We headed up the Elqui Valley and away from the coast. As we did so the morning cloud dissipated and it soon became a glorious day. Before long we were settled in our hotel and admiring the pool! Sunbathing at last!! Vicuña is a terrific little town to stay in for a few days, especially with access to a hotel pool. The cost was the same as in an ordinary hostel on the coast! It is a very small town though and the main attractions are outside the town itself. We came here for 2 reasons. Firstly (especially for Russ) was the opportunity to visit the Mamalluca Observatory. You can do this trip from La Serena but, not only does it cost twice as much, but it also means getting to bed at about 4am. We ... read more

Every time we had seen La Serena on the TV it was sunny. Guess what, it’s cloudy in the mornings! We didn’t really take to La Serena and much preferred the nearby town of Coquimbo (see the next entry). The Japanese Gardens were a highlight though and we had a nice wander through. One evening we went down to the beach near El Faro lighthouse. It wasn’t as developed as expected but the craft market was very good. We got to taste some delicious chocolate too which is always a bonus!! Davis Cup tennis has also been in town. Unfortunately Chile lost to defending champions Russia but the atmosphere in the bus station was electric watching the closing rubber. I never thought this competition could capture the public’s imagination like this. We head off inland next ... read more

We left Santiago looking forward to hitting the beaches, but instead we hit 3 days of cloudy skies. Only at 6pm on our last evening did the sun come out!! Valpo wasn’t our favourite place. We had expected something small and quaint with beautiful funicular railways running up and down its many hills. Instead we found a place looking tired and unloved, in need of a good clean and a lick of paint. It was also suffering after a huge gas explosion and fire ripped apart part of the historic quarter the night before our arrival. The acrid smell of smoke still lingered in the air. But let’s look at the positives! It has an excellent Metro train system to get you away from town! The funiculars are very cheap and good fun to ride, although ... read more

Villarrica turned out to be a great place to relax for a few days, do not much, and make new friends. We really enjoyed ourselves despite not seeing much of the town. Our hostel was excellent and we had a view from our window of Volcano Villarrica which dominates the skyline. We wanted to climb it but at US$90 for the trip it was twice the price I had anticipated (45,000 Chilean Pesos). Friends who did the excursion said it was an excellent experience and not too hard to climb. The lakeside area was nice (but I didn't take the camera out when we went for a stroll!) and the indigenous Mapuche fair was good with food, music and dance. We managed a couple of trips out . Nearby Pucon is the heart of the local ... read more

Our short trip over to the island of Chiloé took us over the Canal de Chacao and away from the Chilean mainland. On the crossing we saw a school of dolphins playing in the busy shipping lane, and a flock of pelicans glided gracefully by. Our first stop was the town of Ancud, the last bastion of Spanish rule in Chile. The main reason for our visit though, was to meet up with Juno (Junah/Jeroen) from Belgium who was a fellow student on our English teaching course a year ago. He owns a farm nearby and we were keen to see what his lifestyle was like. It was great to see him again after a year, and it was a pleasure to have a wonderful dinner with his delightful girlfriend Grecia. Ancud was a very quiet ... read more