jagged, and rocky. The largest plants were tufts of dried grass about ten inches high and a few cactus of the same stature. It was barren. The roughness of the terrain looked like the glaciers left only yesterday or that the mountains were pushed up just last night. The road followed the Mendoza River. Of course, we scouted rapids from the bus. A few days ago, we talked to a rafting company about kayaking the river. Once someone told us it was a 30 minute run, we decided it was too much overhead (van time) for such a short run. Now, having looked the river over, we confirmed that it was a good decision to not paddle. The rapids were not that interesting. Plus, to be honest, I wasn't fully sold on paddling 47 degree water in someone else's gear and no nose plugs. Our bus was a double decker and our seats were upstairs (yes, you have assigned seats like on a plane). We sat so high above the road that one could get a bit of vertigo looking down the steep drop offs.
Near the summit of the pass, we had our one view of Aconcagua. It tops out at almost 23,000 feet and is now the highest peak either of us has ever seen. Knowing the border crossing was ahead, I decided to use the bathroom on the bus. The light in the bathroom is through a window. Well, part way through my "business", the bus entered the seven kn tunnel. Lights? What lights? Now, there were lots of handrails getting through the bus and down the stairs to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, nada. I mean zip, zero, nada handrails. So, here I am hanging onto the door knob, peeing, in the dark as the bus drives through the tunnel. I managed to finish the job and wash my hands in the dark. I felt my way out of the bathroom to the handrails up the stairs. Once upstairs, I took an open seat and waited for the bus to exit the tunnel before working my way back to where our seats were.
The pass topped out at roughly 10,000 feet. To cross the border, the bus was in line with a sea of trucks. It was a bit freaky to be sitting up higher than a semi-tractor trailor truck! Between road construction and border delays, it took nearly two hours to cross. We wondered, was this factored into the seven hour estimate? I will answer that now --- no.
Once through the border check, the road turned downhill. It was a white knuckle road with 28 switchbacks. We dropped 2000 feet in the first 9 "curvas". They actual had signs posted numbering the curves. This was a very popular ski area with the Chileans. The road made several turns underneath the ski lift! Maybe this gives you a better idea of the steepness of the landscape. It was wild watching a line up of trucks and buses driving super short and tight switchbacks down a black diamond run. The road dropped down to what I can only describe as a hanging valley. The far side of the valley was a steep drop and we couldn't see the road. Once the bus reached the end of the valley, we looked down what appeared to be more of a cliff that a place to put a road. Still, the road was a set of tightly stacked turns down the cliff. Do you remeber the game Mousetrap? This looked more like a ramp for rolling marbles downhill that driving huge semi-trucks and double deck buses. On one side of the "drop", there was a small creek. It was so steep that the creek was entirely white water! Eventually, we were down the pass and into the Aconcagua Valley. It is a wine and fruit growing region in Chile. As the bus rolled into Vina del Mar, we began to see signs of the earthquake. In several buildings, windows were broken and covered with plastic. Others were wrapped in plastic police-type tape reading, "Peligro" --- danger. A few buildings lost sections of the roof. After leaving Vina del Mar, the bus headed 6 miles down the road to Valparaiso. Along the water, we passed a few old warehouses that collapsed during the quake. Once off the bus, we found a taxi to take us to our hotel. The driver seemed very surprised to see two Americans. He said all the tourists left the day after the earthquake and they have not returned. His question was, "Tiene miedo?" In other words: are you afraid? We explained that we lived in San Francisco for many years and lived through a big earthquake. Secretly, I think he thought we were a bit crazy. Valparaiso is a long way from the epicenter of the quake (several hundred miles).
Our hotel is a small inn and the rooms are mini-apartment lofts. The woman that checked us in made us pisco sours before we left to have dinner. She is a lawyer and studied at Northwestern for her last semester. She couldn't imagine growing up in the cold Chicago winters. She is from Santiago. In Chile, lawyers are required to do six months of pro-bono work before they begin their law career. She is in Valpo doing her six month stint. She said she slept through the quake, but when she turned up at the inn all the guests were in a panic. Everyone checked out that day and headed to Santiago. Let me see if I have this right --- the morning after an 8.8 quake they got in cars and buses to drive over roads in unknown conditions to reach a location closer to the epicenter. Hmm...now might not be a good time to admit what I did after the 7.2 in San Francisco.
Our dinner was close by and we both had fish. It was okay. The best restaurants are all closed on Monday night. Figures.
- 1 long bus ride
- 1 view of Acongaua
- highest border crossing ever (for us)
Today was all about the bus. From Mendoza, we headed south before turning west. Once westbound, the landscape grew increasing desolate and yet more dramatic. The bus drove into the Andes. The mountains were extremely steep, jagged, and rocky. The largest plants were tufts of dried grass about ten inches high and a few cactus of the same stature. It was barren. The roughness of the terrain looked like the glaciers left only yesterday or that the mountains were pushed up just last night. The road followed the Mendoza River. Of course, we scouted rapids from the bus. A few days ago, we talked to a rafting company about kayaking the river. Once someone told us it was a 30 minute run, we decided it was too much overhead (van time) for such a short run. Now, having looked the river over, we confirmed that it was a good decision to not paddle. The rapids were not that interesting. Plus, to be honest, I wasn't fully sold on paddling 47 degree water in someone else's gear and no nose plugs. Our bus was a double decker and our seats were upstairs (yes, you have assigned seats like on a plane). We sat so high above the road that one could get a bit of vertigo looking down the steep drop offs.
Near the summit of the pass, we had our one view of Aconcagua. It tops out at almost 23,000 feet and is now the highest peak either of us has ever seen. Knowing the border crossing was ahead, I decided to use the bathroom on the bus. The light in the bathroom is through a window. Well, part way through my "business", the bus entered the seven kn tunnel. Lights? What lights? Now, there were lots of handrails getting through the bus and down the stairs to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, nada. I mean zip, zero, nada handrails. So, here I am hanging onto the door knob, peeing, in the dark as the bus drives through the tunnel. I managed to finish the job and wash my hands in the dark. I felt my way out of the bathroom to the handrails up the stairs. Once upstairs, I took an open seat and waited for the bus to exit the tunnel before working my way back to where our seats were.
The pass topped out at roughly 10,000 feet. To cross the border, the bus was in line with a sea of trucks. It was a bit freaky to be sitting up higher than a semi-tractor trailor truck! Between road construction and border delays, it took nearly two hours to cross. We wondered, was this factored into the seven hour estimate? I will answer that now --- no.
Once through the border check, the road turned downhill. It was a white knuckle road with 28 switchbacks. We dropped 2000 feet in the first 9 "curvas". They actual had signs posted numbering the curves. This was a very popular ski area with the Chileans. The road made several turns underneath the ski lift! Maybe this gives you a better idea of the steepness of the landscape. It was wild watching a line up of trucks and buses driving super short and tight switchbacks down a black diamond run. The road dropped down to what I can only describe as a hanging valley. The far side of the valley was a steep drop and we couldn't see the road. Once the bus reached the end of the valley, we looked down what appeared to be more of a cliff that a place to put a road. Still, the road was a set of tightly stacked turns down the cliff. Do you remeber the game Mousetrap? This looked more like a ramp for rolling marbles downhill that driving huge semi-trucks and double deck buses. On one side of the "drop", there was a small creek. It was so steep that the creek was entirely white water! Eventually, we were down the pass and into the Aconcagua Valley. It is a wine and fruit growing region in Chile. As the bus rolled into Vina del Mar, we began to see signs of the earthquake. In several buildings, windows were broken and covered with plastic. Others were wrapped in plastic police-type tape reading, "Peligro" --- danger. A few buildings lost sections of the roof. After leaving Vina del Mar, the bus headed 6 miles down the road to Valparaiso. Along the water, we passed a few old warehouses that collapsed during the quake. Once off the bus, we found a taxi to take us to our hotel. The driver seemed very surprised to see two Americans. He said all the tourists left the day after the earthquake and they have not returned. His question was, "Tiene miedo?" In other words: are you afraid? We explained that we lived in San Francisco for many years and lived through a big earthquake. Secretly, I think he thought we were a bit crazy. Valparaiso is a long way from the epicenter of the quake (several hundred miles).
Our hotel is a small inn and the rooms are mini-apartment lofts. The woman that checked us in made us pisco sours before we left to have dinner. She is a lawyer and studied at Northwestern for her last semester. She couldn't imagine growing up in the cold Chicago winters. She is from Santiago. In Chile, lawyers are required to do six months of pro-bono work before they begin their law career. She is in Valpo doing her six month stint. She said she slept through the quake, but when she turned up at the inn all the guests were in a panic. Everyone checked out that day and headed to Santiago. Let me see if I have this right --- the morning after an 8.8 quake they got in cars and buses to drive over roads in unknown conditions to reach a location closer to the epicenter. Hmm...now might not be a good time to admit what I did after the 7.2 in San Francisco.
Our dinner was close by and we both had fish. It was okay. The best restaurants are all closed on Monday night. Figures.
Last Day in Mendoza (Sun 3/28)
Stats:
- 1 "tv festival"
- 2 workouts (1 each)
- farewell dinner in Argentina
Well, perhaps it was all the meat for dinner or perhaps it was all the Malbec drinking that caught up with us, but Arn slept until 9:15am! I slept until 9:30am!! It was totally crazy. We had a late breakfast and went for a workout. Arn gave up in the gym and suffered a run in the heat. Having "survived" my first round of weight lifting, I went back for round two.
We headed back to the internet cafe. Arn did research on Valparaiso while I researched lodging options for a future visit to Santa Barbara with our friends, Doug and Marjorie. Lunch was enjoyed at Subway. See --- I wasn't kidding. After all the meat last night, we went of the Jared diet for lunch. We do this all the time in Seattle. If either of us feels like the numbers on the scale have gone bad, we declare "Subway diet" and we eat lunches at Subway. We are big believers in no starchy carbs for dinner, Subway for lunch, and exerise as the strategy for lower the numbers on the scale.
Our afternoon was a "television fesitval". Using our iTouch, wifi, and our Slingbox in Seattle, we enjoyed several hours of tv from our DVR at home. We watched episodes of 24 and Two and Half Men.
Our last dinner in Argentina was enjoyed at a place called, "Anna's Bistro". We sat outside in a garden so lush that one would have thought we were in the tropicals. There were banana trees (confirmed by the presense of bananas), hybiscus in full bloom, and palm trees. Given that tomorrow we return to Chile, we decided to enjoy one last Argentian dinner. Arn had another steak. I had pork tenderloin with a raspberry sauce and grilled fruit. And of course, we tried another new malbec. On the way back to hotel, Arn stopped for an ice cream cone --- Dulce de leche con brownies. It was a sweet ending to a good time in Mendoza. It is a bit sad to know we are leaving Argentina. This year was our second visit to Argentina. We are leaving having seen everything that held curiousity for us. We are feeling satisfied and satiated with out experience. So tomorrow, we will be back to enjoying seafood and Chilean wines.
- 1 "tv festival"
- 2 workouts (1 each)
- farewell dinner in Argentina
Well, perhaps it was all the meat for dinner or perhaps it was all the Malbec drinking that caught up with us, but Arn slept until 9:15am! I slept until 9:30am!! It was totally crazy. We had a late breakfast and went for a workout. Arn gave up in the gym and suffered a run in the heat. Having "survived" my first round of weight lifting, I went back for round two.
We headed back to the internet cafe. Arn did research on Valparaiso while I researched lodging options for a future visit to Santa Barbara with our friends, Doug and Marjorie. Lunch was enjoyed at Subway. See --- I wasn't kidding. After all the meat last night, we went of the Jared diet for lunch. We do this all the time in Seattle. If either of us feels like the numbers on the scale have gone bad, we declare "Subway diet" and we eat lunches at Subway. We are big believers in no starchy carbs for dinner, Subway for lunch, and exerise as the strategy for lower the numbers on the scale.
Our afternoon was a "television fesitval". Using our iTouch, wifi, and our Slingbox in Seattle, we enjoyed several hours of tv from our DVR at home. We watched episodes of 24 and Two and Half Men.
Our last dinner in Argentina was enjoyed at a place called, "Anna's Bistro". We sat outside in a garden so lush that one would have thought we were in the tropicals. There were banana trees (confirmed by the presense of bananas), hybiscus in full bloom, and palm trees. Given that tomorrow we return to Chile, we decided to enjoy one last Argentian dinner. Arn had another steak. I had pork tenderloin with a raspberry sauce and grilled fruit. And of course, we tried another new malbec. On the way back to hotel, Arn stopped for an ice cream cone --- Dulce de leche con brownies. It was a sweet ending to a good time in Mendoza. It is a bit sad to know we are leaving Argentina. This year was our second visit to Argentina. We are leaving having seen everything that held curiousity for us. We are feeling satisfied and satiated with out experience. So tomorrow, we will be back to enjoying seafood and Chilean wines.
Overdosing on Meat (Sat 3/27)
Stats:
- 2 quick workouts
- 1 trip to the bus station
- 1 visit to the Internet cafe
- 1 Malbec wine flight tasting
- 1 "asado" (BBQ) dinner with 4 steaks!
Today's goal? Make a plan for what we do next. The backpacking in the Andes near Mendoza is out. Further long bus rides in Argentina are out. Flying is out. All flights lead back to Buenes Aires. And, this would be the domestic airport. We would then have to switch to the international airport to fly anywhere in Chile. This is too much hassle and would involve two days of travel. So, we are leaving by bus.
We walked to the bus terminal. It is nearly as big as the airport and there are more buses companies than airlines and certainly more destinations. You need to understand something about bus travel --- it is how people getting around in South America. It is not like the U.S. where we hop flights between every two cities. Here, in every country, all the flights lead back to the main city and then head out again. In Argentina, everything runs through Buenes Aires. In Chile, it runs through Santiago. Yeah, okay --- there are a few exceptions to this, but for the most part the flight patterns are hub and spoke. As a result, the buses can be quite nice. For example, "Semi-cama" bus means seats like a first class flight. They recline with a full leg rest. The bus plays movies. They offer snacks and hot coffee. "Royal cama" means the seats lay completely flat and have privacy curtains around them. The "royal" service includes hot meals, champange or wine (by the bottle), pillow and blankets, and your own flat panel television for movie viewing. While bad buses (like our 12 hour ride without a bathroom) are possible, high-end rides are more likely on a long distance bus.
So, we walked the bus terminal and checked out the various companies and options. Our best bet still looks like heading to the coast of Chile. We bought two tickets to Valparaiso, Chile for Monday morning. It will be a 7 hour ride on a semi-cama bus. The route will cross the Andes and we may get a peak at the highest mountain in South America, Aconcagua.
We left the bus terminal and headed to an internet cafe. We needed to find a place to stay. We booked four nights at a new looking hotel. The rooms are mini-apartments. The town of Valparaiso has been declared a World Heritage site. It is supposed to be interesting with lots of steep hills and interesting buildings. Arn found nearly 20 miles of walking tours and there are 3 old cemetaries. So, we will see what we see.
Later in the afternoon, we checked out a wine tasting bar in town. We enjoyed a flight of Malbecs and a great cheese plate. It included a hard goat cheese that was awesome. We discovered two very good Malbecs. One was from a place called, "Flor" something. The family behind the wine is very wealthy. One of the brothers is in the business of selling Porsches. He decided to make wine as a hobby. He figured he would put of few cases of wine in the trunk of every Porsche as a gift. Well, the wine turned out to be better than expected and the hobby morphed into a business. The other wine was from a place called, "Flecha de Los Andes".
We returned to our hotel and hung out reading and using the Internet. For dinner, we did something we rarely do. We ate dinner at an inclusive buffet in a hotel. The Park Hyatt (high end $350 a night hotel) has an "asado" on Saturday. For $23, there was a salad and starter table, the BBQ, and dessert table. Everything was awesome. The salads and grilled vegtables were fantasic. The marinated and grilled eggplant was a highlight. There was a wide selection of meat. I tried the pork ribs, two bites of chorizo, and a steak. Arn tried the pork ribs, two bites of chorizo, and two different steaks (two types of meat). The meats were cooked perfectly. They had been slow roasted over open coals and the outsides had carmelized slowly. It was excellent. Arn's dessert was a third steak. Mine was chocolate mousse. Tomorrow, we start the "Subway" diet.
- 2 quick workouts
- 1 trip to the bus station
- 1 visit to the Internet cafe
- 1 Malbec wine flight tasting
- 1 "asado" (BBQ) dinner with 4 steaks!
Today's goal? Make a plan for what we do next. The backpacking in the Andes near Mendoza is out. Further long bus rides in Argentina are out. Flying is out. All flights lead back to Buenes Aires. And, this would be the domestic airport. We would then have to switch to the international airport to fly anywhere in Chile. This is too much hassle and would involve two days of travel. So, we are leaving by bus.
We walked to the bus terminal. It is nearly as big as the airport and there are more buses companies than airlines and certainly more destinations. You need to understand something about bus travel --- it is how people getting around in South America. It is not like the U.S. where we hop flights between every two cities. Here, in every country, all the flights lead back to the main city and then head out again. In Argentina, everything runs through Buenes Aires. In Chile, it runs through Santiago. Yeah, okay --- there are a few exceptions to this, but for the most part the flight patterns are hub and spoke. As a result, the buses can be quite nice. For example, "Semi-cama" bus means seats like a first class flight. They recline with a full leg rest. The bus plays movies. They offer snacks and hot coffee. "Royal cama" means the seats lay completely flat and have privacy curtains around them. The "royal" service includes hot meals, champange or wine (by the bottle), pillow and blankets, and your own flat panel television for movie viewing. While bad buses (like our 12 hour ride without a bathroom) are possible, high-end rides are more likely on a long distance bus.
So, we walked the bus terminal and checked out the various companies and options. Our best bet still looks like heading to the coast of Chile. We bought two tickets to Valparaiso, Chile for Monday morning. It will be a 7 hour ride on a semi-cama bus. The route will cross the Andes and we may get a peak at the highest mountain in South America, Aconcagua.
We left the bus terminal and headed to an internet cafe. We needed to find a place to stay. We booked four nights at a new looking hotel. The rooms are mini-apartments. The town of Valparaiso has been declared a World Heritage site. It is supposed to be interesting with lots of steep hills and interesting buildings. Arn found nearly 20 miles of walking tours and there are 3 old cemetaries. So, we will see what we see.
Later in the afternoon, we checked out a wine tasting bar in town. We enjoyed a flight of Malbecs and a great cheese plate. It included a hard goat cheese that was awesome. We discovered two very good Malbecs. One was from a place called, "Flor" something. The family behind the wine is very wealthy. One of the brothers is in the business of selling Porsches. He decided to make wine as a hobby. He figured he would put of few cases of wine in the trunk of every Porsche as a gift. Well, the wine turned out to be better than expected and the hobby morphed into a business. The other wine was from a place called, "Flecha de Los Andes".
We returned to our hotel and hung out reading and using the Internet. For dinner, we did something we rarely do. We ate dinner at an inclusive buffet in a hotel. The Park Hyatt (high end $350 a night hotel) has an "asado" on Saturday. For $23, there was a salad and starter table, the BBQ, and dessert table. Everything was awesome. The salads and grilled vegtables were fantasic. The marinated and grilled eggplant was a highlight. There was a wide selection of meat. I tried the pork ribs, two bites of chorizo, and a steak. Arn tried the pork ribs, two bites of chorizo, and two different steaks (two types of meat). The meats were cooked perfectly. They had been slow roasted over open coals and the outsides had carmelized slowly. It was excellent. Arn's dessert was a third steak. Mine was chocolate mousse. Tomorrow, we start the "Subway" diet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)