Mendoza

After spending a couple of days in Mendoza; and taking a city tour, we have a better sense of this lovely City. With the nearby 17 Districts, probably close to 1 million people, although Mendoza proper about 100 thousand. The city was founded in 1561. The central area of the City, where we are staying, is bustling with people. Wide tree lined streets and many green areas. There are 5 central plazas in the downtown, arranged like a 5 on a die. The Plaza Independencia is quite large and houses an art gallery and a theatre. At night many vendors are set up selling their pottery, jewelery, baskets, etc., quite interesting to be there. The first night we came upon a competition of local folk dancers in their native costumes. One of the other squares, Plaza Espana has beautiful mosaic walls and fountains. As we walk back from dinner, usually around 10 p.m.; things are just getting started. Families are out in force this late at night, even with their young children.

Of the numerous fountains that we have seen in the City, the majority of them do not hold any water. Additionally a lot of the parks have not replaced/ cut down dead trees or replaced broken street lights...we wonder if this is not a cause of the financial woes in this country.  They do however have an extensive irrigation system of ditches everywhere. This area is basically desert like, but getting water from the nearby Andes, is what helps make the many orchards (peaches, apples, cherries, olives, etc.)  and vineyards thrive.  We are told that 70% of Argentina's wine is produced in this area; but due to the scarcity of water, only 4 % of the land area here is cultivated. During the summer months, they also have water restrictions...similar to some places in Canada....can only water your lawn or wash your car on certain days, etc.

Must mention that on Christmas Eve and morning we were able to speak to all of our families on Skype...got to love computers and technology. We were even able to video skype with Rich, Lisa, Christine, Gav and Caitriona in Ontario, Denis, Debbie and their friends Suzanne and Norbert in Phoenix and a friend, Tim Mew in Australia. It was so great hearing everyones' voices and seeing some of you live!  Also around midnight, fireworks went off in the City for about 1/2 hour.

We notice a large presence of police officers here in the City. Different types of police, but all wear flak jackets and have guns. Although  could be unnerving to some,we find it quite assuring. We didn't see this large a presence in Chile. Nothing as scary as in Central America, when we were there 4 years ago.

Cleanliness of the cities and towns we have visited to date in both Chile and Argentina seem to be top of mind. You even see young men cleaning the streets on Sundays and holidays. We even saw one sweeping with a palm frond. We have been told that both in Chile and Argentina that they re-use/recycle whatever they can. An example being wine casks. After aging the wine, they can no longer use the casks, so they use the wood for floors, planters, etc. 

On Christmas Day, we took a walk down the pedestrian walkway. Although not very busy, still a few cafes open. Along our walk we came along a church (must have been God's message to us!) so we went to the Christmas service. Very nice to be with the local people celebrating this special day.  We also took a tour of the City. It was amazing to see the hundreds of Mendozians that were out picnicking in the numerous parks. Seems to be a tradition at Christmas with the middle/lower class.

During our city tour on Christmas Day, we visited the Parque Centrale, which covers 7,000 acres. This park was jam packed with people picnicking and visiting.  Also visited a monument on Cerro  de la Gloria to General San Martin, who liberated Peru, Chile and Argentina from the Spanish. A truly magnificent monument. Then onto the Church of Lourdes in the El Challao district. This church was originally a Spanish colonial church, very simple, but on the inside were thousands of plaques offering up prayers and appeals to the Virgin Mary of Lourdes. While it is not entirely clear, we think there may have been an apparition in this area. Today, a new modern church has been added to accommodate the tens of thousands of pilgrims who still come here to offer up their prayers.....looks like an huge American Evangelical type of church. Also drove through some very upscale neighbourhoods, which of course are all gated communities with guards.   We also did notice during our tour, that the directional signs here in Argentina are the normal Spanish (Norte, Sur, Este and Oeste) vs. the naval signs in Chile; which we referred to in a previous blog.

Will say that it is much easier here in Argentina for currency conversion...basically 3 Argentinian Pesos to the Dollar; while in Chile it was about 500 Chilean Pesos to the Dollar.

Another interesting aspect, is the way they label their wines in Argentina. Each label indicates the wine characteristics, flavours, aromas, temperature that it should be served at and drinkability (when it should be consumed)......and Susan you have been taking all those Sommelier courses!!!

On Boxing Day (not here really.....oh gosh...I missed the sales....and I am such the shopper...not!!), we visited 2 wineries and an olive oil factory in the Lujande de Cuyo valley. The first winery, Bodega Y Cavas Weinert is a larger winery and produces some 800 thousand litres of wine. They had one of the biggest casks in Argentina which was beautifully carved. The second winery, Carmine Granata,  was a family run operation using traditional methods, which only produces 200 thousand litres a year. They only export to the Scandinavian countries. We have been told time and again that the Scandinavian countries are the biggest buyers of Argentinian wines, especially Denmark. The majority of wineries pick their grapes by hand; so very labour intensive. Considering it only rains 3 days a year in the Mendoza area, their irrigation system is very wide spread. At one time, they used to flood the fields, now they use trickle irrigation.  In 2001, when Argentina had its financial crisis, the peso dropped so much that you could buy wine for $1.00. Our guide told us that Argentina is always in a crisis about something!!  For those of you who want to buy a good Malbec, we are told that 1999 was one of the best years in the last 30. Think you might be paying more than $1 for this one!! 

Then went to an olive oil factory called Pasrai. They also dry apricots, tomatoes, peaches and other fruit. This tour was focused on the olive oil production. They also use very traditional methods. It takes 6 kilos of olives to create 1 litre of olive oil.  They only produce extra virgin olive oil. They sell the by product of their press to other manufacturers who produce simple olive oil.

They always say that its a small world. On one of our tours we met a young woman from Wisconsin, who had just climbed Aconcagua, a mountain almost 19,000 feet high. When we started speaking to her about her climb, I told her that there was a young Calgarian woman named Norma Bastides, who was attempting to climb the world's 7 highest peaks in the shortest time period. Well, guess what, she had been on the same climbing expedition, but unfortunately, Norma didn't summit due to dehydration.  We feel so bad for her.

Spent our last morning in Mendoza walking around the City and sitting in a cafe enjoying life passing by. Flew into Buenos Aires around 4 p.m.

Hopefully can get to an internet cafe to update some photos...not something we can do on our small notebook.

Back in Santiago and on to Mendoza

On December 21st, we drove back to Santiago, after a relaxing week in the Colchagua Wine Valley. Thank goodness for the GPS to find our hotel and car rental company.  Had to hunt down a cambio (money exchanger) to get some Argentinian Dollars. During our last 2 days in Santiago, we took the metro downtown to visit some sights we had missed on our previous time here. We saw the Presidential Palace with its' stately guards outside, keeping watch over Michele Bachelet...not for much longer. Then visited the Cultural Museum. We thought it was rather timely that their exhibit was on ancient China, considering our niece Meghan and her partner Mike, are presently in Hong Kong and China over the Christmas period visiting Mike's family. So we stood along the fake Wall of China!! The main part of the exhibition features some of the Terra Cotta warriors....very impressive. We also visited the National Art Gallery with an impressive display of religious, historic and modern art.

On December 23rd, we headed to the bus station in Santiago, to catch the bus to Mendoza, Argentina. What chaos!!! Everyone is headed back home or wherever for Christmas; buses coming and going to all points in Chile and Argentina. Mostly locals who have numerous suitcases, pullies, bags, shopping bags, toys, bikes, etc. ; and all the while Celine Dion belting out Christmas carols!! Some fellow travelers visible by their backpacks.  We finally boarded our bus about 1/2 hour late, and headed out. The road out of Santiago into the suburbs....well really the shanty towns; started heading into the Andes. Got some great pictures of the "wild" rivers and spectacular mountains.  Quite dry country, with scrub brush and many cacti, which were blooming. The road is quite narrow and the traffic was mainly transport trucks and buses. We started going uphill and must have gone up some 30 switchbacks....looking down was pretty scary (Denis...you would not have done well here!!). At one point we came across a transport truck that had jacknifed and was in pretty bad shape..not sure if he lost control or not, but quite sobering. Then arrived at the peak, only about 10.000 feet  at Portillo, a ski area in Chile. A few kilometers further, we crossed over into Argentina. Several very long tunnels going right through the mountains.  Spent about 1 hour at the border. All the passengers had to disembark and had to line up at immigration. One border guard to stamp your passport as you are leaving Chile right next to  another booth/guard to stamp your passport as you are entering Argentina. They x-rayed some of the luggage, did a quick cursory review of our backpacks, checked one passengers luggage and we were finally on our way....think this was more show than anything else.

Robin and I always get a kick of the way things are done in 2nd and 3rd world countries. We noticed throughout Central America and our previous visit to South America, that nothing is automated. Everytime you check out of a hotel, or buy something in a store, they give you a written receipt. You never want to refuse the receipt, would simply be an insult.

When we finally arrived in Mendoza, chaos reigned once again at the bus station. Signs pointed to where the taxis should be, but they have since changed where they line up and we had a lovely tour of the bus depot, before we found the taxis!!  We should mention, that when your luggage is loaded on and off the bus, you are expected to tip the men that handle this task. We were berated in Santiago for not giving enough!! Same sort of thing happened when lining up for taxi; didn't have any small change to give to the young guy helping us put our bags in the taxi, and he expressed some "unkind" words...we think.

We have splurged a bit for Christmas and are staying at a nice hotel in the centre of Mendoza. Would not normally be our first choice, but a lot of the B & B's and guest houses that we investigated before we left are closed/full over the Christmas period. This hotel has a fitness centre, so needless to say, we have taken advantage of that....great to get some cardio in.

First thoughts of Mendoza, is that this is quite a lovely City (population100,000+). Wonderful tree lined streets, and many pedestrian streets. Lots of outdoor cafes, most having numerous large umbrellas' so you can find some shade.  No shortage of restaurants, mainly featuring meat. Wonderful specialty wine shops which also carry goods (jams, mustards, crackers, etc.) made locally, in addition to the fine wines of this region for which Argentina is note.  So civilized. Wine tastings (degastutiones) available at these wine stores, but only on certain days.  This area is known for its Malbec, a hearty red which we enjoy.

When sitting in the outdoor cafes, street vendors and little urchins  (kind of sad to see the poor; but this is part of life), will leave things on your table such as socks, cards, pens, etc.; so that you can look at them, then they come back in a few minutes and try to get you to buy them. They haven't had much success with us....didn't need new socks for Christmas!!! The cafes here serve little cups of peanuts and other salted snacks with coffee or drinks....I'm already missing the prebre of Chile!! There is lots of hugging and kissing going on, seems that everyone is meeting friends/family in the cafes before Christmas..not unlike home.

It is now Christmas Eve, Robin and I walked around this morning, arranged for a City tour for tomorrow (we know....weird for Christmas Day!!),  then have planned a visit to a couple of vineyards for some tasting and  an olive oil farm for the 26th. Stopped by the Mercado Central and saw the locals buying their fresh meat, vegetables, fruit and other food items. We will post some pictures, very interesting. Found a restaurant that was open tonight; fortunate as most places closed. The restaurant was busy setting up extra tables and chairs for all the gringos. Will certainly miss my sisters ( Paulette) tourtiere. A maid just delivered a cake to our room....I guess the hotel's present to us for Christmas.

Will try to post more pictures in the next couple of days.

To all our family and friends, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas....will be thinking of all of you. While it's nice to be traveling to exotic places; there is still nothing that beats Christmas at home.

Santa Cruz - The Colchagua Wine Valley

We have spent a week in the Colchagua Valley, another wine region of Chile. We took the bus from Valparaiso to Santiago, where we arranged to rent a car. Thankfully, we had a GPS, (which we call "Bella"), to get us out of Santiago. The Colchagua Valley, and specifically Santa Cruz, is 3 1/2 hours south of Santiago. We are staying at Parador de la Vina, an inn with 6 rooms, set in a vineyard. The staff only speak spanish, so we really need to be on our toes. The weather reaches about 30+ degrees in the afternoon. Our Parador has a small outdoor pool, which we have been enjoying in the afternoon.  When we arrived at our Parador, the fridge was stocked with cold water, 2 small bottles of wine (red and white). A very wonderful relaxing place to be after our hectic pace in both Santiago and Valparaiso.

The small town of Santa Cruz (population of 31,000) is the type of place we love.  A rural town with working people and not too many tourists at this time of the year. The valley surrounding Santa Cruz has a mediterranean beauty to it, surrounded by vineyards with hills in the background and the Andes in the distance.

Most restaurants are closed on Mondays, so you really need to plan ahead. Once again, we decided to do the "stay in picnic" type of dinner for our first night here.

MonteGras Winery- We were fortunate, once again, to have a wine tasting with just the two of us. We were guided through the tasting by Christian, a young Chilean with excellent english. A lot of the wineries here only do tours; so we have been seeking those that also do tastings (degustationes). After all, don't we all know how wine is made.....or who cares....just want to drink it and enjoy it.  Funny enough, one of the partners in this winery spent some time as a wine maker in Kelowna. Robin was also able to speak to our young guide about the football (soccer to those of you in North America); so was right in his element.

It really is evident when speaking to the Chilean people, that there exists a rivalry between them and the Argentinians. The young fellow at the winery asked how long we were travelling for; and when we told him 3 months, he said....oh yes, 2 1/1 months in Chile and 2 weeks in Argentina. Reminded us of rivalries between the Kiwis and Aussies!!

Have gone to some wonderful restaurants in the valley. At Mistela,  an outdoor restaurant, featuring historic Chilean cuisine we had Vicuna (similar to llama) and sauteed potatoes in bacon (Gav....you would love these).Went to a Peruvian restaurant for dinner and had one of our favorite dishes, Lomo Saltado. At Asador de Valle we tasted  carpacio of ostrich and front leg of lamb casserole, cooked in Carmenere wine (Shirley...similar to the wonderful Osso Buco that you make). Another, called Pan Pan Vino Vino, served great lamb curry and crab crepes...yummy.  We have been splitting all of our meals and exercising every morning, so we keep somewhat fit.

Vue Manet Winery - Miguel was our wine tasting host here and again, we were the only two; so very individualized tasting. He was quite a character. He told us that Syrah is the perfect friend for women, because it tastes of chocolate; also known as "gossip" wine. They make a wine that they call Secreto. It will have one main ingredient, so for example a wine would be called Secreto Syrah , but would have a blend of other wines for 1/4 of the blend, but it is never divulged. Another interesting fact, is that Chile has never suffered any Phylloxera in the wineries. This is due to the fact that they are isolated on one side by the Andes and the ocean on the other. Their agricultural department is also very strict at border crossings. We saw an example of this, as we had to watch a video on the plane and they have an agricultural check when you come into the country. This winery had a great little restaurant where we had lunch and of course.....a glass of wine.  We are really enjoying the Carmenere, a wine we don't see a lot of at home and we are also surprised at how good the Cabernet Sauvignon is here in Chile.

Went to the Las Ninas (the girls) winery, where we rented bikes and rode through the vineyard and in the countryside. It was great to get some exercise in the outdoors.  Not too concerned about the traffic on the rural roads; as the majority of the population ride their bikes everywhere and the area is flat. A lot of the bikes we have seen, have been pretty beat up; but they get the job done. Even saw a gentleman wearing a suit jacket and selling milk to the locals from his bike. They also sell fruit and vegetables by the road side.

Chile is not part of the South American free trade group and therefore some things are a bit more expensive then other countries in S.A., if imported. We are also told that 70% of the tourists here in Chile are from Brazil. They love to come during the winter to ski, then down to the valleys to buy wine before going back.

Another interesting thing that we noticed, was that the Chileans refer to directions in a different manner than other Spanish speaking countries we have been to. North is the same...norte, but south is sur, east is oriente and west is poniente. We are told these are naval terms and used as the country has a large navy presence and is very well respected....after all they are keeping the Peruvians from taking over the territory that the Chileans grabbed 100´s of years ago!!

At  our parador, we met a couple from Miami; she had been born and had lived in Chile until in her 20´s. When we asked her what it was like living her during Pinochet´s era, she said it was like been brought up any where else, with the exception that you were told never to speak of your feelings, thoughts or opinions on any political subjects. Very different from stories that we were told from people who were on the wrong side of the dictatorship.

At present all the hydrangeas, rhododendrons, hollyhocks and gladiolas are in bloom.  We seem to take detours to find "panadaria's"....bakeries. Robin loves the Alfajor - a type of chocolate biscuit (what a surprise!) and I like the Cocada, a type of coconut biscuit which is not too sweet.  Also, whenever you order a cortado (similar to latte) you are always served a glass of sparkling water to accompany the coffee and clear your palate.

Visited the small village of Pichilemu, a coastal town about 80 km. from Santa Cruz. The terrain getting there changed from hilly winery valleys, to planted forests of pine and cypress trees which are grown for lumber. Lots of small lumber mills along the way.  This town is also known for its surfing, so lots of younger people around....although still not that many if this is the start of the tourist season. We spent some time watching the surfers.

We spent the last two nights of our stay in Santa Cruz at a bed and breakfast which had lovely gardens and a great pool, the only drawback was that it was 10 km. from Santa Cruz...a little too far out of the way.  We would say that probably 3 to 4 days would be enough time to spend in this area.  We were disappointed in the fact that most wineries insist on tours, but we did find those where we could do tastings....which were few. Did find some great restaurants in the area.

Left Santa Cruz on Monday, December 22nd and headed back to Santiago till the morning of the 23rd when we are off to Mendoza, Argentina for Christmas. We are taking the bus there which takes about 12 hours. Could be a bit more depending what happens at the border.

Merry Christmas to all our Family and Friends who will all dearly miss over the holidays.
Spanish Words
Zapallo Italiano - Zucchini
Avestruz - Ostrich
Palmitos - Hearts of Palm (they serve this in most salads and on some pizzas)
Pavo - Turkey
Cerdo - Pork
Frutilla - Strawberries

Valparaiso, Chile

We spent 4 days in Valparaiso and we were pleasantly surprised at this port City, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Took a bus from Santiago to Valparaiso, which took about  2 hours. Buses are very comfortable and clean.  Our B and B, The Yellow House, was delightful. Our hosts Martin and Lissette were everything and more you could ask for. Martin is Australian and Lissette is a Chilean from Vina del Mar. When we arrived, Lissette spent close to one hour with us, going over security issues, places of interest, ways of getting around, places to eat and things to do. In addition to their bed and breakfast, they are also part owners with 2 other B and B's in a tour company that caters only to very small groups (8 maximum). Also staying at the guest house was a French family (Mom, Dad and 2 boys, aged 2 and 4). They were on a one year trip around the world. Christine and Gav....could you imagine taking a one year trip with Caitriona? The guesthouse has a long communal table where breakfast is served and lively conversations take place. We liked this set up as it made it easy to get to know fellow travellers and hear their stories. It give the place a family type ambiance.

Valparaiso is a seaport which has been occupied in one form or another for over 500 years. It's population of about 300 thousand live on the steep slopes surrounding the harbour in various homes, that in some cases are over 200 years old. Many of the old homes are made of wood, however the to preserve these facades from natural deterioration, they have claded them in corragated steel taken from shipping containers. The old part of the City is the area protected by Unesco standards; which means that owners cannot modify the exteriors of these buildings. This makes for a very eclectic and architecturally diverse City. To help the residents get up and down these steep hills, there are 15 ascensors (otherwise known as funiculars in Europe). Originally there were 45.  Many of the them are over 100 years old and in the original condition, with the exception that today they are powered by electric motors. Still very efficient.  The streets of the city are sometimes very perilous to walk on, as the cement, brick, etc. is all broken up. Graffiti all over the buildings, but a lot of it is very artistic (view some of our pictures).   We are told that the money that Unesco gave to the City to improve streets, buildings etc. was absconded by the previous Mayor, who recently ran in the elections as a Senator....not sure if he made it in or not. Valparaiso also boasts the first stock market in South America and the oldest Spanish newspaper in the world.

Exploring the various barrios (areas) is a lot of fun, but at all times, we were conscious of the need to be extra careful with our belongings. Claire was told not to bring a purse and if we had to bring a backpack, Robin was to carry it on his chest. There is a lot of petty crime in a port City. However, we were fortunate that we had no incidents. Took a ride in a launch (small boat) around the harbour, to get a feel of the City from the water. Our guide only spoke Spanish...think we understood about 10% of what he said. Still enjoyed it.  Walked around the main part of the City, which they refer to as "plan"; which probably means flat.

Next day, took a tour of the William Cole winery in the Casablanca wine area ( we were the only 2, so we had a very individualized tour and tasting). Then onto Isla Negra, which is the home of Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet; winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. This is a beach town where he had one of his 3 homes, and said to be his favorite. The home is a rambling bungalow, which he kept adding on to to store his many collections (glass bottles, liquor bottles, cards, seashells, huge ships figureheads, masks, etc.) These collections were amassed while he was Consul representing Chile in many places(Burma, Ceylon, Java, Phillipines, Madrid, Buenos Aires ). Neruda is idealized throughout South America for his poetry, which depicts the lives of the poorer classes.  Then onto the small fishing village of Quintay where we went for a long walk through a forest of eucalyptus and pine which led to the ocean. Very rocky, but great to be by the ocean. Went to the village itself, and watched the local fishermen bring in their catch. Spent some time watching  Jose Caruso, one of the fisherman, fillet fish (He told me he could's sing!!).  This man was amazing to watch, he could filet a fish in a matter of minutes. They also save the eggs from the fish and scramble them.  Had our first pisco sour here in Chile. From our time in Peru two years ago, the Peruvians say they invented pisco sour's and of course the Chileans say they did.  Well, believe it or not, the matter went to the International Court in the Hague and the ruling favored the Peruvians!! Pisco sour is made from a form of Brandy and it has lemon juice, egg white and angostura bitters....very quenching.

Next day, we did an all day walking tour with our young Chilean guide Gonzalo, who has a strong British accent, as he grew up in Oxford, England. His mother was forced to go into exile during the Pinochet rule. They were helped to get out of Valparaiso to Santiago by the Catholic Church and  jumped the British Embassy wall. His mother had previously been tortured as was his father, who died. This was due to the fact that his grandfather, who was also killed, was the head of the Democratic movement in Chile. Gonzalo came back to Chile about 15 years ago with his mother; to find himself he says. Needless to say, he was a wonderful guide for the day. Not only did he take us to various neighbourhoods , but he was able to give us his perspective on Valparaiso, Chile, politics, education, etc.  We visited the local fish market where fisherman bring in their catch every morning. They head out in small boats around 11 p.m. and fish far out into the ocean. They sell their catch to locals as well as restaurants (see our pictures...lots of different fish). Then took the Metro (can you believe a city this size has a metro) to Vina del Mar, which is the next City. The metro also serves 2 other towns in the area. Vina is where the wealthy of Santiago come to spend the summer. You really can't tell where Valparaiso ends and Vina starts. Walked through wonderful gardens and saw the President's summer home.

The following day, we took a 2 hour walk along the bicentennial walkway, which skirts the ocean front. Then continued into town. The election in Argentina was held on Sunday and most restaurants were closed. We were able to find a wonderful all day breakfast place, similar to some we have in Calgary. As many of you know, Robin's favorite meal out is breakfast; so needless to say, he was a happy camper.  That evening, we went to a restaurant we had to been to previously, but alas it was closed. So, we went to the local store and bought bread, cheese and pate and enjoyed this back at our hostal. Yes folks, we were smart enough to buy a bottle of wine the day before the election....a real french picnic!! Speaking of the election, the office of the President was not filled and a runoff between the two top candidates is to take place in January. Next morning we were back to Santiago by bus, where we rented a car to spend some time in the Colchagua wine valley....do you think there is a theme with our travels to date!!! Tasting wine, drinking wine, visiting wineries and wine areas!!!

We are now in the Colchagua Valley and our next posting will probably be from Mendoza in Argentina.
View our pictures which we have now uploaded for Santiago and Valparaiso. Stay warm those of you in Canada.


Spanish foods and other "stuff"
Prebre - a type of bruschetta - yummy!! always given free before a meal
Mote Con Huesillos  - a Chilean (non alcholic) drink made of dried peaches(rehydrated), peach juice and cracked wheat the bottom. They drink it when it is very hot. Very tasty.
Chorrillana Marinera - A Chilean dish - ours was seafood. So, it's a pile of fresh seafood, carmelized onions and eggs piled on top of french fries. Very tasty and very filling.
Congrio - This is conger eel....I know might freak some of you out, but it is a course meat, similar to shark and we enjoyed this as well.
Rianata -  Another delicious Chilean fish.
Palta - Avocado ( most salads here comprised of tomatoes, avocados, lettuce and corn niblets)

First few days in Santiago, Chile

December 7th, 2009

Well folks, after a 10.5 hour flight from Toronto, arrived in Santiago and found 25 degree  weather (centigrade for those foreign folks) awaiting us, and not a cloud in the sky. Before we landed, we had to sit through a video produced by the Department of Agriculture regarding what you could and couldn't bring into the country and then the stewardesses proceeded to spray the inside of the plane....strange, don't really know what it was, but they told us it wasn't harmful.  Hopefully we won't come home with two heads or foreign objects growing out of us!
It is definitely spring here; all the trees are flowering with the most beautiful purple flowers of the Jacaranda tree. Even the roses are out. Santiago is  a city of 3.5 million. Driving in from the airport, we drove along the main road "O'Higgins Avenue". Not sure if we were back in Ireland, but remembered from history lessons, that Bernardo O'Higgins was the President at independence in the 1800's (an illegitimate son of an Irishman and a  Chilean mother).  The elections are taking place soon and a new President will be named. President can only run for one term and Michelle Bachelet, may run after another 4 years. She presently heads a coalition government (things are running smoothly....guess Canada just can't live with a coalition!!) . The Mapocho river runs right through Santiago and along the majority of it, the City has built wonderful parks with all sorts of water features and art work throughout. Some areas even have exercise equipment. The art work along this area, along with the various pedestrian bridges makes you wonder why Calgarians are up in arms about a couple of pedestrian bridges. A city must spend money on art; it what makes a large City great.

       After arriving at our lovely guesthouse (only 8 rooms) we ventured off to discover the Bario of Providencia, where we are staying. There are 32 various barios (neighbourhoods) in Santiago. We are in a mid/upscale area of the city, lovely homes mixed with commercial and professional buildings. Great restaurants and shops only a few blocks away. Everytime we are away from Calgary in either Europe or South America, we are amazed how insular we are. Why can't we get over the NIMBY attitude and allow mixed neighborhoods? First night out, we both had sea bass. Felt a little guilty as we know that sea bass in an endangered species, but how can you come to Chile and not have Chilean sea bass. They serve fillets here and not the thick steak types that we have back in Canada.  Delicious!! Doesn't get dark till around 9 p.m.  Cools off somewhat in the evening, but just enough to be comfortable.
   We were warned that on our second day here, most businesses, banks, shops would be closed as it was the feast of the Immaculate Conception. As this is a Catholic country, everything does close down. Even the major highway from Valparaiso ( a port town 120 km. away) was closed for two days, as people walk a pilgrimage from Valparaiso to Santiago up to "Cerro San Cristobal".  At the top of the hill is a statue of the Virgen de la Immaculada Concepcion.  Robin and I decided to venture to this area and we walked with tens of  thousands of Chileans up to the mount; which took us over an hour and a half. When we reached the top, there was a mass in progress being conducted by 6 - 8 priests, a few bishops and a cardinal, along with a youth choir. Quite a special moment.  Must tell you however, that there was quite a "celebratory" atmosphere going on at the top of the hill and the plaza at the base of the hill with tents set up as restaurants and various merchants selling hats, toys, household goods and of course Christian wares.
   Walking back to our guesthouse we found ourselves in the Bella Vista barrio, known for its restaurants and art and crafts. Lots of craftsmen selling Lapis Lazuli, which is mined in the north of Chile. Also lots of copper and malachite, mined in the south. Beautiful craftmanship. A band played in front of the restaurant and one of the percussion instruments, was a young man holding several strings of llama toe nails...some sort of castonets.
   Next day, we ventured downtown to "The Plaza des Armas" , the heart of Santiago. In the centre is a fountain celebrating their "libertador" Simon Bolivar. Lots of people around...watching our wallets!! Nice to sit down for a "bebida" and do our own people watching.  Walked around, then up another cerro
..Santa Lucia, a beautifully landscaped park, right in the middle of downtown. Steep stone stairs lead you to the top to the Torre Mirador where Charles Darwin in 1833 proclaimed the view from here to be "certainly most striking". They were indeed as not too much smog; so we were able to see some of the far away mountains.  Another peculiarity of the downtown are coffee shops called "cafes con piernas or coffee with legs" that cater to business men. The baristas (young girls only) are wearing very short skirts and we did read that some wear bikinis; although we never saw this. Robin did go in.....as they say, never too old to look. Took the metro back to our guesthouse and felt very safe. This system has 5 lines, is very clean and runs efficiently; all below ground. Santiago is a very clean city. They are getting ready to celebrate their bi-centennial next year.
We are off on December 10th  by local bus to Valparaiso a port city for about 4 days.

Spanish Words
Barrio - Neighbourhood
Cerro = Hill
Cortado = Latte
Bebida =Drink

We are headed off to Chile and Argentina in December'09. This will be the first time that we will be away from home for Christmas, but it's the best time to be travelling in this area of the world. We plan to spend the first three weeks or so travelling through Chile (landing in Santiago), spending Christmas in Mendoza in Argentina then the month of January in Buenos Aires where we have rented an apartment for the month. We will then be heading to the Patagonia and Lake Districts of Argentina and Chile. Scheduled to return to Canada on Feb. 24'10 where we will spend 10 days in Toronto prior to returning to Calgary on March 8th, 2010.