This was a completely unscheduled trip. It started with Eric losing his ATM card in Cusco, Peru, followed by losing his wallet in the Lima airport a week later.
So I decided the only way to correct the situation was to personally deliver replacements. I used my frequent flier miles and traveled via Miami and Buenos Aires.
I got there a day before Eric so spent a sunny Saturday walking the city. We're staying in Providencia, the modern barrio in Santiago. Construction is still booming with glass high rises springing up everywhere.
I was in Santiago in 2006 so I've included copies of my 2006 pictures as well as the ones from 2012.
One of my favorite spots is the sculpture garden.
2006 View
2006 View
2006 View
2006 View - Without Graffiti
I also went to the Barrio Bellavista. It was early on a Saturday morning and nothing was open.
I then walked back to the hotel and napped before Eric's arrival. He got there at 8:30pm and went out for a nice paella dinner.
On Sunday we hiked the city. I lost track of the number of churches we visited. I think they're on almost every corner.
The city doesn't wake until after noon, so we had everything to ourselves.
Fountain in 2006
Soaring Palms
We stopped at what we thought was the biblioteca, which turned out be a huge park with a thousand steps to reach the summit. If it had been clear, we would have seen the Andes.
We were exhausted but found a restaurant for a light lunch. Full of energy, we continued our tour of churches and more churches. We did go into the natural history museum on the Plaza de Armas.
I must say the Santiago Cathedral was beautiful, but quite dark inside.
We walked down a pedestrian walkway to the University of Chile. We ended at the Plaza de Ciudadania and attempted to take a picture of the giant flag, but the wind was uncooperative. I did get another flag to cooperate - see below.
About five miles from our hotel, we took a subway back. Time to rest before dinner.
Dinner was a salt mine. We had fantastic hamburgers but loaded with salt. I had avocados and hearts of palm on mine.
We watched Colin Farrel in Bruges that night - very unrealistic, but he's cute.
My Two New Friends
Construction is booming in Santiago
On Monday we got a late start with lots of errands.
Eric loved the architecture and tower cranes. I ignored or didn't hear what he said. So what's new.
The sculpture garden was the next stop with double and triple pictures. I love the pictures inside the yellow Mercury capsules.
We had lunch in Barrio Bellavista and had conger fish. I just looked it up and it is eel. Well there is a first time for everything.
After lunch we took the funicular to the Statue of the Immaculate Conception, San Cristóbal Hill, which I had been calling the Jesus statue all day.
Our next challenge was finding a postcard for Eric's grandson. There were plenty in Bellavista and at the Statue of the Immaculate Conception. In town, there were none to be found. It is a tourist city, isn't it?
Finally after walking block after block we found vendors outside the post office - duh!
We then say the Palace of Justice (Supreme Court?). We went inside the Templo de Santiago, another dark church. They had 1000s of energy saving light bulbs, with very few lit. God was saving power.
Funicular to Statue of the Immaculate Conception
The Andes in the Distance
Eric Making a Donation
I hear the classes are great at this university.
Inside the Central Market
The Central Market is a fish market by day and restaurants by night. Luckily they are somewhat separated so the fish odor doesn't ruin your meal.
Outside the Central Market
We were about to head to our hotel when I espied a building that looked like a train station. You know how much I love train stations.
This one closed in 1987 but still had the beautiful train station structure of glass and metal. Unfortunately the light wasn't great for photos.
Our greatest challenge of the day was finding the right subway trains to our hotel. It was rush hour and hot. But we made it and earned a well needed drink or two.
We had last night's salad for dinner and got some gelato after. Tomorrow is our winery tour.
The winery tour was to the Concha & Toro Winery which produces 50% of Chile's wine. I' m sure you can recognize Casillero del Diablo wine. It is much cheaper to buy in the USA.
The tour was okay, a lot less to see then in Mendoza a few months ago. We saw the manor, samples of some vines and where the wine was aging in diablo's (the devil's) cellar.
Chile is the number one producer of carmenere wine. Until the 1990's they thought it was Merlot. It is originally from France but was eliminated there by bugs. We bought a bottle and are enjoying it before dinner. It seems more like a cab then a Merlot to me. You can taste all the fruits in the wine - Eric tastes grapes, a hint of oak and Welches. I taste cherries, passion fruit and pickles.
We spent most of the day in traffic, with only an hour and a half at the vineyard.
Wine for the King
Tomorrow we're off to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. The first company we tried to book with was sold out. I hope the second company picks us up.
Today Eric lost the receipt for his laundry. Luckily we talked them into giving it to us. 13400 pesos or about $26 US, no bargain there.
Dinner was excellent. We both had fish and a nice salad. Luckily the restaurants open early, not like in Buenos Aires or Eric's next stop, Madrid.
Valparaiso
On Wednesday we went to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. There were only five people and everyone was always on time.
The port was quite impressive with hundreds of colorful fishing boats. We then climbed one of the city's hills (in the van, not on foot) for a beautiful vista of the sea and land.
We then drove to Vina del Mar for lunch. Valparaiso was the old city, and Vina del Mar was modern with glass oceanfront condos.
We got to see a Moi from Easter Island. Eric told the tour guide that this one was never completed, since it had no eyes.
Our final stop was a beautiful old home with major damage from the 2010 earthquake. An ultra modern amphitheater holds summer concerts.
The drive back to Santiago went quickly as I listened to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Tonight will be our final dinner in Chile. I'm going home and Eric is off to Madrid.
Magnetic Buses - See the real one below
The Real Bus
Two Guys lost in Vina del Mar
Modern Amphitheater
Flying Over the Andes
