http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/BrianandJean/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from BrianandJean en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:59:17 +0000 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:59:17 +0000 Back in Santiago. We had some time to wander around enjoying the wonderful architechture and vitality of this city. Like everywhere that enjoys hot days this city too closes down at 2pm until 5pm and all sensible people find a cool spot to relax nap or just be quiet. Most shops close and the streets are almost empty. So what do we do we follow the example of all such mad dogs and Englishmen http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-362137.html La SerenaThis very livable city sits at the mouth of the Rio Elqui. There are two parts of La Serena the glitzy modern brassy coast lined with apartment hotels and cabans along the Ave de Mar and the city centre which is a very attractive place full of colonial style houses lots of churches and hidden squares and alleyways with huge palm trees overlooking it all.It is Chile's 2nd oldest city b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Coquimbo-Region/La-Serena/blog-361543.html La Serena is a very pleasant town on the coast It is the holiday centre for many Chilians and Argentinan's looking for a little warmth on the beach. As for most of chile going to the beach means taking a warm blanket with you and a wetsuit if you are seriously thinking of getting wet La Serena was a nice surprise. Although the water is no no means warm enough to tempt me the beches are long golden http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Coquimbo-Region/La-Serena/blog-361200.html After we left Pisco elqui we drove back through the valley. We stopped at Montegrande to visit the church and statue of Gabriele Mistral. After than we visited the town of Vicuna. it was a lovely small town very vibrant. The towns here are in direct contrast with the same area of Argentina. There things are poor and the infrastructure is falling apart. It is sad to see what once was and now i http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Coquimbo-Region/Pisco-Elqui/blog-360768.html We have arrived safely in Chile and into the Elqui Valley. There is no internet here at our hotel so I will have to wait a while until I can post this. But before I tell you about the valley and the places in it let me tell you about our trip over the high pass from Argentina to Chile. Brian is a very good driver and fearless on dirt and gravel roads and drives them all like a rally driver but eve http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Coquimbo-Region/Pisco-Elqui/blog-360757.html San Juan lies to the north of Mendosa and like Mendosa was created out of desert by the hard work of the immigrants from Italy Spain and Chile and of course many other places. It is no small thing to make the desert bloom and to produce such world class wines. Its other claim to fame is that it where Juan Domingo Peron came to public notice for his efforts after a disasterous earthquake in 1944. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/San-Juan/San-Juan/blog-359447.html WE drove north towards San Juan and stopped at the Difunta Correa shrine. This is a remarkable place. According to ledgend Maria Antonia Correa died of thirst in the desert while following her husband a soldier during the 19th century civil wars. When she was found her son was still alive feeding at her breast. Whether or not this is true she has become a folk hero and the spot a shrine. In fa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/San-Juan/Difunta-Correa/blog-359089.html Happy New year to you all.We spent this new years at the hotel in Mendoza where they put on a spectacular dinner event. The hotel worked very hard all day to set it up in the large courtyard and it looked beautitul. Until that is it started to rain at about 3pm. As this area is a desert and only gets about 7 inches of rain a year this might not have been expected but the hotel staff all told us http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-359079.html Monday Today we went south as far as San Rafeal and had 2 seperate but fasinating insights into the wine industry. First we went to Bodegas Salentein near Tunuyan in the Andean foothills. This futuristic building seems to fit so well into the desert surroundings. There is an impressive collection of contemporty and modern art here and the winery reflects this. The oak barrels are stored in a sub http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-358558.html Here in Mendosa it is Sunday and the city is quiet and slow to get going. I like a city where Sunday is for family life and msot shops are closed. We walked around for a long time and it was wonderful to have the city so much to ourselves. This city is well laid out and has some beautiful parks and plazas everywhere are sidewalk cafes and the culture is laid back and relaxed. After an afternoon http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-358552.html We have spent a few days now exploring Mendoza. I like this town although the differences between it and Chile are interesting. Lots of Americans here whereas we hardly ever met any in Chile. We drove off to visit a couple of wineries and our hotel recommended a resaurant that they said was one of the best in the country. Finding your way around is difficult as the maps available are somewhat spa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-357957.html We have arrived in Argentina in Mendoza in fact. This cocmopolitan town is very unlike Chilian towns. We knew we were in Argentina as soon as we saw the first shop sold chocolate and were overtaken by a small underpowered car on a blind bend with double lines and a truck on the other side. Since our last visit the driving skills of the Argentina people have not improved and neither has their vie http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-357577.html Boxing day another bright hot day in the desert. Given that there is only so much lazy about the pool a person can do we headed off to Vina De Mal on the coast. A long drive and a fairly seedy place at the end of the trip. The coast in Chile is challenged by a very cold current so even though the temperature at the spa was 30 degrees it had dropped to 18 by the time we got to the beach. Good sand http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Valparaiso-Region/blog-357575.html We are spending a quiet few days in a spa at a hot springs known as Termas Jahuel north of Santiago. It is a beautiful spot in the middle of a dry arid area with huge cactus and not much else. Apart from that it is a very luxuriant place and there are hardly anyone here. It has 2 swimming pools a gym sauna horse riding tenis bikes and treking. It is hot here so relaxing with a cold drink a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-356961.html We reluctantly left Santa Rita this morning after a fantastic evening. We were treated like royalty and had a wonderful meal and great breakfast. It was truly a special place. On the way there we had seen what looked like a new freeway but there were no cars on it so we guessed it was closed. This morning we were directed to take it to go to Santiago. It was very strange as we were the only car http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-356707.html Back on the Panamerican we headed north to Santiago stopping off at the Maipo Valley. Yes it is another wine growing area. This tiem a very old one where the oldest wineries are . We are staying at Santa Rita. This magnificant house set in a park like grounds is breathtaking. It is a hotel on the grand scale. As we are the only guests we are getting teh whole treatment dinner on the terrace http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-356455.html Talca and the Maule ValleySo onwards south we arrived at the Maule Valley which is yet another famous wine growing area. Much drier so a different wine from the Cologhua valley we had been in.The roads in Chile are mainly very good. AS it is a long thin country the main route is Ruta 5 which runs down the spine of the country with roads off on one side to the coast and on the other to the high A http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Maule/Talca/blog-356452.html Another wonderful day in paradise. Been reading the Times Colonist about the weather in Victoria. Boy am I glad we are not there. My thoughts are with everyone there and particularly my staff who I know must be having a terrible time.Here we have spent the day visiting wineries and sampling their wine. Pretty good all in all. Another wonderul hacienda for lunch and back for a awim and catching http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/O-Higgins/Santa-Cruz/blog-355713.html So we have arrived in Chile at last. We left Toronto in a heavy snow storm that delayed us by three hours. The temperature plummetted to minus 9 degrees and a strong wind. We managed to get off the bground thnaks to a couple of deicing efforts and 10 hours later we arrived in Santiago to a beautiful 30 degrees day. C not FThe sky was blue and the flower in bloom it was liking going through http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/O-Higgins/Santa-Cruz/blog-355405.html So having struggled to leave Victoria due to the snow which of course never usually happens there and when it does shuts down the whole town we arrived in Toronto to a mild 9 degrees sun and no snow.Staying downtown and I am shopping while Brian has business meetings. Oh well its tough but someone has to do it. Thinking of you all in snowy Victoria particualrly the guys from Richmond Propert http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Ontario/Toronto/blog-354546.html