Funnier with Hindsight

Remember the time we woke up at 3am in the morning to drive to Santiago to catch an early flight that we didn’t have legitimate tickets for?  Remember then how when we finally did secure some reasonably priced new tickets, we had to be shuttled through the airport because we were now cutting it close to check our baggage and get on the flight?  Remember later how we decided to go on a tour until 9pm and then got a bit turned around in the pitch-black desert before finding our way back to the lodge?

When the five of us reconvene after the trip, I’m confident that this will make for a great story, but as we were living it, it lacked some of the comedy that it will probably have in the future.

The day, however, wasn’t without its silver linings.  We still did get reasonably priced round-trip airline tickets to Calama, which is only a one-hour drive from our final destination of San Pedro de Atacama.  We arrived at our lodge without too many adventures, had some lunch, took a nap, and set off for our first desert adventure.  And in the evening, we made it back to our lodge just in time for dinner, enjoyed a nice meal, showered, and slept very well.

The Hamptons of Chile

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.

Descansamos

Most of our time in and around Zapallar is spent in a mode that is almost too relaxing.  I know that vacations are supposed to be restful, but I have been trained to try to pack each day of travel with activity when in a new place.  Therefore, on this trip, one way that I am attempting to step outside of my comfort zone is try to feel not only okay but to feel good about spending days lounging on the beach and by the pool while occasionally moving to find food or drinks.  I am embracing reading my current book titled “By Night in Chile” by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño.  I am relishing the opportunity to people-watch while lying on the beach.  And I am taking advantage of the opportunity to better get to know my travel companions.

Casablanca Valley Wine Tasting

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.

Chile’s Central Coast

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.

Monumento Natural El Morado

Today, we wake up at Cascada de Las Animas and hike to the base of the El Morado Glacier.  The combination of the shadeless heat, the steep grade, and the length of the hike makes for a challenge and a sense of accomplishment.

Evan & Camila

This is a powerful yet short love story between Camila, a Chilean stable girl and Evan, a Clark Kent doppelgänger.  Evan looks over the Maipo Gorge just outside a horse stable and stares longingly at the vastness and beauty of the Chilean landscape.  Camila is caring for the horses and thinks she hears a noise outside.  She peaks over the wood fence and immediately wishes she can be the Lois Lane to this Clark Kent who is not even aware of her presence.  Evan now also hears something behind him and turns, but just before he can see Camila, she looks away.

They both now sense each other’s presence, but are currently performing the famous dance of pretending not to be aware of the other.  Camila now confidently exits the stable with two horses in tow and the two lock eyes for the first time.  Superman cracks a smile causing Lois to blush a little.  Evan, in broken Spanish, asks if she is going to ride, and Camila smiles and asks if he wants to join.  Evan answers with a cool yes, all the while not being over-enthusiastic about the opportunity to join her.

Camila leads, Evan follows and they ride for about half an hour with only few words shared.  Eventually, they arrive at their destination.  A fresh water stream glistening over colorful stones making for the perfect ambience for the two of them to share a moment upon its rocks.  Evan’s hand gently passes by Camila’s and they both immediately look towards each other.  Evan pulls his hand back just in time for Camila to reach for it.  Camlia leans in and gives a gentle kiss on Evan’s unshaven cheek.  Evan smiles and they both soak up their surroundings as if they have no other worries in the world.

From here, the story continues just as if the two were in fact Superman and Lois Lane minus the bad guys and the red and blue tights.  The two continue on happily in their Smallville-like existence in the Chilean countryside.

There is no reason why fairytales can’t come true.

 

Raftin’ & Ridin’

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.

Carreteras de Santiago

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.

Vamos a Chile

To make our unnecessarily long break from school seem more “productive” and to escape colder and colder temperatures that recently caused the Charles River to freeze, four of my classmates and I took off for Chile.  With temperatures in the high eighties and low nineties, with daylight that lasts until almost 9pm, with an outdoor beauty that rivals the best in the world, and with the general laid back Chilean culture, Chile made for the perfect escape.

Since going to Israel and Jordan, I feigned being busy by doing a quick trip to Disneyland, celebrating New Years in LA, giving 110% of my voice in the Stanford win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl Game, returning to the Bay Area for a quick trip to see my sister, brother-in-law, and friends, and then traveling to New York and New Jersey where my time was split between seeing friends, enjoying New York, and most importantly, being a part of the birth and Bris of my new nephew.

After meeting some of the group at JFK Airport, we embark on our eleven-hour journey to Chile, which is always surprisingly more east than people imagine.  As proof, Santiago is two hours ahead of Eastern Time.  After we all recover from our redeye flight, we dare to explore the streets of Santiago.  We hit a couple sights like the Plaza de Armas while walking around, but our stops are generally more food focused.  We stop for lunch/dinner and then continue to find dessert at a fun hipster café called Café The Clinic.

The first day is spent exploring, finding the cheapest shoes we can for the next day’s river rafting, and driving around the many parts of Santiago.