Chile - ilivetotravel's travel log

Discovering Santiago de Chile – Highlights

9 July 2011 by Raul 10 Comments

Santiago de Chile may be, as Chileans themselves could be thought to be, understated; but the city -again like Chileans- has a wealth and depth that you may miss initially if you don’t look for it!

Santiago likely offers many places to stay in every budget range so I will leave that part to other websites. What is harder to get from a hotel/accommodation website is the various parts of town. Life is very different in Santiago depending on which sector you stay at. The closer to the mountains, the less traditional things get and the more U.S.-like (if that is a fair comparison which it may not be). For example, the eastern suburbs sport the fancier and more standard malls, like Parque Arauco (expensive but an interesting place to hang out on weekend afternoons people-watching!). I stayed next to Parque Arauco at the Santiago Marriott which offered incredible views of the Andes. My favorite rooms were high up (earthquakes aside!) and facing the Andes. But I never said no to a corner suite facing elsewhere 😉

Office buildings near Parque Arauco

The Centro – The Old Heart of Santiago

The closer to the centro, the more colorful and traditional the city becomes. The centro will tend to be of more interest to someone wanting to explore and get to understand how Chile is unique and how Santiago evolved over time. No matter which end of town you enjoy more (notice “north” and “south” did not enter this discussion), one thing you can be certain of is that the majestic Andes will be your faithful compass as you move around the city…

The centro is the only area in Santiago that suffered to any significant extent during the February 2010 earthquake (which I missed by one and a half days, something I am VERY thankful about!). The structures in the centro are old and pre-date, by a good bit, the great building code currently in place (which likely saved countless lives in this earthquake – following rules pays off; other countries need to learn from Chile…).

Santiago offers some really interesting sights, starting from the imposing like Cerro San Cristóbal which one can visit by taking a funicular or by hiking it. The views of the city from there are unparalleled. But, to me, the best part of Santiago is the part that you walk around and discover on your own. West of the centro but still in the centro are very picturesque neighborhoods like Concha y Toro (yes, named like the winery) with old buildings with architecture of the period and also some still bearing the marks of the February 2010 earthquake. Walk around early in the morning when the light is best and bring your camera if you want some really neat shots.

Driving around Santiago’s Interesting Neighborhoods

One Saturday morning, I hired a taxi to drive me around to whatever the driver thought was worth seeing. It was a great way to view Santiago from a local resident’s eyes and gave me many great photo opportunities!

A picturesque neighborhood I discovered this way was Barrio Patronato. An older part of Santiago with lots of life and charm, normally overlooked probably due to being close to the more popular Barrio Bellavista.

Sample architecture in Barrio Patronato in Santiago de Chile

Barrio Patronato architecture

Church near Barrio Patronato

Street scene near Barrio Patronato

Another discovery was the Cementerio General de Santiago, one of the largest in Latin America with over 2M burials and many former presidents!

Statues in front of the Cementario General de Santiago

Mausoleum in the Cementerio General de Santiago

Other parts near the centro, like near the university, are great areas to walk around during the day. Sit down somewhere and watch life go by. Perhaps even chat up a local – I have never been disappointed at the thoughtfulness of their opinions be them political, cultural, or otherwise. In fact, taxi drivers in Chile have helped me understand the events of 1973 much better than any history book as they lived that history.

The Mercado Central

Near the centro is the Mercado Central. This is a place to be observed and discovered with just about all senses.

Walk around the seafood stalls and marvel at the freshness and color of the catch. Stop at one of the local places and have lunch and perhaps a pisco. An experience!

Some unlucky fellas…

Parque de los Dominicos

El Parque de los Domínicos is an arts and crafts market in Santiago on the east side of the city where many artisans still make their crafts and then sell them. It is a historic site and worth seeing (the metro drops you right there on its last stop) even if you can find better bargains elsewhere.

Barrio Bellavista

The Barrio Bellavista district is the home of Pablo Neruda’s home, many artistic murals, nice architecture, and some good eateries. It is also home to Patio Bellavista which felt too forced for me but it may be to your liking as it has a good amount of open dining areas and shops. I prefer to spend the time outside of Patio Bellavista in the neighborhood proper (Santiago Colonial was a good choice for dining).

Food!!!

And that gets me to dining… I had plenty a good meal in Santiago, whether Japón or Osaka for sushi; Cuero Vaca, Don Carlos or Ox for beef; Tiramisu for pizza, etc. I have a whole list and if you are interested, just drop me a note and I can send. Again, lots of local input in building the list and I greatly enjoyed hitting as many of them as possible. Rarely disappointed and plenty of repeat-visits to the ones listed above!

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The question for someone coming to Chile to explore the entire country is how much to spend in Santiago. Yes, it has some very good dining but so do many other cities, so is that what makes it special enough for you to linger longer?

(Photos taken with Canon EOS Rebel)

Filed Under: Chile, Good Eats and Drinks, South America Tagged With: Barrio Bellavista, Barrio Patronato, Canon, Cementerio General, Chile, EOS Rebel, Mercado Central, Parque de los Domínicos, restaurants, Santiago

Photo of the Week – A Colorful Home

8 June 2011 by Raul Leave a Comment

Last December, I finally fulfilled a dream almost 19 years old: to go to Punta Arenas and see the Chilean Patagonia. I have written about the trip already in the blog but I thought this picture merited a Photo of the Week entry of its own. This is a home in Puerto Natales, near the hotel where I stayed and not far from the waterfront. The mix of colors and dominance of the blue of the exterior of the home really caught my eye.

Puerto Natales Home

Note: Though I already posted a picture this week, I decided to just “go crazy” and post more than 1 since I will not be posting in the next two weeks 🙂

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: architecture, Chile, house, Patagonia, Puerto Natales

Going with Serendipity in Chile’s Patagonia

28 December 2010 by Raul 11 Comments

The agency that helped me organize my trip down south to Patagonia created a suggested itinerary based on what I wanted to see. In their itinerary, they had me staying 3 nights in Puerto Natales and 1 night in a place sort of in the middle of nowhere. I would stay at that place the second night of the 4 nights. I wrote to the agency asking for the rationale behind this as I would certainly prefer being in one place so I could unpack once, pack one especially in a year where I think I spent 10% of my time unpacking and packing already…

The answer was sort of OK. It was that the morning after staying in this place for one night I would save 20 mins in the ride over to see the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina. Oh, and 20 mins the night before as I would get dropped off before the bus got to Puerto Natales. In other words, a total of 40 mins savings by staying further north of Puerto Natales since my travels around that night were north as well. I decided to not argue it as they better knew the lay of the land than myself.

I chose right. Though I was up there to see the well-known sites and sights, I was not aware that I was about to discover a place that for me would showcase some of the best in the beauty of the Chilean Patagonia as well as just a plain and simple quiet setting – something well needed after the last few weeks…

A Lodging Paradise in Patagonia

The Hotel Posada 3 Pasos (http://www.hotel3pasos.cl/) is located on a site where there has been a hotel or inn for most of the time that part of the country has been colonized. Of course, the structure has changed a few times since then. But once one has traveled in the area, one can see that a trail or road likely always existed once the land was colonized and that the location of this place of lodging was well chosen as a place to stop, eat, and sleep.

Looking at this inn’s setting I couldn’t help but feel I was in a special place on this planet – a real paradise of serenity and beauty.

A Building with Charm and Good Food!

The employees told me that many visitors stop on the drive from El Calafate to Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas simply to dine (the food was great! anything with the “vazca” sauce is well worth trying!). The next morning I was pleasantly, no, correction: VERY pleaseantly surprised at the incredible spread they served me for breakfast. I was SO engrossed by it that I forgot to take a picture of the table!! The bakery type of items and the jams were all home made and simply exquisite. I could not eat half of what was offered!

But, of course, food always distracts me… The inn is not the very original one from early 20th century but it is still of a period and style: country! It is charming, with a limited number of rooms, a small bar, a living room with a fireplace (which I am sure is used here year-round in the evenings!), and a dining room area.

Hotel Posada 3 Pasos in Chile's Patagonia

Living Room

Bedroom

The inn is in a very remote area so power is not easily available. At some point late at night, the generator is turned off. One is given a rather powerful battery-powered lamp in case one needs it (like for that middle-of-the-night bathroom run…) so it is not an issue should one want to read, etc. All the rooms have a private bathroom and, likely, a beautiful and serene view.

Gardens and Walking Around

The inn is in a great setting and they maximize how you can experience it. Across the road, there is an area where one can walk to one’s content as far as one wants, even up the hill at the end of the area. The inn also has a nice garden dedicated to the great Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral where I went to town using the micro settings in my camera on flowers, moss, and acorns! Certainly a great way to practice my hobby and also relax and unwind, something I badly needed during this trip.

Finally, I have to say the staff that day was very friendly and wanting to make sure my stay was comfortable and relaxing. I thank them for that!

What Did I Re-Learn?

I have realized over time that sometimes it is better to let things happen rather than have them all planned. This lodging experience drove the point home. Certainly my research would likely lead me to choices that better match what I am looking for in a trip. However, it is impossible for research to uncover it all and leaving space for the random discoveries is just as important. Lesson well learned. I may even get back to Patagonia just to stay at this place but this time for a few days of R&R!

Filed Under: Chile, Good Eats and Drinks, South America Tagged With: Chile, hotel, Patagonia, perito moreno glacier, Puerto Natales

Out and About to Check Out the Torres del Paine!

26 December 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

The Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, is the main “attraction” in the Chilean Patagonia. Certainly, there is a lot more to explore in the region (Perito Moreno in Argentina, Puerto Natales, penguin colonies, etc.) but nothing seems as well known as this National Park and its centerpiece the mountains that carry the name “Paine”. The picture below will not do them justice but it may ring a bell for some readers (read on… better pictures below!).

Seeing these mountains was the top goal for my trip down south. (For more info about the park, check out http://www.torresdelpaine.com/ingles/index.asp). I wish I had had the time and “knee-health” to do the hike (the famous “W” hike) everyone else does but that was not to be. So I signed up for a driven tour of the park which ended up being a really good way to see more in a limited time window. (I used a Chilean travel agency named Comapa (http://www.comapa.com/en/) – there were about 14 of us in a mid-sized bus – it was very well-organized.) While generally I prefer more “on my own” traveling, one good thing about this type of travel is meeting other folks and this particular day was not exception as I met friendly folks from Brazil and Chile. Sometimes it is not only the sights but the people one meets along the way that make a trip worthwhile!

In any case, the day started by visiting the Cueva del Milodón, a cave carved by a glacier thousands and thousands of years ago and where the remains of a prehistoric type of beast that resembles a bear with a long tail were found. Here is my picture of a milodón (or, I should say, a statue of one).

Cueva del Milodón near Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia, north of Puerto Natales

The entrance to la Cueva del Milodón

The visit to the cave involved a nice short hike through one of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen. Ever.

Vista of Patagonia's majesty from la Cueva del Milodón

Wow. Just wow. No digital enhancement of colors. Wow again.

We proceeded to enter the main part of the park and visiting lake after lake, each beautiful in its own way and most with a view of the Torres themselves. As the day started, there was a cloud-cover on the Torres but over the morning the cover mostly dissipated providing us visitors an almost clear view of the Torres. Since it can be hit or miss, I was worried I may get to see the Torres on the day when they would actually not be visible rending this a rather long distance to go and not see them… But luck was on my side and I was glad for the almost perfect view of the Torres.

Map of the National Park

In any case, we visited Lake Sarmiento, Lake Nordenskjol (beautiful colored water), Lake Pehoé (where we had lunch at a local place sitting on the shore of the lake AND looking straight at the Torres!), Lake Grey and the glacier with the same name (which was way too far from the lake’s edge where we were to enjoy it much; but the short hike to get there was nice), and Lago del Toro. The views were majestic and offered way too many photo opportunities. But the Torres remained wrapped in fog. I kept getting dis-heartened as there is no guarantee that on a given day, the fog clears…

Foggy view of the Torres del Paine

Close up but a little foggy still…

Finally, the fog lifted enough for incredible views as we went further away from the Torres. Incredible land!!!

Amazing photo of Torres del Paine on a beautiful day with Canon EOS Rebel

Glorious!

The visit to the park absolutely met my expectations of the landscape. I only wish I had been able to stay right there at a place with a view of the Torres so I could see them at sunset and sunrise (assuming a clear view) – I can imagine how spectacular the setting must become at those times and with that type of light… Maybe another visit? But I still had more to discover about Patagonia in the next couple of days, including crossing the border to Argentina…

Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia with Canon EOS Rebel

Happy traveler!

Pin these images as you plan your trip to Chile!

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: Chile, Cueva del Milodón, Lake Nordenskjol, Lake Pehoé, Lake Sarmiento, milodón, Patagonia, Puerto Natales, torres del paine

Beginning the Journey into Patagonia: Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales

25 December 2010 by Raul 13 Comments

While Punta Arenas was my entry point to Patagonia (see map for a good visual!), I wasn’t going to spend too much time there – I had places to go in Patagonia! Punta Arenas is known for being very windy but much to my joy, the landing was very smooth.

Final approach before landing in Punta Arenas, Chile

Final approach before finally landing in Punta Arenas!

After a quick lunch at La Luna near the new costanera (“coastal”) avenue (chupe de centolla – a delicious king crab dish) and a failed attempt at using a coffee shop’s wi-fi on Ave. Pedro Montt after buying a coffee (the wi-fi “didn’t” work, something that seems to affect most places in this part of the country who claim to have one…), I walked around town for a couple of hours before I finally left town to head north into the heart of the Chilean Patagonia.

Chupe de centolla (crab dish) in Punta Arenas, Chile

Chupe de centolla. Yum!

Along the waterfront

Cormoranes on the waterfront of Punta Arenas

I made a stop at the penguin colony in Otway (I didn’t know I was going to see penguins right off the waterfront in Punta Arenas!). It was fascinating to walk among all the penguin nests on the shores of this body of water (more enclosed than a bay, but not a lake) – you stay on a slightly elevated walkway to avoid mis-stepping onto a penguin nest.

Penguins in Otway, north of Punta Arenas, Chile

On the way to see the penguins with dark skies in the distance

I was beginning to feel the wind and also be slightly disoriented in terms of direction. In Punta Arenas the water was to the east of the town yet somehow my brain thought it would be south and my many months in Chile would make me expect water to the west of land. Going to Otway, the water was to the west again. But my brain had a hard time processing this as I had not studied a map yet. My driver told me everyone from Chile goes through the same disorientation so I felt better.

Heading to the beach

“I’m sexy and I know it”

At the beach!

Younger penguin testing his strut

From Otway, we went back east to the main road again and headed north the remaining 2.5 hrs or so until we got to Puerto Natales, a small town of perhaps 20k inhabitants that tends to serve as the main launching point to explore the Chilean Patagonia. I am assuming El Calafate may serve a slightly similar purpose on the Argentine Patagonia. Puerto Natales does not have necessarily tons of charm but going to the coastal avenue does provide a 180 degree (plus) view of mountains and water that is very nice.

I stayed at a nice hotel called Aquaterra whose staff was very friendly and helpful even if the rooms were somewhat spartan. The best eating experience in Puerto Natales had to be the highly recommended La Picada de Carlitos. I was expecting to eat meat but the waiter recommended the chupe de centolla and, boy, he was right! It was phenomenal and easily beat the one I had at La Luna in Punta Arenas. Here is what it looked like:

Other than this, the only other thing to call out about Puerto Natales that I saw was some of the architecture and some bright coloring of house facades. I found the town to be charming and a great platform to launch into the rest of Patagonia. The views from its waterfront were beautiful.

Yours truly loving life!

From here I would begin my visit to Torres del Paine, glaciers and fjords… Majestic!!

Filed Under: Chile, Good Eats and Drinks, Patagonia, South America Tagged With: Chile, chupe de centolla, Otway, Patagonia, penguins, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, waterfront

The Key Places to See in Patagonia – On a Map!

24 December 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

As I sit to write about my trip, I thought a map of the Chilean Patagonia would be helpful to illustrate the different places I will be writing about!

Source: http://www.chiletravelplus.com

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: Chile, El Calafate, map, Patagonia, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, Serrano glacier, torres del paine

Getting to the Windy Chilean South, the Deep South

24 December 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

19 yrs ago, when I spent 3 months in Chile with work, I dreamt of going to Punta Arenas and the southern tip of the American hemisphere (American as in the Americas’ hemisphere). However, the three flights a day or so they had back then were not available on the dates I could travel. Perhaps that was all for the better as the Internet and such resources didn’t exist and I wonder how I would have determined exactly what to do and where to go had I been able to make it then…

But the yearning remained and for 18 yrs, the yearning included getting back to Chile, period. Well, that happened in November 2009 but the trip down south was still a “pending”. As my work in Chile wrapped up close to 13 months later, I figured I needed to make this happen. So I made it happen. I only had a few days between the Christmas holiday and the end of my assignment so I cut my assignment short a couple of days to give me a full 5 days down south (yes, not enough but enough to hit the items I wanted to hit).

I searched online for possible ways to organize my visit but work was in the most difficult stage (pre-rollout and rollout of 4 new systems, 2 of them major, for my client in Chile). So I didn’t get to do my research and planning as I would have liked. I ended up using an agency to organize my visit (www.visitchile.cl). Margarita was my contact there and was very helpful in organizing what I was interested in with an efficient itinerary and offering a couple of good suggestions.

So, all I had to do was get my plane ticket and go. The direct flights from Santiago turned out to not be convenient in terms of schedules so I ended up taking the flight that makes a stop in Puerto Montt (abt 30 mins, you don’t get off the plane unless that is your destination). Pricewise, it wasn’t dirt cheap but given I booked all this about 3 weeks or so in advance, I did well enough.

So I took a 630 AM flight down south. A major sacrifice as you can imagine… I landed close to 11 AM in Punta Arenas, expecting a lot of turbulence given the famous strong winds in the area. The plane barely moved as we approached, took a hard bank right, and landed. As I met my driver, he told me the day before they had had about 120kph winds and planes were made to circle for like 40 minutes until it was safe to land, safe to use the jetways, and safe for ground crews to be out and about (I asked myself, why not land the planes, park them off the runway, and save those poor passengers all the jumping around…). Later in my trip, people I met who flew on that day described rather disturbing jumping around as they landed in Pta Arenas and I counted my blessings!!

Pta Arenas is not, in my limited exploring, a beautiful town. While you sit in the Straits of Magellan, I can’t say the setting is beautiful per se (I hear this is in contrast with Ushuaia in Argentina which I did not get to visit) but the winds, the penguins by the waterfront, and the idea of where I am in relation to the rest of the world did make me feel I was somewhere different, perhaps special.

Near the Costanera (waterfront road) in Punta Arenas

Typical architecture near the Plaza de Armas

Pta Arenas was just the start of my trip and certainly was not going to be the highlight as I was soon to find out…

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: Chile, Patagonia, penguins, Punta Arenas

A Year On… A Final Trip to Chile

27 November 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

It will almost be a year to the day since I traveled to Chile for the first time in 18 yrs. I was expecting an infrequent trip there in the year to follow due to work but a couple of months in, the game changed and I got to practically be based in Santiago for most of 2010. The surprise was pleasant for the most part, except I had not planned to live far from home for so long, even if I did get to come home for long weekends at least twice every month. Now, I have one more trip down to Chile of a few weeks before this chapter of my life closes…

It is important to note that I had wanted to stay in Chile back then in 1991. I enjoyed life there SO much. But without too much on my resume yet, being “too green”, and no easy way to figure things out (no Internet!), I just went back to the U.S. when the assignment ended.

Seeing Santiago after 18 years was a strange experience. I was able to recognize places from my life those 3 months around 1990-91 (my apt building, work, Brannigan’s on Calle Suecia, the McDs by Parque Arauco where I used to go eat after playing racquetball, and the old parts of town among others). But, of course, 18 yrs in a good economic climate bring about lots of change. I recall back then a skyline littered with cranes of high rises being built. Well, by now, I am happy to report they finished the buildings… and then some! Sanhattan did not exist when I was there – not in its current form, at least. The area around Parque Arauco and Parque Arauco itself have been developed beyond recognition. I got to re-connect with friends from those days there and while their lives of course had changed, the friends were pretty much as I remembered them (physically and personality-wise).

I got to sample numerous excellent restaurants from a list built up by recommendations from a couple of choice people who clearly know food. I have hit just about every recommendation except for some. By now, with 3 weeks left in my assignment, I am more interested in eating at my favorite places than discovering new ones. Tiramisu and Cuero Vaca (http://www.cuerovaca.cl/) rank up there in my book (good eats!). I will be eating there again for sure! [Check out this review of Tiramisu at the NYT: http://tinyurl.com/2fcbum7]

Of course, I got to be in Chile on or around key events in its national history: the earthquake of February 27, the national elections that made history, the trapped miners, the bicentennial (bicentenario), and the national soccer team making it to the 2nd round in the World Cup. Wow, what timing, don’t you agree??

I got to sample the Atacama desert, hop over the Andes to Mendoza, and explore more of Valparaíso. Hopefully, before I return, I will also get to see Patagonia and the key sights down there – Torres del Paine, the Magellan Straits by Punta Arenas, the Perito Moreno glacier, and a few other sights. Places left to see or see again include Valdivia, Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and neighboring towns along the area, and the lakes crossing of the Andes to reach Bariloche. Had work stretched into January, I would have been able to add them to my “itinerary”. But with work wrapping up mid-December, I only had time for one destination before coming home for Christmas. So I think I chose well with the trip to Tierra del Fuego.

Now, I need to focus on the hardest week of work in the whole year, then stabilize things before I move on. I am thankful God granted me the opportunity to return to a land that I love and to have made it for a long stint so that I got to internalize it all. Now, I am ready to leave Chile behind knowing I can always come “home” but ready to focus on my life in my real home…

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: calle suecia, Chile, earthquake, magellan straits, miners, parque arauco, Patagonia, perito moreno glacier, Sanhattan, Santiago, torres del paine, travel

Skiing When I Should Be Burning Up

24 August 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

I am getting to spend a heck of a lot of time in Chile lately, as in the last few months. A great bonus is that it is winter here right now. Since the Andes are LITERALLY right there, mountains + winter = skiing!

I hadn’t skied in like 7 yrs when ski season started here. Ski resorts are within an hour, hour and a half from Santiago so I definitely had envisioned trekking up to the slopes and checking the Andes ski scene out…

By now, I have made a couple of day trips up to what some say is the best of the ski slopes around here, close to Santiago. I am not sure it is the true but it does not matter to me. The point was I was going to ski! The place is Valle Nevado.

Driving up there involves first a set of 39 sharp curves, each numbered as you pass them but also with many curves that are unnumbered… I wonder if that is a ploy to keep the number of signs needing posting down or to not scare travelers with a much higher number of curves… Anyway, after that initial set, you drive a little bit on semi-flat terrain before you hit another set of curves, not as bad as the first set. The landscape in this second part is amazing. I must say that somewhere in the first set of curves you can look back towards Santiago and see part of the city – the Marriott hotel almost being the only recognizable thing as it is a tall orange rectangle!

I have to say getting going on skiing again was a little scary at first. I had to find those legs! After a couple of practice runs on greens, I finally made it to blues. There was something different in the slopes and I can’t quite put my finger on it. But, it was a phenomenal day to be at Valle Nevado with fresh snow from the day before – viva Chile, mierda!

The second trip to Valle Nevado was 4 weeks later – this past Saturday. There had not been a lot of snowfall plus some of the snow had begun to melt. So conditions were far from perfect. Yet, it was fun and I was much more comfortable with my legs than the first time. After one green run, my fellow skiers convinced me to try a red – so I went for it. Reds are between a blue and a black for medium skilled or expert skiers. After doing my first one (Diablada), I felt flattered. I was at least a medium skilled skier! We did that slope again and then we went for a longer red run called Sol. I love it! I did well not only going down steeper slopes but also on speed. Now, they tended to have wide runs which made me more comfortable taking the risk. Later in the day, I went down a run named Polka which on the map seemed easy for a blue. One segment of it seemed like it must have been a black as it was not only sloped downward but sideways too and it was quite narrow. I had to slide down 🙁

All in all, not only was I pretty damn happy about having moved up to reds and feeling comfortable with them but I also got to skip burning up in the summer from heck Atlanta has had!! Next up: Vail in 4 months?!

Heading on up!

Anyone out there who has visited Valle Nevado and other Chilean ski slopes? If so, would love to hear how VN compares to other places in Chile.

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: Chile, ski, Valle Nevado

“Unsuccessful” Visit to the Geysers del Tatio

24 July 2010 by Raul Leave a Comment

One of the tours I wanted to make based on all the recommendations I got was to see the Geysers del Tatio, very close to the Bolivian border.

The day before the tour, as I was visiting the Lagunas Altiplanicas, our tour guide kept telling us how some people have gotten killed and a few more badly burned when they fall into one of the geysers. I couldn’t quite comprehend at first and then became slightly horrified as he kept describing scenes he had witnessed of people who fell in. The gory details of what happens after someone falls was not settling well with my stomach and I think my arms and legs were hurting just from thinking about burns.

So, with that talk as an introduction to the geysers, I prepared myself the night before for a wakeup all of 345AM to be picked up so that we could trek over to the geysers and catch them in their early morning glory, when they “blow”. The pictures of the scene and others’ recommendations made me sign up for this torture of little sleep. I did not realize the road there was going to be its own version of hell, not because of scary curves and cliffs but because it was very very rocky. Now, I have been on dirt roads for hours in places like the Andes and Tanzania but this was way worse than anything I had experienced. Perhaps it was my body not feeling well with the lack of sleep but I could swear I could feel my brain bumping against the inside of my skull!!!

We finally got there and it was absolutely freezing (something I was expecting). The altitude also could be felt but didn’t really negatively impact me. What did impact me was that the geysers, for some reason, did not blow that morning. Sure, they spit out a little but nothing like what was expected. Weeks later I heard from someone else that this time of the year isn’t propitious for visiting them – but the tour agencies in San Pedro de Atacama would never tell you that in advance… I did get to snap some neat pictures that captured the colors the various minerals bring to the soil and water pools and the coffee the bus driver served us was heaven-sent on such a cold morning.

The way back was not as bad as the way up because we went another way. Thank God! We visited a small village where the highlight, for me, was the church on the hill.

Having gone through no sleep, the bumpiest road on earth, and no “geyser show”, sure, I did regret taking the tour (something rare for me). I am not sure I would gamble it again should I return to the Atacama. I would say the landscape was pretty impressive, short of spectacular but to see it, one does not need to wake up that early!

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: Atacama, Chile

El Valle de la Luna and the Laguna Cejar in the Atacama

6 July 2010 by Raul Leave a Comment

As was recommended to me, I booked tours with a local agency from San Pedro de Atacama. I certainly love driving myself around but this was a trip I am glad I didn’t do that in. Perhaps on a future trip I would drive but the area is not consistently well labeled and some of the places to go are quite remote. Our first day took us to the Valle de la Luna and the Laguna Cejar.

Valle de la Luna

A short drive from San Pedro, it was an ideal place to watch the sun set. The mountains in the distance, anchored by Volcan Licancabur, changed colors as the sun set. We also had a small amount of clouds which “wore” spectacular colors as the sun set. We hiked up to a sort-of ridge and sat there until the sun went down. It was a bit cold but we had coats and hunkered down against some rocks. There was also a large sand dune next to the ridge and it provided me some good photo opps! It was indeed a majestic sunset…

View of Volcan Licancabur

Sand. Footsteps.

Laguna Cejar

This laguna is a spot to enjoy the salty water by jumping in. Of course, it was cold when we were there but apparently, it was tolerable. I didn’t go prepared to jump in so I observed as others dipped in and floated in the salty water. Of course, photo opps kept me entertained…

The sun and clouds above

Observing tourists observe the ever-present Volcan Licancabur

Of the two places, I could have missed the Laguna Cejar and not have missed tons but that could be because I didn’t jump in. However, the Valle de la Luna is a must for sure! I did not get to see the Valle de la Muerte or the Valle del Arco Iris but now I would look forward to visiting them should I ever return…

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: Atacama, Chile, desert, Laguna Cejar, surreal, Valle de la Luna, Valley of the Moon

Why I Chose to Visit the World’s Driest Desert – the Atacama

6 July 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

Visiting a desert? Isn’t it all just like dry and sandy? Why? I had been to the Sahara desert but mainly in the vicinity of the Nile River in Egypt. And while it is likely not representative of the rest of the Sahara (opinions, readers?), I thought how different can they all be from each other?

Since I had the opportunity to spend a holiday weekend away from Santiago late in June, I decided to explore the Atacama. There are 3 main areas of Chile that I want to see. One I saw partially in 1991, the other 2 I had not seen. The lake district down south near Puerto Montt I visited in 1991 but not fully. In fact, I probably only “sampled” a fraction of the area. But it is winter now and not the best time to go (I was set to go in March but the earthquake happened and killed the trip…). The other area I am wanting to go to is Tierra del Fuego and las Torres del Paine. But, again, it is winter… So the third area on my top 3 was the Atacama and this seemed a great time to go.

Flying to Calama in the north requires flying over almost half of Chile’s length, abt 2 hrs (photo: http://www.finetravel.co.nz)

I heard it would be cold since some of the places to visit are in altitude (over 12,000 ft above sea level) but, at least, down in San Pedro de Atacama, things would not be so bad. In another entry I cover the details of my “getting there”.

I didn’t have a strong notion what it was I was going to see prior to doing some research but it sounded different. I was up for different. I figured that seeing the desert at different times of day would offer great colors and images. I also knew there were “salares” (salt lakes of sorts) that could offer great photo opps for a creative type with a brand new camera based on the pictures hanging on the wall of my hotel in Santiago.

Research, including talking to other visitors in Chile who had been there and locals as well as Internet research, showed me there was indeed quite a good bit to see and do. My mind was more made up than it had been. Among the key recommendations were:

– Valle de la Luna

– Valle de la Muerte

– Valle del Arco Iris

– Geysers del Tatio

– Salar de Atacama

– Lagunas Altiplanicas

– Laguna Cejar

– Night sky watching

So, the trip was born…

Other entries cover some of these (links above) and some learnings acquired along the way…

Any other suggestions for places to see in the Atacama?