Santiago, Chile

The last stop on our trip was Santiago Chile.  Flying in from Mendoza was a treat in itself as we flew over the spectacular sun covered Andes Mountains.  Santiago is the capital city of Chile with a population of 7 million people.  Being the largest city in the country it is also the cultural, political and economic center of Chile.  Unfortunately since last October Santiago has been the center of huge protests against the government and the protesters have plastered the city with unpleasant graffiti.  Many hotels and businesses have even shut down rather than try and fight it.such a shame to see beautiful buildings defaced in this manner.  Everyone has the right to protest but to destroy public and private property is going beyond that right in my opinion.  As we drove to our hotel, the Cumbres Lasterria,which is in the middle of the old district, it was also quite evident that it was also in the middle of the protest area.  We did experience one protest of a couple hundred people marching up the street as we had dinner at a sidewalk restaurant but it was very peaceful.

We had a great tour guide, Raoul, who spent the day taking us around Santiago showing us the main sights.  We started off going up a hill in the center of the city which is composed of volcanic rock and is now a memorial park.  From the top we had panoramic views of the whole city and it was clear to see how Santiago is beautifully surrounded by mountains which makes it very picturesque but unfortunately causes a huge pollution problem due to cars, industry, and surrounding copper mines.  We visited significant buildings such as the Royal Palace and the main cathedral and the Main Square before having lunch in a traditional Chilean restaurant.  We then set off into the countryside to visit the Concha Y Toro winery.  In Canada we mostly get their lower end wines but they produce some very good wines and this winery is the pride of the country.  Interesting tour and of course we got to sample some wines.  We always enjoy driving outside the city as you get to see more of the landscape and the way of life.

The next day we spent time exploring the city on our own.  Lots of pedestrian streets which are always fun to stroll down and just people watch.  We had lunch in the Main Square, eating outside so we could just observe the activity.  Late afternoon it was time to head to the airport and start the marathon flights home.  

What an adventure we have had!  So many highlights but I know I will get a warm fuzzy feeling whenever I think of penguins!

Flying over the Andes Mountains 

View of the city with the mountains in the background 

Park at the top of the volcanic hill 

Up to the view point

Some of the graffiti defacing beautiful old building. The clean up is goi To take a long time. Other than some individuals most are leaving it for now because if they clean it it just gets repeated

This statue in the middle of the city is a monument to the war hero’s and has been completely defaced. No wonder so many citizens are upset

Inside the Bank of Chile. Historic and still functional today

Eric and Raoul going into the oldest church in Chile.  Built in 1610 it ha withstood many earthquakes 

The interior was simplistically beautiful and like nothing we had ever seen before 

Lovely cobblestone streets and sidewalks 


an example of good graffiti which is quite common in Santiago and adds colour and interest

The Royal Palace is no longer a residence but all official business is carried out here

Corner buildings were often rounded to make more room for pedestrians 

Inside the main cathedral a service was going on. The music was stunning 

All types of stalls are set up on the pedestrian street,some legal and some not.  Some of the vendors are ready to pack and run should the police arrive but they will just set up elsewhere 

A typical Chilean seafood lunch. I enjoyed octopus and we even had abalone which we have not had for a very long time

Being serenaded at lunch 

A fish stand in the large central market

Our visit starts

This cellar is where the high end Don Melchior wine is aged

They closed us in the cellar and put on quite a good presentation telling how the devil has prevented the cellar from collapsing during earthquakes thus protecting the wine

The alley outside our hotel was always busy with artists and vendors selling a variety of goods 

The graffiti on this building is art and is really quite eye catching 

This church has closed due to the damage done by the protesters 

Shoe shine men are traditional in Chile and are seen all over the city 

These chess tables were set up in the Main Square. When we came by later they were all occupied 

Artists working in the Main Square and selling their pieces 

This police van was usually parked outside our hotel as the street was the location of frequent protests 

Farewell to Chile 

Cheers to a fantastic holiday 

Mendoza & the Uco Valley

January 24th we left Salta for our last stop in Argentina. After a lengthy delay in flights we landed in Mendoza where we then had an hour and a half drive to the Vines Resort in the Uco Valley nestled in the foothills of the Andes and as the name suggests right in the middle of wine country.  One thing that we passed along the drive was many oil drilling machines.  Apparently it is a very lucrative business in this part of the country.  Wine and oil, not a bad combination.  The Vines is a beautiful and interesting resort concept.  Situated on 1500 acres it is as the name implies a giant vineyard but the vines are owned by over 200 individuals in parcels ranging from a single acre to many. Workers tend to the vines and there is a winery on site where all the individual wines from each plot are made and then the owner is free to do with the wine as he wishes.  Owners are from all over the world.  The resort has 30 villas which are beautifully appointed, many of them privately owned but all rented out by the resort.  There are some other wineries on the property and we went to a tasting at Corazon del Sol where it was just Eric and I and the sommelier for 2 hours so besides tasting some wonderful wines we, especially me, also learned so much.  We enjoyed a lunch at the Gimenez Riili winery which was five courses paired with seven wines.  One evening we enjoyed the Siete Fueegos dinner experience at the resort with 12 other guests served family style. This has been created by Argentinian chef Frances Mallimann and involves cooking over 7 different open fires, inspired by the old gauchos.  Some of the cooking started early in the morning and the process itself was fascinating though there was more food than anyone could possibly eat.  Thank goodness we had skipped lunch that day.

A highlight of our stay was an early morning horseback ride up into the mountains before sunrise to watch the sun come up.  It was a private experience with just Eric and I and two horsemen.  The climb up was steep and dark and we had not been on a horse for many years but all went well and we reached the top and with hot coffee in hand watched the landscape come to life.  It was magical and as it was light on the way down we got to enjoy some wonderful views of the surrounding hills.  Maybe it was the massage later that day but neither of us were even sore from all the time we spent on the horses.

Our three days here passed way too quickly but it is time to head to Chili for a couple of days before we start home.

Except in Buenos Aires all the houses and buildings had these boxes on top. On enquiring, inside the box is a water tank. They have municipal water but pressure is poor so a quantity is pumped up to the roof first and then used from there. Explains why you can never get cold water from the taps

Vineyards with the mountains in the background. The haze is some of the smoke from the Australian wildfires that has drifted over. 

Interesting map of the Vines property 

We did a 5 kilometre walk through the vines.  It was marked with arrows or else one could wander for ever

Lovely cool place for a tasting

The sommelier Carolina getting us a taste straight from the tank. This wine will be bottled in the next few weeks

Eric is definitely in one of his happy places

This was one of the seven fires for our dinner and it was started at nine in the morning. Cooking above the coals are fennel, pineapple, cabbage and chicken. The chicken cooked like that all day until dinner at 830 and yet it was so moist

This is a package of root vegetables that also roasted for hours

These empanadas baked in a fire oven were the best we had in Argentina and luckily they were on the restaurant menu so we were able to have them a couple times more

Cooking ribs in this oven.  One would think they would be burnt to a crisp but they were moist and delicious 

This is a tray of trout heavily coated in salt and then baked in the fire. Cooked perfectly 

Fascinating process

One of the courses, this is a rib and a traditional sausage. So much more to come

Not bad for two middle aged city slickers

The colours in the sky were vibrant

Taking some time to sit and contemplate 

The rising sun changed the colours of the surrounding mountains 

The trail down was steep but the views that we had not been able to see in the dark on the way up were now opened up to us

Eric took this picture from up higher when his horse decided to go a little slower than the rest of us

The long rocky path down. Thankfully the horses were very sure footed

Eric trying matte, a very popular drink in Argentina. Better than the butter tea in Bhutan but not one we want seconds of

Now on the other hand one can never try too many different wines

This was the main course of our tasting menu at a winery. The piece of ribeye was delicious but would have fed a small family. Every time we have ordered meat in Argentina the portions are unbelievable. Thank goodness this course came with two different wines and even though I was not able to come close to finishing the meat I was able to drink all my wine so as not to offend our waitress

The Vines at night as e say farewell to Argentina