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.
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