it's 40k kilometers around the world's circumference
On the same afternoon that we arrive in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile’s high desert adobe-Disneyland, we venture to Valle de la Luna along the way taking some photographic pit-stops at Valle de la Muerte and Tres Marias. In my effort to try to compare foreign landscapes to something more familiar, I try to match some of the landscapes around San Pedro to something that might be found in New Mexico, but there are few spots that I feel look much like the Valle de la Luna.
Zapallar and its neighboring towns to the south feel like the Chilean version of the villages and hamlets on the South fork of Long Island, New York. Not that I’ve ever been to the Hamptons, but based on my extensive television viewing, this seems to fit most of the stereotypes of that region. The homes are extravagant, built into hillsides, and accessorized with their own elaborate swimming pools, expansive driveways, and umbrella-covered patios. The beaches are full of teenagers summering at their parents second home. Some of these kids have guitars, some have braces, some have paddleball equipment, and they all have immaculate tans. White summery dresses can be seen a plenty and the alcohol and marijuana are ubiquitous. The cars are all upscale, the restaurants all a bit expensive, and there are few views of the ocean that are unimpressive.
One morning, we venture away from our Hotel Isla Seca to explore a nearby Expo entitled La Feria boutique del verano (The boutique summer fair) in a beach town just a couple kilometers south called Cachagua. The price of admission buys us free tastings of champagne, beer, cheeses, and other delectable foods. The local attendees of this summer fair are dressed stylishly from head to toe, and each brand is represented by very attractive Chileans. The fair is complete with a fashion show runway, massage booths, and new car raffles.
Other than the locally famous seaside restaurant of El Chiringuito in Zapallar, the small town has little to offer in the way of food and we were forced to venture slightly farther south to find more options. Thus, we pretend to be part of the Chilean elite by hopping from town to town along this stretch of Chilean coast. Along with Zapallar and Cachagua, we visit Maitencillo, where we enjoy our first night’s dinner at Puntamai.
Chile is full of vineyards, and today we decide to explore the Casablanca Valley, which is nestled between Valparaiso and Santiago. The varietals that appear frequently throughout our tastings include Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay among the whites, and Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Chilean specific Carmenere for the reds. Our first stop, which also includes a great lunch, is at Viña Casas del Bosque. We then make our way through three more wineries before the end of the afternoon, including Emiliana Organic Vineyards, Viña Indomita, and Viña Mar. We break up our tastings with card playing, joke telling, and a little Facetiming.
We later stop in Valparaiso for some afternoon tea and juice before heading to Oda Pacifico, a wonderful restaurant looking over much of the city. Getting to the restaurant is a bit of an adventure because of the layout of the city, its steep hills, and its narrow streets. I explain to many navigators in the car that I think we are approaching a dead end, and although in one occasion I am correct, on another occasion, the road continues at what seems like a 60-degree slope, which I had inaccurately thought was impassible.
As we head back to our hotel in Zapallar, we look back on our day filled with multiple types of terrain covered, many wines tasted, and a beautiful dinner shared together.
After two full days in the Cajon del Maipo valley, it would be an understatement to say that we all felt a little soar. We got an upper body workout during rafting, a couple nice bruises on our bums from the horseback riding, and our legs and feet got their fair share of exercise during the 10-mile hike in the Monumento Natural El Morado. I’m not complaining, but I am looking forward to a couple more relaxing days on Chile’s Central Coast in a small town called Zapallar.
Other than when we pass back through Santiago, the roads are beautiful and varied. We drive through winding mountain roads, down flat green expanses, and along coastal highways. Some of the driving reminds me a little of driving on the 5 Freeway in California in that the two-lane road is covered in trucks and everyone, including the trucks themselves, are attempting to make good time by weaving in and out of both lanes.
After almost three hours of driving and an hour lunch stop, we arrive in Zapallar and immediately head down to the beach to commence our relaxing couple of days.
On our first full day in Chile, we pack our things and head off to Cajon del Maipo, a stunning gorge that starts just 25 km southeast of Santiago. We head off early because we have a date with the Maipo River at 10am, and we are not confident that we won’t get lost along the way.
After experiencing the Maipo river at its highest level of the year and therefore at its fastest, we grab a quick bite to eat and continue on to horseback riding along side of the Maipo gorge.
To facilitate getting around town and traveling between cities, we rent a Hyundai SUV. However, we do not correctly predict the difficulty of driving within Santiago. The aggressiveness of the other drivers isn’t the problem, the fact that we have to drive on the right side of the road only affects one of us, and streets are generally well lit. The problem is Santiago’s lack of road signs. We know that we are close because we were tracking our small blue dot using GPS, but turning on the right street becomes the challenge. There are two moments in particular that we will probably not be soon to forget.
On one occasion, we are very close to our destination and know that we have to exit the freeway soon. I am driving and am instructed to take the next exit on the right. Following instructions, I take the exit and we quickly realize that this probably isn’t correct. We have our Google Maps recalculate the directions, and the new estimated time to our destination is around one hour. Somehow, we manage to find an exitless and endless road. We enjoy the fact that we are climbing into the mountains and get a wonderful view of Santiago’s city lights below, but we soon realize that we do not want to continue on this winding, dark, never-ending road all the way to the top before having a chance to turn around. Although this is technically a highway, the speed limit is only 60 km/hr and I sense an opportunity to turn around. I can see decently ahead on the opposite side of the road and far behind on my side of the road. I also spot a turnout on the opposite side of the road, all of which is guarded from a steep cliff. I slow down and make a U-turn into this turnout. I stop, wait for a car to pass me, and then merge back onto the highway now headed back towards Santiago and our destination. First disaster averted, and I hope future never-ending roads are better signed.
The second exciting moment happens when we are driving through the city, and I am making a left turn as I am initially instructed, but then I am confidently asked to make a softer left onto a different road. I react in time, and we start heading down this street when we soon realize that all three or four lanes of the road have headlights in them and are approaching us with seemingly decent velocity. Many of these headlights feel the need to let us know of our error and blink their high-beams a couple of times. We, meanwhile, stay uncomfortably stopped in the right most lane with our flashers on. We wait for this anxious moment to subside, make a three-point turn on this semi-highway, and again continue on our way. Second disaster averted, and I hope that future one-way streets are better labeled.
I am not completely blaming Santiago’s poor signage, the navigators within my car, or myself for these errors, but I am grateful that each error ended with no lasting consequences.
We enter back into Israel between Aqaba and Eilat, right on this corner of the Red Sea that brings together Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Our car is not allowed to cross and thus we do it by foot. After several passport checks, a couple more security scans, and a lot of questioning, we are allowed to reenter Israel and make our way to Eilat beach front resort.
Along with being a busy port, Eilat happens to be a very popular resort town on the Gulf of Aqaba. With its attractions, giant IMAX pyramid, and enormous hotels, the only thing the city lacks to make it Israel’s Vegas is gambling. The view from our hotel room is incredible as we look over several countries just by looking across the Gulf.
While in Eilat, my Dad and I have a fun dinner at Eddie’s Hideaway, and then continue on to check out some of the night life at Paddy’s and later at the Three Monkeys. Eilat is a city that attracts lots of tourists, but mainly Israeli tourists; thus, although there was a tourist vibe as we walked around the city, the tourist vibe did not detract at all from the Israeli vibe. The following day, we visit the Aquarium, one of the better-known attractions, before having one last snack and heading to the airport to take us to Tel Aviv and eventually back to Los Angeles.
On Christmas day, we visit Wadi Rum, the Wadi made famous by the T. E. Lawrence of Arabia. In a country only 5% Christian, Christmas is not exactly a major holiday but it is nonetheless declared a national holiday. In addition, the hotel buffet for Christmas Eve was definitely a step up from the night before, and our Guide Audi wishes us a Merry Christmas all the while knowing that we are very Jewish.
While touring Wadi Rum on the back of a Toyota pickup, my dad and I try on our Jordanian scarves and explore this very picturesque dessert. We climb sand dunes, share tea with Bedouins, and feast on a traditional lunch before continuing onto Aqaba for a quick tour.
After seeing Petra yesterday, Little Petra, also known as Al Beidha, seems whelming (as my sister says, “if it is neither overwhelming nor underwhelming, it’s just whelming”). Had we seen it first, Little Petra would seem much more dramatic, but after seeing the masterpiece that is Petra, it is hard for much to compare to that. That all said, Little Petra was an important suburb of Petra and a stop for camel caravans passing through. Similar to Petra, Little Petra is also full of sandstone buildings.
As we stand in one of the second story homes carved directly into the sandstone, I imagine a bustling civilization below. I pretend there are people filling up buckets of water from the complicated water collection systems. I see people coming and going with their camels and their tradable goods. I imagine that the camels are overly decorated as a way for the traders to display their importance and wealth. I know that it’s probably inaccurate, but I picture the TV series “Rome” with its costumes, colors, and dialogue and I superimpose that on this ancient ghost town.
What exactly life would have been like if I had been living a couple millennia ago and arrived at Petra, I will never know. Archeology is all about trying to come up with our best guess of what happened, but I feel that using my imagination is more fun.
There is something about Petra that seems simultaneously both ancient and more advanced than today. This Nabataean settlement’s stunning rock-cut architecture is unimaginable and would be hard to create with today’s technology let alone over two thousand years ago. As we pass through the narrow Siq, we eventually arrive at the famous Treasury façade leading to soaring temples and elaborate royal tombs, a theater, and more burial chambers. After a quick lunch, we go to the Monastery, which is located atop 850 steps built into the sandstone.
Although the tourist economy has turned Petra into something more Disneyland-like with its camel and horseback rides, carriage trips, souvenir stands, and snack shops, the magic of this historic place remains untouched. This day is full of highlights, and these pictures only begin to tell the story.
