Hasta luego: see you later!

So we are at Santiago aeropuerto: Metro to bus estacion then 40-minute bus to airport. Qantas check-in efficient but long, long queues for migracion control & waited half an hour here. We are relaxing in the LAN lounge (as we don't depart until 1:30 p.m. & it is only 11:30 a.m. - so pleased we got the Qantas Club membership before we left; LAN is a code-share partner with Qantas!). Beach Boys playing on the music system in the lounge.

We have really enjoyed South America. Everything went (surprisingly!) according to plan & we have enjoyed the country, the people, the places.

It is interesting (to me - well, it IS my blog!) to reflect on how the reality met my expectations. I was somewhat timid, nervous, overwhelmed before setting off. I think I expected the "wild west", dare I say a somewhat "uncivilised" place.

Well, there were some places that I thought were a bit rough & wild - mainly in Patagonia: El Chaltén & Ushuaia; Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales a bit too.

Rio & Buenos Aires were a bit rough-around-the-edges in parts, but definitely not "wild west" - more down-at-heel: the splendours of a bygone era still in evidence in splashes but now "gone to seed". But cities like Santiago & towns like Puerto Varas were quite well-to-do.

It has been a real 'eye-opener' for me to realise this has been a continent rich in agriculture, exploration, the arts and culture - for hundreds of years; populated initially by indigenous tribes, then from the 15th century, people arrived from all over Europe. Definitely not an uncivilised place. This I think was my revelation - borne obviously out of ignorance; but such is the value of travel.

The people in particular are wonderful, without exception, amongst those we met. It is a very multi-cultural country reflecting the migrations from many places around the globe: early expeditions by sailors from Spain, Britain, France & Portugal; and then the colonizations by the Spanish & Portuguese. All of these with dire affects on the indigenous tribes.

Brazil was fun & colourful. We loved the vibrancy of Rio. And the Iguaçu Falls & Itaipu Dam were wonderful. Itaipu is a showcase of co-operation between two countries: Paraguay & Brazil.

Poor old Argentina, a basketcase economically: it has defaulted 10 times and has long been guilty of economic mismanagement. And the headlines yesterday were: "Argentina's Debt Crisis: Country turns to UN to avoid accountability".

Then there are the controversies associated with the Peróns, both Juan & Eva. It is now more than 30 years since the end of military dictatorship, but democracy has not yet led to stability.

We loved our little diversion from Buenos Aires into Uruguay: Colonia was picturesque & Montevideo was an unforgettable experience with the terrific tango club (milonga) we went to & the wonderful lunch with Kathryn & Regis at the Mercado del Puerto.

And finally, Chile: also with a history of military juntas, it is forever affected by the terrible atrocities & forced expulsions of nationals to all parts of the world to escape the awful Pinochet.

But it is a more stable economy: no 'blue market' for currency here. This is an article worth reading:

http://www.theguardian.com/business/economics-blog/2013/nov/22/chile-prosper-argentina-flounders

Santiago reflects the country's stability & wealth: it is very cosmopolitan, with good, modern infrastructure. It was a great place to finish for us as it is pretty much like a city anywhere in the world and was a good way to transition back.

We loved the beauty of the Patagonian countryside travelling through from Argentina to Chile: the pretty town of Puerto Natales on the Last Hope Sound; walking the 'W-Trek' in Torres del Paine NP was a highlight of the trip; Punta Arenas alongside the Magellan Straits was interesting in a number of very different ways; & Puerto Varas at the start of the Andean Lakes Crossing is a well-to-do, attractive town reflecting the German influence of the migrants who have settled there.

So, all in all, a great trip. Hasta luego (see you later) for now.

News to hand: the Hockeyroos have fought out a 1-1 draw with hosts Argentina in the women's hockey Champions Trophy in Mendoza on Sunday. You may recall we bumped into them on Thursday night when we went out to dinner.

POSTSCRIPT: My Friend contracted Legionnaire's pneumonia somewhere in the last 10 days or so of the trip but was not ill until he came down with a bad dose of the shivers & shakes on the plane home; and 24 hours later was in isolation at Albury Base Hospital being pumped full of antibiotics - and missed his mother's 90th birthday celebration in Melbourne! What a home-coming!

 

 

Last day in Santiago

And our last day in Chile; our last day in South America also.

After breakfast we set off to see more of Santiago. We had seen a little on Sunday when we arrived & had a walk around our neighbourhood & through nearby parks.

Today we wanted to see the Changing of the Guard (if it was on! information is sketchy; it is only held each other day - we just couldn't work out WHICH one so we took a punt & went anyway). The Metro yet again (640 pesos or about $US1.30) delivers you ANYWHERE.

We made straight for the Palacio de La Moneda in the centre of the city. It faces Plaza de la Constitución which is overlooked by a statue of former President Allende (much to the chagrin of diehard Pinochet supporters). Sure enough, at 10:00 a.m., the steets were blocked, a helicopter took off from an enormous skyscraper take-off pad nearby, armed guards circled the plaza & the guards marched or rode horses in. It was pretty impressive! We had entertainment for nearly an hour with the presidential brass band playing Xmas carols, would you believe it! It was terrific.

Afterwards, we wandered off to the nearby pedestrian-only precinct, the Ahumada which is a pretty chic area & then headed east to Cerro Santa Lucía which is a steep little hill right in the centre of the city given over to parkland, gardens, fountains, walkways & staircases that meander up to the top with views to the Andes - which we COULD see but there was a lot of smog!

It was getting very hot - about 33 deg C here today, but it felt hotter. We walked to the main square, Plaza de Armas, crowded with people. Across from it, is the Catedral Metropolitana: construction was begun in 1748 but earthquakes & fires delayed its completion until 1830. We took refuge in here from the heat & the crowds; from a side aisle we watched & listened as a service was conducted. It came to me while sitting there that is was quite neat to be here in the main cathedral in Santiago de Chile & 4 years ago we were doing the same but in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain (after cycling the Camino).

Outside once more & we took the nearby Metro to the station at Quinta Normal to visit the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos. This is in fact the Museum of Memory and Human Rights and is dedicated to commemorate the victims of human rights violations during the civic-military regime led by Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990. People started disappearing: men, women and children; babies taken from murdered parents were given to the military families to raise. Pinochet wasn’t just suppressing the Left but rather exterminating. Many left the country, returning many years later with their children who had been often born overseas: all feeling dispossessed for different reasons.

Finally I was able to make sense of the signs I had seen in other parts of Chile: "Donde estas?" "Where are they?" So sad.

This was our last stop for the day. We did not plan on doing anything else as we wanted to have time to re-group, which is what we are doing now, back at our hotel: outside, downstairs in the garden patio area, under a jacarandah tree.

Dinner - just around the corner. A very simple, unassuming place but with the nicest food, mostly vegetarian & seafood.

 

 

Valparaíso

After a leisurely breakfast, we set off to go to Valparaíso. It is one of the South Pacific's most important seaports and was once known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco" and "The Jewel of the Pacific". The opening of the Panama Canal and reduction in ship traffic dealt it a staggering blow in the second half of the 20th century but its fortunes have revived in the past 15 years due to tourism and the artistic & cultural entrepreneurs who have set up shop in the city's historic hillside districts.

We took the very efficient metro back to the bus estacion where we arrived yesterday & bought tickets on Tur Bus to Valparaíso; the passengers in the adjacent paso (line) were much amused by my broken Spanish dealings with the ticket seller who fortunately was nimbly assisted in English by her colleague.

Buses every 15 minutes so in no time we were on an excellent bus: so cheap - under 12000 pesos return for the two of us (about $US 24)!

The bus travels up through dry, arid hills; alongside very large vineyards; through two very long tunnels; olive groves; orchards; some plots of pine trees; heaps of eucalypts (!); HUGE road toll stations; some very big nice-looking homes tucked away. Even a Macca's!!! For the first time in this trip, there are a lot of very nice cars to be seen.

And about 2 hours later (120 kms) we are deposited in Valparaíso - apparently a cartographer's nightmare. We will walk a lot today

President Pinochet was born in Valparaíso in 1915. He was dictator of Chile between 1973 & 1990; and commander-in-chief of the army until 1998. He was a terrible man: it is claimed that between 1,200 and 3,200 people were killed, up to 80,000 people were interned and as many as 30,000 were tortured during his time in government.

Well, what an amazing day. More than I could have expected. We walked 13.5 kms and up some hills so steep that if cars had to stop it was a test of the driver's hill-start capabilities. One stalled badly, slid back, belched smoke and, tyres squealing, stuttered up the road.

Sometimes, there were stairs only; sometimes only ascensors or lifts which creaked up & down the hills called cerros.

We started at the bottom on the flat: El Prato is where the big parks & monuments & government buildings are. There was a large market where we bought bananas & took photos but were warned to be careful by some passing locals!

We climbed up away from the port through narrow streets & the onslaught of colour was astonishing. A bit like Rio but on steroids, if possible. If it couldn't be nailed down, it was painted.

We went up to Cerro Bellavista first. Then Cerro Concepción & Cerro Alegre.

And how about this at your front gate!!!

The sun was fully out by now being the middle of the day. I'd forgotten my hat ... as we walked down, I tore off a piece of cardboard from some packing boxes stacked in the street to "make do".

The colours, the buildings, the views were amazing. The bright bougainvillaea helped. Loquat trees are popular.

Down the bottom again, we saw a cafe and had some quite good coffee plus the most wonderful piece of cake. Trace ole buddy, if you are still following this blog, eat your heart out!

We found a mini supermarket & bought more water & set off up to Cerro Concepción & Cerro Alegre, both artsy areas. And don't you just love this?!!!

At Concepción there was a mirador (viewpoint) with wonderful views over the port. My Friend says the Chilean Navy is based here.

There were some gorgeous little shops & I bought a hat at one (surprisingly cheap!).

Hot, hot, hot! But there was some breeze and we carefully picked the sides of the streets with shade. So did the dogs who for once were not seeking the sun as they did further south!

We took the ascensor at Concepción back down to the port, 300 pesos each (60 cents)! Que?!!!!

Then stopped at a pleasant cafe in Plaza Echaurren. It was now about 5:00 p.m. and we enjoyed the sit-down & time to reflect on what a great day it had been.

It was a longish walk back to the bus station past shops & lots of market stalls along the pavements, now quite crowded.

Arrived at the bus station at 5 to 6 and, as we had an open ticket, checked in and were on the bus for the 6:00 p.m. departure back to Santiago.

Again, we used the efficient (& cheap) metro to return to our barrio of Providencia where we did a quick change & launched out for dinnner at a great local bar which served Chilean food & had great music, plus a very sweet waiter! I had Chupe de Jaiba recommended by the waiter: baked crab with cheese.

 

Crossing the Andes

This mountain pass through the Andes between Argentina and Chile is known as the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores, also Cristo Redentor.

We are up early so as to be driven into the bus station in downtown Mendoza for the bus over the Andes to Santiago. Spent the night in a losing battle with a mosquito, so didn't sleep well.

Cloudy morning, quite cool.

The bus travels back over Ruta 40 heading south for a short time towards the wine areas we've been to in the past two days. We then head west towards the Andes: wonderful colours of greys, reds & browns, landforms a mix of clumpy peaks, smooth hills & mountains, sedimentary layers uplifted into sinuous patterns. Vegetation a mix of greys, greens & pale yellows: all stumpy, mostly shrub & grasses.

This is a shrine to Gaucho Gil, protector of the truckies apparently. He was actually an outlaw in the 1800s - like a Robin Hood figure, and the story (a long one) goes that he was eventually killed by the police but the policeman that shot him, his son became ill so the policeman prayed for him to get better which he did & legend has it that Gauchito Gil saved the policeman's son.

The road criss-crosses over a defunct railway line: old tunnels, bridges fallen into disrepair. Such infrastructure gone to waste! (But then, we know all about that in Australia, don't we? It's just worse here: so rundown). Would have been an incredible journey at one time.

Over the first range of mountains, through about 15 tunnels, the landscape opens up into wide valley with a river flowing through & mist-shrouded mountains soaring up, shards of sun piercing through in spots to reveal mountain peaks and brilliant blue sky. So dramatic.

More sun. The scenery is incredible!

The clouds disappear & the sun miraculously comes fully out bathing the landscape in brightness. About 110 kms from Mendoza we see our first close up views of Mt Aconcagua - at 6960 m, the highest mountain in the western & southern hemispheres.

We pass the Los Penitentes ski field.

And reached the border near San Cristobal.

It took 2 hours to get through the border. The usual shambles. Traffic was lined up into groups of cars (autos), buses & trucks (camiones). The buses of course take ages as lines of passengers are processed through immigracion control: visas & passports for all different nationalitites. First we line up in paso (queue) 1 & then another lot of paperwork is processed in paso 2. Then the bags all come off the bus & are scanned. My bag was one randomly chosen for checking but there was no problem. Then all hand luggage is scanned. Then all back on the bus.

So goodbye Argentina & hello again to Chile.

Snow everywhere greets us as we emerge into the bright sun from the control station.

With 174 kms to go to Santiago, we reach the first of the 27 curves - or switchbacks - to descend down the Chile side from the border. Take a gander at this!

Glad I took my travel sickness medication!!

After the curves, the bus descended quickly into hot, dry, dusty country featuring tall cacti & a narrow, fast-flowing river tearing down the gully beside the road; dogs tried their luck with the traffic; I saw a gaucho walking into town in the hot sun. It is by now about 2:00 p.m.

With about 90 kms to go, we joined a freeway for the last run into Santiago. The road snakes up & down through hilly country, past Los Libertadores. I fall asleep briefly in the heat, with the sound of Elvis singing "You were always on my mind" on the Spanish video playing on the bus. Makes me think of home & that we have only 3 more nights to go here (in Santiago) - & how many in the plane?

We arrive into Santiago, the capital of Chile, about 3 p.m. Miraculously we find the Metro, buy a ticket & we are on our way to the area called Providencia. The hotel's instructions on how to get there are perfect & I had to restrain My Friend from pulling out his bloody GPS.

It's a lovely hotel, recommended by Syd & Sue. Only about half a dozen rooms, in a nice area & close to the Metro, cafes, restaurants, parks, etc.

We checked in & then spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around our neighborhood; found a modern-art exhibition which we visited; had an early (!) dinner of pizza & walked some more through a nearby park (Parque Uruquay) that extends for a number of kms into adjoining parks (Forestal, Balmaceda) along a fast-flowing Mapocho River which is channelled into a canal here. The sun was warm when you were in it; cool when not. The park was very attractive, especially with the jacarandah trees in blossom (just as in Buenos Aires). Lots of people out walking, cycling, jogging, exercising on park equipment, playing with the kids & their dogs.

Lovely wide streets. Nice buildings.

Yummy helados (icecream)!

Looking for an earlier night tonight!