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Published: March 13th 2016
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I always try and find the best in a new place but this was hard in Vina Del Mar. I know the subject description isn't flattering and I contemplated changing it... But I'm not travelling courtesy of The Chilean Tourist Board and the purpose of my blog is to share with you what I'm seeing, feeling and thinking. So it stays
I made it safely to Santiago and was met by my driver at the airport for the 90min drive north to Vina Del Mar. The outskirts of Santiago aren't much to to look at - very barren and dusty. The closer we got to VdM the greener it became and driving through Casablanca, one of Chile's wine regions, was my first glimpse of Chile's natural beauty.
My driver was lovely despite the fact that when he realised I wasn't married said 'well you still have a little time'. I asked about his life and his family and was fascinated to hear about his wife's career change. Unless there was something lost in translation she used to be a secretary and now she works at the morgue preparing dead bodies. It was a pleasant and perfectly timed reminder that
everyone you meet when you're travelling has something interesting to tell you.
The rationale behind leaving Santiago for the end of the trip and starting the trip on the coast was to have 2-3 days relaxing with a book by the pool. VDM, which is part of the Valparaiso municipality, is Chile's fourth largest town and I assumed relatively established and a suitable place to do this. The fact that they have a Sheraton further supported this assumption.
I do hate it when a plan doesn't work out. I can control lots of things... Haven't mastered the weather yet.
Staying in a seaside town when it's (unseasonably) cold was far from ideal and the ocean pool was closed because it was too windy and rough. Undeterred I googled things to do in VDM and set off to walk along the beach promenade. Leaving the hotel I was hit with the stench of the ocean. Not the smell of sand and salt we are blessed with in Australia, more like sulphur. Still undeterred I crossed over the park which did not smell of grass and flowers but horse shit. Still undeterred I made it to the promenade and
as I walked down the beach found myself asking aloud 'why would anyone come here??! The kilometres of beachside pavement was made up of broken gravel, there was rubbish everywhere, no shops or cafés lining the waterfront, the apartment buildings lining the promenade were old, ugly, concrete structures (like government housing) and the few parks I saw had rotten equipment and no children insight. It was at this point that I decided I'd had enough exploring for the day and I needed alcohol. It didn't get any better the next day.
The staff at The Sheraton clearly watch Faulty Towers as part of their study program. I will save the detailed feedback of the many hotel mishaps I had for trip advisor and share only two examples of my disappointment with you - it took 4 staff members and 45 minutes to print one bus ticket and they then sent me to a restaurant for dinner that was closed. I am an experienced traveller and very mindful that when you are travelling you need to be extra patient (perhaps why I only do it once a year) and expect things to be different to Australia (that is why I
travel) but this I swear was farcical.
After two nights in VDM I had one night in the neighbouring town of Valparaiso and I should have spent the three nights there in hindsight. Valparaiso is the town you see the photos of in Sth America with the hills and houses of multiple different colours. It's a town of artists and I loved it. My hotel was a converted grand house on top of one of the main hills overlooking the port and very charming. Nothing worked but I forgave that for the beauty and uniqueness of the experience. I had booked a walking tour in the afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the town.
Valparaiso was a prominent port / city up until the Panama Canal was opened. As you stand down at the port and look up, the hills of houses almost reach the skyline. For the first time since I left home I felt like I was traveling. The streets were windy and cobblestoned, you could smell the empanadas, the art lining the street was so spectacular you were constantly bumping into people because you were examining the walls and not watching where you were going, impromptu
bands were set up in the middle of the street and as you turned a corner and the music faded you could hear the sea gulls. And the sun had come out!
I was up early on Sunday to get the bus over the Andes into Mendoza. I wouldn't normally put my back through an 8 hour bus ride but I had read about how beautiful it was and hoped it would be worth it... Which it definitely was. The scenery was spectacular but not in the traditional sense. It wasn't lush, there were no trees or flowers or meadows. It was spectacular due to the sheer overwhelming size of the mountains. The fact that they are so rocky only adds to their imposing nature.
I appreciated really feeling like I was travelling and was able to gloss over some of the less desirable parts of the trip. These include
- the noxious gas that seeped from the air conditioning unit (it was so bad I spent the last two hours of the ride with my scarf wrapped around my nose and mouth - not kidding)
- the wetness of the seats which I am still
hoping was condensation from the air conditioning unit and not any form of bodily fluid
- the lady who yelled at anyone who got close to the printer she had on board with her (yes... Like a standard home printer)
The closer we got to Mendoza the greener the countryside became.
That ends chapter one of the trip. Chapter two is Mendoza
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