Chile 2005: 3

Thursday, February 24, 2005

After a good night's sleep and a leisurely breakfast we headed off to explore the excellent Colchagua museum a block from the hotel. I have been dragged through many museums in my travels, but this is one of the best I've seen anywhere. It is big, sprawling through various wings of a Spanish style hacienda, starting with the very earliest civilizations and moving through the Spanish invasion with amazing displays of Indian silver work, rooms of naval battles, army rooms containing a horse drawn tank built by Krupp, and on to all kinds of carriages, original farm equipment and even a full sized steam train and station.

The visit was very worth while but half a day would have been needed to do it justice.

Once out of the museum we drove to the Viu Manent winery. We had consumed a few bottles of their wine on the trip, and found it quite good. They were expecting us, and we were soon off on a tour of the vineyards by horse drawn buggy, stopping at the fermentation and aging warehouses, where there was a good explanation of the process and questions were answered. Samples of wines were drawn from various tanks to give us an idea of different ages and blends. The guide's insistence on everyone drinking up was a little tough on those with the tacky tummies!

Our horse drawn transport returned us to the main hacienda, where after sampling more wines we settled in for a delicious, although expensive, lunch that included all the wine you wanted - as long as you didn't want their premium blends. We didn't do the justice to this we could have, as after all the sampling most of us really didn't want a lot more wine. Lunch was huge, with spare ribs, chicken and tender BBQ roast beef.

After some wrong turns and a lot of assistance with directions, we found the boutique winery previously called Santa Laura but now called Laura Hartwig, the name of the owner. Asking for the old name made finding it a little more challenging! There were no tours, and if you wanted to sample wine you paid for each glass. It was interesting, though, in that they had a big business in shipping prunes to Columbia, so we were able to have a look at how they dry the plums and then box them for shipment.

Back at the hotel we took a couple of hours off. Brenda and I went for a swim while the others took it easy. Marilynn, who was not feeling well, decided to skip supper and just lay down. The rest of us walked around town seeing what there was in the way of restaurants. We settled on a deli restaurant and had a good meal of sandwiches, hamburgers and drinks which cost less for us all that one serving at lunch! A ham sandwich taken back to the room kept Marilynn sustained. As with all Chilean hotels we have been in, email access was free, so we all checked for mail before heading off to bed.

Friday, February 25, 2005

After breakfast we checked out and were on our way by 9 AM. After an unsuccessful effort to locate a boutique winery we wanted to visit we headed back towards Santiago on the back roads. Gradually the fertile wine and fruit growing area turned to dry cattle country and the road turned to gravel in many construction zones. Through an error in navigation we reached the coastal city of San Antonio where with the help of local directions we found a freeway connecting San Antonio with Santiago, passing the town of Pomaire, where we stopped for lunch.

This small town is famous for its pottery and other artisania. After lunch we walked the main shopping street, popping in and out of the various shops along the way. It was less tedious than many shopping expeditions, as some of the shops had collections of antique radios, old car dashboards, old motorcycles and so on.

Once underway again we quickly reached Santiago on the 120 kph expressway, I had carefully planned each turn needed to get to the hotel, but we were thwarted from the beginning when the designated exit was closed due to construction. We even had to pay a toll to re-enter the highway!

We followed the signs which indicated route 5, where we would like to be, but soon the expressway and the signs ended in a maze of city streets. After unsuccessfully attempting to locate any of the streets we encountered on the map, I resorted to asking directions. Chileans are very helpful in assisting strangers, so after getting directions twice we got back on course and found the Galaria Hotel with no further problem.

Hotel staff soon had the van unloaded and took the keys to park it. Not long after checking in we gathered at the pool on the 6th floor for beer and a swim. The water had warmed up considerably since we were last there! The temperature in Santiago was over 35 degrees C.

Once cooled down internally and externally, we made our way to the Patagonia Restaurant where Marilynn & I ate before. We sat at sidewalk tables and were soon digging into platters of cheeses, fruit, meats and pate, accompanied by bottles of fine wine.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

The hotel arranged to have a light breakfast, tea and coffee ready for us at 5:45 AM so we could depart for the airport at 6. Hotel staff parked the van in front in front and loaded the baggage. We navigated the route to the airport flawlessly, arriving in record time. We parked behind a police car to unload our gear, and the friendly policemen radioed the Budget people to come and get their van, which they promptly did.

Marilynn looked after check in while I discovered I didn't have the glasses that I wore on the drive to the airport. Simon & I searched the area where we had unloaded and then went to the Budget counter. They radioed for the van to be searched, and when they were unsuccessful had an employee drive the van back so we could take a look. That having failed, we went to the check in counter to see if they had been left there. Finally we gave up and went through security into the waiting area, were it turned out Roger had my glasses! They had somehow ended up under the back seat.

The flight to Balmaceda via Puerto Montt was on time. Simon & I were in bulkhead seats again, but this time less comfortably as all three seats were occupied. On the leg from Puerto Montt to Balmaceda there was not an empty seat on the plane. A guide and bus driver was there to pick up our party and half a dozen other guests. An interesting thing about the airport at Balmaceda is that the Argentinean border runs through it! The terminal is on the Chilean side.

The countryside here looks identical to the coast of British Columbia, with forests climbing the slopes of snow capped mountains, which drop into the many channels between islands in the ocean. On route to the ship we stopped at an isolated log restaurant for a "welcome" drink and large selection of delicious bocadillos (snacks), to which we did justice. Next we followed a clear river down to the town of Coihaique, where we had 15 minutes to explore. This town of 38,000 people is the trading centre for the area.

A decision was made in 1943 to build a road along the densely forested canyon, as the few settlers had no way through the Andes Mountains to the coast. Shopping was done in Argentina, a trip by horse and cart of over 400 km each way. To clear the trees and bush along the route it was set on fire. The fire was soon out of control, burning for 12 years until finally going out in 1955, by which time it had destroyed 3,970,000 hectares of forest. As a side effect the erosion from the deforested slopes congested the river, and eventually closed the area's main port at the river mouth, Puerto Aisen. A new port was built on a sheltered ocean bay - Puerto Chacabuco, where we would depart by boat.

There were lots of monkey puzzle trees around the area. Apparently there are forests of them in some places, as this is where they originated.

It didn't take long for the bus to arrive at the catamaran Patagonian Express. There were only about 12 of us aboard the boat which had 56 very comfortable recliner seats and a dining area with a dozen booths. Outside decks in the stern were available at most times, and in the bow when the speed was sufficiently reduced.

On board ship everything was included, including premium drinks and a gourmet dinner. The scenic run up to the Puyuhauapi Hot Springs Lodge took five hours, including a stop to trade fuel for fresh sea food with the family of a fisherman who came out in a small boat, and a close up look at a couple of fishing villages located on small offshore islands.

On arrival we were given another welcome drink and assigned our rooms. Some took up the invitation to a demonstration of the spa, but Marilynn and I headed to bed as she was not feeling well.

In the morning Roger, Simon and I headed off on a tour to what they call a hanging glacier, after taking Marilynn food back to the room. She has opted to spend the day in bed, taking antibiotics prescribed by Rodger who had them with him. There are advantages to having a doctor in the party! There is a nurse at the lodge, but they had little other than aspirin.

A bus on the mainland was laid on to take us to the glacier, but first we had to cross the inlet separating the resort from the road. Our first attempt was by zodiac with 6 passengers on board. It was fine in the sheltered bay in front of the hotel, but when we hit the open water we were soon soaked by the white capped breakers. After a short discussion the guide agreed to turn back.

The second attempt was more successful, using a covered boat. Now the waves broke over the covering, allowing the passengers inside to start drying out. The bus twisted along the coast on a scenic gravel road, until we turned inland to the Ventisquero National Park. After a briefing on the Queulat Glacier we headed off on foot over a long suspension bridge crossing a raging, glacial river.

The glacier started at the coast in 1937, but has been retreating over the years. For awhile it melted at 150 meters per year, but now is apparently retreating at 100 meters per year. The start of it is now 7.6 km from the coast. The trail we were hiking ended at a glacial lake, where we boarded an open national park boat to motor to the glacier. The scenery in the area was spectacular. After sitting in the boat at the foot of the glacier and the waterfalls pouring off it for a few minutes, we returned.

Lunch was served at the hotel, with a care package going to the room for Marilynn, who was not doing well. I spent the afternoon reading, walking around a little and having a swim in the spa while the others went on a guided hike. Before we had dinner I took Marilynn some soup to keep her going.

Monday, February 28, 2005

We climbed aboard the catamaran at 7 AM and headed south for the San Rafael glacier, a 7 hour cruise through narrow channels. It was a beautifully clear day, one of about 15 good days per year they have in this rainy area, which allowed us to clearly see the highest mountain in Patagonia - a volcano 4,058 meters (14,314 ft) high.

Breakfast and lunch were served on board. As we approached the narrow channel leading to the lagoon where the glacier ended we passed more and more floating ice. Once inside the lagoon there were icebergs of various sizes covering much of the surface. The ship bumped through the smaller floes, gradually getting closer and closer to the huge ice face. Explosive sounds came across the water as huge chunks of ice calved off and crashed into the bay, causing substantial waves.

Once we were close to the 75 meter high ice face, zodiacs were launched to run passengers up and down the 1.5 km front of the glacier, keeping a respectful distance away. The view was so good from the deck of the catamaran we decided not to go in the zodiacs, preferring the stable platform of the deck for photographs and the proximity of cold beer.

We spent about two hours cruising close to the glacier before heading back to Puerto Chacabuco where we were bussed to the Hotel Loberias. It is a great little hotel, but surprising to find in such a small town. We all had a good night here.

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Marilynn woke up feeling worse than ever, something that breakfast didn't alleviate. We stopped again in Cohaique to break up the 144 km trip to the airport, so Marilynn and I headed for a large pharmacy which had a nurse on staff. The findings weren't surprising - sever congestion in her lungs, so we bought some medicine for bronchitis which is also supposed to alleviate coughing.

For the rest of the drive to the airport Marilynn was undecided as to whether it would be better to buy tickets to continue the flight from Puerto Montt, where we were scheduled to deplane, and on to Santiago to catch the first flight available back to Costa Rica, or to tough it out. She finally decided that the lesser of the evils would be to take the 45 minute flight to Puerto Montt, then the 20 minute transfer to the hotel in Puerto Varas where she could go to bed.

Our driver was waiting when we got off the plane. We were soon on four lane highway in a comfortable van - the same highway 5 that took us to Santa Cruz. It is expressway all the way from Santiago to beyond Puerto Montt, a distance of 1,060 km. After only a few minutes we exited to Puerto Varas and after a brief tour of the resort town were dropped at out hotel, the Colonos del Sur. This is an older hotel reminiscent of the better country hotels in England. The rooms were quite comfortable.

All of us except Marilynn went for a walk around town, stopping for snacks and beer. We made reservations at a restaurant recommended by our guide - and Marilynn was determined to join us for dinner but in the end she was not well enough to go. We had something to eat in the hotel restaurant while the others kept our reservation.

Tomorrow morning we are off by bus, boat, bus, boat and bus to get to Bariloche in Argentina. I have been given 6 vouchers for each of us, so obviously I've missed one transportation link - tomorrow will tell what that might be! Meantime, I'll get this away.