I'm Coming Home!

Hello everyone! Internet connectivity has been quite poor the last couple days from my hotel. I am writing you on my last full day in Chile before flying home. I've been traveling now for almost four weeks! Tomorrow morning I am taking a bus from Pucon to Valdivia. I will spend the day there until my evening flight. It is a 25 hour journey home. I have had a great time here in Pucon with Mercedes. It is fun working with her and it was so nice meeting her family.

Pucon is a crazy town right now. It is party central. There are teenagers everywhere and young families. The beaches are crowded with umbrellas and the sidewalks are packed with window shoppers and people eating out. It is a little much for me. I love the setting of Pucon. It is surrounded by mountains, big lakes, and national parks. The rivers are ready for rafting and kayaking. The recreational opportunities are endless. I like that. The town is nestled a little too close for comfort for me next to Volcan Villarrica, Chile's most active volcano, but it has been safe since the 1970s so the odds are potentially good between now and when I leave that the steady stream of smoke coming from the top will stay as it is. I would definitely come back here in either December or January, but not during this crazy month of February. There are just too many people, unless you plan to spend most of your time outside of town.

I did get a chance to sit on the beach today. I was soaking up the sun before I return to winter! I counted, in about four to five months we will be getting weather like this in Washington! The sun was warm today. I think I may be coming home with a little bit of a tan and I loved feeling the warm breeze on my skin. I ate out twice today. For lunch I had ceviche and for dinner a traditional Chilean casserole dish made with creamed corn, ground beef, chicken, basil, and olives. I will miss the good food I've tried along the way!

My bags are packed and I am ready to go. South America is an amazing country and so big to explore! I love the diversity of plant and animal life, the warm weather, and the wonderful people I've met along the way, but I am also looking forward to being a home body for awhile now!

Thanks for following my blog with me on my travels! Here are a few more pictures to share. Chao!

Above: Volcan Felafel House (the name I've given it). A small cafe downtown.

Above: A view of Pucon from a street downtown.

Above: Villarrica Lake during sunset. It is home to many boats and jet skis during the summer!

Above: My coworker's daughter's puppy Kila. She was so sleepy, I moved her to this position and she stayed like this without waking up. She is the happiest puppy.

Parque Nacional Huerquehue: A Jurassic Experience

Parque Nacional Huerquehue may not be big in size (30,000 acres), but it is home to some of the Chile's oldest and respected trees. Araucaria trees (Monkey Puzzle) are evergreens and at their tallest can grow up to 250 feet. They have thick branches and cones. The seeds from the female cones are suppose to be delicious, though I've never tried them. I've heard people in Chile say they have made jam from the seeds. It must be wonderful! The araucaria trees have a restricted distribution, mostly growing at higher elevations in the temperate forests of Chile. These columnar trees are also living fossils, dating back to early in the Mesozoic age. Some of the trees I saw today, likely have lived over 1,000 years!

The araucaria tree also has great social and cultural significance to this region. The seeds are an important part of the Pehuenche indigenous people's diet. The characteristic forests are unique and beautiful and are emblems of the national parks and provinces in Chile and Argentina. These forests were quite a site to see!

I caught a morning bus from Pucon to the National Park headquarters, which was a small building with enough room to allow visitors in to charge an entrance fee. I was given a map and then I stepped outside. I had to really orient myself to the area before setting forth, but the trails were well marked and many people from the bus began hiking the same trail along with me. The trail started off through campsites and some agricultural land, but then quickly turned to dense forest of coigue trees. The trail climbed steeply through the forest and I had to take many breaks! I'm calling this my first hike of the season! The destination was a basin with many lakes, three of which the trail took a loop around. After reaching the first lake, I got my first view of the araucaria trees!

I noticed many treasures along the way including waterfowl, lizards, wildflowers, bamboo, trees, and much more! I meandered along the trail getting more glimpses of this wondrous landscape at every turn. I met some hiking companions on different portions of the trail, including two young woman from France and a man from Hong Kong. For lunch, I spent an hour relaxing along the shores of Lago Toro, a beautiful blue mountain lake. Meanwhile, birds I've never heard before were chirping and making a racket. I had a really good time!

Below are some photos of the treasures I found along my way!

Above: Araucaria trees were thriving at every turn in Parque Nacional Huerquehue.

Above: A close up of an Araucaria branch.

Above: A view from the shores of Lago Toro. This was one of my favorite perspectives.

Above: Vibrant and healthy chilco (fuschia) plants were growing everywhere!

Above: I found these beauties in only one spot. I love them.

Above: This small lizard reminded me of the geckos I've seen in Hawaii as a kid.

Above: The top of an arucaria. The shape reminds me of a bulb or a mushroom top. They each grown at different levels to create a very unique canopy.

Above: A glimpse at the temperate forest I spent much of the day walking through.

It's Summer in Pucón

How can I tell? People are everywhere. Cars are everywhere. Events are happening. The shops are full, the restaurants busy, and the sun is always shining. The highlight of my day was spending it with my Nature Conservancy GIS South American counterpart, whom I have been filling in for during her five month maternity leave from work. This is only the second time I've met her. The first was when I took my trip to Santiago, Chile last August. After spending about three hours walking along the lake shore, window shopping, and trying to find a guided tour for my Sunday adventure this afternoon, I was invited to a BBQ with my coworker's family and friends. I accepted of course, and they picked me up at the hotel.

We drove about 10 km outside of town to a small property by a gorgeous river. We crossed the narrow suspension bridge you see in the above picture, by car! It is hard to believe a car can fit on that thing. Mercedes was telling me on our way that it is traditional to have a BBQ once the frame of a new house is built. She said in Chile there is always a reason to celebrate something. As it turns out, the people who are building the house are actually building six cabins next to this river and plan to start up a river kayaking business where people spend the day kayaking down the cascading river and, once finished, relax at the cabins. All I can say is, the setting was amazing! At the property we bordered a national park and the hills of the mountain next to us rose above the landscape so quickly it was hard to grasp. On every square meter, trees were growing from it. Even rock cliffs were somehow full of trees. On the other side of the river where we were siting, I could also see the top of Volcan Villarrica and the steam raising up from its crater. I stood on a series of decks they had built right next to the river and felt like I was in a tree house, every which way I looked was a jungle of green life. Many places on my trip so far have reminded me of Washington in some way, but now that I am closer to the national parks in the Andes Mountains, I can surely say I have never seen anything like what I saw today, and tomorrow is just going to get better.

Back to BBQ talk, however. When I first arrived I was offered a fanchop, which I quickly learned is a very popular Chilean mixed drink. To my surprise or horror, I can't decide which, someone poured me Fanta orange soda mixed with light beer in a wine glass! After one sip, I admit it wasn't horrible, but I think it is because I could hardly taste the beer. I can guarantee this isn't a habit I'd pick up and bring home with me... unless you all are curious and want to try it with me!??

I met some really wonderful people there. Most of them could speak a little English and were practicing because they wanted to improve their language for this business they were starting. Most of them are ski instructors from Santiago, that have decided to take a go at starting a seasonal summer business. We had barbequed beef and chicken and lettuce tossed in lemon juice and olive oil. Throughout my traveling and eating in South America, very little emphasis is put on salad dressing. In fact, I see no salad dressing sold at grocery stores. A little lemon juice or balsamic vinegar is all they really use. And they have really yummy lemons here. We also had a potato salad and a traditional Chilean onion, tomato, and cilantro salad that had been marinated in what I am guessing is more lemon juice! It was all really delicious. It was also fun meeting local people and participating in local culture.

Mercedes has a six year old daughter in addition to her new born. Both are really cute. For their six year old, they bought a two month old golden retriever. It took its first ride in the back of their pick up truck today, which wasn't a pretty sight after arriving at our destination. It lost bodily fluids from both ends, poor thing. But when it jumped out of the truck, she was off wagging her tail like nothing in the world ever happened. I also got to see her take her first swim ever. On the way home, the six year old was signing in English to the Jason Maraz song, I'm Yours. She doesn't understand English, but she knew every word and she sang the song once, twice, three times! At the end of the car ride she gave me a chocolate volcano, a little cookie filled with dulce de leche covered in chocolate. Yum!

Of course you are all going to be mad at me because I didn't bring my camera to the BBQ! I had to switch gears pretty fast this afternoon between getting back to my hotel room and being ready to go, so it was one of those times where I was outside and realized I didn't have time to run back into the hotel to grab it! But, I do plan on taking it with me tomorrow.

Before I went to the BBQ this afternoon, I tried to go to at least four places to schedule a tour for Sunday. I had so many options between rafting, canopy carabining, horseback riding, going to the hot springs, climbing the volcano, etc, etc, etc. It was a bit overwhelming, mostly because I want to do it all! But I determined what I want to do most is go to the national park to see the ancient araucaria trees. Of course, no one takes guided tours there because the national parks are suppose to be really easy to get to by bus and are not that far outside of town. At the barbeque I met a German student who told me how to get there and back. She said it was safe and lots of people go there. So, tomorrow morning I am going to take a bus from Pucon to Parque Nacional Huerquehue where I am going to hike on the las lagos trail.

The bus leaves at 8:30 am in the morning and will take me directly to the park. There is a ranger station at the park where they give you maps and information. So the main thing will be making sure I am back to the bus by the afternoon to come home! But I will figure that all out once I get there. I'm excited to share the photos from my day trip, as long as I make that morning bus!

Photo credit: Travel Approved

Living at the Base of a Volcano

Yesterday I left Argentina and spent most of the day on a bus to Chile. I had to cross an international border again. It's a bit of a process. We had to make one stop in Argentina to exit the country. Once we crossed the border on a mountain summit covered in ash, we began to descend in elevation and then came to the next immigration control center in Chile. Each time we had to wait for tour buses ahead of us to unload all their passengers in this process, and once they were cleared it was our turn. It was a nice day with nice scenery for traveling. My bus ride took me to Osorno, Chile where I switched buses. I originally thought I'd have to wait two hours before my next bus came, but the first bus was late and arrived 30 minutes before the other. I had only a half hour before I spotted my bus and I was on my way to Pucon, the last big destination of my trip.

The ride into Pucon was beautiful. The way was heavily forested with broad areas open to mostly pasture. We journeyed through a big floodplain and we crossed over many rivers. When the bus arrived in the small town of Villarrica, I almost got off thinking we were in Pucon! Glad I didn't. The rest of drive was along Villarrica Lake, which was beautiful. In some ways it reminded me of my days along Lake Whatcom in Bellingham, WA! Pucon sits on the east end of this giant lake under Volcan Villarrica, which I hear is one of Chile's most active volcanoes! Tours are led to the summit everyday. It is a 9,341 feet high volcano and is a perfect triangle. I am hoping to get some good pictures of it while I am here!

This morning I slept in, which was really nice for a change. I had breakfast at the hotel already. Last night I wondered around the town watching all the tourists and townspeople eating dinner and shopping. This area is a major hub for adventure touring in Chile. It is a base for rafting trips, trekking, horseback riding, sailing, and swimming. There is much to do here! I am going to wonder around this afternoon and see if I can find myself an adventure of my own to go on tomorrow! I really want to see an araucaria (monkey puzzle tree) forest growing like crazy in the wild!

Photo credit: I did not take the above photo, it was found online here.

Seafood Pie

On my last full day at the Valdivian Coastal Reserve, we drove to a small restuarant in a tribal community on a bluff just above the ocean. Everywhere I looked I saw the horizon meeting the sea. Just another ordinary view in this region of Chile!

I'm not able to write much tonight, but I wanted to share with you a culinary treat I had at this small cafe, because it was so delicious. I had seafood pie. Think shephard's pie, but with layers of mashed potatoes and a seafood filling of white fish and abalone. It also had hard boiled egg. It was very hearty and delicious! There is no excuse, we should be making this back at home!

I am on my way to Bariloche, Argentina Saturday. I will be making the trek over the Andes mountains by bus. I leave Valdivia in the morning. Pray for me I have a relaxing trip! I plan on taking in the views as the scenery flashes by. Chao!

Exploring Colún

Yesterday I saw sand dunes so tall they were taking over a forest. My guess is they must have been at least 500 feet in elevation, bordering the majestic Pacific Ocean. I wasn’t standing on them, just looking from afar. I could see the shadows of clouds dance on their surface. It was quite a site to see. I was standing near the Colún River in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve. I was brought there by four park guards who were doing their daily work activities on the Reserve.

The truck climbed from our beginnings at the mouth of the Chaihuin River, the place I have been calling home this week, up an ever winding forest road. It was quite the bumpy ride. A portion of the road was gravel and in nice shape and other portions deeply eroded from the constant rain the other ten months of the year get when this area of Chile is wet. After all, it is a coastal forest and is similar to places in Washington I think of that get lots of rain and are constantly cloudy like Astoria and Forks. Today, however, was another sunny day. It was also a day to practice my Spanish. The park guards do not speak English. Most of the car ride I was listening to them chatter back and forth without any idea as to what they were saying. For all I know they were probably talking about me! Occasionally, when I could figure out a complete sentence in my head to speak, I would ask about the forest. I asked where their favorite areas of the Reserve were. One guard answered exactly where we soon would be visiting, the beaches of Colún.

Of course getting out of the truck each time brought a barrage of horseflies (or tábanos in Spanish), but it was worth it to see what I would see. "Muchas tábanos!" the guards would say as they shook their heads. On our first stop, we looked at old alerce trees, which were quite tall and mossy. One of the rangers patted the moss at the base of the tree and said it would make a comfortable bed, as if he was fluffing a pillow. Vines draped around and up the trees and had beautiful red tube-shaped flowers dangling from green leaves, which looked very much like Copihue, the Chilean national flower.

As we continued in the truck, we would occasionally cross old rickety bridges. It didn’t seem safe to cross them, but the trucks went straight ahead anyway crossing over ponds and small creeks. We eventually made our way to a grand view of rolling coastal mountains thick with forest. This expansive view of the Reserve was impressive! It was huge and entirely owned by The Nature Conservancy. I was in awe not only of my employer, but of my colleagues who are stewarding this special place. We made our way to another viewpoint where the Colún River met the Pacific Ocean. All along I wasn't completely sure what were were doing or where we would be going besides this destination. I tried asking, but I would get a response in Spanish and have no idea what it meant! I had to laugh to myself. Part of me wanted to stay in the truck to avoid the tábanos, but I wasn't going to let them stop me and I am really glad I did. I was in for a couple of real treats ahead!

Earlier in the day we picked up a small raft with a motor and the guards now waved me over to go in the boat that had been placed by the river. It appeared we were about to pack some supplies across. The crossing was short and once on the other side we began hiking up a trail. As we turned the last corner, I saw a small cabin and a few other staff inside. I was soaking in the scenery the whole time including the lush forest and blue skies. When we made it to the top we entered the cabin, which had a panoramic view of the coast including the sand dunes I saw earlier, the river we just crossed, and a beautiful freshwater lake in the distance. This was the kind of place poets go to be inspired. We didn't stay long, just long enough for me to walk around inside, gaze at the view, and say hello to the staff.

Once back to the river, we crossed again and I was signaled to stay in the boat. The two of us were going to meet the others after a short ride up the river. It was so exciting being able to join the park guard for this brief tour. The air was cool and the sun was shining. My hair was blowing every which way. I saw a ringed kingfisher and a Snowy Egret. I told the park guard he was muy suerte, very lucky. Hey told me in the most English he muster, "This is my office". I loved that.

Today is my last day at the Reserve before I head back to Valdivia on Friday. More to come soon!

Above: Sand dunes along the beach of Colún. The view from the cabin.

Above: The Colún River, a park guard and I took a boat up this river.

Above: An example of one of the bridges we crossed on the forest roads.

Above: A lizard I found on the trail when we visited the alerce forest.

Exploring Chaihuin

I woke up last night to a very strange noise. It was just outside my window. Clattering hooves and chewing noises. Every once in a while I heard a wail and then more clattering hooves and sounds of movement. At one point, I thought whatever thing it was outside my window was surely going to bust through my window, smell my food, and attack me. I think my fight and flight kicked in from years of back country backpacking, where I feared the scenario of a black bear invading camp wanting to eat the toothpaste I forgot in my tent. I wasn't alone in my bewilderment, however. My roommates also woke up. Luckily to our surprise what we were dealing with were only cows, which made for a good laugh later in the day! The cows around here roam everywhere. I see them walking across bridges, they hang out on the beach, and they are on islands in the middle of the river. Evidently, they also roam through camp at night.

So here I am on the lovely Valdivian Coast. During the first half of Tuesday (I wrote this blog post yesterday), I sat in on a workshop where the park rangers of the Valdivian Coastal Reserve talked about their hopes and dreams for conservation in Chile. It was a wonderful activity to be a part of. During the meeting, I acted like a horsefly on the wall as I listened and worked on a series of maps I am preparing for the Reserve. For lunch, we all drove about two miles down the road to a local restaurant called Fondo Marino. I was curious and did a quick translation. The name means seabed in English. I love that translation. It reflects the place and the people. Four women from the community formed a coop and now run the restaurant. Their husbands are local fisherman, practicing the artisanal fishing trade. Using their own small boats and the strength a few men, they are catching the freshest seafood as close to home as possible, which is really strengthening their community.

The meal was delicious. We had three courses. The first, a whole tomato carved out and served with sausage gravy and dill. The main course was seared white fish with baked potatoes. Accompanying the main dish, was a simple salad with cucumber, tomato, and lettuce. For dessert, a well-loved local treat, mote con huesillo! Of course, I had never heard of it, but a coworker described it as her favorite childhood Chilean dish. To prepare it, you take dried whole peaches and soak them overnight in water to rehydrate them. To the peach water in the morning you add sugar, cinnamon, and toasted wheat berries. The wheat berries become soft in the liquid and settle at the bottom. One peach is left in the center of this sugary soup that is fragrant and floral to the smell. And it tastes wonderfully unique. I loved discovering this special cultural method of preparing food. The restaurant interior was quaint and rustic. The tables were elegantly set with navy table cloths and white dishes. Wine glasses sparkled and waited to be filled with Chilean wine. The windows opened up to a view of the ocean. And just outside the windows, a view of the sea where fisherman hard at work had very recently caught our fish. What a lovely compliment to the culture, the community, and nature that so humbly served our table today.

After lunch, I worked until just after 6 pm and was then invited to join a small group about to go for a hike on the coast! This was my first opportunity to do so and I quickly got ready. We drove to a trail and hiked less than a mile down a windy pathway through bamboo, brush, and small trees. Occasional beach views opened up to a big ocean of waves and rocks. Pelicans and seabirds flew busily around them as kelp swayed gracefully back and forth with each passing wave. In the distance we were able to spot three dolphins! At first I saw their fins above the water and later would see them leaping from the crashing waves. In my head I was thinking, "I can't believe I am in South America. I can't believe I am in Chile. I can't believe I am standing by the Pacific Ocean half a world away!" I don't have to tell myself these things, but they flow freely and often because of my deep appreciation for visiting this place.

We walked and walked along the beach. I saw people fishing from the shore, playing in the waves, and laying in the sun. This is a small community and it’s off the beaten path for tourists. It’s quiet and peaceful. I took my shoes off and walked in the sand and waded in the water. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that cold! I enjoyed a solitary walk back to our cabins and later enjoyed a simple home cooked meal with my roommates for the week. We talked about Chilean culture, about the early days at The Nature Conservancy, and about music and cooking. It was very enjoyable. I even managed to forget about the horseflies swarming about like they were moons orbiting my head. It didn't matter. I looked out at the thin line where the sky meets the ocean and for a while decided simply just to be, leaving space only to wonder of the eternal and of the sand warm and rough beneath me feet.

Above: View walking down to Chauhuin beach.

Above: Sign at the entrance to Fondo Marino where I ate deliciosas comida!

Above: Mote con huesillo, a Chilean dessert made from dried peaches and wheat.

Above: A photo of our evening beach walk.

Valdivian Coastal Reserve and Horseflies

Today I made the journey to the Valdivian Coastal Reserve. It was a beautiful one at that. We started off in Valdivia, drove to a small ferry, drove on the ferry, and then took a 15 minute ride across the Valdivian River. The skies were blue, the water was choppy, and colorful yellow boats dotted the shoreline. As we sailed along, we passed four old Spanish forts that use to protect the entrance of the river.

Once we made landfall the paved road turned to gravel. Small fishing communities prevailed for much of the time until the coast opened up to miles and miles of shoreline and hills thick with trees that quickly drop to an expanse of blue ocean. White waves were crashing into slabs of dark rock. Occasionally sheep or cattle would run across the roadway to continue their afternoon grazing. We stopped at one viewpoint to spend a few minutes looking for signs of blue whales. They had been spotted in the area. Unfortunately none were to be seen. What we did see were small fishing boats bobbing with the waves off in the far far distance. They looked lonely amongst such a grand scene.

I learned quite a bit about the 150,000 acre reserve during our trip. It had once been managed by a large timber company and now continues to be managed for timber, but in a sustainable way so that trees and the ecosystem that supports them can flourish together. Much of the property is covered by eucalyptus trees, which are not native, so an effort is underway to slowly replace the trees with native tree species. The timber operations here will hopefully raise money which will provide funding for the long term management and stewardship of the Reserve. It is very similar to an effort underway in Southwest Washington at Ellsworth Creek Preserve, where timber is being managed sustainably and is helping create an income for such a practice. Amazing!

The Reserve has a main administrative building and small cabins situated next to the mouth of a river. I am sharing a cabin with two other woman who are also participating in activities this week here. It is a lovely setting and I am looking forward to learning more, eating lots of seafood, and enjoying the people that live and work here.

Upon arriving, I also noticed something worth mentioning. Those who know me, know I am not a fan of buzzing and biting insects! I was warned ahead of time that horseflies would be a problem. However, the minute I stepped out of the truck and arrived at the Reserve, four were buzzing my head already. And it isn't simply a buzz by. They loop once, twice, three times, four times! Occasionally I see areas along the pathway were a dozen or so were swatted and lay there dead on the ground. Obviously a local passed by earlier and knows just how to handle these small annoyances. My thinking is, the horseflies like the neck area where it is nice and warm and they are just waiting to take a bite. Luckily, they are slow so I have a chance at getting them before they get me! There is also a roomer here, much known by the locals, that you can kill a horsefly, take off its head, and suck out its sweet juices. Not sure if the thought of that makes me sick or if it makes me smile? =)

Of course I was welcomed with a couple good tips already about how to handles these insects because, yes, I am that girl. It is my natural reaction to swat and run away or as others would say, freak out! But the tips were good. Wear long pants, don't swat because they like movement, don't wear black or red (colors they are attracted to), to avoid them go out for hikes and walks before 9 am and after 7 pm, and above all (perhaps my favorite tip among them), practice going to your place of Zen. I don't think that will be too hard here.

Ten Volcano Day

Hello all from Valdivia, Chile! I arrived to a cloudy, but warm day on the Pacific coast. It has been a time warp. That is the only way I can explain traveling over 10,000 miles to the other side of the world in a hemisphere celebrating the glories of summer by enjoying long daylight hours, shorts (the shear pleasure of wind on bare legs), and hopefully by also keeping the sunscreen and sunglasses close at hand. I already got sunburned.

Luckily, I have no dramatic travel stories to share with you this time. Thank goodness I didn't have to battle through that turmoil again. Although, I do have some airport improvements in mind for LAX and the airport in Santiago. All my flights were on time and arrived safely. Not much more I could ask for! I even got to watch nine episodes of Mad Men on the plane in addition to counting at least ten volcanoes from my window seat on the flight between Santiago and Valdivia. The Andes Mountains are a site to see! I had a ten volcano day. My best record yet.

I spent the afternoon settling into my hotel situated by a lovely river boardwalk that goes into the central district of the town. Valdivia has about 240,000 residents, which makes its quaint charm that much more appealing. A coworker and I walked all throughout the town, including the university where about 10,000 students study. It has wonderful gardens and an arboretum next to the river. It was a lovely walk and a lovely day.

Tomorrow I will venture off to the Valdivian Coastal Reserve, a 150,000 acre coastal rainforest bordering the Pacific Ocean. I can't wait to tell you more about my adventures there. Until then, here are a few more pictures from my day!

Above: A Picture of the river in Valdivia taken from the Pedro de Valdivia Bridge.

Above: Kayaks ready to be rented by eager people ready to get out on the river!

Above: Sea Lions basking on warm rocks by the river.

Pesos and Pay Toilets

How much is too much? How much is enough?

These are very common questions for someone totally unfamiliar with a new currency. As I've been wondering around Santiago, I am slowly becoming familiar with the Chilean peso. It isn't as easy as saying, "Hello American dollar, meet the Chilean peso" or vice versa. They have to slowly be acquainted or you are likely to spend too much or find yourself with not enough. Like any currency, the currency rate of exchange changes daily. Before I flew down here, I was thinking that I could buy a lot with my American dollar, and it just isn't so. With a weakening US dollar and a stable Chilean economy, prices for things in Santiago are very comparable to what they are in a typical city in the states. It's easy to feel like you're flying through pesos in Santiago, especially when you are spending a few grand here and a few grand there. Here are some of the things I've come across and how much they cost.

470 Chilean Pesos (rates subject to vary) = $1 US (approximately)

In Pesos...

Pisco Sour ($2,500)
Newspaper ($700)
Use of Public Bathroom ($200)
Entrance Fee into Chile ($65,369)
Bus Ticked to Validivia ($30,000)
Postcard ($250)
Zoo Entry ($3,000)
Sea Bass Dinner ($8,900)
Empandada ($1,500)

Interesting things I've discovered while in Chile...

Chileans don't drink the best coffee
Many people drink mate instead
Chileans say "Chao" instead of "Adios"
Chileans greet you and say goodbye with a kiss on the cheek
When eating out, your waiter will not bring your bill until you ask them
Everyone wears black
Women wear colorful scarves
There is a charge to use public bathrooms
There are separate check out lines at the grocery store for cash and credit
Chileans eat breakfast again in the late afternoon (called "once")
Chileans have a fine appreciation for wine
Chile is four hours ahead of Pacific Coast time (right now)
From north to south, Chile is 2,600 miles long
Chileans actually have a coin for 1 peso
Chileans' three largest exports: Copper, pulp, seafood
Biggest recorded earthquake on earth, 9.5 in Valdivia
Tallest mountain in the Andes, Mt. Aconcagua (22,871 ft)
When you take a picture in Chile you say, "Chile" (the "i" sounds like an "e")

Valparaiso: A City for Wine and Poetry

I spent today on a guided tour. It was so nice being driven around seeing the sights. We traveled through the central valley region of Chile to the coastal city, Valparaiso (about 75 miles). We left the hotel this morning at around 9:30 am. I traveled with three people I met from Minnesota who were here on an Andes ski trip. They were really nice travel companions to have. I enjoyed their company and their enthusiasm for the area. Our two guides were two local people from Santiago who were also fun and very knowledgeable. We buzzed around Santiago on our way out of town. Once we were out of Santiago and all the buildings disappeared, we began to breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the scenery. We traveled through a 3 km tunnel that opened up to fertile Curacaví Valley. Here agriculture dominates the landscape. We passed almond orchards in full bloom, orange and olive trees, and many other crops.

As we continued on, we passed through another large tunnel, which took us to Casablanca Valley, a valley famous for wineries. We decided to stop at one called Vina Emiliana. It is an organic winery and uses chickens for pest control and a variety of other biological methods to produce the grapes used in their wine. I had a glass of red wine at 11 am (you bet!), that was a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Mourvedre. Did you catch all that? It was really delicious. I really wanted to taste some Chilean wines while I was heere, so it was a real treat to be able to stop at a winery.

From the Casablanca Valley we continued on to Valparaiso, a city with rich history and heritage. The famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda lived here as did many artists and poets who gained inspiration from the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. There are about 500,000 people that live in Valparaiso. They all live up on one of 40 hills that make up the city. Each dwelling is unique and colorful. Graffiti and art work covered all walls and flat surfaces and each neighborhood had little grocery stores and restaurants tucked in between everything else. It was quite beautiful. I would of loved to spend a week here exploring the neighborhood streets and alleys. This city is a photographers dream.

We spent the rest of our day exploring the city buildings, squares, and beaches. We ate lunch on the water at an old castle that is now a restaurant. On the drive home we stopped at another winery, called Vina Mar. The day was a lot of fun! I am so glad I joined the tour. Here are a few pictures from the day!

Above. Emiliana Vineyards knew were were coming so they set a tasting table for us.

Above. Finally a picture of me. I'm tasting my delicious glass of Coyam.

Above. A typical view from Valparaiso up a narrow street to the neighborhoods on the hillsides.

Above. Beautiful graffiti was everywhere to be seen. Graffiti in Valparaiso seemed to be praised not rejected.

Above. More graffiti along the street and on the residences. I loved this pink dinosaur.

Above. Not sure who this is, but it sure is colorful! I think the tour guide told us he is a reggae artist.

Above. Chilean Naval headquarters building.

Above. My dream houses overlooking the ocean.

Above. A mysterious statue from Easter Island and a not so mysterious subject.

Santiago from the Top

Today, I took my first real opportunity to do some sightseeing. I really have been busy at work and now that I have a free weekend I am going to explore! So remember I got off a bus this morning at 7:30 am in Santiago after traveling from Valdivia last night. I was able to see the presidential square, La Moneda Palace, downtown before heading on the metro the rest of the way back to my hotel. There was a military coup d'état here in 1973 that I need to read about. The presidential square is like most governmental areas, empty on Saturdays... Well actually, the only people I did see were Chilean government guards and student protesters running around the block banging on pots and pans and yelling things in Spanish that I didn't understand. I think I was more impressed with the students than with the government officials. The students this week are protesting for free college education. In many Latin American countries college tuition is free and the students are demanding that in Chile. They have been on strike for five months and are this week protesting, which makes for an interesting time to be here.

When I got back to the hotel, I relaxed a bit. I had a nice breakfast in the lobby. Everyday they serve coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, breads, meats, cheeses, patries, eggs, you name it. It is a really nice breakfast. I think I mentioned that before in a previous post. But it is good, so I have to mention it again. After breakfast, I signed up for a tour to the coastal town of Valparaiso (about an hour from Santiago) on Sunday. I am excited as I still haven't seen the Pacific Ocean from South America. I was close in Valdivia, but never left the hotel! So stay tuned for a summary of my day in Valparaiso tomorrow.

This afternoon I walked from the hotel to an area of Santiago I was in earlier in the week, Bella Vista. There were a lot of tourist type shops that I wanted to go in that we didn't have time to. So I went back. It was a nice time. I picked up a few souvenirs. To get there, I walked along the Rio Mapocho, a river that flows through Santiago. I felt very safe along the river. There are parks and green spaces and plenty of people running and riding their bikes. After my shopping trip at Bella Vista, I walked a short distance to the beautiful Parque Metropolitano on Santiago's San Cristobal Hill. This is a beautiful park in the heart of Santiago that rises high above the city. It is the site of an old fort, a beautiful church, and of a statue of the Virgin Mary that watches over the city.

On the way up to the park you have to climb, climb, climb to get the views. I first walked up to the Santiago Zoo, so I decided to go in. I saw monkeys, a pudú (so cute), lots of exotic birds, penguins, and elephants. I was on a bit of a mission to get to the top of the hill, so I didn't linger too long in the zoo, but enough time to take some pictures to share with you. To get out of the zoo, I took a railway cart (it takes you up to the top of the hill like a Gondola) to the top. I thought the railway cart was cool (I got some video on the way up), but then I wondered how the thing worked to pull so many people up such a steep incline, I wanted off as soon as I got on! Anyway, I made it alive and I am writing to tell you about it.

The top of the park was amazing. You get 360 degree views of the city. How I wished the Andes mountains would of been visible. Luckily, it did rain last night, so the air wasn't as polluted around the city as it had been during the week. I walked all around the top. I stood at the base of the Virgin Mary statue and walked in the Plaza Vasca church before I found my way walking back down this very big hill in the middle of a city. There are trails all over the park, but I tried to stick to the main pathways where I felt safer. I ended up walking down the road (you can drive to the top) and realized I wasn't the only one doing this. There were plenty of walking, biking, and driving companions on the way down. It was actually really busy. It was also sunny and nice and I got multiple views as I walked backed to the city. One one side of the hill is sriking scenery of downtown and I could tell on the other side, shantytown after shantytown line the hills up to the Andes. It made me think a lot about the American standard of living and how accustomed I am to it. Then I got distracted again as bicyclist after bicyclist zoomed by on their fancy bikes.

Here are a few more pictures of the day to enjoy!

Above. Even the street dogs have the right idea.

Above: A good breakfast. A great way to start the day!

Above. A pretty mosaic at Bella Vista.

Above. A degu pile. Picture taken at the Santiago Zoo.

Above. As seen from the road down San Cristobal Hill.

Above. One last view before getting back to level ground.