Caio Chile

Today was a mix of visiting random attractions in Santiago before going to the airport for an 11 pm flight to JFK.

- Museum of Memory and Human Rights.  This museum focuses on the victims of the Pinochet dictatorship and the abuse they suffered from 1973-1990. His regime was infamous for human rights violations and thousands of people just disappeared.  Pinochet was forced to step-down but during his reign, citizens were tortured, imprisoned, and exiled. The exhibit is organized chronologically using photos, documents, and survivor testimonials. It is a very solemn experience walking through the space and important for Chileans to see in order to prevent this tragedy from happening again in their lifetimes. Entry is free.

- Pablo Neruda House, or La Chascona was built as a secret meeting place for Pablo Neruda and his lover Matilde. She later became his third wife. Pablo won the Nobel Literature Prize for poetry in the 1970s and Chile is very proud. The design of the house is unique and quirky, containing collections of Diego Rivera portraits and driftwood. The house is located in the lovely Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago. The entry fee is roughly $10, but less for students and seniors.

- Sky Costanera is an observatory that offers 360-degree panoramic views of the city as well as the Andes mountains. It is located on the 62nd floor of South America's tallest skyscraper. Admission is roughly $25 and you can purchase the ticket online. There is a coffee bar and a regular bar on the top. Visits at sunset are especially nice.

Museum of Memory and Human Rights

If there is a moral to this story, the freedoms we have in the USA must be preserved no matter what.

Pablo Neruda House

Sky Costanera

After a nice lunch, we ran into our favorite waiter from our first night in Santiago! He greeted us like an old pal.

Now it was time to get going. We needed plenty of time to deal with immigration at the airport. So our Uber driver picked us up, but unexpectedly took a different route to get to the airport . Perhaps it was his first time going to the airport or he tried to circumvent rush hour traffic, who knows? He seemed to have gotten a little lost at the terminal as well. Not being able to speak much Spanish, it was difficult communicating our concerns. In any event, when finally dropped off at the terminal, a swarm of police approached and he presented a bunch of papers. It was strange, but we didn’t hang around for the drama because we had important things to do.

The return trip to NYC went well, especially with the bonus of an empty middle seat!

Adios mon Ami … until next time.

Valparaiso Day Trip

Valparaiso is 1.5 hours southwest of Santiago and lies off the Pacific Ocean. This coastal city is often called "The Jewel of the Pacific" and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To reach the upper town from the port, you need to ride a historical funicular, the Ascensor El Peral or Ascensor Reina Victoria to the top of a steep hill for stunning panoramic views.

Valparaiso is a hub of cafes, artists, street art, and musicians, and has some cute shops with local handicrafts, jewelry, or street art prints. It is world-renowned for its street murals. It is one of the only cities in the world where street art is legal, encouraged, and celebrated. Once democracy returned to Chile, artists began to use public spaces to express political and social ideas. In certain areas, murals cover nearly every wall and space. I've read that international muralists come to Valparaiso to leave their mark. 

Restaurants serve Chilean fusion dishes and typical local dishes like ceviche and empanadas. Cafe del Pintor, Fauna, or Restaurant La Concepcion have rooftop views. Try one for lunch.

One of his three homes, Pablo Neruda's House, La Sebastiana, can be visited for an entry fee of $6. He won a Nobel prize for poetry in 1971 and is the pride of Chile. The house is described as quirky and is full of his collections. It also has stunning views.

Easter Island Wood Carving

Ceviche

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Tonight is our Farewell dinner and time to say goodbye to all our new friends. A Farewell dinner is more than just a meal. It is a chance to share memories before parting ways and keep up with new friendships formed through our shared experience.

Our waiter, Alejandro.  

Since my flight is late tomorrow night, I will have some time to visit a couple of extra attractions before heading back to JFK.

Santiago Chile - City by the Andes Mountains

Today was a travel day to Santiago. We arrived after 2 pm but didn’t get to the hotel until 5 pm, mostly due to long lines at immigration. When your passport is stamped, you receive a document that you need when leaving the country (so don’t lose it). There are also dogs sniffing bags for contraband and random bags opened by officers, so it isn’t a breeze to enter the country.

Santiago is the capital of Chile. It sits in a valley at the foot of the Andes Mountains and is Chile's largest city with 6 million inhabitants. It has a growing culinary scene which we were happy to sample the first night. It is also the portal to the Maipo Valley wine region, known for world-class vineyards and producing classic red wine like Cabernet.

Once we settled in at the hotel, Veni took us to one of his favorite restaurants Pinpilinpausha and we had ceviche, pisco sours and delicious fish soup. 

The following day, we took the funicular to one of Santiago’s top attractions on top of its tallest hill on San Cristobal. On its summit, there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, with a 22-meter statue of the Virgin Mary, an amphitheatre and a chapel. 

The city views are expansive from that vantage point. You can see Santiago’s smoggy skies later in the morning.

 

Afterwards, we got a quick tour of downtown where a government worker protest was going on in the distance. The tour company steers clear of any potential trouble so we didn't stay there very long.

In the afternoon, we took the optional tour to Undurraga,  a Chilean winery established in 1885, about a hour out of Santiago. 

Chile offers ideal conditions for producing a wide range of wines thanks it its unique geography and dry climate. I didn't know this, but Chilean winemakers are leaders in sustainable viticulture, organic practices and eco-friendly wine tourism. Many of the vineyards are family-owned. 

The vineyard was gorgeous and everyone enjoyed the wine tastings.

What to Do in Buenos Aires

 

I decided not to join the group at a Gaucho event with horsemen and a barbeque, feeling like I wasn't able to consume any more steak and instead took the metro to investigate San Telmo where there are outdoor markets on Sunday.

The subway wasn’t that difficult to figure out but I had to get some pesos because you can’t pay with credit cards using the metro card. I went to the local “Cambio” on the corner which offers a "blue rate", supposedly better than the official exchange rate. It seemed a little shady but I was exchanging only 10 bucks so I didn’t care. The subway is a lot cleaner and looks safer than the one in New York.

Navigating to the street fair some distance from the subway stop had me a little on edge since I wasn't familiar with the area. This is one aspect of solo travel less than ideal, but my training as a New Yorker kicked in.

San Telmo, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, is known for its charm, architecture and street life. The neighborhood is famous for its antique stores and lively Sunday street fair that stretches along Calle Defensa. You can even catch impromptu tango performances in Plaza Dorrego or visit a tango bar.

The bars were packed, and I mean packed with people watching the games, so I didn’t stay long. Most of the stalls had antiques or stuff I was not interested in so while the place had a very interesting bohemian vibe, I moved on.

Then I headed to the other side of town, to the Recoleta neighborhood, for the National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes) which had an impressive collection focusing on modern and post-impressionist art. It is Argentina's most important art museum and a premier cultural institution in Latin America with works by Rembrandt, Goya, Manet, Van Gogh and other masters.

It was free and I just walked in - no metal screening or inspection of bags at all. I guess Argentinians are more trustworthy than the average Joe. There were lots of security personnel though.

Tomorrow.. Santiago