Chile, South America (Part 3)

Chile
MEM-SCL
December 22-Jan 2, 2011

• December 29 - Happy Birthday to Nick! 33 years old.
  
• Everyone woke around 7:30 and finished packing the rest of our stuff. We met with Patricia before leaving, to check out (and inform her of the situation with the fridge). She wasn't too upset, but we did leave her plenty of money to get it fixed.
• We departed Pucón at 8:15. After about an hour, we stopped for gas (100$), then continued driving for a couple more hours. There was an excessive amount of construction on Route 5, which caused some delays, but nothing major. It was really more of an annoyance. In Linares, we ate at a pizza place called Pizza Express (no Big 10 special). Finally, we ended up in the Colchagua Valley, near Santa Cruz around 4:30 or so, and stopped at a winery called Viu Manent. The Valley is regarded as one of the best wine regions in the world. The guy at Viu Manent gave a very detailed and informative description of the wines we were tasting (7 for 7,000$ CLP) - it took about 30 minutes to get through all of them.
• We left the winery and got to Terra Vina, the hotel we had reserved, and checked in. The hotel is situated in the middle of a vineyard and is run by a Dutch lady. Each room has a balcony overlooking the fields of grapes. We settled in and made our way to the common area and had a couple bottles of wine and cheese and sat on the patio for a while, chatting and relaxing (which was very easy to do). Angie presented Nick with a custom knitted red and white (go Hoosiers) winter hat for his birthday. We also met a nice couple from Washington, DC who had been in Patagonia, touring. We swapped some stories, then it was time for dinner. We went to an Italian restaurant called Vino Bello situated just a couple hundred meters through the vineyard (there were signs to guide guests through so as not to get lost).
• At dinner, we had a really nice waiter who was very helpful but spoke virtually no English. Initially, we were seated on the large patio behind the restaurant. We started with a couple bottles of wine and beers. Nick ordered pesto/mushroom fettuccine, Angie and Adam both had gnocchi, Carrie had a Mediterranean salad, and Brad had spaghetti. The food was delicious. The waiter was really attentive and even brought Nick tiramisu for his birthday. After dinner we took the road back to the hotel instead of walking back through the vineyard in the dark, then called it a night around 11:30.
• In the morning, we ate breakfast at the hotel, then got packed up and left around 10:30. The Dutch woman at the hotel recommended a few wineries so we opted for Las Ninas, which was pretty close. Again, this winery was pretty inexpensive (around 5,000$ CLP for 5 glasses). Perhaps it's the region (Maipo) that we were in. After the tasting, we bought a few bottles then got back on the road, going through downtown Santa Cruz and visiting the Colchagua Museum, which chronicled the history of the region, and contained many artifacts from the area. This area was also hit pretty hard by the earthquake of February 2010. Most of the damage had been repaired, but there were a lot of buildings and roads that still were in need of repair. Going north through San Fernando via Route 5 we stopped for lunch at a place on the main road in San Fernando called En Familia Centro. We were there for a while, eating, chatting and having drinks. It was around 5:30 by the time we got back on the road for Santiago.
• We arrived in the city after driving a bit, and had some trouble finding the hotel (Marriott) but ended up getting checked in ok eventually. Both rooms were on the 22nd floor with great views of the city. Once we had settled in, we took advantage of the executive lounge on the 23rd floor for drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The rest of the evening we laid low. Nick and Angie went to the mall adjacent to the hotel to check on a camera battery or charger for Angie's camera with no luck. After a few drinks in the hotel lobby bar the night was called.
• Friday the 31st, we ate breakfast then took the SUV back to the airport. We didn't have any issues returning the vehicle, aside from the challenging Americans (Canadians) who took forever in line in front of us. From the airport, we took a cab back into the city, to the Bella Vista area adjacent to Cerro San Cristobal (St. Christopher Hill). We got dropped off in front of a restaurant and after the cab departed, Nick realized that he had left the camera in the cab. The waiter called the cab company and within 20 minutes or so the driver returned with the camera, for which he was rewarded 5,000$ CLP. We ate, had a couple drinks, then walked to the hill to get on the funicular that goes up to the top. At the top of the hill, we got great views of the city. The Virgin Mary statue and church provided a place of worship (we did not). Once we got back to the bottom, we decided to walk a bit, heading into the downtown area. In the Plaza de Armas, the Santiago Cathedral, National Historical Museum, and other historic buildings surrounded the square. There were a ton of people hanging out, waiting for the evening's festivities. At a department store, Angie bought a bag for the return flight, then we all took the subway back to the hotel.
• We rested up, ate, and had a few drinks, then checked with the concierge about a place to hang out for New Year's. He recommended a place called Urracas and scheduled a cab. At 9:30, we loaded up and the driver took us...to an empty club. Turns out it didn't open till after midnight. We were kind of kicking ourselves for not having made plans earlier, but just opted to head back to the hotel and hang out there. We gathered in Carrie and Adam's room with all the booze and snacks we could find. We drank a bit then went to the executive lounge where we partied with several others that were there also counting down. At midnight there was a great view of the fireworks from downtown and also of the hill on the East side of the city. Had a few more drinks after that, then laid the year to rest.
• Jan 1 - happy new year! We ate breakfast and took the subway downtown. No one was on the street at all. The only people out were the Carabineros, the Chilean National Police force. We made our way to the Central Market and walked around for a bit. There wasn't really much to see; fishmongers and restaurants filled the entire place. We ate lunch at one of them, then jumped on the subway to get back to the hotel.
• Once back, we gathered our stuff, packed up, and checked out. It was about 4 PM, and our flight was at 10:30 PM. A cab was scheduled for 7 PM, so we hung out at the pool for a couple hours, then ate at the lobby restaurant (horrible, expensive service).
• At 7, we jumped in a cab and went to the airport. We hung out in the Skyclub for a bit then boarded the flight...we were all together to ATL. The flight wasn't too bad - still, 9.5 hours on a plane sucks. Finally made it back to Memphis around 8 AM.
  

Chile, South America (Part 2)

Chile
MEM-SCL
December 22-Jan 2, 2011

• On the 27th of December (a Monday), we all got up around 5:45 and went into Pucón, where the outfitter was located. We had gotten fitted for pants, jackets, boots, etc the day before, so all that stuff was distributed to us. We got into the van, along with 7 Israelis who were about 20-25 years old. They were a loud group, but friendly. One of them mentioned that they had been in Chile and Argentina for about 2 months, traveling around the countries.
• Once at the Villarrica Volcano, we all opted to take the ski lift up to the first portion and then climb the mountain from there. It cost 5,000$ CLP (about 10$ USD) to take the lift (but was worth it). The Ski lift actually ran to the base of the volcano, to where it began a steep ascent...where we then began the ascent to the top. The high point of elevation is nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. There were a lot of people climbing that day; this is actually one of the most climbed "stratovolanoes" in the world.After a (what seemed alarmingly brief) instruction session on how to climb, use the tools, and stay safe, we and our guides headed up the mountain.
• The beginning of the trek was not too hard; we climbed for about 30 minutes, then rested and ate a quick snack. After about 10 minutes, we climbed on, hiking for another 45 minutes to an hour before stopping again. A short time before, Angie had decided to turn back to go to the base with one of the 3 guides. The incline was beginning to get steeper at that point and our legs were starting to ache. We had a quick lunch, and at the prodding of our guides ("let's go, chicos, vamos"), we began climbing again. This section of the climb was extremely steep and long. For a portion of this area, we were at about a 45 degree angle and looking down induced instant vertigo. This was probably the most dangerous part of the summit. Another hour or so later, we reached the last rest point, where we ate a snack, drank some water and took photos. The view this high up was incredible. We could see lahars extending outward from the volcano, Quetrupillan Volcano in the distance (another stratovolcano that is inside Villarrica National Park as well) and all the surrounding towns and Lake Villarrica and way beyond. We began climbing once again, and after 45 minutes, reached the summit. During the last portion of the climb, our legs were exhausted, and we had to stop frequently. At the top, though, we were able to sit for a few minutes, eat, and relax. The Israelis that were with us were also relaxing, smoking their cigarettes ("if the volcano is smoking, so can we"). We were also able to descend into the volcano's caldera, explore it a bit and take some photos. The caldera itself was massive, spewing sulfur fumes and steam into the air and belching up gases that had this odd echoing sound. It was a strange feeling to be so close to something that is so fascinating and mysterious yet so dangerous. The gases make it hard to breathe anywhere inside the caldera. The maximum amount of time that we were able to stay at the summit was about 30 minutes because of the noxious fumes.
• Once ready to head down, we suited up in our jackets, pants, hats and gloves and began a series of slides to get down the mountain. Literally, sliding on our asses the entire way down. After a slide of about 100 yards or so, we picked up, moved 100 feet to the right or left, and did it over and over again until reaching the base. It ended up taking about an hour to get back to the bottom. We were all so happy to have accomplished what we set out that morning to do. We reunited with Angie, and then got rid of our suits and boots. The driver of the return shuttle van took us to a house in a neighborhood to get our things. It was a bit confusing at first, because we didn't realize that they were going to be taking our stuff from the outfitters to the house. Once we figured it out, we got everything and returned to the rental car.
• The first place we hit up was a grocery store for alcohol. After a day like that, we wanted to reward ourselves and let loose a bit. We all began drinking once we got back to the house.
• Angie and Nick went to the casino in downtown Pucón at 10 PM, had a few drinks there, then played some slots, roulette then left around 1:30. Nick won about 25$; Angie lost about the same.
• On Tuesday, we ate breakfast, sat around for a while and did nothing at all till about noon. We hadn't visited Villarrica yet, so we wanted to check it out. It's a city bigger than Pucón (about 40,000) with a lot of shops and markets, with some pretty decent restaurants as well. We ate at a place called El Rey del Marisco. It was delicious food, great service, and moderate prices. After leaving the restaurant we stopped at several markets and bought a few things from the craftsmen manning the booths. Then we drove to the home building supply store (Sodimac) for a shelf for the refrigerator at the house. Somehow the previous day, the top shelf in the fridge cracked in two so we felt like we should replace it. They didn't have the part we needed though, so the only other option at that point was to let the owner, Patricia, know about it and leave money for her.
• Back in Pucón, we rested for a couple hours, then went back downtown and ate at a tapas bar called Mamas & Tapas. We had some great tacos, enchiladas, and chimichangas (as well as two for one mojitos and beers). So much food!
• Back at the house, it was very dark outside, so we sat out and stared at the stars for a while. In this area, there really isn't any light pollution, so the number of stars that were visible was pretty amazing.
  
• By 11 PM, we had pretty much packed all our things, in preparation for the drive north the following day. The house was cleaned that afternoon so we would be ready to leave in the morning.
  

Chile, South America (Part 1)

Chile
MEM-SCL
December 22-Jan 2, 2011

• After a 9 hour flight into Santiago, Brad, Carrie and Adam picked up Angie and Nick from the airport. They had been in the country for the past 6-7 days, staying north of Santiago. We left Santiago via Route 5 and went south. We had a Toyota SUV for the time we were there. The drive to Talca would be about 5 hours, where we would stay the night at a hostel, then drive the next day the rest of the way to Pucón, where we had rented a house for about 5 days. Angie had the hookup (literally) for the SUV; she had brought a massive heavy duty power station that plugs into the car lighter, and you can practically plug a full size refrigerator into it. The one thing that the SUV didn't have, though, was an axillary input for our mp3 players.
  
• We planned on stopping at a few wineries on our way to Talca. The first one we came across was Casa Silva. We tasted a couple different wines, but the problem was they were very small pours for 8$ USD. The wine was good, so we purchased a couple bottles and continued driving south. In Curicó, we ate lunch at a restaurant called La Góndola. We ate empenadas and quesadillas (Angie had a small pizza), and also took in a few (very strong) pisco sours, Chile's national drink, as well as a couple beers. The food was really great; we filled up then got back on the road and continued south and stopped at Miguel Torres Winery. The people were quite a bit nicer there and the pours more generous (and much less expensive). Purchased a couple bottles here as well.
• We reached Talca around 5:30 and found Casa Chueca ("crooked house"), the hostel we had reserved for the night. The staff there was great - very friendly and helpful. Carrie and Adam's room was a double called Titicaca. Nick, Brad, and Angie stayed in Cusco, a room with 3 twin beds.
• We hung out at by the pool and had a few beers. A Dutch couple was also hanging out there with their child (in South America for 6 months). Dinner was a communal affair at the tables outside. They served a cooked barley salad, squash and cauliflower, along with a salad and avocado soup. After dinner we all proceeded to get blitzed with our new Dutch friends and a couple other hostel guests. We drank lots of beer and wine and became the Loud Americans. Still, a great time, and we were in bed by about 12:00 or 12:30
• The next morning we woke up around 8 AM, not feeling so great due to the previous night's excess. We showered and made our way down to the gathering area for breakfast of toast, cereal/yogurt, fruit, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
• After eating we packed up our stuff and headed out. We drove south on Route 5 and after a couple hours of driving, stopped and had lunch at a place on the side of the highway called Campo Lindo. It was pretty bad food (Angie picked apart her chicken/avocado sandwich, Brad and Carrie ordered ham/cheese but beef came to the table), and no one there spoke any English. We left there and continued south. A couple hours later we made it to Villarrica, just west of Pucón. There, we stopped at a grocery store and got some groceries for the rental house, then followed the highway to Pucón. Once we arrived at the house, we met the owner, a small Chilean Buddhist. The whole place was very zen, with Buddha statues and rock stacks and formations scattered around the property. Patricia herself was very soft-spoken and calming. She asked that when in the house we not wear shoes; slippers were provided at the entrance.The property was impressive - several acres of land, overlooking Villarica Lake, with a view of the volcano out the kitchen window. There was a yoga hall, tree house, plunge pool, and several small cabins.
• After getting settled in, we went into Pucón and had dinner at an Italian restaurant (Fiore's). The service was bad (Nick didn't get his salad, Carrie didn't even get served her entree), but the food was excellent.
• Saturday - the 25th...Merry Christmas! We ate breakfast and hung out at the house, exploring the property. Nick, Angie and Carrie did some ab exercises (P90X) and yoga. We spent much of the day on the back deck, reading and relaxing. In the afternoon, Angie, Nick, Carrie and Adam decided to go for a drive and explore the area. Brad opted to stay at the house and unwind. The four drove to the volcano and went into Villarrica National Park. From there, it was up to the base of the volcano for some pictures then back to Pucón for some shop-seeing (a magnet was purchased). Stopping at an outfitters, we inquired about a volcano summit excursion, then stopped at a sidewalk window bar for a couple pisco sours and empenadas (again, service was slightly surly here). Once back at the house, we all made Christmas dinner - chicken, pork, sauerkraut, carrots, mashed potatoes, and bread...very tasty meal. After dinner, we had a couple of drinks then went to bed. Something had been lurking in the bushes and we couldn't see what it was (puma?). Nick and Carrie decided to play it safe and stay in the house, even if it meant a loss of the others' lives. Actually, at one point, the rustling became what seemed like a full-on attack and Nick and Carrie reacted heroically by immediately jumping inside and slamming that giant door shut so as to save themselves while the others were still stuck outside. Salvase quien pueda - save yourselves.
• On Sunday, we all ate breakfast (Brad made omelets), then went downtown to secure a volcano hike at the outfitters. It was 33$/person CLP. The owner was extremely intense and was involved in the planning to an annoying degree. After booking the trip, Brad, Angie, Carrie, and Adam decided to also book a white water rafting trip for the day after the volcano hike.
• We went to a bazaar near the park in Pucón where there were lots of peddlers selling handmade wares, mostly wool clothing, scarves and wooden toys, bought a few things then had a few drinks at a restaurant nearby. During the quick lunch, we discussed going to Huerquehue National Park, which was only about 30 Km from Pucón. It was an easy drive there, and once in the park we paid an entry fee of about 8$/person, then started off on a hike. The hike actually turned into several kilometers of hills through the forest, up and down on switchbacks. Elevation gain was pretty significant and more intense than we thought it would be. We reached the first waterfall after about an hour and a half, then continued on to the next one, which was about 3 times as high as the first. All of this was through exceptionally beautiful scenery, but the hike completely took it out of us and by the time we got back to the car, we were pretty wiped out.
  
• Once back in Pucón, we stopped at the grocery store for food and beer/wine. Once back at the house, we had a drink and Brad made a nice big salad and we had some olives, cheese, and crackers along with it.
• We opted to call it a night at that point. Thinking that it might help loosen us all up and get us ready for the big hike the next day, we did some P90X stretching for a while then went to bed.