I spent two days in Santiago, which is not too much time to place judgment on a city. I’ve spent about 2.5 days in Buenos Aires, which is also not too much time to place judgment on a place. But with that being said, here goes nothing:
Santiago is a livable city. Period. End of story. If you are in a job that would provide at least a middle income wage, Santiago would be a place most would be comfortable living in. Yes, it has over 6 million people living in it but you’d never realize it by being there. The population lays over about 245 square miles (or so). This equals to about 24-25 thousand people per square mile, which is about 8-9 thousand more than San Francisco. But the city has a top-shelf subway system. Top shelf. No doubt. In my entire life, no system was better than Santiago’s. Built in 1975, it was efficient, clean, well maintained, and comfortable. Compare that to Buenos Aires’ – built in 1913, more narrow and cramped, far dirtier, and far more crowded – and it is no contest. I don’t have data on how many people use each system, but based on numerous observations the car traffic in both cities is not bueno during rush hour times. But one certainly hears more honking in Buenos Aires given the seemingly low level of patience drivers have on the roads. And they weave in and out of lanes (creating “illegal” lanes in conjunction) far more often than their Santiago counterparts.
But Santiago is also a city that has grown by around 4 million people in the last 50 years. Buenos Aires, meanwhile, peaked at around 3 million people in 1949 and currently has about 2.8 million today. Santiago, being developed in more modern times, contains wider boulevards, more grid systems, and far more modern buildings. In fact the tallest building in Santiago was only 29 stories until 1994 and now you see a smattering of 40 and 50+ story buildings peppered along the entire city. For students of architecture, Buenos Aires provides far more outstanding works than Santiago. There is no question. The European architectural influence from the French, Spanish, and British is all over the city and it makes for quite an experience to see as a tourist. But the streets and walkways are both dirty, broken down, and in desperate need of attention. The dramatic architecture and hustle of Buenos Aires is fun and even a bit addicting, but the calmer and more ordered city of Santiago makes for a better place to live. That is my take.
Then there is the food. Chile is a seafood country. Argentina is a beef country. Both have the other as well (of course). But based on my tastes, I’ll take the seafood any day of the week. Santiago treated me to some of the best damn Seafood soup (yeah, I capitalized it because keeping a lower case seemed insulting given how delicious it was) I’ve ever had. Prawns, mussels, salmon chunks, oysters cooked in the broth, rich tomato-based broth with garlic. Just perfect. Then you throw in the well-known Chilean Sea-bass at its source…..heaven on freakin’ earth. I had my steak dinner in Buenos Aires, but it just did not live up to the seafood in Santiago (and Valparaiso and Santa Cruz in wine country).
Then there are the issues of the economy and currency. Santiago is currently a boom-town of sorts. Construction is all over the place – new buildings sprouting up it seems in every neighborhood. Except for the stray dogs (which they are known for), you don’t see many people on the streets appear homeless or hungry. Though there are a few. In Buenos Aires, the locals are dealing with a president who wants to possibly change the constitution so she can run a third term, the locals can’t buy U.S. dollars based on government policy, the economy is flat-lining, import taxes are through the roof (thus making prices on imported goods quite expensive), and a palpable sense that the country is going in the wrong direction and going nowhere fast. And there aren’t many cranes around town.
That being said, each place has their strengths. The pizza in Buenos Aires – with that strong Italian influence – is quite delightful. I think they beat Santiago in that department by a long shot. However, Santiago hits back with a hard right by not charging me “cover” money just to eat at their restaurant. Buenos Aires does this – no joke. But Buenos Aires comes back and provides one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the Recoleta neighborhood – with beautiful mausoleum’s that include none other than the site where Eva Peron rests. Santiago has less chaotic traffic and well-groomed parks while Buenos Aires’ appear a bit more strewn and disheveled in comparison.
But what both have are touchy political pasts. Eva Peron – who according to some locals “is still alive” in spirit – and her husband Juan Peron are beloved or treated with an eye-roll depending on who you talk to. Through both observations and discussions, Eva’s spirit “is still alive” for better OR for worse depending on who you talk to. Touchy subject in these parts for sure, but what is even touchier is the subject of Pinochet in Chile. In all museums that discuss the history of Chile, the displays magically cut off in 1973 which is the year Augosto Pinochet was placed into power (with help from the United States government) as part of an overthrow of the Salvador Allende presidential administration. It is such a touchy subject to this day because you have many who believe Pinochet did great things for Chile which include putting forth economic policies that helped develop the economy into what it is; however, others despise him for the brutal (and in some cases deadly) torture he implemented on political dissidents. The argument can be made that both sides were right – he did a great deal in growing an economy that had 100% inflation and was closed to foreign trade prior to his regime – and sadly at the same time it has been confirmed more than numerous times that he both killed and tortured hundreds and thousands (respectively) of political dissenters. I don’t know what the official breakdown is, but I would bet that the split between pro and anti-Pinochet is as close as the Gore-Bush 2000 election results. And though the economy may have performed better, torture and government-sponsored murder did not occur under Allende. Then again, as one cab driver mentioned to us in support of Pinochet, “at least nobody was hungry and starving in the streets.” Touchy subject to say the least. And being an American knowing that Nixon-era covert operators supported and helped overthrow a democratically-elected Socialist leader in Allende does not make me feel comfortable discussing such a subject with a native Chilean. But when it did occur, it was better to just listen and hear the Chilean side of the story firsthand.
On a lighter note, the wines of both cities (and countries) are delightful. Whether it is an Argentinian or Chilean Malbec or a Chilean Carmenere, they have all been just delightful. Throw in the fact that both countries do not skimp on tasty breads at the dinner table nor the olive oil, and there are some nice little commonalities. But if I was forced to pick one over another thus far, it would just depend on the situation. For travel, Buenos Aires is far more geared toward the tourist while Santiago is far more geared towards livability in conjunction with a far stronger economy. So though one would have to deal with the consistently high levels of smog in Santiago (given it sits 1700 feet high in a Valley with the Coastal Ranges to the west and the gorgeous Andes to the east) instead of the “Good Winds” of Buenos Aires, I very much enjoyed the cleaner and more orderly manner at which things operate in Santiago. But sometimes you need that hustle and bit of addictive chaos thus it has been a treat to experience both over the past 4.5 days.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Santa Cruz - Chilean version
Santa Cruz,
And no, I don’t mean the ol’ hometown. I am talking about Santa Cruz, Chile. It is a good 220 km (or 140 miles) from Valparaiso in the southwest direction. If you connected a line from Santiago to Valparaiso to Santa Cruz and back to Santiago you would get a nice little triangle. This leg of the triangle did not consist of crazy uphill roads that narrowed to a point you could not imagine two cards side-by-side; however, it did consist of rural roads that Google Maps brought up as “F-74” but in reality were not labeled on any sort of exit in conjunction with being labeled sparingly (once per 10 km??) the entire ride. Thanks to a little Chilean Wi-Fi (thank you Claro network), we managed to only miss one turn and get to Santa Cruz in about 5 hours or so – thus averaging about 30 mph.
The stay in Santa Cruz, however, was quite special and unique all in one. Special in that rural Chile is absolutely gorgeous. Seemingly untouched landscape coats the terrain and outside of one 5km section, the rural roads were actually in pretty good shape where you did not worry about the tires. Green trees are laid out all over the land while the small towns you pass consist of simple homes, a few appearing shanty-like, but with the appearance that nobody was impoverished in a way that you say “they must be hungry”. Special also in that the agricultural area(s) where wine grapes and food is grown appears fresh and healthy rather than overused and tired. Both Patty and I commented on how healthy the agricultural land appeared in that it was so green and the plants appeared so healthy. The land was clean as well with no strewn soil, tools, sheds, or dust.
As for the wineries, Patty and I visited three of them in the Colchagua Valley – Vina Santa Cruz, Vina Montes, and Viu Manent. We did a personal tour at Vina Santa Cruz which consisted of a gondola ride with a view of the Colchagua Valley. It also provided a history of the various tribes that historically lived in the area as well as a view of the farmland in the vicinity. But the fun part was learning about the winemaking process - the reason steel barrels are used instead of oak for fermentation is due to the state-of-the-art shock absorbers that alleviate any potential earthquake damage (earthquakes are no good for French Oak barrels because they will rip up the barrels and wine will be wasted). I think that that was some good knowledge! They also trap excess sentiment and fruit skins and rather than throw it away it is all used for compost. The other highlight was the sheer beauty of the vineyard itself - one of the most gorgeous plots of land I have ever seen with green rolling hills and beautiful vineyards on this land owned by Vina Santa Cruz since 1998.
Vina Montes was a bit more random and less formal for rather than having an organized tour we just drove over because we were told that they were open for tastings. When we arrived, however, the gates were closed and we were a bit confused. Should we stand outside and wait for someone to come up to the gate? Shall we pass? I got my big rear-end up and went to the gate and after a little explaining, we were allowed in to go to the main building to have a tasting. Maria, who led our personal tasting, laid out 4 half-filled glasses of wine and led what was probably the most fulfilling and detailed tasting I’ve ever had. “What do you taste? What do you smell? What is the color? You mentioned you smell cherries, did you taste earth?” My 22 year-old self was laughing at my answers (“Definitely a citrus taste in the Sauvignon Blanc, but can’t pinpoint what it is…..a bit of Passion Fruit?), asking what happened to the guy that just enjoyed the wine if it tasted good without a care for the taste of black cherry, licorice, or pepper. Now I was talking about fruits and whether it had a hint of cinnamon or whether I could feel the spice in my nose. That being said, I loved our tasting and Maria was fantastic. She met us for a last second tasting, spoke in-depth about the wines and the history of the winery (23 years old), allowed us to better experience the wines with her inquisitive questions, and we bought a delicious bottle of Carmanere wine to boot.
Lastly, we had lunch at Viu Manent. This was like being a Viking, a king, a “I don’t know what”. I had the Poor Man’s Dish – Beef Tenderloin, sautéed onions, French fries, and about 4 delicious eggs – yes….4 eggs. This meal probably added a little clog to the arteries, but you know what the truth is? I do not care….because it was perhaps the best damn meal I had outside of the two bowls of seafood soup (next blog) and sea bass (next blog as well). Throw in a glass of Carmanere, and you got yourself a man taking good advantage of being on vacation. Fist pump….yes!!!! I did not leave any food for it was all eaten with pleasure. Throw in the fact it was outdoors on a 23 degree day (73 degrees Fahrenheit, thus absolutely perfecto) on beautiful rural vineyard grounds and that equates to a lovely day.
But enough about the wine, lets talk about the people of Chile thus far. What has been a consistent theme in Chile thus far is that people appear to appreciate simplicity versus lavishness and I say this not because money is not around but more as a part of a pragmatic culture. Children are appropriately dressed but without loud labels all over their clothes, pants fit around the waists of the boys, and you don’t see young girls trying to look 5-10 years older than they are. Service staff is friendly in a genuine way, leaving you alone after taking your order, explaining the menu in-depth like they studied it before work for a good 20 minutes, allowing you to stay at a restaurant and talk rather than move you out the moment you’re done, and they look you in the eye when they talk to you. And lastly, they don’t talk in a “corporate” tone, pamper you or kiss your ass in a way that feels disingenuous like some wait-staff you may deal with at a nice restaurant State-side. This is my kind of country and my kind of people – now I just need to learn their language so I don’t feel insecure about talking with them in more depth.
After two days in rural Chile - in the Colchagua Valley - enjoying some terrific bucolic beauty, it is off to the big house of Santiago. With 6+ million people and 45% of the country’s GDP, this booming 1700 foot-high South American city rests in a valley with the snow-capped Andes to the East and the Chilean Coastal Range to the West. Pan-American Highway 5 here we come!
And no, I don’t mean the ol’ hometown. I am talking about Santa Cruz, Chile. It is a good 220 km (or 140 miles) from Valparaiso in the southwest direction. If you connected a line from Santiago to Valparaiso to Santa Cruz and back to Santiago you would get a nice little triangle. This leg of the triangle did not consist of crazy uphill roads that narrowed to a point you could not imagine two cards side-by-side; however, it did consist of rural roads that Google Maps brought up as “F-74” but in reality were not labeled on any sort of exit in conjunction with being labeled sparingly (once per 10 km??) the entire ride. Thanks to a little Chilean Wi-Fi (thank you Claro network), we managed to only miss one turn and get to Santa Cruz in about 5 hours or so – thus averaging about 30 mph.
The stay in Santa Cruz, however, was quite special and unique all in one. Special in that rural Chile is absolutely gorgeous. Seemingly untouched landscape coats the terrain and outside of one 5km section, the rural roads were actually in pretty good shape where you did not worry about the tires. Green trees are laid out all over the land while the small towns you pass consist of simple homes, a few appearing shanty-like, but with the appearance that nobody was impoverished in a way that you say “they must be hungry”. Special also in that the agricultural area(s) where wine grapes and food is grown appears fresh and healthy rather than overused and tired. Both Patty and I commented on how healthy the agricultural land appeared in that it was so green and the plants appeared so healthy. The land was clean as well with no strewn soil, tools, sheds, or dust.
As for the wineries, Patty and I visited three of them in the Colchagua Valley – Vina Santa Cruz, Vina Montes, and Viu Manent. We did a personal tour at Vina Santa Cruz which consisted of a gondola ride with a view of the Colchagua Valley. It also provided a history of the various tribes that historically lived in the area as well as a view of the farmland in the vicinity. But the fun part was learning about the winemaking process - the reason steel barrels are used instead of oak for fermentation is due to the state-of-the-art shock absorbers that alleviate any potential earthquake damage (earthquakes are no good for French Oak barrels because they will rip up the barrels and wine will be wasted). I think that that was some good knowledge! They also trap excess sentiment and fruit skins and rather than throw it away it is all used for compost. The other highlight was the sheer beauty of the vineyard itself - one of the most gorgeous plots of land I have ever seen with green rolling hills and beautiful vineyards on this land owned by Vina Santa Cruz since 1998.
Vina Montes was a bit more random and less formal for rather than having an organized tour we just drove over because we were told that they were open for tastings. When we arrived, however, the gates were closed and we were a bit confused. Should we stand outside and wait for someone to come up to the gate? Shall we pass? I got my big rear-end up and went to the gate and after a little explaining, we were allowed in to go to the main building to have a tasting. Maria, who led our personal tasting, laid out 4 half-filled glasses of wine and led what was probably the most fulfilling and detailed tasting I’ve ever had. “What do you taste? What do you smell? What is the color? You mentioned you smell cherries, did you taste earth?” My 22 year-old self was laughing at my answers (“Definitely a citrus taste in the Sauvignon Blanc, but can’t pinpoint what it is…..a bit of Passion Fruit?), asking what happened to the guy that just enjoyed the wine if it tasted good without a care for the taste of black cherry, licorice, or pepper. Now I was talking about fruits and whether it had a hint of cinnamon or whether I could feel the spice in my nose. That being said, I loved our tasting and Maria was fantastic. She met us for a last second tasting, spoke in-depth about the wines and the history of the winery (23 years old), allowed us to better experience the wines with her inquisitive questions, and we bought a delicious bottle of Carmanere wine to boot.
Lastly, we had lunch at Viu Manent. This was like being a Viking, a king, a “I don’t know what”. I had the Poor Man’s Dish – Beef Tenderloin, sautéed onions, French fries, and about 4 delicious eggs – yes….4 eggs. This meal probably added a little clog to the arteries, but you know what the truth is? I do not care….because it was perhaps the best damn meal I had outside of the two bowls of seafood soup (next blog) and sea bass (next blog as well). Throw in a glass of Carmanere, and you got yourself a man taking good advantage of being on vacation. Fist pump….yes!!!! I did not leave any food for it was all eaten with pleasure. Throw in the fact it was outdoors on a 23 degree day (73 degrees Fahrenheit, thus absolutely perfecto) on beautiful rural vineyard grounds and that equates to a lovely day.
But enough about the wine, lets talk about the people of Chile thus far. What has been a consistent theme in Chile thus far is that people appear to appreciate simplicity versus lavishness and I say this not because money is not around but more as a part of a pragmatic culture. Children are appropriately dressed but without loud labels all over their clothes, pants fit around the waists of the boys, and you don’t see young girls trying to look 5-10 years older than they are. Service staff is friendly in a genuine way, leaving you alone after taking your order, explaining the menu in-depth like they studied it before work for a good 20 minutes, allowing you to stay at a restaurant and talk rather than move you out the moment you’re done, and they look you in the eye when they talk to you. And lastly, they don’t talk in a “corporate” tone, pamper you or kiss your ass in a way that feels disingenuous like some wait-staff you may deal with at a nice restaurant State-side. This is my kind of country and my kind of people – now I just need to learn their language so I don’t feel insecure about talking with them in more depth.
After two days in rural Chile - in the Colchagua Valley - enjoying some terrific bucolic beauty, it is off to the big house of Santiago. With 6+ million people and 45% of the country’s GDP, this booming 1700 foot-high South American city rests in a valley with the snow-capped Andes to the East and the Chilean Coastal Range to the West. Pan-American Highway 5 here we come!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Valparaiso
Valparaiso is a town of about 285,000. But you would not think it was that large during the National Independence holidays. I do not know where the locals traveled too, or perhaps they were there the whole time. But there is a peacefulness in this port city located 2 hours west of Santiago, hugging the shores of the Pacific Ocean. You can see the local industries working together – a mix of bohemia, shipping, seafood, tourism, and a hilly landscape that feels like a combination of San Francisco and/or Rio de Janiero. The flatlands seem to consist of a grind mentality – a bit dreary, city/town hustle, more crowded, mini-shops and stores on top of each other. But then you hit local plaza areas in these flatlands such as Plaza Victoria or Plaza Bolivar, and the hustle turns to a sense of peace in a New York minute with little kids riding their bikes as parents watch. Or a beautiful mural depicting the Valparaiso hills captivates the mind and you sort of zone out for a moment while everything else moves around you.
But Valparaiso is all about the steep hills and roads, the delicious seafood, and most notably the extensive array of artwork that one sees all over the town. The artwork in this city shows the beautiful side of unplanned chaos in a sense. Throughout all parts of town - on people’s garages, on the walls outside of people’s homes, along the commercial districts, and outside local restaurants – you will spot a beautiful painting or a large decadent mural. You will spot gem stones inside the concrete that makes up the sidewalk stairwells. Then there are the colors and variations of the buildings – we can call it pastel heaven with an array of residence types. While you might find a typical American subdivision with an array of homes that look the exact same in both size and color, you will quickly notice a very attractive yellow home – perhaps 1200 square feet or so – next to what appears to be a shanty-like residence that is in need of major repair. Then you will spot a few more modestly-sized but well-kept homes with beautiful gardens next to a small row of older, drafty looking apartments that need some attention. Then comes a 12-story condo that looks like it was built in the 1980s perhaps. It is unplanned chaos, but it makes sense because it somehow blends together to make this town incredibly unique. In addition, since this is the hometown of the great poet Pablo Neruda, (with a museum dedicated to him located in Valparaiso named La Sebastiana) what you’ll notice are bits of poems from a host of authors displayed on many homes along the streets in the Bellavista neighborhood. They may be about love lost, love found, moving through a difficult time, experiencing happiness – all the realistic and everyday emotions that we go through. It is a beautiful touch and adds to the charm of the town.
In addition, Valparaiso is a very mild climate similar to the Central Coast of California. It is currently early spring (think mid-late March in the Northern Hemisphere) with 61 degree temperatures and winds blowing 5-15 mph. It reminds me of Santa Cruz or San Francisco where you just breathe in the crisp air and take it all in. At night it will drop into the 40s, but it is never so uncomfortable that you want to run inside.
What really made the experience that much more enjoyable were the meals we had at the local dining establishments – notably Café Vinilo and La Concepcion. Patty and I had two meals at Café Vinilo and both times we absolutely loved it. The interesting thing was that it had a Haight Street feel with the Bohemian vibe inside – lots of art work, locals sipping coffee and wine at a moderate-sized communal table – but with a quiet calm. And most importantly, the array of food we ate – from the tomato salad to the skewered meats to the grilled salmon to the two hot chocolates after our second meal – was absolutely top notch. Perhaps it was one of those “when in Rome” moments when you think everything is better because you are traveling, but I loved that nobody was rushing you out and that you could just relax and take your time. If you wanted to stay an extra five or ten minutes, no big deal. It was really delightful and the wait staff was very kind and sharp. And while Café Vinilo was like the local café that you could go to once or twice per week, La Concepcion was more like the place you go once every fiscal quarter perhaps for a special occasion or just a nice night out. Between delicious ceviche, delightful white-fish stuffed inside filo dough to my vegetable lasagna (no pasta, all veggies, maybe the best tomatoes and tomato-based sauce I’ve had in years), we had no complaints. And they served a locally-brewed Pale Ale beer that came in one of the most awesome yellow and brown bottles. “Cerveza del Puerte” or “Beer of the Port”. Safe to say, it was phenomenally frothy and tasty. With a view of the water while the ships hung out in the ocean bay, we felt lucky to have been told about this place from the staff at the Hotel Sutherland – our home during our two-day stay in Valparaiso.
And lastly, the good ‘ol Hotel Sutherland. If you get a chance to visit Valparaiso, stay with these guys. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. The service was excellent, their kindness was top shelf, and their knowledge was impeccable. And they served a really tasty breakfast in the morning with some of the smoothest coffee I’ve tasted. Throw in the fact that the nightly price was not outrageous and Patty and I felt quite fortunate that we were able to find this place and book it. Thus after two nights of solid sleep, 8 miles of walking (or so), some good meals, and great times, we are heading off to Santa Cruz, Chile in the heart of the Chilean wine country. Another adventure awaits and off we go.
But Valparaiso is all about the steep hills and roads, the delicious seafood, and most notably the extensive array of artwork that one sees all over the town. The artwork in this city shows the beautiful side of unplanned chaos in a sense. Throughout all parts of town - on people’s garages, on the walls outside of people’s homes, along the commercial districts, and outside local restaurants – you will spot a beautiful painting or a large decadent mural. You will spot gem stones inside the concrete that makes up the sidewalk stairwells. Then there are the colors and variations of the buildings – we can call it pastel heaven with an array of residence types. While you might find a typical American subdivision with an array of homes that look the exact same in both size and color, you will quickly notice a very attractive yellow home – perhaps 1200 square feet or so – next to what appears to be a shanty-like residence that is in need of major repair. Then you will spot a few more modestly-sized but well-kept homes with beautiful gardens next to a small row of older, drafty looking apartments that need some attention. Then comes a 12-story condo that looks like it was built in the 1980s perhaps. It is unplanned chaos, but it makes sense because it somehow blends together to make this town incredibly unique. In addition, since this is the hometown of the great poet Pablo Neruda, (with a museum dedicated to him located in Valparaiso named La Sebastiana) what you’ll notice are bits of poems from a host of authors displayed on many homes along the streets in the Bellavista neighborhood. They may be about love lost, love found, moving through a difficult time, experiencing happiness – all the realistic and everyday emotions that we go through. It is a beautiful touch and adds to the charm of the town.
In addition, Valparaiso is a very mild climate similar to the Central Coast of California. It is currently early spring (think mid-late March in the Northern Hemisphere) with 61 degree temperatures and winds blowing 5-15 mph. It reminds me of Santa Cruz or San Francisco where you just breathe in the crisp air and take it all in. At night it will drop into the 40s, but it is never so uncomfortable that you want to run inside.
What really made the experience that much more enjoyable were the meals we had at the local dining establishments – notably Café Vinilo and La Concepcion. Patty and I had two meals at Café Vinilo and both times we absolutely loved it. The interesting thing was that it had a Haight Street feel with the Bohemian vibe inside – lots of art work, locals sipping coffee and wine at a moderate-sized communal table – but with a quiet calm. And most importantly, the array of food we ate – from the tomato salad to the skewered meats to the grilled salmon to the two hot chocolates after our second meal – was absolutely top notch. Perhaps it was one of those “when in Rome” moments when you think everything is better because you are traveling, but I loved that nobody was rushing you out and that you could just relax and take your time. If you wanted to stay an extra five or ten minutes, no big deal. It was really delightful and the wait staff was very kind and sharp. And while Café Vinilo was like the local café that you could go to once or twice per week, La Concepcion was more like the place you go once every fiscal quarter perhaps for a special occasion or just a nice night out. Between delicious ceviche, delightful white-fish stuffed inside filo dough to my vegetable lasagna (no pasta, all veggies, maybe the best tomatoes and tomato-based sauce I’ve had in years), we had no complaints. And they served a locally-brewed Pale Ale beer that came in one of the most awesome yellow and brown bottles. “Cerveza del Puerte” or “Beer of the Port”. Safe to say, it was phenomenally frothy and tasty. With a view of the water while the ships hung out in the ocean bay, we felt lucky to have been told about this place from the staff at the Hotel Sutherland – our home during our two-day stay in Valparaiso.
And lastly, the good ‘ol Hotel Sutherland. If you get a chance to visit Valparaiso, stay with these guys. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. The service was excellent, their kindness was top shelf, and their knowledge was impeccable. And they served a really tasty breakfast in the morning with some of the smoothest coffee I’ve tasted. Throw in the fact that the nightly price was not outrageous and Patty and I felt quite fortunate that we were able to find this place and book it. Thus after two nights of solid sleep, 8 miles of walking (or so), some good meals, and great times, we are heading off to Santa Cruz, Chile in the heart of the Chilean wine country. Another adventure awaits and off we go.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Chile - Day One
September 17, 2012
Oh Chilean Independence Day, I did not ever intend to be graced with your presence in my lifetime. But here we are, comfortably situated in Valparaiso currently listening to some crazy Chileans playing a mix of what one would find to be typical country Latin dance tunes to 80s remakes to hard metal that cannot be stated as anything but noise pollution. But after spending about 27 hours door-to-door from San Francisco to Valparaiso, it is safe to say that we’ll take it.
My adventure did not really start until we arrived in Santiago. Our SFO to Toronto leg was nothing but efficient and easy-going – in addition, upon arrival I got to check the NFL scores to see the 49ers up in the third quarter. Our Toronto to Santiago leg was 12 hours of good conversation with my Colombian neighbor Andres mixed in with a couple movies – one denouncing Dole’s treatment of Nicaraguan banana workers and the other being the great discussion of the US-Mexico border war depicted in none other than “Traffic”. If that movie was in my top 25% of movies, it got raised into my top 3% after getting an additional 140 minutes to concentrate and absorb it. While Patty enjoyed the comforts of business class, I got to discuss global economic issues with Andres, the awesomeness that is the Spanish language (and my own insecurity that I can’t speak it very well), NAFTA and free trade, the upcoming 2012 election, and of course the Oil & Gas industry in Calgary given that he works for an Energy Consulting firm in the great hometown of the Flames of the NHL. Normal conversation you have with a neighbor? Maybe not, but it was awesome. We took each other’s information and I told him to give me a call when he visits San Francisco with his Colombian wife whom he has known since he was 15. You can learn a lot about a man’s life while sitting together for 12 hours in economy class.
But oh Santiago International Airport - how I fell out of love with your rental car agencies. My first piece of advice to my friends would be to never rent a car from Alamo in the great nation of Chile. Perhaps it was just the Santiago airport, but my feeling is that you have much better options. Call me a demanding American, but why don’t we tell the story quickly and move forward (in synoposis form):
After 25 minutes processing the transaction, we figure out what car we had as part of our itinerary (which was a mid-size sedan we requested online), we walk outside to discover the following: “No, we want a mid-size sedan, NOT a mid-size SUV (which they gave us and which we did not see on our final transaction sheet).” Says the Alamo rep at the parking lot, “Oh, you need to go back inside to get it changed, we can’t do it out here.” So we walk back in, wait a few minutes (a bit perturbed), and request what we always intended to receive: a mid-size sedan. Patty, speaking in her fluent/native Spanish, tried multiple times to make that clear to the Alamo rep who decided to seemingly go in circles on purpose as to why the price was the same (bullshit asshole – not in America and not in Chile!!) and after 15 minutes, it is stated that we would have to start a whole new transaction if we wanted a different price. Okay, we are tired and pissed off, just give us the fucking car and we’ll get this straight with corporate because you are a straight up fucking clown who probably does this to most foreign tourists. Or, we are just impatient Americans in conjunction to this whole fiasco. Soooooo…..outside we go and after waiting for 20 minutes more (tick tock tick tock….what are they doing???), we get our car. And after we pack our luggage into the trunk, sit down, and start the engine, we discover that IT IS A STICK SHIFT!!!! WE CAN’T DRIVE A STICK SHIFT!!! This is followed by Patty with her face in her hands and me eloquently screaming at the top of my lungs, “F***!!!!”. I then quickly stepped out and walked back toward the rental car agency, saw a very kickable pylon, made sure the pylon I was about to kick was not going to break my foot, violently kicked the plastic pylon, and looked forward to dealing with these pricks one more time. Yes, this happened. After 8 minutes in line, “We don’t have anymore automatics.” Ask another, “We don’t have anymore cars.” Ask a few other reps, “No automatics”. Then one happy looking (sarcasm here) rep said we could rent a RAV 4 for the low price….of $158/day (over double the price of the original mid-size SUV we incorrectly received). “No thanks”. Then we discover the one seemingly decent human being behind these rental counters at the Rosselot stand. He said he would have an automatic mid-size at 2pm if the woman who requested it for 8am pickup did not arrive (by law, they can release it six hours after the car is not picked up). It was 1:20 local. We looked at a bus option, a car service cost, and we had our options laid out. Bus service was a no-go since it was a holiday and tickets were sold out, but it was the Rosselot car or a car service to Valparaiso (75-100 minutes drive) for $180 USD. Wait….wait…get asked for the 33rd time for a taxi or car service that I did not want….wait….wait…. “no, I will pass on paying $70 for a ride to Valparaiso with your off the radar car service.” (After 12 years in San Francisco? Sorry, don’t trust ‘em, and not in Chile when it is my first time either). 2pm comes around, CAR IS AVAILABLE!!! Go through transaction….(just get the car….)…..outside to the parking lot…..OFF WE GO!!! Maybe not as concise as I intended, but safe to say that Patty and I enjoyed a few high fives, kisses, and fist pounds after that ordeal. Only spent 4 hours in the airport after arrival – TOTALLY NORMAL!!!
The ride to Valparaiso was a nice one – a few crazy drivers, a few dudes with trucks filled to the brim that maybe should not have been on the road, a handful of pedestrians and bikers on freeways with speed limits up to 120km/hr (which would not fly in the ‘ol U.S. of A), but overall quite pleasant. You can see the countryside is not as seemingly wealthy as the cities nor as wealthy as a first world country, but it feels safe. The people seem to live simply but not in deep poverty, but of course it was based on observation and I could be totally off. I’ll have to investigate further. The wineries we spotted along the way apparently have been a steady and growing business over the past decade in this region of Chile. This I’ll have to read up on to clarify, but it is certainly a steady business in this region of the world – no doubt about it. You could see them dotted along Route 68 almost the entire way to Valparaiso. What did create some chaos was driving in Valparaiso itself. And yes, safe to say that we got lost. About 8 km lost, which rarely happens to me but even it can occur to the best of us. Thanks to a little GPS support via Patty’s I-phone, we got back on track, cutting through Vina Del Mar (Uno Norte Road), riding on streets along the water toward Valparaiso, and then….our left turn stated on the GPS is not there??? Shit….here we go. “Okay Patty, turn left here”….through an open plaza (cars are legal, don’t worry), “Turn left again”….”You are okay, they stopped…GO!”….”Keep going straight babe….yep, keep going straight….Is this a one way….This guy is coming toward us….okay…um….turn right here….” It was a two-way, but what you discover is that the lanes, while very narrow, are indeed two-ways. After parking post right-turn down the side street, it was time to get our bearings after what was perhaps one of the most stressful driving scenarios that either Patty or myself have ever dealt with. Driving in a foreign country with what were incredibly narrow streets, limited street signs, and maybe 3 hours of sleep at best is not a good concoction for deep relaxation. But we grabbed ourselves by the haunches and got our bearings again (for what seemed like the 13th time on this day), and it was on again. “Turn left here…wrap around the bend here….okay…is it a one-way? No one is coming?” Patty: “I’m going up it.” Me: “Okay!” Me: “Keep going…honk your horn just in case to let ‘em know you’re coming….(honking….honking)…..yep…yep…that’s it…okay, now we’re in the plaza…keep going…okay, veer toward THAT street….keep going….keep going…..okay, wrap around, this should run us into the hotel……yep, there it is….where should we park…” Patty: “There’s a spot!” (turn-around on a narrow street….wait for car to pass….). Car parked. Ring bell. Fence opens. Walk up 50 steps (or so), pleasant greetings, nice hosts, small talk about driving in Valparaiso, great talk about the area, look at the city map together, discuss a few good restaurants nearby, drop off luggage, get luggage out of car, drop off luggage. We are here, safe and sound, comfortable, friendly hosts, 5 stars most likely for the Sutherland House on all the hotel websites for night number one.
Next time: restaurant experience, first night of sleep after day one, Valparaiso discoveries, and a little bit of this and that.
Oh Chilean Independence Day, I did not ever intend to be graced with your presence in my lifetime. But here we are, comfortably situated in Valparaiso currently listening to some crazy Chileans playing a mix of what one would find to be typical country Latin dance tunes to 80s remakes to hard metal that cannot be stated as anything but noise pollution. But after spending about 27 hours door-to-door from San Francisco to Valparaiso, it is safe to say that we’ll take it.
My adventure did not really start until we arrived in Santiago. Our SFO to Toronto leg was nothing but efficient and easy-going – in addition, upon arrival I got to check the NFL scores to see the 49ers up in the third quarter. Our Toronto to Santiago leg was 12 hours of good conversation with my Colombian neighbor Andres mixed in with a couple movies – one denouncing Dole’s treatment of Nicaraguan banana workers and the other being the great discussion of the US-Mexico border war depicted in none other than “Traffic”. If that movie was in my top 25% of movies, it got raised into my top 3% after getting an additional 140 minutes to concentrate and absorb it. While Patty enjoyed the comforts of business class, I got to discuss global economic issues with Andres, the awesomeness that is the Spanish language (and my own insecurity that I can’t speak it very well), NAFTA and free trade, the upcoming 2012 election, and of course the Oil & Gas industry in Calgary given that he works for an Energy Consulting firm in the great hometown of the Flames of the NHL. Normal conversation you have with a neighbor? Maybe not, but it was awesome. We took each other’s information and I told him to give me a call when he visits San Francisco with his Colombian wife whom he has known since he was 15. You can learn a lot about a man’s life while sitting together for 12 hours in economy class.
But oh Santiago International Airport - how I fell out of love with your rental car agencies. My first piece of advice to my friends would be to never rent a car from Alamo in the great nation of Chile. Perhaps it was just the Santiago airport, but my feeling is that you have much better options. Call me a demanding American, but why don’t we tell the story quickly and move forward (in synoposis form):
After 25 minutes processing the transaction, we figure out what car we had as part of our itinerary (which was a mid-size sedan we requested online), we walk outside to discover the following: “No, we want a mid-size sedan, NOT a mid-size SUV (which they gave us and which we did not see on our final transaction sheet).” Says the Alamo rep at the parking lot, “Oh, you need to go back inside to get it changed, we can’t do it out here.” So we walk back in, wait a few minutes (a bit perturbed), and request what we always intended to receive: a mid-size sedan. Patty, speaking in her fluent/native Spanish, tried multiple times to make that clear to the Alamo rep who decided to seemingly go in circles on purpose as to why the price was the same (bullshit asshole – not in America and not in Chile!!) and after 15 minutes, it is stated that we would have to start a whole new transaction if we wanted a different price. Okay, we are tired and pissed off, just give us the fucking car and we’ll get this straight with corporate because you are a straight up fucking clown who probably does this to most foreign tourists. Or, we are just impatient Americans in conjunction to this whole fiasco. Soooooo…..outside we go and after waiting for 20 minutes more (tick tock tick tock….what are they doing???), we get our car. And after we pack our luggage into the trunk, sit down, and start the engine, we discover that IT IS A STICK SHIFT!!!! WE CAN’T DRIVE A STICK SHIFT!!! This is followed by Patty with her face in her hands and me eloquently screaming at the top of my lungs, “F***!!!!”. I then quickly stepped out and walked back toward the rental car agency, saw a very kickable pylon, made sure the pylon I was about to kick was not going to break my foot, violently kicked the plastic pylon, and looked forward to dealing with these pricks one more time. Yes, this happened. After 8 minutes in line, “We don’t have anymore automatics.” Ask another, “We don’t have anymore cars.” Ask a few other reps, “No automatics”. Then one happy looking (sarcasm here) rep said we could rent a RAV 4 for the low price….of $158/day (over double the price of the original mid-size SUV we incorrectly received). “No thanks”. Then we discover the one seemingly decent human being behind these rental counters at the Rosselot stand. He said he would have an automatic mid-size at 2pm if the woman who requested it for 8am pickup did not arrive (by law, they can release it six hours after the car is not picked up). It was 1:20 local. We looked at a bus option, a car service cost, and we had our options laid out. Bus service was a no-go since it was a holiday and tickets were sold out, but it was the Rosselot car or a car service to Valparaiso (75-100 minutes drive) for $180 USD. Wait….wait…get asked for the 33rd time for a taxi or car service that I did not want….wait….wait…. “no, I will pass on paying $70 for a ride to Valparaiso with your off the radar car service.” (After 12 years in San Francisco? Sorry, don’t trust ‘em, and not in Chile when it is my first time either). 2pm comes around, CAR IS AVAILABLE!!! Go through transaction….(just get the car….)…..outside to the parking lot…..OFF WE GO!!! Maybe not as concise as I intended, but safe to say that Patty and I enjoyed a few high fives, kisses, and fist pounds after that ordeal. Only spent 4 hours in the airport after arrival – TOTALLY NORMAL!!!
The ride to Valparaiso was a nice one – a few crazy drivers, a few dudes with trucks filled to the brim that maybe should not have been on the road, a handful of pedestrians and bikers on freeways with speed limits up to 120km/hr (which would not fly in the ‘ol U.S. of A), but overall quite pleasant. You can see the countryside is not as seemingly wealthy as the cities nor as wealthy as a first world country, but it feels safe. The people seem to live simply but not in deep poverty, but of course it was based on observation and I could be totally off. I’ll have to investigate further. The wineries we spotted along the way apparently have been a steady and growing business over the past decade in this region of Chile. This I’ll have to read up on to clarify, but it is certainly a steady business in this region of the world – no doubt about it. You could see them dotted along Route 68 almost the entire way to Valparaiso. What did create some chaos was driving in Valparaiso itself. And yes, safe to say that we got lost. About 8 km lost, which rarely happens to me but even it can occur to the best of us. Thanks to a little GPS support via Patty’s I-phone, we got back on track, cutting through Vina Del Mar (Uno Norte Road), riding on streets along the water toward Valparaiso, and then….our left turn stated on the GPS is not there??? Shit….here we go. “Okay Patty, turn left here”….through an open plaza (cars are legal, don’t worry), “Turn left again”….”You are okay, they stopped…GO!”….”Keep going straight babe….yep, keep going straight….Is this a one way….This guy is coming toward us….okay…um….turn right here….” It was a two-way, but what you discover is that the lanes, while very narrow, are indeed two-ways. After parking post right-turn down the side street, it was time to get our bearings after what was perhaps one of the most stressful driving scenarios that either Patty or myself have ever dealt with. Driving in a foreign country with what were incredibly narrow streets, limited street signs, and maybe 3 hours of sleep at best is not a good concoction for deep relaxation. But we grabbed ourselves by the haunches and got our bearings again (for what seemed like the 13th time on this day), and it was on again. “Turn left here…wrap around the bend here….okay…is it a one-way? No one is coming?” Patty: “I’m going up it.” Me: “Okay!” Me: “Keep going…honk your horn just in case to let ‘em know you’re coming….(honking….honking)…..yep…yep…that’s it…okay, now we’re in the plaza…keep going…okay, veer toward THAT street….keep going….keep going…..okay, wrap around, this should run us into the hotel……yep, there it is….where should we park…” Patty: “There’s a spot!” (turn-around on a narrow street….wait for car to pass….). Car parked. Ring bell. Fence opens. Walk up 50 steps (or so), pleasant greetings, nice hosts, small talk about driving in Valparaiso, great talk about the area, look at the city map together, discuss a few good restaurants nearby, drop off luggage, get luggage out of car, drop off luggage. We are here, safe and sound, comfortable, friendly hosts, 5 stars most likely for the Sutherland House on all the hotel websites for night number one.
Next time: restaurant experience, first night of sleep after day one, Valparaiso discoveries, and a little bit of this and that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)