Some coastal towns of Norte Chico, Chile

In lieu of taking route 5, the main highway in Chile and also the one termed “The Panamericana”; we are going to stay on route 1, the coastal road as much as possible. Leaving Algarrobo, we passed through the pretty towns of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, where we stopped for lunch and let Winston run on the beach. Due to the geographical topography of Chile, the coast road is really just a narrow strip with the ocean on one side and the 5,000 foot (1,200 meters) mountain range directly to the right. Our stop for the night was at Quintay on the Playa Grande beach. It was very quiet with only some houses in the distant. Unfortunately, the road is really steep entering to the playa and we have to leave the same way but we have the place to ourselves and Winston gets to run. There is a small shrine set into a nearby cliff and several cars come by with people laying small bunches of flowers and gifts around it but after sunset, which because we are on the west coast is magnificent, no-one ventured down the steep road and we had a quiet night. The next day was much the same. The coastline is very similar to Route 1 in California with lots of sandy bays and rocky inlets. The big difference is the coastal range which is very high. Where the mountains reach the ocean, the road steeply veers inland and then equally steeply heads back to the ocean. The following night we stop at Maitencillo. This is a more upscale town set in a wide bay with a beautiful stretch of sandy beach. There are a few hotels and some very nice homes overlooking the ocean which we surmise is probably busy in season but now is very quiet with most of the houses boarded up and only a few residents walking by. The evening is clear and we pull out our gas barbeque to cook dinner. Watching the sun set as our steaks sizzled on the grill and Winston ran and chased errant gulls who dared to venture too close was great fun. Our third day on the road was disappointing. We left Route 1 to go inland onto highway 5. We had read about some supposedly beautiful thermal pools at Socos. We were hoping to stay at Termas de Socos for a couple of days and soak in the thermal pools but the campground is only open December through April and although the hotel was open there was no place to park the motorhome and dogs were not allowed inside the hotel. In addition Lonely Planet has it wrong. The place is not beautiful and the thermal spa “pools” are really just indoor baths, some with Jacuzzi style jets so they qualify for “whirlpool” status. We were told we could use the baths if we wanted but after looking at them it didn’t seem worth our while. We do want to shower however so we go back to the main road and stop at the Copec gas station. This is a big truck stop style station and offers excellent hot shower for 500 pesos (about $1.00). The showers in these stations are serviced and clean with individual small private rooms consisting of a changing area and shower room. There is a lady who takes the money and then cleans the room afterwards. This is as good a place as any for the night and after nightfall was surprisingly quiet.

Photographs of Argentina

Attached via a link are photos of Argentina. Enjoy. https://plus.google.com/photos/118181109521024542820/albums/5896073866136564417

Photos from - Andes Route 40, Argentina

Attached is the link for Google Picasa for photos of Patagonia, Route 40 along the Andes Mountains. Just copy and paste. View individually or as a slide show. https://plus.google.com/photos/118181109521024542820/albums/5896059794393147409?authkey=CKSewIiJ9oC3pwE

The legendary Route 40 (Ruta 40)

After much deliberation, checking out maps and taking the weather into consideration, we have decided to stay in Chile and go north to Bolivia instead of returning to Argentina and going north. We have loved Argentina. The land, the people, the food and wine and the culture. Buenos Aires, without a doubt is one of the top capital cities in the world. The large cities in Argentina, Cordoba, Bariloche, Mendoza and others are so different yet so enjoyable to visit. The great national parks of the country, Iguaçu, Los Glaciares and Tierra del Fuego to name just a few are incredible. So, why stay in Chile? The main reason was weather, it is now winter and getting unpredictable and that we would, once again be travelling long distances on Route 40 much of which is unpaved. Along with Route 3 on the eastern Atlantic side of Argentina, Route 40 is the other main artery for travel within the country. It also shows the vast diversity of Argentina and because of its diversity it really does deserve something more than just a quick mention. First, it is the longest road in Argentina passing through eleven provinces (states) in the country. Running parallel to the Andes, it is also in certain areas the highest road in the country. It undoubtedly crosses a large part of the most beautiful regions of Argentina, passing through Patagonia, Cuyo, the Central valley and northern Argentina. The road takes you to some of the most important tourist destinations within Argentina and offers the possibility of getting to – get this – a total of 14 National Parks, 26 Reserves and Provincial Parks, 5 “heritage of humanity” sites, 13 ski centers, 18 significant rivers, and countless secondary ones. There are an unprecedented 41 international border crossings along the way, most with neighboring Chile. Yet for all this, much of Route 40 is still only about thirty percent paved with the rest of it being either gravel or dirt and you can drive for miles without seeing another living soul or another vehicle. The wind, which is created from the cold air coming from the glaciers in the Andes, gains momentum as it blows across the pampas and through the valleys and ravines and is phenomenal in its intensity and ferocity. For many miles, the barren, stark landscape, the wind and loneliness of the road are the only companions and it is for this reason, we decided to download some audio books to keep us entertained on these stretches of the journey. Yet, Route 40 possesses a special magic. Travelling this route has taken us close to the land of the dinosaurs, to the world of unique pictographic caves over 9,000 years old and to petrified forests. We have gone from majestic glaciers of amazing beauty and incredible colors to thermal hot springs where the steam and smell of sulphur fills the air. We have passed through lush, subtropical jungle where seemingly everything grows to barren, arid wastelands which appear to be devoid of any living thing through lack of moisture and then by contrast to acres upon acres of grapevines and trees laden with fruit, ripe for making into wines, olive oil and the commercial markets. We have driven for hundreds of miles across the Argentinean pampas with cattle and sheep farms raising the meats for which the country is renowned and we have passed volcanoes one of which, Copahue was still belching steam and ash from its last eruption. We have passed cascading waterfalls, glistening mountain lakes and rushing rivers with world class fishing. And all of this with the glorious backdrop of the jagged snow-capped peaks of the Andes mountain range to our left. I only mention the contrasts since it is these things that help make Ruta 40, one of the legendary, great travel routes on the planet and it embodies the diverse nature of this beautiful country, Argentina.

Marcela and Mariano visit us in Chile

Arriving back from the island, we were greeted by a very exuberant Winston. Isabella and her family had taken very good care of him and he had even given up his bed to their dogs in return for sleeping on the couch. He also looked a little “gordo” (fatter) than when we left him. Hmm, must have been eating well! One thing, it assured us that this was a great family for us to leave Winston for our upcoming three week trip back to the States. We are renting a car because Mariano and Marcela are flying from Argentina to visit us. The last time we saw them was in February when they took me to San Martin de los Andes for Carnival (Mardi Gras), Tom has not seen them since before Christmas, so we are really looking forward to the visit. They are only coming for two days and we want to make the most of it. As soon as we get back to Algarrobo, we book them a room at the Pacifico Hotel which is only a block from Hans’ place where we have the motorhome parked and a short block from the beach. The rest of Friday evening, we played with Winston, cooked dinner and unpacked. Saturday we drive back to Santiago to pick up Marcela and Mariano from the airport. By the time we parked and got inside, they had cleared immigration and customs and were waiting for us. It was so good to see them. During our time in Rada Tilly and their subsequent visits to various parts of Argentina to see us, we have become remarkably close. Now they are here in Chile for yet another short visit. On our travels into Santiago on the bus, Tom and I had passed a really pretty bodega (winery) called Indomita up on a hill in the Casablanca valley. Since they advertised having a restaurant, we had decided that we would stop there, wine taste and have lunch. We told them our plan for the afternoon and they readily agreed. Indomita winery is beautiful and the restaurant is very clean, well lit and definitely upscale. After consulting with the waiter, we ordered lunch and a bottle of the winery’s best wine. Everything was delicious and the service, excellent. From there we went to the tasting room and browsed their vast selection of wines, while sipping on a few of their samples. I also checked out the small store they had and we bought two pretty wine stoppers which had a top featuring a globe of the earth made from lapis lazuli and the continents depicted in a variety of other colored semi precious stones from Chile. We also bought a case of their best wine, Zardoz in Cabernet Sauvignon. We then drove to Algarrobo and Winston gave our friends a happy welcome although we think he wondered where Pelusa was. We took Winston for a walk on the beach and showed Marcela and Mariano the small town. They loved it and started eyeing a house for sale close by, even going as far to check out prices with a local realtor. Mariano’s father had lived in Chile, as had his mother and he is currently looking into the possibility of getting a Chilean passport, so this entire visit has a particular meaning for them. We ate dinner at Ahi Azul, a restaurant recommended by Hans. Serving primarily seafood, it was delicious and with a bottle of wine, we had a wonderful time catching up on friends from Rada Tilly and telling of our trip to Easter Island. Sunday, found us heading back to Santiago, this time to meet up with Felipe for lunch. We had told him that Mariano and Marcela were going to visit and he wanted to see them again. They had met once before when visiting with me in Bariloche and they too had liked Felipe and were looking forward to a lunch together. As it is Sunday, Felipe has to say two masses, one in the morning and one in the evening but his afternoon is free and he picks a restaurant close to his parish. Another seafood restaurant but this time a small local neighborhood gem that was fantastic. I ordered the sea bass which was really good while Tom and Marcela followed Felipe’s recommendation and had a crab dish which was spectacular. Mariano opted for another of Felipe’s favorites; a beef stew that he said was extremely good. After lunch, Felipe took us to another area of Santiago that hosts an artisan fair. Filled with arts and crafts made by local artisans, we happily browsed the stalls and we realized that Felipe knows a lot of people and is stopped frequently to converse with friends of his and his family, parishioners and people he didn’t know who simply wanted his blessing. We have noticed that Felipe is very happy and content with his new parish and his role in the church. He is, quite frankly, an ideal minister and we can see he is very well liked and respected in the community. The time together flies by and by four o’clock we say fond goodbye’s to him and start the one hour plus drive back to the coast. After another walk on the beach with Winston, we part company to take a rest and agree to meet for a pre dinner drink at the hotel bar in a couple of hours. When we get there, Marcela and Mariano are waiting and we order the Chilean specialty, pisco sours. The Pacifico Hotel makes them just the way I like them with a rim of sugar to counteract the sour of the drink. Delicious. We also give them a gift of the wine stopper and a bottle of the wine from Indomita, to remember their trip with us. In addition, I had made a slide show for them from photographs of all the trips we have taken together and put onto a USB drive. They are surprised and are looking forward to watching it. Dinner is at another small seafood restaurant along the beach and whilst it was not as good as Ahi Azul, the food was still delicious and filled with laughter and chatter. Tomorrow, Tom will drive them to the airport, return the car and come back to Algarrobo by bus and I will stay with Winston. For tonight, it was just fun to revel in my time with these wonderful people who have become very dear to us, laugh about some of our trips and experiences and try to come up with a plan of meeting again. Soon, I hope!

Vai Te Mihi and final thoughts about Easter Island.

The venue for the show is next to a restaurant by the cemetery on the north side of Hanga Roa and Juan (the restaurant owner) dropped us off with plenty of time before the 9pm show. On the way, he also clarified what we had been told by Belem, that the show is the best in town. The room was very basic with a stage, a bar set up in the corner and about 6 rows of chairs. Red plastic, the stackable kind that you can buy at most home stores and not the most comfortable. There was two men checking off reservations and as soon as we said our name, one went in search of Belem. We hardly recognized her. At the hotel, she is always very demure in skirt and blouse with her long hair either in a braid or cinched in a ponytail. Here, she wore a much tighter skimpier outfit and her gorgeous long black hair cascaded down to her waist. “Wow, we hardly recognized you” both Tom and I said as she came up. Laughing, she chatted with the two men at the front and then led us to the second row, showing us where to sit. Bless her, as the place filled up; she had made sure no-one was seated directly in front of us. Belem is tending bar and as I settled into the not-too-comfortable chairs, Tom went to get some wine and chat with her. Mark arrived not too long after having been up to the Tahai Complex to watch the sunset. He also leaves tomorrow and wanted to check it out one final time. Then the lights went out and to the sound of drums, the show started. It was mesmerizing and within minutes, I forgot about the chairs, Tom next to me and the world outside, as the dancers gave their interpretation of the island’s history through their movements, chanting and music. The muscular young male dancers who wore very little besides loin cloths and body paint, postured and danced, slapped themselves and shouted the tribal chants of a long ago people in the loud warrior-like ways similar to the Maori of New Zealand. The delightful ladies of the group dressed in the traditional grass and/or feathered skirts with matching halter or bra tops danced the islanders take on the hula, which was much slower and precise than the Hawaiian or any other we had seen. Over the space of one and a half hours they wove the story of the Rapa Nui from the time they arrived via boat, through the stone and carving and revering of ancestors and then onto the Birdman cult and finally the demise of a civilization due to war, famine and illness and the introduction of Christianity. Intensified by the subtle, judicious use of colored and flashing lights to create various effects and backed by an absolutely fantastic band playing updated versions of the traditional melodies of the Rapa Nui, the show was spectacular. Time seemed to be suspended and I was surprised when the show wrapped up and how quickly the hour and a half had gone by. We said a fond goodnight to Belem and thanked her for recommending the show to us and went in search of a taxi. The night was filled with stars and the taxi driver took us the coast road back to the hotel. The next morning we packed and went to the dining room for breakfast. Teddy will be here at noon to take us to the airport so there is time to walk the garden one last time and reminisce on the island’s past and future. The history of the Rapa Nui is tragic to say the least. Overpopulation on the island caused for bloody wars between clans just before the Europeans ‘discovered’ the island. Only a century later in the 1860’s, Peruvian slave traffickers captured more than half of the population and set them to work as slaves in Peruvian mines. Under international pressure they were allowed to return home but they returned with smallpox and other diseases. It is reckoned that the Rapa Nui population of over 15,000 in the 15th century had dropped to only 111 in 1877. One hundred and eleven! Needless to say much of the culture was lost. Fortunately, there is still some of the Rapa Nui culture left and among the young people there is resurgence in the desire to again educate and learn their native language and understand their cultural heritage. They also understand their island like their culture is a fragile commodity and are very cognizant to the dangers of environmental exploitation. That very fragile balance between tourism and native culture. At its widest point Easter Island is only 15 miles long and 8 miles wide and yet there is so much to see and appreciate it is extraordinary. It is an amazing place and is worthy of being one of the top 10, every year, of places to visit. Tom said it best of all as we were waiting to board the plane “It wasn’t long enough. Five days is not enough. This is a fantastic place.” Never were truer words spoken.

Shopping and dinner – last night on the island.

Our final day and we need to spend some time shopping. We need gifts for the family who is taking care of Winston and also some mementos for ourselves. Besides the municipal artisan fair in town, there are also numerous other smaller stores, some a little chintzy with cheaply made moai statues, birdmen figurines and other classic styles of the island, some stores were more upscale with beautiful but expensive moai carved from semi precious rock primarily lapis lazuli which is mined in Chile and a variety of quartz. Some were tiny while others were carved from large chunks and stood a foot tall or more. There was also the ubiquitous number of T-shirt and island clothing stores and even a small boutique called Colette’s. One of Tom’s sisters is named Colette and laughingly we took a photograph to send to her. She loves to shop. After a couple of hours, we had purchased shirts for Jaime and his son and earrings for Isabella and their daughter. Winston’s caregivers will be happy. We also purchased shirts for the family to take home with us when we return for a vacation in a couple of weeks. And then there was us. Tom bought several shirts for himself and I found a beautiful carved wooden bowl. And then there is the moai. At the first store we had purchased two small lapis statues, one for us and one for a gift. At the artisan fair where I purchased the bowl, Tom saw a second carved lapis moai, standing about 6 inches tall. Had to have it. The final store we went to had a fabulous carved Lapis moai, this one about 12 inches tall and quite expensive. Had to have it. Yes, I now have a perfect ahu of my own with three gorgeous Lapis Lazuli moai. The credit card got a lot of use but we are happy with our permanent reminders of Easter Island. Returning to the hotel we began our packing, one bag holding the gifts, snorkeling gear and some of our clothes. Our plan is to have an early dinner because we have reserved tickets for a dance show for tonight. There are three island dance groups in town with ne Kari Kari being the longest running and most well known. However with suggestions from Belem at the hotel, we decided on the dance troupe Vai Te Mihi which she strongly recommended. She may have been a little biased since she also works with this particular show but we were willing to try it. As we were making the reservations, Mark wandered up and since he also has not seen a show yet also decided to book with us. Belem also recommended purchasing the medium priced tickets. She told us the most expensive was the first row but it was really close to the stage and you are looking up the whole time. The medium priced are rows 2 and 3 and she would make sure we had good seats in that section. Deal done! For our final dinner we have chosen a small family restaurant, close to the hotel but on a side street off the beaten track. Here they have outside wood ovens and a fire over which they cook whichever fish they have caught that day. There is no menu; you simply eat what is available that day. When we arrived there were three varieties of fish. While I am not sure of the names, one looked like a cod, one flat fish like a sole or flounder and the other a sea bass. As they were laid over the fire on a bed of banana leaves, the owner tended to a wood oven to prepare some bread and cook the potatoes and vegetables that would accompany our meal. That taken care of he went inside to make us our pisco sours. It is a beautiful evening, still quite light and we walk around their garden as we sip on our drinks. In the meantime, his wife is setting up our table on the deck overlooking the ocean. The garden is well taken care of and whilst there are plenty of gorgeous exotic plants and flowers, there is also a large area dedicated to growing a variety of herbs and vegetables for both the restaurant and presumably their own use. We also wander over to the fire to check on our dinner, especially when they remove the leaves to check on the cooking. The aroma of fish and herbs sweeps through the air and we sniff in anticipation. More wood is added both to the fire and the oven and we chat with the owners as we wait. We are told another 15 minutes or so. Finishing our pisco sours, I order a glass of wine and Tom a beer and we settle at our table to eat the salad that has been set down along with freshly baked, hot bread. We are the only customers and feel quite at home. The fish along with a big pot filled with potatoes and vegetables was then brought over. With the three whole fish laid out on a platter, it is quite a feast and we are hungry. During the meal, the sun sets in a blazing red ball over the horizon. Our final sunset on the island and this was a great place to watch it. Gushing appreciatively over the meal, we ask the owner to call us a taxi to take us to the show. “Taxi” he said. “No, I will drive you. You are our guests”. We thank him and his wife profusely and decide if the remainder of the evening is half as good, it will have been a fabulous way to spend our last night here.