Our last day started slowly, relaxing and finally packing. Upon learning that we were still allowed to check in a second bag for free, we found a box and filled it with some extra wine bottles and those likely-to-break wine glasses.
A farewell lunch
We wanted to re-visit Santa Rita, as our rushed lunch didn't do it justice. Of course, stuffing a bigger meal to fill ourselves before our late flight didn't hurt either.
Initially the plan was to do a tasting, as it would be the final one. Speaking with our English-speaking host, he advised us not too, since we were eating and could sample more wines at a much better rate. So we took his advice and bought a few glasses to sample with food instead.
The food was exquisite, and I got the closest thing to a rare steak all trip. The sea bass was simply cooked and was so light that I even liked it! Oddly enough, the middle-priced wine was some of the best I tasted all trip.
It is still strange to order meat and sides separately, and isn't something I would want to do often. Thinking about why Argentina and Chile wine-dining experiences are different, perhaps Argentina's reputation for its gastronomy results in the more complete dining experience. While it is nice sometimes to self-assemble piece by piece of your meal, including your wine, I do prefer to allow the chef to be creative in assembling everything.
Still, the meal at Santa Rita was the perfect way to end our trip.
Finding the airport
With time flying by, we said our good-byes and made our way to the airport. Looking at the map it seemed pretty self-explanatory. The only problem? We had no idea what the autopista ring-road would be called. But surely there'd be a sign, right?
Of course not. Next thing you know we were heading through Santiago, which was thankfully still on an autopista. Taking a chance, we head off the northward route for a westward one that should connect to the ring-road. So we head off any finally found a sign to point us to the airport. So we headed back north again, only to face gridlock traffic.
There was some construction on the autopista, so instead they closed off the entrances to the road and ran us along a parallel road with lighted intersections. While we left plenty of time in case of any traffic incidents, we were frustrated to have the clock running while not knowing how far the airport was.
Thankfully we made it with still plenty of time to spare, and only had to face minor frustrations when dropping off our rental.
The highlights
- Fruit: fresh, plentiful and cheap. (A special shout-out to goes out to chirimoya)
- Wine: lots of choices
- Sunshine and clear skies
- Empanadas, pastel de choclo and pebre
- Landscape: mountains, volcanoes, ocean and vineyards
Glad to leave behind
- Stray dogs: sometimes abused, sometimes injured, there are just too many
- Dust: it is everywhere
- Pan amasado: or what we called "hockey pucks" of bread
Final thoughts
Chile is a great country to visit. Chileans are friendly, laid back, and petty-crime is relatively low. All our days were sunny, with only a few clouds and not a single drop of rain. About as long as Canada is wide, there is so much diversity to be found. Now to visit the northern part!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Final day of touring
In Chile, when traveling on your own you can't have a schedule or a plan. No matter how hard you may try, Chilean time takes over.
A slow start
This morning we had woke up with good intentions to get an earlier start to the day.
Roadblock #1 - the shower
As we've encountered in some other places, the shower here is either scalding hot or freezing cold. The only time you can take a shower is when the water switches from one to another. This makes for a tedious, frustrating, and ultimately longer shower.
Roadblock #2 - traveling non-autopista routes
Driving around, it isn't hard for traffic to come to grinding hault. Reasons may be horses, construction, farm equipment, or stupidly planned intersections causing massive backup. Locals obviously know that the traffic lights are inefficient, as they are often found standing beside cars with stuff they are selling. Today it was even more odd, as we encountered fire fighters taking donations.
Besides the regular roadblocks, we ended up chatting more than usual this morning with our host. Chilean time has won once again.
One last kick at the can - trying to find a winery to visit
Santa Alicia - Fail. Open only Monday to Friday.
Vina Undurraga - Absolutely-frustrating-success.
Since this was one of the known wineries to be open, and since it was on the way to Pomaire, we gave it a second shot. Turning off the main route it took forever to find this mysterious street we were supposed to turn off onto, and there was nary a sign to give us a sense that we were even close to being in the right area.
We actually gave up and decided to drive to the next town, when they street we were seeking magically appeared. Finding the winery, they were just finished the tour. However, they must have took pity on me, as I was able to get a tasting! Undurraga makes great wines, so it wasn't anything new, but I was happy for the experience. Oh, plus I get another glass to break on my way home.
Pomaire
Satisfied with getting a winery visit, we left my wine-seeking mission behind and headed to look at some ceramics. We had acquired a couple of pieces on our prior journey, and seeing them used so frequently we decided to go find some more.
Driving into the town is screams tourist trap. The main road is lined with shops and restaurants. Pedestrians fill the one-way street, making parking a challenge. So we parked a bit outside of the main area and walked through millions of the same type of shops. After having our heads swim browsing the same items, we decided to take a break and get some lunch.
Up to this point, getting a meal was never too difficult. Sometimes there has been some confusing discussion, but we always end up with food that we ordered. Of course a first choice was unavailable, so we chose something else the server recommended. We got our first dish, and then she prattled on in Spanish. For the first time we were not able to make sense of anything spoken to us. We looked at our server with wide eyes, confused, shaking our heads, speaking in English.
She kept on in Spanish. Apparently our signals and lack of a Spanish-speaking response meant nothing to her. Finally, not having a clue what to do, we just kept responding "no". It was a light lunch for us.
So we went on our way, picked up our pieces and made our way back to the autopista.
Enjoying the rest of the day
Since it was "siesta time" and everything was closed, we made our way back to the B&B. Dreading the big pack for home, we lounged with our host, chatting.
Mery is a fascinating lady, who owns a beautiful home. She bought it with the intention to run a B&B, close to Concha y Toro with its thousands of tourists. She has also traveled a lot, lived in the US, seen the suffering in Sudan, and finally settled in Chile.
She also has four dogs - one who is her own, and the other three are strays she took in. Around Pirque and onto the road to Canyon de Maipo a lot of people discard their unwanted dogs. Like us, she would take them all in if she could. But at least three dogs have a better life and actually play now.
She likes the constant contact with foreigners, and she finds Chilean ways trying sometimes. A great sense of humour, she is a huge fan of Big Bang Theory, so we had some good laughs together. She was very pleased when we found some YouTube videos of their appearance on eTalk, as she was wondering what they were like in real life. An amazing host who is made to run a B&B, she is easy to talk to.
Tonight she made us dinner, as we had a great discussion on "Pino Empanadas". Directly translated, we could only figure out it was "pine empanadas", which of course made no sense. The truth is that they are more traditional, and are basically pastel de choclo, minus the corn, inside an empanada.
She also laughs at our misadventures and misunderstandings, and likes our foreign perspective on Chile. It was a great way to end our stay in Chile, winding us down before we have to plunge back into real life.
Highlights of our trip
Best pisco sour - Medio Mundo, Algarrobo
Best breakfast - Mar Andio, Rancagua
Best views - Medio Mundo, Algarrobo and Mirador los Volcanos, Pucon
Best wine tasting experience - MontGras and Laura Hartwig, Colchagua Valley
Best wine pairing experience - Casas del Bosque, Casablanca Valley
Funniest thing seen at the side of the road - Kids selling cerveza (beer)
A slow start
This morning we had woke up with good intentions to get an earlier start to the day.
Roadblock #1 - the shower
As we've encountered in some other places, the shower here is either scalding hot or freezing cold. The only time you can take a shower is when the water switches from one to another. This makes for a tedious, frustrating, and ultimately longer shower.
Roadblock #2 - traveling non-autopista routes
Driving around, it isn't hard for traffic to come to grinding hault. Reasons may be horses, construction, farm equipment, or stupidly planned intersections causing massive backup. Locals obviously know that the traffic lights are inefficient, as they are often found standing beside cars with stuff they are selling. Today it was even more odd, as we encountered fire fighters taking donations.
Besides the regular roadblocks, we ended up chatting more than usual this morning with our host. Chilean time has won once again.
One last kick at the can - trying to find a winery to visit
Santa Alicia - Fail. Open only Monday to Friday.
Vina Undurraga - Absolutely-frustrating-success.
Since this was one of the known wineries to be open, and since it was on the way to Pomaire, we gave it a second shot. Turning off the main route it took forever to find this mysterious street we were supposed to turn off onto, and there was nary a sign to give us a sense that we were even close to being in the right area.
We actually gave up and decided to drive to the next town, when they street we were seeking magically appeared. Finding the winery, they were just finished the tour. However, they must have took pity on me, as I was able to get a tasting! Undurraga makes great wines, so it wasn't anything new, but I was happy for the experience. Oh, plus I get another glass to break on my way home.
Pomaire
Satisfied with getting a winery visit, we left my wine-seeking mission behind and headed to look at some ceramics. We had acquired a couple of pieces on our prior journey, and seeing them used so frequently we decided to go find some more.
Driving into the town is screams tourist trap. The main road is lined with shops and restaurants. Pedestrians fill the one-way street, making parking a challenge. So we parked a bit outside of the main area and walked through millions of the same type of shops. After having our heads swim browsing the same items, we decided to take a break and get some lunch.
Up to this point, getting a meal was never too difficult. Sometimes there has been some confusing discussion, but we always end up with food that we ordered. Of course a first choice was unavailable, so we chose something else the server recommended. We got our first dish, and then she prattled on in Spanish. For the first time we were not able to make sense of anything spoken to us. We looked at our server with wide eyes, confused, shaking our heads, speaking in English.
She kept on in Spanish. Apparently our signals and lack of a Spanish-speaking response meant nothing to her. Finally, not having a clue what to do, we just kept responding "no". It was a light lunch for us.
So we went on our way, picked up our pieces and made our way back to the autopista.
Enjoying the rest of the day
Since it was "siesta time" and everything was closed, we made our way back to the B&B. Dreading the big pack for home, we lounged with our host, chatting.
Mery is a fascinating lady, who owns a beautiful home. She bought it with the intention to run a B&B, close to Concha y Toro with its thousands of tourists. She has also traveled a lot, lived in the US, seen the suffering in Sudan, and finally settled in Chile.
She also has four dogs - one who is her own, and the other three are strays she took in. Around Pirque and onto the road to Canyon de Maipo a lot of people discard their unwanted dogs. Like us, she would take them all in if she could. But at least three dogs have a better life and actually play now.
She likes the constant contact with foreigners, and she finds Chilean ways trying sometimes. A great sense of humour, she is a huge fan of Big Bang Theory, so we had some good laughs together. She was very pleased when we found some YouTube videos of their appearance on eTalk, as she was wondering what they were like in real life. An amazing host who is made to run a B&B, she is easy to talk to.
Tonight she made us dinner, as we had a great discussion on "Pino Empanadas". Directly translated, we could only figure out it was "pine empanadas", which of course made no sense. The truth is that they are more traditional, and are basically pastel de choclo, minus the corn, inside an empanada.
She also laughs at our misadventures and misunderstandings, and likes our foreign perspective on Chile. It was a great way to end our stay in Chile, winding us down before we have to plunge back into real life.
Highlights of our trip
Best pisco sour - Medio Mundo, Algarrobo
Best breakfast - Mar Andio, Rancagua
Best views - Medio Mundo, Algarrobo and Mirador los Volcanos, Pucon
Best wine tasting experience - MontGras and Laura Hartwig, Colchagua Valley
Best wine pairing experience - Casas del Bosque, Casablanca Valley
Funniest thing seen at the side of the road - Kids selling cerveza (beer)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
One more crack at wine country
We left the Canyon early in the morning to make our way back to wine country and the outskirts of Santiago.
Concha y Toro
It was due time that I finally did a wine tour, after avoiding it for so long. This is the biggest winery in Chile and makes some pretty darn fine wine, so I just had to give it a visit. Since the only way was by tour, I buckled and became a full-fledged tourist. (Thankfully our B&B was only five minutes away, so Mike dropped me off, so he didn't have to suffer the wait.)
Walking in, it was a mega-tourist trap, drawing in people from all around the world. I also learned that Concha indeed has a restaurant and does some tasting flights and serves by the glass. Bugger!
But I was stuck on the tour, watching the cheesy intro video, roaming the extensive property grounds, and ending with a visit to the Casillero de Diablo cave. I ignored the cheesy Disney-like storytelling for the tourist, and enjoyed the cooler temperatures. Have I been meant to live among the barrels and bottles in oh so perfect temperatures? Hmm, such a life couldn't be bad...
The tour ended with a visit from a "sommelier", who guided us through their Marques line. Knowing how to taste wine, I immediately started my ritual. Suddenly I was in grade school and we were to observe, smell and taste the wine as a group. Ah yes, this is why I hate tours and prefer tastings.
Of course I don't mind talking about the wine I'm drinking, but do so in free-flowing conversation and with less condescending attitude. The funniest part was when a Scottish gent of the group asked what the bottle cost. The sommelier snapped, saying that asking price was like asking a lady's age. And that when you take a lady out, you go to the restaurant focusing on quality, and not being concerned about prices. We were to focus on experiencing the quality of what was in the glass, and nothing else.
Now maybe I'm too much of a Winnipegger, but the price of the bottle has a huge impact on the way I rate a wine. There's nothing better than a wine that tastes like it should cost $30, when instead it costs $15. I told this to my fellow sh*t-disturber and we had some good laughs at how the sommelier was full of bunk.
The "gift" from the tour was one of the glasses we sampled with. While a nice gesture, and certainly more practical if you're not traveling home by plane, it poses quite the quandary for packing.
To make the tour more disappointing, one of the motivators was a mini cheese-board that could be creatively taken as a better parting gift. (I had learned this from friends who went on the tour last year.) Well I'm gathering too many of these wandered off as gifts, as we were served with boring white plates instead. Double bugger!
By the end of it all I felt slightly dirty from the whole experience. I also confirmed that wine tours are the root of all wine evil. Tour the grounds with a glass of wine in your hand and enjoy expressing what you're experiencing. The rest is just filler.
Winding down the afternoon
After the tour Mike came to pick me up and rescue me from the experience. Next to him was some strange lady who started to come towards me for the usual kiss-greeting. Being Canadian my eyes widened with the thoughts of "who the heck are you", quickly backing up. We all had a laugh when I was introduced to our host for the last couple of days in Chile!
We then had lunch at Concha y Toro with a couple of other Canadians on the tour. Of course what I wanted to order was not on the menu, and we were informed that this is quite a common thing in Chile. The advice was to ask before sitting down whether they had what I wanted on the menu. Smart advice from a only fish-eating vegetarian in a put-meat-in-everything country!
Wine tourism
Going back to our B&B, we relaxed a bit, and I asked our host what she knew about the wineries all around us. She told us that very few receive visitors, and those that do only do tours. I was heart-broken and frustrated with the wine tourism once again.
At first blush it seemed that Chile was more advanced than Argentina when it came to wine tourism. But now I've learned that it is not necessarily the case. Both seem to be underdeveloped and support middlemen tour guides. There are two easier options for touring: you can go through a wine touring company, who will set everything up for you; or you can hire a taxi-driver of sorts who can do the same on a smaller scale.
I tried contacting some wineries to set up a visit, but only one ever replied (Casas del Bosque, which was the most visitor-friendly by far.) Now granted I did a lot more drop-in tries than contacting, but as anyone can imagine, it is vacation and it is hard enough to plan your places of stay without having to plan your entire day in such detail.
Planning the last day
So with all wineries closed by 4pm, and Concha y Toro eating up all my time, we just sat back, watched TV and turned our brains off for the day. Discussing plans for tomorrow, we were informed that very few wineries will be open for Saturday.
Mike laughed at how we were at Cascada during the week, when everything was closed (but throngs of tourists were away). And now we're here during the weekend, when everything is closed again. There is something to be said for having the timing of the throngs of tourists.
Concha y Toro
It was due time that I finally did a wine tour, after avoiding it for so long. This is the biggest winery in Chile and makes some pretty darn fine wine, so I just had to give it a visit. Since the only way was by tour, I buckled and became a full-fledged tourist. (Thankfully our B&B was only five minutes away, so Mike dropped me off, so he didn't have to suffer the wait.)
Walking in, it was a mega-tourist trap, drawing in people from all around the world. I also learned that Concha indeed has a restaurant and does some tasting flights and serves by the glass. Bugger!
But I was stuck on the tour, watching the cheesy intro video, roaming the extensive property grounds, and ending with a visit to the Casillero de Diablo cave. I ignored the cheesy Disney-like storytelling for the tourist, and enjoyed the cooler temperatures. Have I been meant to live among the barrels and bottles in oh so perfect temperatures? Hmm, such a life couldn't be bad...
The tour ended with a visit from a "sommelier", who guided us through their Marques line. Knowing how to taste wine, I immediately started my ritual. Suddenly I was in grade school and we were to observe, smell and taste the wine as a group. Ah yes, this is why I hate tours and prefer tastings.
Of course I don't mind talking about the wine I'm drinking, but do so in free-flowing conversation and with less condescending attitude. The funniest part was when a Scottish gent of the group asked what the bottle cost. The sommelier snapped, saying that asking price was like asking a lady's age. And that when you take a lady out, you go to the restaurant focusing on quality, and not being concerned about prices. We were to focus on experiencing the quality of what was in the glass, and nothing else.
Now maybe I'm too much of a Winnipegger, but the price of the bottle has a huge impact on the way I rate a wine. There's nothing better than a wine that tastes like it should cost $30, when instead it costs $15. I told this to my fellow sh*t-disturber and we had some good laughs at how the sommelier was full of bunk.
The "gift" from the tour was one of the glasses we sampled with. While a nice gesture, and certainly more practical if you're not traveling home by plane, it poses quite the quandary for packing.
To make the tour more disappointing, one of the motivators was a mini cheese-board that could be creatively taken as a better parting gift. (I had learned this from friends who went on the tour last year.) Well I'm gathering too many of these wandered off as gifts, as we were served with boring white plates instead. Double bugger!
By the end of it all I felt slightly dirty from the whole experience. I also confirmed that wine tours are the root of all wine evil. Tour the grounds with a glass of wine in your hand and enjoy expressing what you're experiencing. The rest is just filler.
Winding down the afternoon
After the tour Mike came to pick me up and rescue me from the experience. Next to him was some strange lady who started to come towards me for the usual kiss-greeting. Being Canadian my eyes widened with the thoughts of "who the heck are you", quickly backing up. We all had a laugh when I was introduced to our host for the last couple of days in Chile!
We then had lunch at Concha y Toro with a couple of other Canadians on the tour. Of course what I wanted to order was not on the menu, and we were informed that this is quite a common thing in Chile. The advice was to ask before sitting down whether they had what I wanted on the menu. Smart advice from a only fish-eating vegetarian in a put-meat-in-everything country!
Wine tourism
Going back to our B&B, we relaxed a bit, and I asked our host what she knew about the wineries all around us. She told us that very few receive visitors, and those that do only do tours. I was heart-broken and frustrated with the wine tourism once again.
At first blush it seemed that Chile was more advanced than Argentina when it came to wine tourism. But now I've learned that it is not necessarily the case. Both seem to be underdeveloped and support middlemen tour guides. There are two easier options for touring: you can go through a wine touring company, who will set everything up for you; or you can hire a taxi-driver of sorts who can do the same on a smaller scale.
I tried contacting some wineries to set up a visit, but only one ever replied (Casas del Bosque, which was the most visitor-friendly by far.) Now granted I did a lot more drop-in tries than contacting, but as anyone can imagine, it is vacation and it is hard enough to plan your places of stay without having to plan your entire day in such detail.
Planning the last day
So with all wineries closed by 4pm, and Concha y Toro eating up all my time, we just sat back, watched TV and turned our brains off for the day. Discussing plans for tomorrow, we were informed that very few wineries will be open for Saturday.
Mike laughed at how we were at Cascada during the week, when everything was closed (but throngs of tourists were away). And now we're here during the weekend, when everything is closed again. There is something to be said for having the timing of the throngs of tourists.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Running the river
We woke up early, as usual. There has only been the odd morning where we having woken up due to some animal or bird creating noise. The early rising sun also doesn't help. Let's just hope that re-adjusting to our normal time zones + less light + cold doesn't mess us up too badly.
Team Winnipeg!
We woke up with plenty of time for our rafting trip, to meet the other couple of people on our raft. They were from Canada! When we asked where they were from, there was a slight pause, then the tell of "Winnipeg". Of course jaws dropped, as in all the years of traveling I can't recall running across any Winnipeggers.
They were silenced, waiting for us to crack a joke. Of course we all laughed when we revealed our shock, relaying our mutual home town.
So together we climbed in the raft and conquered the class III rapids. The scenery was stunning, the river was cold and the experience amazing. It was much different than other watercraft we've experienced (canoes and kayaks), and would be something worth doing again.
At one slower part of the river we were able to get out swim (alongside the raft). It was a crazy and cold ride, getting water up the nose with the sudden gush of water. When we finally had to re-enter the raft, my butt made some serious contact with an underwater rock.
The interesting note of the tour was talking about last year's earthquake, and how it affected the river. The biggest affect was large rocks in the river, that weren't previously there. Amazing how such shaking can create such change.
Hike to the waterfall
It was the start of the afternoon and it was our only chance to do our "complimentary" hike. (Apparently in this privately owned park you have to pay for everything, unless you're a guest who gets some fees waved.) So with the full sun and lots of heat, we headed up the mountain. At the end was a nice waterfall, surrounded by scrub and cactus.
After our descent we headed to the pool for a refreshing dip. Definitely more pool time than our previous trip!
Rolling the Rrrrs
For anyone who knows Spanish, you have to rrroll your rrrrrs. When speaking to an English-speaking local he was amazed at how well I was able to roll my r's. Thinking about the other language I know well, I realised that Polish also rolls r's. Na zdrowie! Now to just learn more of the language...
Llama
The facilities seem to own a llama, as we encountered one roaming the groups. Never seeing one up close, it was surprising to see that they're shorter and a heck of a lot fuzzier than expected. A bit like sheep with long necks.
On the cheap
If you want to travel on the cheap, Chile is not the place to go. Hotels, restaurants and food at the grocery store are all about the same price at home. Gas is quite a bit more expensive. The things that remain cheap, or cheaper, are fresh roadside fruit and veggies, beer from the store and some bottles of wine.
Trip discoveries
- There is such a thing as too much fruit. 3lbs of cherries, 1lb of strawberries, 1lb of blueberries, plus other fruits either picked off trees or served during breakfast means a lot of fruit. A body can have a hard time handling so much fruit in such a concentrated period of time. Thankfully only five cherries remain.
- Realising how "ll"s are pronounced in Spanish, how would someone Spanish-speaking call Lloyd Axworthy?
- Seeing the constellation Orion in the north sky is a weird thing.
- Screens on windows is a good thing. Chileans have manufactured a weird type of screen that fits on the outside of house windows and on car windows. Think of black pantyhose for a window. Was there really a need to improve over the traditional model?
- Gas jockeys wear auto-racing crew suits. Really? You're just filling our crappy Nissan's tank.
Team Winnipeg!
We woke up with plenty of time for our rafting trip, to meet the other couple of people on our raft. They were from Canada! When we asked where they were from, there was a slight pause, then the tell of "Winnipeg". Of course jaws dropped, as in all the years of traveling I can't recall running across any Winnipeggers.
They were silenced, waiting for us to crack a joke. Of course we all laughed when we revealed our shock, relaying our mutual home town.
So together we climbed in the raft and conquered the class III rapids. The scenery was stunning, the river was cold and the experience amazing. It was much different than other watercraft we've experienced (canoes and kayaks), and would be something worth doing again.
At one slower part of the river we were able to get out swim (alongside the raft). It was a crazy and cold ride, getting water up the nose with the sudden gush of water. When we finally had to re-enter the raft, my butt made some serious contact with an underwater rock.
The interesting note of the tour was talking about last year's earthquake, and how it affected the river. The biggest affect was large rocks in the river, that weren't previously there. Amazing how such shaking can create such change.
Hike to the waterfall
It was the start of the afternoon and it was our only chance to do our "complimentary" hike. (Apparently in this privately owned park you have to pay for everything, unless you're a guest who gets some fees waved.) So with the full sun and lots of heat, we headed up the mountain. At the end was a nice waterfall, surrounded by scrub and cactus.
After our descent we headed to the pool for a refreshing dip. Definitely more pool time than our previous trip!
Rolling the Rrrrs
For anyone who knows Spanish, you have to rrroll your rrrrrs. When speaking to an English-speaking local he was amazed at how well I was able to roll my r's. Thinking about the other language I know well, I realised that Polish also rolls r's. Na zdrowie! Now to just learn more of the language...
Llama
The facilities seem to own a llama, as we encountered one roaming the groups. Never seeing one up close, it was surprising to see that they're shorter and a heck of a lot fuzzier than expected. A bit like sheep with long necks.
On the cheap
If you want to travel on the cheap, Chile is not the place to go. Hotels, restaurants and food at the grocery store are all about the same price at home. Gas is quite a bit more expensive. The things that remain cheap, or cheaper, are fresh roadside fruit and veggies, beer from the store and some bottles of wine.
Trip discoveries
- There is such a thing as too much fruit. 3lbs of cherries, 1lb of strawberries, 1lb of blueberries, plus other fruits either picked off trees or served during breakfast means a lot of fruit. A body can have a hard time handling so much fruit in such a concentrated period of time. Thankfully only five cherries remain.
- Realising how "ll"s are pronounced in Spanish, how would someone Spanish-speaking call Lloyd Axworthy?
- Seeing the constellation Orion in the north sky is a weird thing.
- Screens on windows is a good thing. Chileans have manufactured a weird type of screen that fits on the outside of house windows and on car windows. Think of black pantyhose for a window. Was there really a need to improve over the traditional model?
- Gas jockeys wear auto-racing crew suits. Really? You're just filling our crappy Nissan's tank.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Vineyards and Mountains
We woke up to one of the best breakfast spreads and filled ourselves up. Between the air conditioning, WiFi router right outside our bedroom and the room, we can't really complain much about Rancagua. Sure there is nothing to see in the town, but it is central enough to see some of the main wineries in the country.
See, not visit
Knowing that the majority of vineyards are on the East side of Route 5, we decided to head West towards Isla de Maipo.
Winery 1: TerraMater - semi-fail. They only do tastings on Saturdays, but we did pick up some olive oil they produced.
Winery 2: Santa Ema - fail
Winery 3: De Martino - fail
Winery 4: Viña Tarapacá - fail. And this was after I gleaned off the website that they do lunches. AND we had trouble finding, driving in circles, since the map didn't orient itself with Isla de Maipo.
Winery 5: Undurraga - fail. To be honest we didn't even locate the winery, and at this point we weren't even trying. We were ready to find some food and get onward to our accommodations.
Winery 6: Portal del Alto (I think, at this point my memory wasn't sharp for little-known wineries) - fail
Winery 7: Santa Rita - semi-success. Not realising that it was 3:30pm, we pulled in for lunch...only to negotiate what we could eat, since the oven was turned off. Still, the food was good and I sampled a couple of their premium wines.
Chilean directions
While the signage has been better here than in Argentina wine country, they seem to place the minimum number of signs. They also seem to assume that you are coming from Santiago, and give directions and sign when coming on from that direction.
For example, finding the reception of our accommodations was easy. Finding our hostel - which was four-ish blocks over - wasn't as easy, since its sign was facing away from us. Of course this defies logic, considering all guests will have to go to the main reception before backtracking towards the hostel and should have the sign point towards them.
This also explains why some of the wineries have been harder to locate, (if locating at all). Wineries should realise that they are not the only one being visited that day, so the orientation may not be from the exact entrance off the main route. On maps they really should provide directions based on markers around the winery, so you could locate it from multiple directions.
Horses
While cars are very prevalent here, it is also very common to find horses - sometimes with a carriage - going down the streets. While they may be expected in small towns, we have even found them in larger places like Santa Cruz, Talca, and the like. Thankfully they aren't on the Autopistas, and their only hazard is left behind on the road.
Maipo Canyon
Our destination was back into the mountains, staying in the Maipo canyon. Leaving around the mountainside, it is quite remote. The mountains look a bit like Grand Canyon with its striations, and the weather gets quite hot during the day. Thankfully, it also cools off quite a bit at night.
Dog party
We fell asleep to the rowdiest bunch of dogs I've ever encountered. You may here a dog bark here or there, even setting off other dogs in the neighbourhood. With this, imagine dogs having a party, drinking lots. They get loud, and you hear the mass of them. Now maybe the canyon is making them louder or more plentiful than it sounds. Still, we'll think of the lot feasting on some great roadkill, making themselves fat.
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 2,800 km
See, not visit
Knowing that the majority of vineyards are on the East side of Route 5, we decided to head West towards Isla de Maipo.
Winery 1: TerraMater - semi-fail. They only do tastings on Saturdays, but we did pick up some olive oil they produced.
Winery 2: Santa Ema - fail
Winery 3: De Martino - fail
Winery 4: Viña Tarapacá - fail. And this was after I gleaned off the website that they do lunches. AND we had trouble finding, driving in circles, since the map didn't orient itself with Isla de Maipo.
Winery 5: Undurraga - fail. To be honest we didn't even locate the winery, and at this point we weren't even trying. We were ready to find some food and get onward to our accommodations.
Winery 6: Portal del Alto (I think, at this point my memory wasn't sharp for little-known wineries) - fail
Winery 7: Santa Rita - semi-success. Not realising that it was 3:30pm, we pulled in for lunch...only to negotiate what we could eat, since the oven was turned off. Still, the food was good and I sampled a couple of their premium wines.
Chilean directions
While the signage has been better here than in Argentina wine country, they seem to place the minimum number of signs. They also seem to assume that you are coming from Santiago, and give directions and sign when coming on from that direction.
For example, finding the reception of our accommodations was easy. Finding our hostel - which was four-ish blocks over - wasn't as easy, since its sign was facing away from us. Of course this defies logic, considering all guests will have to go to the main reception before backtracking towards the hostel and should have the sign point towards them.
This also explains why some of the wineries have been harder to locate, (if locating at all). Wineries should realise that they are not the only one being visited that day, so the orientation may not be from the exact entrance off the main route. On maps they really should provide directions based on markers around the winery, so you could locate it from multiple directions.
Horses
While cars are very prevalent here, it is also very common to find horses - sometimes with a carriage - going down the streets. While they may be expected in small towns, we have even found them in larger places like Santa Cruz, Talca, and the like. Thankfully they aren't on the Autopistas, and their only hazard is left behind on the road.
Maipo Canyon
Our destination was back into the mountains, staying in the Maipo canyon. Leaving around the mountainside, it is quite remote. The mountains look a bit like Grand Canyon with its striations, and the weather gets quite hot during the day. Thankfully, it also cools off quite a bit at night.
Dog party
We fell asleep to the rowdiest bunch of dogs I've ever encountered. You may here a dog bark here or there, even setting off other dogs in the neighbourhood. With this, imagine dogs having a party, drinking lots. They get loud, and you hear the mass of them. Now maybe the canyon is making them louder or more plentiful than it sounds. Still, we'll think of the lot feasting on some great roadkill, making themselves fat.
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 2,800 km
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Random thoughts and Chocolate
Some random thoughts from the trip. When reading, you should be listening to my new favorite song I've heard on the radio here.
Pisco Sour
Pisco sour is a staple here in Chile and considered a national drink of sorts. It is made with pisco, which is liquor distilled from grapes. It is quite refreshing when hot, but it can vary quite a bit from place to place. Sometimes it really packs a punch.
We've tended to prefer the better alternative - Amaretto Sour, or the newly discovered mango sour.
Patio beware
Like in Europe, sitting on the patio has the hazard of smoking. As a Winnipegger it almost seems like our duty to sit outside and enjoy the weather. However, it is amazing how many people smoke here. Our latest hotel room even came with matches, and I can't recall the last time I came across a place that provided matches!
Hockey pucks
In France and Argentina, they serve types of croissants for breakfast. Here, it is the ubiquitous "hockey puck".
They are these hard little buns of sorts, that are dense and sit in your stomach. Overall not bad, but doesn't compare to croissants.
Bike paths
It is amazing how many bike paths they have here along the main roads.
There are so many people who bike here they are quite well-used. Imagine if we had such bike-paths...
Moving day?
Driving on Ruta 5 we've noticed that people are carrying a lot of crap on their cars. We were wondering if this was the norm, but on TV there was a news report showing all the different overloaded vehicles, so it must be a spectacle for Chileans as well. But this one took the cake - a boat!
Pisco Sour
Pisco sour is a staple here in Chile and considered a national drink of sorts. It is made with pisco, which is liquor distilled from grapes. It is quite refreshing when hot, but it can vary quite a bit from place to place. Sometimes it really packs a punch.
We've tended to prefer the better alternative - Amaretto Sour, or the newly discovered mango sour.
Patio beware
Like in Europe, sitting on the patio has the hazard of smoking. As a Winnipegger it almost seems like our duty to sit outside and enjoy the weather. However, it is amazing how many people smoke here. Our latest hotel room even came with matches, and I can't recall the last time I came across a place that provided matches!
Hockey pucks
In France and Argentina, they serve types of croissants for breakfast. Here, it is the ubiquitous "hockey puck".
Bike paths
It is amazing how many bike paths they have here along the main roads.
Moving day?
Driving on Ruta 5 we've noticed that people are carrying a lot of crap on their cars. We were wondering if this was the norm, but on TV there was a news report showing all the different overloaded vehicles, so it must be a spectacle for Chileans as well. But this one took the cake - a boat!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
One day - Three wine regions
Today three wine regions were visited, leaving Maule:
-Curico
-Colchagua
-Cachapoal
Curico wine region
This was a region where I had initially intended to spend a night, if it wasn't for finding a place to stay. Doing some research, it seems this wasn't a bad thing, as all wineries required reservations - some days in advance.
First winery attempt - success!
Unless there was a sign on the road, we were ready to give up on the region. Lo and behold, a sign! So we turned off Ruta 5 and ventured towards San Pedro.
Much to the travel guide's chagrin, the winery did not need reservations, and were able to provide tastings. Very welcoming, they also have a great wine store with a varied selection.
Travel books
I've used the travel books as a bit of a reference point to help guide me through all the wineries. However, with the earthquake we've found it to not be very reliable. It is amazing how things have changed in the year.
Second attempts - failure and success
Since it was on the way, and since we knew the situation, we gave Casa Silva another try.
Before going there, we went back to its next-door-neighbour: Santa Helena. This time it was 1pm, so surely it couldn't be closed. But of course not - it was closed once again. Done with Santa Helena.
So we went over to Casa Silva for a highly-rated lunch. Of course there was no pairing option, but even worse, you couldn't buy wine by the glass. So I settled upon a Syrah, which was greatly disappointing. Plain, medium body, red fruits, it tasted like an average table wine.
For lunch were mini "beef jerky" empanadas, which were good. The salad was supposed to have pears, but when we asked why they were missing they just shrugged that they were out (of course still charging us the same amount for a partial salad...). The beef tartar was overly spiced and didn't have enough "bread toasts" to accompany it. Finally, the "mixed grill" comprised entirely of sausages, which we expected more mixing of meats and veggies.
Third attempt - fail
With our third region at the side of the road, we made a turn and headed towards a well-signed road. First, Chateau Los Boldos, which was closed to tours/tastings...as far as we could make out in Spanish.
Fourth attempt - success!
So we kept down the road and headed towards Anakena. Now, originally the plan was to go to Altair, but with the winery there it was good enough. We walked in and were welcomed warmly, and enjoyed a nice tasting. I had recognized the name and know that we can get some of the wines at home. But for someone who has a goal of two wineries a day, this was an added bonus.
Cabernet Sauvignon please
I've discovered over the past year that I'm a fan of syrah and of blends. The latter is more rare here, and back home I found success. However, here, it has really been hit or miss. (Much like Carmenere) But the Cabernet Sauvignon has been mostly a hit. Lesson learned - go with the cab.
Roaming dogs
In Argentina there were roaming dogs, but they were generally well-fed. At the start of this trip, it seemed about the same. But in the last couple of places there seem to be more street dogs than I'd like to see. It breaks my heart to see such well-mannered dogs not being treated well that we would like to take them all home. Instead, we do what we can by feeding them tidbits from our meals and hoping that a little goes a longer way.
I love air conditioning
After two nights in unairconditioned rooms, wilting like a flower, the air conditioned room was a welcome treat. So good-bye sticky apathy, and hello to enjoying the cool breeze like a dog sticking its head out the window! Simple pleasures.
-Curico
-Colchagua
-Cachapoal
Curico wine region
This was a region where I had initially intended to spend a night, if it wasn't for finding a place to stay. Doing some research, it seems this wasn't a bad thing, as all wineries required reservations - some days in advance.
First winery attempt - success!
Unless there was a sign on the road, we were ready to give up on the region. Lo and behold, a sign! So we turned off Ruta 5 and ventured towards San Pedro.
Much to the travel guide's chagrin, the winery did not need reservations, and were able to provide tastings. Very welcoming, they also have a great wine store with a varied selection.
Travel books
I've used the travel books as a bit of a reference point to help guide me through all the wineries. However, with the earthquake we've found it to not be very reliable. It is amazing how things have changed in the year.
Second attempts - failure and success
Since it was on the way, and since we knew the situation, we gave Casa Silva another try.
Before going there, we went back to its next-door-neighbour: Santa Helena. This time it was 1pm, so surely it couldn't be closed. But of course not - it was closed once again. Done with Santa Helena.
So we went over to Casa Silva for a highly-rated lunch. Of course there was no pairing option, but even worse, you couldn't buy wine by the glass. So I settled upon a Syrah, which was greatly disappointing. Plain, medium body, red fruits, it tasted like an average table wine.
For lunch were mini "beef jerky" empanadas, which were good. The salad was supposed to have pears, but when we asked why they were missing they just shrugged that they were out (of course still charging us the same amount for a partial salad...). The beef tartar was overly spiced and didn't have enough "bread toasts" to accompany it. Finally, the "mixed grill" comprised entirely of sausages, which we expected more mixing of meats and veggies.
Third attempt - fail
With our third region at the side of the road, we made a turn and headed towards a well-signed road. First, Chateau Los Boldos, which was closed to tours/tastings...as far as we could make out in Spanish.
Fourth attempt - success!
So we kept down the road and headed towards Anakena. Now, originally the plan was to go to Altair, but with the winery there it was good enough. We walked in and were welcomed warmly, and enjoyed a nice tasting. I had recognized the name and know that we can get some of the wines at home. But for someone who has a goal of two wineries a day, this was an added bonus.
Cabernet Sauvignon please
I've discovered over the past year that I'm a fan of syrah and of blends. The latter is more rare here, and back home I found success. However, here, it has really been hit or miss. (Much like Carmenere) But the Cabernet Sauvignon has been mostly a hit. Lesson learned - go with the cab.
Roaming dogs
In Argentina there were roaming dogs, but they were generally well-fed. At the start of this trip, it seemed about the same. But in the last couple of places there seem to be more street dogs than I'd like to see. It breaks my heart to see such well-mannered dogs not being treated well that we would like to take them all home. Instead, we do what we can by feeding them tidbits from our meals and hoping that a little goes a longer way.
I love air conditioning
After two nights in unairconditioned rooms, wilting like a flower, the air conditioned room was a welcome treat. So good-bye sticky apathy, and hello to enjoying the cool breeze like a dog sticking its head out the window! Simple pleasures.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Maule
First, it isn't pronounced "mall", but m-ow-lay.
I've read this is one of the bigger wine regions in Chile, so I had hopes for tastings. But on the drive down there was only one sign, so expectations were reduced.
Back into Talca
Since we're within walking distance of the centre of town we decided to venture to the central market. Walking through town, it was alive with people walking and driving its streets. The market was small, but still filled with people. There were the regular spread of fruits and veggies, food stands, and a few craft stands.
Destroyed or dilapidated
We also passed by buildings that were obviously destroyed from last years earthquake. But with some buildings we wondered whether they were just dilapidated. When you see some marked as unsafe and scheduled for demolition, it makes you wonder how bad the damage was.
Winery first attempt - fail
We drove around one loop east of Talca to find a couple of wineries, but no sign to indicate wine tastings or even a shop. On the map it showed about two handfuls of wineries, so where the other wineries went is a mystery.
Second attempt - success!
We went back south past the town of Maule to the winery with the sign on the road. Balduzzi had three types of tastings: the cheapest toured the basic wines, the next tasted the reserves, while the final added the grand reserve. Of course I went for the top tasting, knowing that I'm a sucker for blends.
The wines were decent for their price, but nothing outstanding. Something I might buy at home if available, but nothing I would go out of my way for. Still, the tasting itself was very pleasant and recommended.
Third attempt - semi-success
There was a restaurant on the side of the road that was attached to a winery. Hungry, we stopped in to this massive parrilla. They had an extensive wine list, but when I asked for a recommendation between two (one was theirs), the server strongly recommended the other. So I didn't try the winery that translated as "livestock"....which may have been a good thing.
I did try a syrah from Casa Donoso. While I couldn't find the winery, it was probably a good thing, since the wine was just average.
Fourth attempts - fail
Upon the recommendation from our host at Balduzzi, we went to Vina Calina. We had passed by earlier, but gave it a shot. It was quite large, so seemed promising. But upon entering we found out that they didn't do tastings.
So we drove to the second recommendation: Corral Victoria. Since they had a restaurant we had hope, but upon arriving it was closed. Looking at the time it was nearing 4pm, so we knew our wine-touring day was over.
Feelin' hot hot hot
By about 4pm the days have been roasting. Since our room doesn't have air conditioning, or good airflow, we quickly found ourselves in the pool. As much as cold temperatures can be unpleasant, I'd rather handle it than 31 C without air conditioning! Let's hope that it isn't as scorching at our next destination.
Maule valley
All in all, the winery visits were more frustrating than Mendoza. Perhaps the region is too far from Santiago to turn into something touristic. At the same time this region was hit hard by the earthquake, so perhaps that is also a considerable factor. There is a lot of potential, so hopefully Maule takes advantage of it.
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 2,200 km
I've read this is one of the bigger wine regions in Chile, so I had hopes for tastings. But on the drive down there was only one sign, so expectations were reduced.
Back into Talca
Since we're within walking distance of the centre of town we decided to venture to the central market. Walking through town, it was alive with people walking and driving its streets. The market was small, but still filled with people. There were the regular spread of fruits and veggies, food stands, and a few craft stands.
Destroyed or dilapidated
We also passed by buildings that were obviously destroyed from last years earthquake. But with some buildings we wondered whether they were just dilapidated. When you see some marked as unsafe and scheduled for demolition, it makes you wonder how bad the damage was.
Winery first attempt - fail
We drove around one loop east of Talca to find a couple of wineries, but no sign to indicate wine tastings or even a shop. On the map it showed about two handfuls of wineries, so where the other wineries went is a mystery.
Second attempt - success!
We went back south past the town of Maule to the winery with the sign on the road. Balduzzi had three types of tastings: the cheapest toured the basic wines, the next tasted the reserves, while the final added the grand reserve. Of course I went for the top tasting, knowing that I'm a sucker for blends.
The wines were decent for their price, but nothing outstanding. Something I might buy at home if available, but nothing I would go out of my way for. Still, the tasting itself was very pleasant and recommended.
Third attempt - semi-success
There was a restaurant on the side of the road that was attached to a winery. Hungry, we stopped in to this massive parrilla. They had an extensive wine list, but when I asked for a recommendation between two (one was theirs), the server strongly recommended the other. So I didn't try the winery that translated as "livestock"....which may have been a good thing.
I did try a syrah from Casa Donoso. While I couldn't find the winery, it was probably a good thing, since the wine was just average.
Fourth attempts - fail
Upon the recommendation from our host at Balduzzi, we went to Vina Calina. We had passed by earlier, but gave it a shot. It was quite large, so seemed promising. But upon entering we found out that they didn't do tastings.
So we drove to the second recommendation: Corral Victoria. Since they had a restaurant we had hope, but upon arriving it was closed. Looking at the time it was nearing 4pm, so we knew our wine-touring day was over.
Feelin' hot hot hot
By about 4pm the days have been roasting. Since our room doesn't have air conditioning, or good airflow, we quickly found ourselves in the pool. As much as cold temperatures can be unpleasant, I'd rather handle it than 31 C without air conditioning! Let's hope that it isn't as scorching at our next destination.
Maule valley
All in all, the winery visits were more frustrating than Mendoza. Perhaps the region is too far from Santiago to turn into something touristic. At the same time this region was hit hard by the earthquake, so perhaps that is also a considerable factor. There is a lot of potential, so hopefully Maule takes advantage of it.
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 2,200 km
Corn versus Grapes
Today was a driving day, covering about 600 kms. When planning the trip I found there was very little between the Pucon area and Santa Cruz region. However, I wanted to give the Maule wine region a see, so I managed to find something in Talca.
Corn, corn, everywhere
They grow a lot of corn here. Even down by Pucon you see corn, as it is the consistently grown staple. Seeing as we don't see any wheat, but a heck of a lot of bread, it only makes sense that this is used to make flour as well.
Back home I don't mind corn, but have never gone so far to call it a staple (like potatoes). Learning how creative they are with its use here, I've learned to respect this crop.
A couple of dishes we've tried:
Humita: some sort of corn mush, wrapped in corn leaves and cooked. Actually quite yummy.
Pastel de Choclo: more corn mush, mixed with chicken and beef, and maybe other veggies, cooked in a bowl. The top becomes crispy and it is as filling as stew. Also yummy, and would be great in cool weather.
Those are the ones known to contain corn. I'm sure they're hiding it in other things we're eating, but just don't know it.
German presence
When reading about the Lakes region of Chile, it was a common theme that there was a distinct German influence in the area. Looking in the restaurants and in town, I don't know how the comment count be made. (As contrast, a good example of German influence is Alsace, France. Considering they boarder Germany, and once were part of it, I know it is an extreme example.)
The main influence is the presence of "kuchen". This word has replaced any Spanish word for cake and can be found on roadside stands along with "queso" (cheese), and various eating goods. We even had some served to us for breakfast, which was quite the treat.
Grapes
For such a big wine exporting country I thought I would see more grapes. But considering the amount of land we covered, the amount of grapes has paled in comparison. This means there is a lot of potential for the wine industry to expand, as there is much land to move out to. I just wonder whether Chileans would allow for it to replace the land currently occupied by corn.
Chillan
We decided to drop in to visit the market, which was supposed to be open daily until 6pm. It was before 4pm, so we had plenty of time. The town was a ghost town, except for a few people walking the streets. Finding the market, it too was sparse, with only a few stands. Disappointing, but can't really fault it considering it was Sunday evening.
Talca
We arrived in good time and found our accommodations with relative ease. It was another urban form of cabanas, and was bloody hot. With little movement in the air, our cabin was an oven. So went out in search of food or a market to get a cervesa. Again, ghost town. The places suggested by Lonely Planet didn't even exist, so we kept walking in hope to find something open. Luckily we didn't have to walk too far and were happy enough just to eat.
Corn, corn, everywhere
They grow a lot of corn here. Even down by Pucon you see corn, as it is the consistently grown staple. Seeing as we don't see any wheat, but a heck of a lot of bread, it only makes sense that this is used to make flour as well.
Back home I don't mind corn, but have never gone so far to call it a staple (like potatoes). Learning how creative they are with its use here, I've learned to respect this crop.
A couple of dishes we've tried:
Humita: some sort of corn mush, wrapped in corn leaves and cooked. Actually quite yummy.
Pastel de Choclo: more corn mush, mixed with chicken and beef, and maybe other veggies, cooked in a bowl. The top becomes crispy and it is as filling as stew. Also yummy, and would be great in cool weather.
Those are the ones known to contain corn. I'm sure they're hiding it in other things we're eating, but just don't know it.
German presence
When reading about the Lakes region of Chile, it was a common theme that there was a distinct German influence in the area. Looking in the restaurants and in town, I don't know how the comment count be made. (As contrast, a good example of German influence is Alsace, France. Considering they boarder Germany, and once were part of it, I know it is an extreme example.)
The main influence is the presence of "kuchen". This word has replaced any Spanish word for cake and can be found on roadside stands along with "queso" (cheese), and various eating goods. We even had some served to us for breakfast, which was quite the treat.
Grapes
For such a big wine exporting country I thought I would see more grapes. But considering the amount of land we covered, the amount of grapes has paled in comparison. This means there is a lot of potential for the wine industry to expand, as there is much land to move out to. I just wonder whether Chileans would allow for it to replace the land currently occupied by corn.
Chillan
We decided to drop in to visit the market, which was supposed to be open daily until 6pm. It was before 4pm, so we had plenty of time. The town was a ghost town, except for a few people walking the streets. Finding the market, it too was sparse, with only a few stands. Disappointing, but can't really fault it considering it was Sunday evening.
Talca
We arrived in good time and found our accommodations with relative ease. It was another urban form of cabanas, and was bloody hot. With little movement in the air, our cabin was an oven. So went out in search of food or a market to get a cervesa. Again, ghost town. The places suggested by Lonely Planet didn't even exist, so we kept walking in hope to find something open. Luckily we didn't have to walk too far and were happy enough just to eat.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
I'm eating fresh fruit
Today was a day of rest. After hiking the volcano, it was due time to just relax. Heck, isn't that what vacation is all about?
Cruising the town
After tidying up our stuff and walking around the premises, we decided to head into town. Pucon is really nice, with quite a bit to choose from. Artisan stands, chique stores, a black pebbled beach and many restaurants made for a leisurely afternoon.
What is your second choice?
For lunch, and the past three meals, my first choice has been consistently unavailable. What are the odds?! Once, sure. But four times in a row is a tad much. This has now been known as the Tiffany ordering curse. And you know this is a curse, when the first dish I wanted included "forest mushrooms"!
Supermarket dogs
When we first got into town we stopped at the Supermarket to pick up some items for our volcano trek. Walking back to the car we were greeted by a mother-dog who had the perfect puppy eyes, begging for food. Looking around we noticed a couple of other dogs, who seemed to be roaming the parking lot.
Since then, we've returned a few times with bits of food. Bread, ice cream cones, fat from steaks - we've been welcomed by these friendly dogs each time. Now they aren't malnourished or such, as they seem to do well enough by living off food they receive in the parking lot.
We've even found locals giving food to the dogs, so we know they'll be okay. I just think of them as the more pleasant version of the squeegee-guys.
Lazy end to the day
Our plan was to visit a "thermas", or thermal bath/hot springs, as there are many in the area. However, with the heat and blue sky all we wanted to do was to take a dip into the pool and relax.
Plan relaxation: success.
Baaaaaaaa
The place we are staying at is surrounded by animals. We've heard chickens, cows, and sheep. But we didn't realise that some of the sheep we heard was actually owned by the property. In the afternoon they were sent to wander about and mow the lawn. That's even better than grasscycling, right? Plus, I bet the dogs would like a sheep. Good thing our host gave us one to take home!
Mirador
With the skies finally clear we had a beautiful view to the volcano. Tonight we watch as the smoke light up its orange hue. An amazing place to visit!
(And of course the day we climbed it was cloudy around the volcano, and today it is perfectly clear. But at least we were able to climb it, as the previous day to our climb it was canceled.)
Fruit picked and eaten from trees: apricots, figs
Other Fresh fruit eaten: cherries, strawberries, blueberries...does wine count?
Cruising the town
After tidying up our stuff and walking around the premises, we decided to head into town. Pucon is really nice, with quite a bit to choose from. Artisan stands, chique stores, a black pebbled beach and many restaurants made for a leisurely afternoon.
What is your second choice?
For lunch, and the past three meals, my first choice has been consistently unavailable. What are the odds?! Once, sure. But four times in a row is a tad much. This has now been known as the Tiffany ordering curse. And you know this is a curse, when the first dish I wanted included "forest mushrooms"!
Supermarket dogs
When we first got into town we stopped at the Supermarket to pick up some items for our volcano trek. Walking back to the car we were greeted by a mother-dog who had the perfect puppy eyes, begging for food. Looking around we noticed a couple of other dogs, who seemed to be roaming the parking lot.
Since then, we've returned a few times with bits of food. Bread, ice cream cones, fat from steaks - we've been welcomed by these friendly dogs each time. Now they aren't malnourished or such, as they seem to do well enough by living off food they receive in the parking lot.
We've even found locals giving food to the dogs, so we know they'll be okay. I just think of them as the more pleasant version of the squeegee-guys.
Lazy end to the day
Our plan was to visit a "thermas", or thermal bath/hot springs, as there are many in the area. However, with the heat and blue sky all we wanted to do was to take a dip into the pool and relax.
Plan relaxation: success.
Baaaaaaaa
The place we are staying at is surrounded by animals. We've heard chickens, cows, and sheep. But we didn't realise that some of the sheep we heard was actually owned by the property. In the afternoon they were sent to wander about and mow the lawn. That's even better than grasscycling, right? Plus, I bet the dogs would like a sheep. Good thing our host gave us one to take home!
Mirador
With the skies finally clear we had a beautiful view to the volcano. Tonight we watch as the smoke light up its orange hue. An amazing place to visit!
(And of course the day we climbed it was cloudy around the volcano, and today it is perfectly clear. But at least we were able to climb it, as the previous day to our climb it was canceled.)
Fruit picked and eaten from trees: apricots, figs
Other Fresh fruit eaten: cherries, strawberries, blueberries...does wine count?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Land of Volcanoes and Lakes
The last couple of days have been pretty hectic, so blogging has fallen a bit by the wayside.
We started by waking up in the middle of nowhere, to find out once again that we weren't allowed to access Internet. The host was pretty anal about controlling use of his computer, so instead we just ate breakfast so we could get on our way.
There was one distraction: a scorpion. It wasn't anything big, but it was a scorpion. They caught it in a jar and put it who knows where. It was a sign that we should be on our way!
Temuco
We ventured into town to do some shopping, as our German host had these awesome masks and said he got them from the central market. Normally we avoid towns because of people and parking, but since we had a handle on how to park and since the town wasn't too large we decided to venture in.
We didn't find this mask stand he talked about and were disappointed. However, there were some other neat wares that found that we picked up a few things, including food.
The highlight: 2 kg of fresh cherries for just over $2.
It is great to be where fruit and vegetables are being grown!
Pucon
We arrived in Pucon and drove about 30 minutes onwards to stay at our cabanas. The town is very touristic and reminds me of other larger towns in Patagonia. Instead of the run-down homes you find things very pretty and new, as Pucon has boomed in the past few years.
Tourists from all-around, including from Chile and Argentina, come here to spend time for vacation.
Cabanas
There are seemingly hundreds of cabanas options all around the area. From what we have, it is a full cabin, with two bedrooms and a kitchen. It is nice to have a fridge and amazing lookout of three "volcanes"...although clouds have only allowed us to see two so far. The downside is that you are away from the town's amenities. The plus is the quiet and the surroundings.
Volcano Villarrica
We woke up at 5am to meet our guide at the main supermarket so he could show us where his place was. We parked our car, were fitted for boots and gaters, handed backpacks and got on our way to pick up the rest of the tour group.
There were seven of us in total: a couple from Vermont, a honeymooning couple from Scotland, and a girl from Argentina who was here with her family. With our two guides we made our way towards the volcano.
We read how lines (read: throngs) of people climb the volcano, and arriving it didn't seem too bad. You first take the lift to save an hour of climbing. For some stupid reason, this wasn't in operation yet. So while they figured out whether it could operate that day, quite the queue formed.
The race to the top
Having a smaller group we were a bit more nimble and were able to start quite quickly. Then the race began. I would like to say I kept up with the group the entire way, but I didn't.
Thankfully the girl from Argentina was at my pace, so we broke off to a pace more our speed. Still, it was fast enough to keep ahead of the lines of people you could see scaling the volcano. I am definitely a flat-lander!
So if you want to climb the volcano, it is better to be in shape and be prepared to ascend four to five kilometers up. Top height: 2,853km.
Reaching the top, there were clouds below surrounding us. At the top, the volcano was puffing its sulfuric smoke. While not pungent, when winds shifted it was quite toxic to inhale! (A mix of burning and inhaling dust) I was also disappointed there wasn't any lava to see from our viewpoint, but wasn't eager to go towards the smoke to see if I could indeed find some.
The race to the bottom
As lunch wrapped up we put on our "bumpers", extra pair of pants, jacket, and a couple of sets of gloves. The bumper is a square patch of semi-slippery fabric that straps on well to your behind. And just like a car bumper, it is there to our behind!
We then learned about our "plastico", which is a little plastic piece that straps onto the bumper. You put it between your legs and sit on it, sliding down. There are little chutes down the volcano that we rode down - sometimes with plastic, sometimes not, depending on how steep the descent was. To further help us control our speed we used our pick axe as a break.
The ride down was the best part, even though our shoes, pants and bottoms got soaked. The snow was quite soft and in parts accumulated in front of you while riding down. The descent made the tour and is definitely a highlight of the trip.
Injuries
Tiffany: soreness between fingers and thumbs gripping onto axe, bruise on thigh from plastico and from a mishap with the axe on the way down.
Mike: odd sunburn on his face where sunscreen wasn't put on evenly
Overall: fatigue and general muscle soreness
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 1,500 km
We started by waking up in the middle of nowhere, to find out once again that we weren't allowed to access Internet. The host was pretty anal about controlling use of his computer, so instead we just ate breakfast so we could get on our way.
There was one distraction: a scorpion. It wasn't anything big, but it was a scorpion. They caught it in a jar and put it who knows where. It was a sign that we should be on our way!
Temuco
We ventured into town to do some shopping, as our German host had these awesome masks and said he got them from the central market. Normally we avoid towns because of people and parking, but since we had a handle on how to park and since the town wasn't too large we decided to venture in.
We didn't find this mask stand he talked about and were disappointed. However, there were some other neat wares that found that we picked up a few things, including food.
The highlight: 2 kg of fresh cherries for just over $2.
It is great to be where fruit and vegetables are being grown!
Pucon
We arrived in Pucon and drove about 30 minutes onwards to stay at our cabanas. The town is very touristic and reminds me of other larger towns in Patagonia. Instead of the run-down homes you find things very pretty and new, as Pucon has boomed in the past few years.
Tourists from all-around, including from Chile and Argentina, come here to spend time for vacation.
Cabanas
There are seemingly hundreds of cabanas options all around the area. From what we have, it is a full cabin, with two bedrooms and a kitchen. It is nice to have a fridge and amazing lookout of three "volcanes"...although clouds have only allowed us to see two so far. The downside is that you are away from the town's amenities. The plus is the quiet and the surroundings.
Volcano Villarrica
We woke up at 5am to meet our guide at the main supermarket so he could show us where his place was. We parked our car, were fitted for boots and gaters, handed backpacks and got on our way to pick up the rest of the tour group.
There were seven of us in total: a couple from Vermont, a honeymooning couple from Scotland, and a girl from Argentina who was here with her family. With our two guides we made our way towards the volcano.
We read how lines (read: throngs) of people climb the volcano, and arriving it didn't seem too bad. You first take the lift to save an hour of climbing. For some stupid reason, this wasn't in operation yet. So while they figured out whether it could operate that day, quite the queue formed.
The race to the top
Having a smaller group we were a bit more nimble and were able to start quite quickly. Then the race began. I would like to say I kept up with the group the entire way, but I didn't.
Thankfully the girl from Argentina was at my pace, so we broke off to a pace more our speed. Still, it was fast enough to keep ahead of the lines of people you could see scaling the volcano. I am definitely a flat-lander!
So if you want to climb the volcano, it is better to be in shape and be prepared to ascend four to five kilometers up. Top height: 2,853km.
Reaching the top, there were clouds below surrounding us. At the top, the volcano was puffing its sulfuric smoke. While not pungent, when winds shifted it was quite toxic to inhale! (A mix of burning and inhaling dust) I was also disappointed there wasn't any lava to see from our viewpoint, but wasn't eager to go towards the smoke to see if I could indeed find some.
The race to the bottom
As lunch wrapped up we put on our "bumpers", extra pair of pants, jacket, and a couple of sets of gloves. The bumper is a square patch of semi-slippery fabric that straps on well to your behind. And just like a car bumper, it is there to our behind!
We then learned about our "plastico", which is a little plastic piece that straps onto the bumper. You put it between your legs and sit on it, sliding down. There are little chutes down the volcano that we rode down - sometimes with plastic, sometimes not, depending on how steep the descent was. To further help us control our speed we used our pick axe as a break.
The ride down was the best part, even though our shoes, pants and bottoms got soaked. The snow was quite soft and in parts accumulated in front of you while riding down. The descent made the tour and is definitely a highlight of the trip.
Injuries
Tiffany: soreness between fingers and thumbs gripping onto axe, bruise on thigh from plastico and from a mishap with the axe on the way down.
Mike: odd sunburn on his face where sunscreen wasn't put on evenly
Overall: fatigue and general muscle soreness
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 1,500 km
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Due South
We bid good-bye to Santa Cruz and were in for our first serious day of traveling. The roads here have been quite good and impressive. While I know climate has a good part of why they fare so well, but I'm sure a Chilean would be surprising by driving on our roads.
Miguel Torres
We took a break from driving by popping off Ruta 5 to the well-signed Miguel Torres winery. We were about 15 minutes too early for lunch, so we popped into the tasting room, where they had plenty (and I mean a lot!) of wines to try. They also charged by the glass, but at least this time it was more reasonable - about $3 USD for the basic wines and $5 USD for the higher-end wines. I got their newer Cordillera blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier. Fragrant, it needed air to open up the dark fruits and heavy tannins.
Lunch was awesome, but again you had to buy wine by the glass. So we split two dishes, and I got what was recommended for them. For the awesome salad, the Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon rose was the recommendation. Well-balanced, it wasn't too sweet or too dry, and paired nicely.
With the veal and figs the Santa Digna Carmenere was the choice, tasting like no other Carmenere I've tried. It was fruity and even a bit sweet, with some tannins and spice at the finish. I think Carmenere disbelievers may like this one!
Back on the road
We kept going on Ruta 5 to encounter sporadic amounts of construction. A lot of the damage that came from last February's earthquake has been fixed, but some minor spots remain. The roads continued to be fast and had plenty of gas stations to fill up.
Middle of nowhere
The next stay was in the middle of nowhere, at Guesthouse El Rincon. Finding it in Lonely Planet it made sense to enjoy the wilderness in German style. The signage is there, but small...but it wasn't too hard to find the place.
Arriving to some well-treed wooden structures, we looked for a sign of life. Finally encountered someone, she only spoke Spanish. Knowing that the host spoke English, we wondered if we were in the right place. She asked for a moment and got the cell phone, soon connecting me to the owner who was out for the moment.
So we walked the grounds covered in various plants, including huge lavender and hydrangea, plum trees, a pond that has water lilies, and even a river. And of course all sorts of bugs. Thankfully they seemed to stay away from the main residence, but it makes you wonder why they don't put screens on their windows. (So European!)
Dinner was with the older hosts, and included a friend from Germany and an Austrian tourist riding down Chile with a motorcycle. It was nice German cooking, and it was surreal to be in Chile, listening to German. For the company and surroundings, it was a nice place to stay.
Bugs bites: none in the morning, two upon arrival at our guesthouse
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 1,100 km
Miguel Torres
We took a break from driving by popping off Ruta 5 to the well-signed Miguel Torres winery. We were about 15 minutes too early for lunch, so we popped into the tasting room, where they had plenty (and I mean a lot!) of wines to try. They also charged by the glass, but at least this time it was more reasonable - about $3 USD for the basic wines and $5 USD for the higher-end wines. I got their newer Cordillera blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier. Fragrant, it needed air to open up the dark fruits and heavy tannins.
Lunch was awesome, but again you had to buy wine by the glass. So we split two dishes, and I got what was recommended for them. For the awesome salad, the Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon rose was the recommendation. Well-balanced, it wasn't too sweet or too dry, and paired nicely.
With the veal and figs the Santa Digna Carmenere was the choice, tasting like no other Carmenere I've tried. It was fruity and even a bit sweet, with some tannins and spice at the finish. I think Carmenere disbelievers may like this one!
Back on the road
We kept going on Ruta 5 to encounter sporadic amounts of construction. A lot of the damage that came from last February's earthquake has been fixed, but some minor spots remain. The roads continued to be fast and had plenty of gas stations to fill up.
Middle of nowhere
The next stay was in the middle of nowhere, at Guesthouse El Rincon. Finding it in Lonely Planet it made sense to enjoy the wilderness in German style. The signage is there, but small...but it wasn't too hard to find the place.
Arriving to some well-treed wooden structures, we looked for a sign of life. Finally encountered someone, she only spoke Spanish. Knowing that the host spoke English, we wondered if we were in the right place. She asked for a moment and got the cell phone, soon connecting me to the owner who was out for the moment.
So we walked the grounds covered in various plants, including huge lavender and hydrangea, plum trees, a pond that has water lilies, and even a river. And of course all sorts of bugs. Thankfully they seemed to stay away from the main residence, but it makes you wonder why they don't put screens on their windows. (So European!)
Dinner was with the older hosts, and included a friend from Germany and an Austrian tourist riding down Chile with a motorcycle. It was nice German cooking, and it was surreal to be in Chile, listening to German. For the company and surroundings, it was a nice place to stay.
Bugs bites: none in the morning, two upon arrival at our guesthouse
Total KMs traveled to date: Over 1,100 km
An early awakening
(Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging...)
This morning we awoke to those squawking birds, and dogs barking at them. They seem to never shut up. So much for the peaceful countryside.
I hate bugs
I would hate them even more if I could see them. This morning I woke up to welts on my body and face. Mike had a couple of small bites. They itch like crazy and it is annoying to not know where they're coming from...or why they are only attacking me! Surely I can't blame the wine... I just hope that tonight I don't get another onslaught.
Life without Internet
Internet connection seems to be down here, so I am only able to post by borrowing their back-up Internet stick. I figure this is a sign to have me sit outside and enjoy the view, sun and pool. But only once we're done visiting wineries.
First winery - success!
We strolled next door to Laura Hartwig. The service was fantastic, and the wines were quite nice as well. With another host that spoke good English, we engaged in great conversation and learned that they seem to have noseeums here as well, and that they are the culprit of my attack.
I tasted their reds, paying 1000 CLP for a glass, (with the exception of the Gran Reserva, which was 2000 CLP), it was a bargain to try the tour. It started with the aromatic merlot-petit verdot blend, moving to the slightly green carmenere. Next was the cabernet sauvignon, which was a delish red blend with some smacky tannins. It ended with a blend: cab sauv, carmenere, syrah and a touch of petit verdot. It was harmony in the glass, with a stripe of acidity to make it pairable.
I highly recommend visiting this winery for its welcoming and trouble-free tasting.
Lunch
Knowing there was a restaurant at Viu Manent we headed over for some food and wine. The list of wines was recited for us, so I just ordered what seemed reasonable. Unfortunately no tasting pairings, so it was like a regular meal.
And what a meal it was. I decided to venture with a pork roll, which reminded me why I don't venture too often with food. The roll reminded me of head cheese, and luckily enough I had a big Cabernet Sauvignon to pound it down with. Oddly enough, the wine did make the food taste better...or at least beat it to an acceptable tasting point.
Mike's dish wasn't much better. It was the sea bass dish, which came unexpectedly cold. And really strong. The viogner wasn't the best match, but the wine itself was quite nice.
We decided, beyond rationale, to try desert. It was peach, and what I thought something pastry-esque. Instead we got a glass filled with peaches and some sort of grain-product (barley?). It was weird, and not what you would expect for a dessert.
All three dishes were a fail.
However, we met a Californian couple at the next table who had the steaks and raved about them. We also learned that Mike is not the only one who burnt real badly, or that I was the only one who had received these awful bites.
Misery likes company.
Second attempt - fail
We realised that we were going in the same area as the Californians, so we offered them a ride. The area of the wineries was called Apalta and my plan was to just drive and see what fate had in store for us. They had to take a cab, so they pre-booked at Casa Lapostelle. We ventured inside with them.
It was a massive winery, owned by Grand Marnier, and one of the most secure wineries we've ever seen. We passed the guard's queries and headed towards the main, empty, building. We looked around, waiting, admiring the built-into-the-hill architecture.
Finally someone came to get us to start the dreaded tour. The Americans tried to sneak us in, but when they asked for our voucher we couldn't cough up. Not really a worry for us, as we didn't want to take the tour in the first place. So we parted ways and left them with the tour.
Third attempt - fail
We kept down the road and tried to get into Montes. We had no reservation, and the only tour they had left was in Spanish. The afternoon wasn't shaping up as expected.
Fourth attempts - fail
We decided to try for the other winery with the restaurant - Casa Silva. It was by the main road and even had its own hotel. But by the time we arrived it was too late for the restaurant, and the only option was tastings by the glass. Normally this would be fine, but the tasting was either 5 USD for one glass of the crappy stuff, or 8 USD of the better (but not best) stuff.
Since I didn't want to wait AND pay for a glass of wine I really didn't want, we headed back.
We also went next door to another lesser known winery, whose sign said they were open until 6pm...but somehow they were closed at 4:30pm. We were done!
Making use of the frigobar
Once we made it back to the hotel we head into the pool to relax, cool off and enjoy the scenery. While not an awesome day with the itchy bug bites, I know that not everyday is meant to be fantastic.
So I try and divert my mind from the itchiness by sipping some nicely-chilled white wine (yea frigobar!), warm weather and hope that tomorrow morning I wake up no new welts.
This morning we awoke to those squawking birds, and dogs barking at them. They seem to never shut up. So much for the peaceful countryside.
I hate bugs
I would hate them even more if I could see them. This morning I woke up to welts on my body and face. Mike had a couple of small bites. They itch like crazy and it is annoying to not know where they're coming from...or why they are only attacking me! Surely I can't blame the wine... I just hope that tonight I don't get another onslaught.
Life without Internet
Internet connection seems to be down here, so I am only able to post by borrowing their back-up Internet stick. I figure this is a sign to have me sit outside and enjoy the view, sun and pool. But only once we're done visiting wineries.
First winery - success!
We strolled next door to Laura Hartwig. The service was fantastic, and the wines were quite nice as well. With another host that spoke good English, we engaged in great conversation and learned that they seem to have noseeums here as well, and that they are the culprit of my attack.
I tasted their reds, paying 1000 CLP for a glass, (with the exception of the Gran Reserva, which was 2000 CLP), it was a bargain to try the tour. It started with the aromatic merlot-petit verdot blend, moving to the slightly green carmenere. Next was the cabernet sauvignon, which was a delish red blend with some smacky tannins. It ended with a blend: cab sauv, carmenere, syrah and a touch of petit verdot. It was harmony in the glass, with a stripe of acidity to make it pairable.
I highly recommend visiting this winery for its welcoming and trouble-free tasting.
Lunch
Knowing there was a restaurant at Viu Manent we headed over for some food and wine. The list of wines was recited for us, so I just ordered what seemed reasonable. Unfortunately no tasting pairings, so it was like a regular meal.
And what a meal it was. I decided to venture with a pork roll, which reminded me why I don't venture too often with food. The roll reminded me of head cheese, and luckily enough I had a big Cabernet Sauvignon to pound it down with. Oddly enough, the wine did make the food taste better...or at least beat it to an acceptable tasting point.
Mike's dish wasn't much better. It was the sea bass dish, which came unexpectedly cold. And really strong. The viogner wasn't the best match, but the wine itself was quite nice.
We decided, beyond rationale, to try desert. It was peach, and what I thought something pastry-esque. Instead we got a glass filled with peaches and some sort of grain-product (barley?). It was weird, and not what you would expect for a dessert.
All three dishes were a fail.
However, we met a Californian couple at the next table who had the steaks and raved about them. We also learned that Mike is not the only one who burnt real badly, or that I was the only one who had received these awful bites.
Misery likes company.
Second attempt - fail
We realised that we were going in the same area as the Californians, so we offered them a ride. The area of the wineries was called Apalta and my plan was to just drive and see what fate had in store for us. They had to take a cab, so they pre-booked at Casa Lapostelle. We ventured inside with them.
It was a massive winery, owned by Grand Marnier, and one of the most secure wineries we've ever seen. We passed the guard's queries and headed towards the main, empty, building. We looked around, waiting, admiring the built-into-the-hill architecture.
Finally someone came to get us to start the dreaded tour. The Americans tried to sneak us in, but when they asked for our voucher we couldn't cough up. Not really a worry for us, as we didn't want to take the tour in the first place. So we parted ways and left them with the tour.
Third attempt - fail
We kept down the road and tried to get into Montes. We had no reservation, and the only tour they had left was in Spanish. The afternoon wasn't shaping up as expected.
Fourth attempts - fail
We decided to try for the other winery with the restaurant - Casa Silva. It was by the main road and even had its own hotel. But by the time we arrived it was too late for the restaurant, and the only option was tastings by the glass. Normally this would be fine, but the tasting was either 5 USD for one glass of the crappy stuff, or 8 USD of the better (but not best) stuff.
Since I didn't want to wait AND pay for a glass of wine I really didn't want, we headed back.
We also went next door to another lesser known winery, whose sign said they were open until 6pm...but somehow they were closed at 4:30pm. We were done!
Making use of the frigobar
Once we made it back to the hotel we head into the pool to relax, cool off and enjoy the scenery. While not an awesome day with the itchy bug bites, I know that not everyday is meant to be fantastic.
So I try and divert my mind from the itchiness by sipping some nicely-chilled white wine (yea frigobar!), warm weather and hope that tomorrow morning I wake up no new welts.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Someday I'll be able to connect again to the Internet...
So last night Internet was still down, and no one was around in the morning to lend us the back-up stick.
Carrying on with the day we had better hope for tonight, which in hindsight was kind of foolish. Our stay tonight is in the middle of nowhere, in the forest off Ruta 5. We do have Internet use by using our host's stick...on a computer that has a German kezboard...keyboard.
So off to dinner, and hope that somehow tomorrow we'll be able to once again gain access.
Oh, I guess I should say off to enjoy vacation...and hopefully not too many bugs!
Carrying on with the day we had better hope for tonight, which in hindsight was kind of foolish. Our stay tonight is in the middle of nowhere, in the forest off Ruta 5. We do have Internet use by using our host's stick...on a computer that has a German kezboard...keyboard.
So off to dinner, and hope that somehow tomorrow we'll be able to once again gain access.
Oh, I guess I should say off to enjoy vacation...and hopefully not too many bugs!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
From ocean to vineyards
We ate breakfast watching the surf, which was absolutely incredible. On the beach our hostel was on there weren't many surfers, even though the waves were awesome. We walked along the black sand (yes black, very cool) and just took in the brute force of the crashing waves.
Back on the road
We had enough of the layed-back 'surfer' lifestyle, and were ready to find our next destination. (Especially since Pichilemu took longer to reach than expected.) So we washed off our sandy feet and headed back on the road inland, leaving the ocean behind.
The scenery is ever-changing and quite barren. It is strange to start seeing the vineyards in the midst of scrubby brush. From aways on the highway we found our first target.
Santa Cruz winery
The landscape was stunning, with the Bodega atop a hill surrounded by vineyards. It even featured an observatory! (With a gondola to get there) In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by valley and mountains, this winery sure had presence.
Driving up, the bodega was equally as impressive with a gorgeous building. Inquiring for a tasting, I soon learned the winery was in its infancy. The options were either to go on a tour or order a glass or so on their newly opened "cafeteria" (think cafe). So we ordered a couple of empanadas, while I enjoyed a nice glass of Carmenere. Easy-drinking, it wasn't anything outstanding, but paired well enough with Chilean cuisine.
Finding the Hotel
We purposely booked the hotel out-of-town, knowing I hate trying to navigate in town. Somehow we ended up in town and didn't have a detailed enough map to try and get our self out. For a town that was seemingly small on the map, it was a lot larger than expected. So we fumbled our way through, until zen driving found us on a main road with a sign to our hotel. Excellent!
Parador de la Vina
Our stay was a sight for sore eyes and was greatly welcome. Even better were things we've missed so far: bar soap, kleenex, and for the mister, shampoo/conditioner. For me: a frigobar (mini-fridge) AND wine glasses (and hair dryer to boot). All along my stay in Argentina or France/Catalonia I had never come across a mini-fridge, although it would be certainly welcome with white wines. This was the mecca of accommodations.
Trying to find lunch
Basing on our Casablanca experience I thought that wine + lunch would again be the norm. Apparently not.
Second attempt - fail
We drove along the main road to a winery I had heard before:Bisquertt. Next thing you know, we were in the town after the winery. Driving back, we noticed a major building, but no signs. WTF?! No signs means no welcome of business, so we kept on driving.
Third attempt - fail
Driving into the rural area upon a long gravel road we headed towards another known name: Caliterra. Up and down and all around when we were surrounded by grapes, signs directing us there, grape workers and some major buildings. But no entrance signs. And no indication of tourism. Seriously? We were getting frustrated.
Fourth attempt - fail
Santa Rita is a major player back home, so certainly they would be easy to find AND have a place to welcome us. Besides, it was on the wine tourism map, so it had to be welcome to us visitors.
The first was correct, as it was surrounded by vines and had a massive processing plant. But welcome us? They had a guard, who only spoke Spanish looked confused to see us. I caught enough of what he said to know that there were no tastings or tours, and they only did mass processing. (Okay, that last part was my interpretation.) Still, another disappointment.
Fifth attempt - success!
And very much so. We pulled up with no one in the parking lot, knowing that we were arriving late. The guard was once again friendly, and we were happy to know someone was there to acknowledge us. We walked in to the main building, only to be startled by someone to great us. "You are arriving late", we were told. We knew, but managed to sneak in an end-of-day tasting, with no pressure for a tour. The winery: MontGras
Our host was most amazing, with the most impeccable English. We taught each other words: we learned how to pronounce llama (ya-ma, like pi-jama). We taught him the Canadian version of toque (luckily which they were selling in their gift store). It was great fun.
The wines were good, and I ended up getting the bonus tasting spread. The Carmenere was surprisingly nice, and we discussed how some wineries picked their grapes too soon. (Ha! Such a wine nerd...) But the best was their blend, and it verified I'm such a sucker for blends.
The truth about the wine map
Our host at MontGras also provided clarification on the map. He confirmed that just because a winery is located on it, it doesn't mean you can visit it. He agreed that this doesn't make sense.
With other wineries there is a different exception: their visitors rooms were destroyed during the earthquake. MontGras was the first to re-open, but others - including Bisquertt - have not. They are still producing grapes, but they are unable to accommodate visitors.
Bites bite
I've noticed several bites, from which I don't recall any creature landing on me. Arm, shoulder, knee...wtf?! I just get frustrated from little bumps that appear from nowhere, that are now itchy. So, is it better to know you've gotten bitten - like a mozzie - or remain ignorant, like these little turds. Bites suck - period.
Dinner
At a loss for finding our exquisite lunch pairings, we head back to our hotel to settle and wait for restaurants to open for dinner. Luckily, there was one down the road that partnered with the local winery. The menu presented a challenge of selection, due to overwhelming options.
It was beautiful surroundings, great food, good wine (slightly overpriced) and certainly la dolce vita. I laugh how commonplace "corkage" is here, without a fee or any drama. Tonight I'll finish the glass in one of my room's wine glasses , listen to the squawking birds and crickets, and watch the mostly southern stars from the yard of our casas.
It is certainly la dolce vita!
We had enough of the layed-back 'surfer' lifestyle, and were ready to find our next destination. (Especially since Pichilemu took longer to reach than expected.) So we washed off our sandy feet and headed back on the road inland, leaving the ocean behind.
The scenery is ever-changing and quite barren. It is strange to start seeing the vineyards in the midst of scrubby brush. From aways on the highway we found our first target.
Santa Cruz winery
The landscape was stunning, with the Bodega atop a hill surrounded by vineyards. It even featured an observatory! (With a gondola to get there) In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by valley and mountains, this winery sure had presence.
Driving up, the bodega was equally as impressive with a gorgeous building. Inquiring for a tasting, I soon learned the winery was in its infancy. The options were either to go on a tour or order a glass or so on their newly opened "cafeteria" (think cafe). So we ordered a couple of empanadas, while I enjoyed a nice glass of Carmenere. Easy-drinking, it wasn't anything outstanding, but paired well enough with Chilean cuisine.
Finding the Hotel
We purposely booked the hotel out-of-town, knowing I hate trying to navigate in town. Somehow we ended up in town and didn't have a detailed enough map to try and get our self out. For a town that was seemingly small on the map, it was a lot larger than expected. So we fumbled our way through, until zen driving found us on a main road with a sign to our hotel. Excellent!
Parador de la Vina
Our stay was a sight for sore eyes and was greatly welcome. Even better were things we've missed so far: bar soap, kleenex, and for the mister, shampoo/conditioner. For me: a frigobar (mini-fridge) AND wine glasses (and hair dryer to boot). All along my stay in Argentina or France/Catalonia I had never come across a mini-fridge, although it would be certainly welcome with white wines. This was the mecca of accommodations.
Trying to find lunch
Basing on our Casablanca experience I thought that wine + lunch would again be the norm. Apparently not.
Second attempt - fail
We drove along the main road to a winery I had heard before:Bisquertt. Next thing you know, we were in the town after the winery. Driving back, we noticed a major building, but no signs. WTF?! No signs means no welcome of business, so we kept on driving.
Third attempt - fail
Driving into the rural area upon a long gravel road we headed towards another known name: Caliterra. Up and down and all around when we were surrounded by grapes, signs directing us there, grape workers and some major buildings. But no entrance signs. And no indication of tourism. Seriously? We were getting frustrated.
Fourth attempt - fail
Santa Rita is a major player back home, so certainly they would be easy to find AND have a place to welcome us. Besides, it was on the wine tourism map, so it had to be welcome to us visitors.
The first was correct, as it was surrounded by vines and had a massive processing plant. But welcome us? They had a guard, who only spoke Spanish looked confused to see us. I caught enough of what he said to know that there were no tastings or tours, and they only did mass processing. (Okay, that last part was my interpretation.) Still, another disappointment.
Fifth attempt - success!
And very much so. We pulled up with no one in the parking lot, knowing that we were arriving late. The guard was once again friendly, and we were happy to know someone was there to acknowledge us. We walked in to the main building, only to be startled by someone to great us. "You are arriving late", we were told. We knew, but managed to sneak in an end-of-day tasting, with no pressure for a tour. The winery: MontGras
Our host was most amazing, with the most impeccable English. We taught each other words: we learned how to pronounce llama (ya-ma, like pi-jama). We taught him the Canadian version of toque (luckily which they were selling in their gift store). It was great fun.
The wines were good, and I ended up getting the bonus tasting spread. The Carmenere was surprisingly nice, and we discussed how some wineries picked their grapes too soon. (Ha! Such a wine nerd...) But the best was their blend, and it verified I'm such a sucker for blends.
The truth about the wine map
Our host at MontGras also provided clarification on the map. He confirmed that just because a winery is located on it, it doesn't mean you can visit it. He agreed that this doesn't make sense.
With other wineries there is a different exception: their visitors rooms were destroyed during the earthquake. MontGras was the first to re-open, but others - including Bisquertt - have not. They are still producing grapes, but they are unable to accommodate visitors.
Bites bite
I've noticed several bites, from which I don't recall any creature landing on me. Arm, shoulder, knee...wtf?! I just get frustrated from little bumps that appear from nowhere, that are now itchy. So, is it better to know you've gotten bitten - like a mozzie - or remain ignorant, like these little turds. Bites suck - period.
Dinner
At a loss for finding our exquisite lunch pairings, we head back to our hotel to settle and wait for restaurants to open for dinner. Luckily, there was one down the road that partnered with the local winery. The menu presented a challenge of selection, due to overwhelming options.
It is certainly la dolce vita!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Let the winery visiting commence!
(Now back to our regularly scheduled blog...)
We left the quaint town of Algarrobo and made our way back towards Casablanca to visit our first winery. It was a pleasure to start with one of my favorite wineries: Casas del Bosque.
Wine tourism like it should be
Upon entering Casablanca, we noticed there was a sign directing us to the winery. And another, and yes, another! With zero confusion we found the winery, and a guard to welcome us. This time the guard was friendly, only asking us the purpose of our visit and place of origin for write in their records. The grounds were beautiful and since we were early we spent some time walking around.
We sat down for lunch, where they even had a menu of options for eating. I, of course, had their tasting platter - four wines and four small dishes. I was in heaven.
It started with some Sauv Blanc, which was crisp and clean. I also verified I don't like shrimp. The Chardonnay was next, which was simple and light...until you paired it with the tuna tartar and salad. Intensifying the wine, it was incredibly delish.
Next was my first Pinot Noir love, but a much younger vintage. It was as I remembered it, but needs some time in the bottle. Wonderful red forest fruits, balanced with tannins. Lunch ended with what is now my favorite wine - the Syrah. It was well-rounded red fruit goodness, and paired so nicely with the roasted-pepper melted cheese toasts. Definitely one to look for back home, as I wonder if the stupid LC also discontinued this one (as they did my Pinot).
Mike the Muslim
The second winery of the day was Matetic. It was a bit of a drive from the main road, so the winery was literally in the middle of nowhere. The terrain was scrub brush, some eucalyptus and quite arrid. Then out-of-the-blue: vines. In the middle of it all was the winery, who practices biodynamic philosophy.
I was able to escape the tour for the most part, but the guide couldn't understand how Mike didn't drink wine. I said he was the driver, which is usually a good defense. He replied, "But wine makes you drive better!" (I'd like him to convince the cops of that.) He then asked whether this was for religious reasons. We both had a good laugh. So he joked that Mike MUST be muslim, as that would be the only reasonable explanation for why he didn't drink wine.
I went for the grand tasting, and it was worth every penny. The Sauv Blanc was refreshing but not overly minerally (which I don't care for). The Chardonnay was outstanding, and was like eating butter-covered popcorn. Probably the best Chard I've ever had. Their Gewurtz was surprisingly dry, and tasted more like a Riesling.
The best for me was their Winemakers blend: mostly Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Malbec thrown in. It was big jammy fruit, but incredibly well-balanced. The last was their showcase wine - the Syrah. It is compared to those from its origins in Hermitage, France. Smooth and elegant, it had great body and complexity. I'm hoping that I can some pick up somewhere in Canada...
Checkpoint Charlie
On our drive down we came across numerous police check-points, and as luck would have it we got stopped at one. I remember reading reports from Argentina how the corrupt cops would randomly pull people over and only let them go if they paid a fee, since they felt the driver didn't have proper papers. (Even our car agency gave us a phone number to call in case this situation arose, as it was very much not the case.)
Thankfully the cop was really nice and even spoke a bit of English. He took a look at our driver's licence, our car papers, asked us how long we were going to be in Chile for, where we were going, and to enjoy our stay. Phew!
Up and down and all around
Chile has been quite hilly, making roads winding with many inclines and declines. This also means we aren't as able to go as fast as expected. The cars coming from Pichilemu was insane, and I hope when we leave tomorrow we aren't caught in the speed of 10 kms/hr.
Arriving in town it was a lot bigger than expected, and quite the tourist trap. Luckily our hostal was beyond the main part of town, so a much slower pace. To boot, like any good tourist trap (surfer in this case), there are plenty of anglophones around to chat with.
Can't forget about the beer
After settling in our room and getting some food, we sat in the lounge and grabbed some beers. This time for me was the Kunstmann Honey. Since it is served in a bottle I couldn't tell you what colour it is, although the label tells me it is an ale. It is quite nice, and very much like sucking a honey-pop. Would pair nicely with some squash.
We also tried some Pichuante, La Rucia, which is from this area. It was quite effervescent, but had good body. Big citrus and a touch of honey, it reminds me of a good white beer, but sweeter. Bonus points for coming in a stubby.
We left the quaint town of Algarrobo and made our way back towards Casablanca to visit our first winery. It was a pleasure to start with one of my favorite wineries: Casas del Bosque.
Wine tourism like it should be
Upon entering Casablanca, we noticed there was a sign directing us to the winery. And another, and yes, another! With zero confusion we found the winery, and a guard to welcome us. This time the guard was friendly, only asking us the purpose of our visit and place of origin for write in their records. The grounds were beautiful and since we were early we spent some time walking around.
We sat down for lunch, where they even had a menu of options for eating. I, of course, had their tasting platter - four wines and four small dishes. I was in heaven.
It started with some Sauv Blanc, which was crisp and clean. I also verified I don't like shrimp. The Chardonnay was next, which was simple and light...until you paired it with the tuna tartar and salad. Intensifying the wine, it was incredibly delish.
Next was my first Pinot Noir love, but a much younger vintage. It was as I remembered it, but needs some time in the bottle. Wonderful red forest fruits, balanced with tannins. Lunch ended with what is now my favorite wine - the Syrah. It was well-rounded red fruit goodness, and paired so nicely with the roasted-pepper melted cheese toasts. Definitely one to look for back home, as I wonder if the stupid LC also discontinued this one (as they did my Pinot).
Mike the Muslim
The second winery of the day was Matetic. It was a bit of a drive from the main road, so the winery was literally in the middle of nowhere. The terrain was scrub brush, some eucalyptus and quite arrid. Then out-of-the-blue: vines. In the middle of it all was the winery, who practices biodynamic philosophy.
I was able to escape the tour for the most part, but the guide couldn't understand how Mike didn't drink wine. I said he was the driver, which is usually a good defense. He replied, "But wine makes you drive better!" (I'd like him to convince the cops of that.) He then asked whether this was for religious reasons. We both had a good laugh. So he joked that Mike MUST be muslim, as that would be the only reasonable explanation for why he didn't drink wine.
I went for the grand tasting, and it was worth every penny. The Sauv Blanc was refreshing but not overly minerally (which I don't care for). The Chardonnay was outstanding, and was like eating butter-covered popcorn. Probably the best Chard I've ever had. Their Gewurtz was surprisingly dry, and tasted more like a Riesling.
The best for me was their Winemakers blend: mostly Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Malbec thrown in. It was big jammy fruit, but incredibly well-balanced. The last was their showcase wine - the Syrah. It is compared to those from its origins in Hermitage, France. Smooth and elegant, it had great body and complexity. I'm hoping that I can some pick up somewhere in Canada...
Checkpoint Charlie
On our drive down we came across numerous police check-points, and as luck would have it we got stopped at one. I remember reading reports from Argentina how the corrupt cops would randomly pull people over and only let them go if they paid a fee, since they felt the driver didn't have proper papers. (Even our car agency gave us a phone number to call in case this situation arose, as it was very much not the case.)
Thankfully the cop was really nice and even spoke a bit of English. He took a look at our driver's licence, our car papers, asked us how long we were going to be in Chile for, where we were going, and to enjoy our stay. Phew!
Up and down and all around
Chile has been quite hilly, making roads winding with many inclines and declines. This also means we aren't as able to go as fast as expected. The cars coming from Pichilemu was insane, and I hope when we leave tomorrow we aren't caught in the speed of 10 kms/hr.
Arriving in town it was a lot bigger than expected, and quite the tourist trap. Luckily our hostal was beyond the main part of town, so a much slower pace. To boot, like any good tourist trap (surfer in this case), there are plenty of anglophones around to chat with.
Can't forget about the beer
After settling in our room and getting some food, we sat in the lounge and grabbed some beers. This time for me was the Kunstmann Honey. Since it is served in a bottle I couldn't tell you what colour it is, although the label tells me it is an ale. It is quite nice, and very much like sucking a honey-pop. Would pair nicely with some squash.
We also tried some Pichuante, La Rucia, which is from this area. It was quite effervescent, but had good body. Big citrus and a touch of honey, it reminds me of a good white beer, but sweeter. Bonus points for coming in a stubby.
Are we quake magnets?
Before going on with the usual post I figured I'd best let everyone know (hi moms!) that we are perfectly fine. We are a ways away from the epicenter of Temuco and can't say we felt any rumbles.
However, the more interesting news is that this is where we are headed. Actually, our most southern destination (to add a spoiler) is Pucon, which is just southeast of Temuco. Seriously, nothing much the entire year...but now?
When we asked about the quake at the hostel, one English-speaking chap laughed, commenting how you feel rumbling every day. He said "It's the days you don't feel rumbling that you get worried, as then the tension is building up."
So we'll see what the days ahead hold. In the meanwhile it is status quo!
However, the more interesting news is that this is where we are headed. Actually, our most southern destination (to add a spoiler) is Pucon, which is just southeast of Temuco. Seriously, nothing much the entire year...but now?
When we asked about the quake at the hostel, one English-speaking chap laughed, commenting how you feel rumbling every day. He said "It's the days you don't feel rumbling that you get worried, as then the tension is building up."
So we'll see what the days ahead hold. In the meanwhile it is status quo!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
A New Year leads to reflection
Thanks to everything being closed today (most importantly wineries), we get a day of just relaxing and lazing. And since it is the start of a New Year, it also makes it a good time to reflect on how fortunate we are for everything we have.
Pictures
I am fortunate to have acquired an iTouch, which makes me officially cool again I reckon. To boot, it takes pretty darn good photos. Even better, uploading is a breeze (compared to my DSLR Nikon) and is the reason why this blog is finally including photos.
So just because I can, I'll post the wtf of our hotel: the window in the bathtub. For Mike, not as much a problem. For me? Yes, this is directly where the water falls from the shower head. The last time showering took such strategy was in Greece, where there were no curtains. Just a corner in a small bathroom. Aiming of the water was key to keeping the bathroom dry.
Time Shift
Looking at a map, Chile is somewhat under Montreal. However, it has chosen to take the timezone beyond the maritimes. (I also realise that Newfoundland isn't the only place to have a crazy 30 minute time difference. Except the shift back from Venezuela doesn't make a lick of sense.)
So, that means our bodies are subjected to a three-hour time shift, nevermind the difference in daylight and temperature.
Bottom line, this has caused some chaos for our bodies.
Santiago, Chile
Sunrise: 06:36
Sunset: 20:56
Length of daylight: 14h 19m 26s
Winnipeg, Canada
Sunrise: 08:27
Sunset: 16:38
Length of daylight: 8h 11m 14s
Churros
As a kid going to Disney World I remember the amazing churros, something which has yet to be duplicated. Walking along the boardwalk today we found a couple of stands that had the same title. Of course I couldn't help but try to relive my childhood.
Was it the same? No. No cinnamon or sugar. But it did have icing sugar and the same buttery deep-fried dough that melted in my mouth. Still a thumbs up.
Transformers - more than meets the eyes!
On our drive up here we were amused with this rice-rocket that had its bumper-decal represented by a Transformers decal. We thought it was a one-off, until we saw the public transportation vehicle with the same logo attached to its side. Coincidence?
Lazy afternoon
The afternoon was a lazy once, enjoying the sun on our balcony, drinking cerveza! 1L bottle for $2.75. Temperature 20C, but has to be warmer in the still sun. It was a great and restful afternoon.
Spanish words learned
estacionamiento = parking
toque = touch
Enero = January
And of course food, trying to remember the most important:
tocino = bacon
I'm still trying to learn the seafood creatures (or pescados) to stay away from:
camarones = shrimp
congrio = eel
ostiones = scallops
almejas or machas = clams
erizos = sea urchins
centolla = crab
calamares = squid
KMs traveled yesterday: ~140kms
KMs traveled today: 0kms - only walking and relaxing
Pictures
I am fortunate to have acquired an iTouch, which makes me officially cool again I reckon. To boot, it takes pretty darn good photos. Even better, uploading is a breeze (compared to my DSLR Nikon) and is the reason why this blog is finally including photos.
So just because I can, I'll post the wtf of our hotel: the window in the bathtub. For Mike, not as much a problem. For me? Yes, this is directly where the water falls from the shower head. The last time showering took such strategy was in Greece, where there were no curtains. Just a corner in a small bathroom. Aiming of the water was key to keeping the bathroom dry.
Time Shift
Looking at a map, Chile is somewhat under Montreal. However, it has chosen to take the timezone beyond the maritimes. (I also realise that Newfoundland isn't the only place to have a crazy 30 minute time difference. Except the shift back from Venezuela doesn't make a lick of sense.)
So, that means our bodies are subjected to a three-hour time shift, nevermind the difference in daylight and temperature.
Bottom line, this has caused some chaos for our bodies.
Santiago, Chile
Sunrise: 06:36
Sunset: 20:56
Length of daylight: 14h 19m 26s
Winnipeg, Canada
Sunrise: 08:27
Sunset: 16:38
Length of daylight: 8h 11m 14s
Churros
Was it the same? No. No cinnamon or sugar. But it did have icing sugar and the same buttery deep-fried dough that melted in my mouth. Still a thumbs up.
Transformers - more than meets the eyes!
On our drive up here we were amused with this rice-rocket that had its bumper-decal represented by a Transformers decal. We thought it was a one-off, until we saw the public transportation vehicle with the same logo attached to its side. Coincidence?
Lazy afternoon
The afternoon was a lazy once, enjoying the sun on our balcony, drinking cerveza! 1L bottle for $2.75. Temperature 20C, but has to be warmer in the still sun. It was a great and restful afternoon.
Spanish words learned
estacionamiento = parking
toque = touch
Enero = January
And of course food, trying to remember the most important:
tocino = bacon
I'm still trying to learn the seafood creatures (or pescados) to stay away from:
camarones = shrimp
congrio = eel
ostiones = scallops
almejas or machas = clams
erizos = sea urchins
centolla = crab
calamares = squid
KMs traveled yesterday: ~140kms
KMs traveled today: 0kms - only walking and relaxing
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