Blogs from Valparaíso Region, Chile, South America - page 71

At the risk of confusing my readers who are aware that I am currently in the United States I am sending the following entry describing a hike that occurred in Chile during the month of November. Two months ago when I traveled with Simon and Merete to Parque Nacional Campana we hiked halfway to the peak, stopping at La Area de La Mina. We arrived too late in the day to summit so were forced to turn around at that point. I was feeling confident that day, wanting to proceed and make an attempt at the peak. Had I walked around the next bend I may have changed my mind. This time there were no restrictions. As we began the hike it was a cloudy, drizzling day. On a clear day, when you reach the peak, ... read more

Steve has gone back to the states to study and take his test. We are getting to know Vina del Mar and Chile, and starting to settle in. We had another visit with Jorge and Yoya and their family. They are such warm and welcoming people. We try our first mate, thatś "mah-tay". It is very strong!! Mas fuerte! And the hot straw is a bit weird, but I could get used to it. When asked what he likes about Chile, Oliver responded, “the ice cream!” Every corner has a popsicle/ice cream stand. You don’t see so much hand-made or scoop ice cream but you definitely see Popsicles. So we end up getting ice cream almost everyday. This is at least one of the foods that Ben and Oliver like here, since most of the Chilean ... read more

We have just finished our first 24 hours in Valparaiso, or "Valpo" as its also known. And what a trip. We left Mendoza on Wednesday morning, later than we wanted, as always, and found our way onto Ruta 7, which snaked its way up toward the Andes, through a lower yet older range that looks out over Mendoza. The road was good, windy, yet not windy!! And so we made good progress upward. 20km from the border, we had lunch and ironically, our last meal in Argentian was mutton, not beef! Once we left the sleepy, out-of-season ski resort, we found the wind had picked up and it started to snow, although the flakes did not settle, so the road remained safe. We passed alongside Aconcagua, the highest peak of the Americas and reached the tunnel ... read more

Just a very quick blog to let you know im still moving around and loving the wonderful country of Chile. Ive moved on from Santiago now and spent a 2 hour bus journey north (mosly asleep though a small amount of self language tuition was done) travelling to Valparaiso. 110km north of Santiago Valpa is a city in 2 halfs the bottom section is pretty ordinary full of all the hustle and bustle youd expect in a modern urban city. My first night was spent feasting on empandanas (very tasty) and relaxing over a few beers with some Ozzys in my hostel. Then today fresh and ready for exploration i headed into the 2nd part of the city which truly defies all common sense and logic.. The high part of the city is made up of ... read more

It was no surprise that I fell to the ground from the last step leaving Casa Aventura. After all, it was Valparaiso that broke me only five days before. With nearly a week of Valpo experience under my belt, I was not so much embarrassed or frustrated as I was grateful that I hadn't landed in one of the ever present piles of dog poop found on the streets and sidewalks here. Valparaiso is a unique city with a beauty all its own. It is a port city and because of its Acensores, similar to outdoor elevators, and outrageously mazelike city plan, it was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 2003. Five days earlier I arrived on a bus from Santiago. I had grown accustomed to Santiago and was learning my way there and feeling ... read more