Friday, January 27, 2006
More Photos
No time for an update, but there are more photos on Yahoo Photos. Click the link (under "LINKS") which either appears on the left side of the screen, or (for some reason) at the bottom - you have to scroll all the way down. Once again, they are unedited. Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Magical Island of Chiloe
I have to remind myself not to write about what we´re going to do and stick to things we have done. We didn´t go to Puerto Octay as planned - we just got too lazy and decided to stay overnight in Osorno, which was on the direct route to Puerto Montt, where we purchased our tickets for the ferry next monday (30th).
We are now on the island of Chiloe, which didn´t disappoint! In a town called Chonchi, in a room with a view of the bay (but internet that doesn't let me upload pictures! It´s lovely and rural, with lots of things to do, so we may end up staying all week. Yesterday, we went "musseling", gathering mussels on the beach ,which Matthias cooked for dinner! Today, we hiked to the ferry that took us to an even more rural island - very beautiful.
Next update should be from further south, where the ferry drops us off (we are DEFINITELY doing the ferry, as it cost us a bundle!) Take care!
We are now on the island of Chiloe, which didn´t disappoint! In a town called Chonchi, in a room with a view of the bay (but internet that doesn't let me upload pictures! It´s lovely and rural, with lots of things to do, so we may end up staying all week. Yesterday, we went "musseling", gathering mussels on the beach ,which Matthias cooked for dinner! Today, we hiked to the ferry that took us to an even more rural island - very beautiful.
Next update should be from further south, where the ferry drops us off (we are DEFINITELY doing the ferry, as it cost us a bundle!) Take care!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Reflections
We are now in Valdivia, a city in Chile´s Lake District, at a hotel that offers free (if slow and quirky) Internet. Valdivia is a pretty University town at the convergence of three rivers, not far from the sea. Yesterday, we walked to the next town (about 17km) to see an old spanish fort and views of the pacific. The walk was as nice as the destination - through farmlands and along the river, and it was a beautiful day. Of course, I insisted on taking the bus back. Today we walked around town and checked out the local parks, and found out that there´s a farming expo that starts tomorrow. So, we´re going to stay an extra day and check that out. Not like we´re in a rush or anything.
With a month and a half behind us, we are just about two-thirds through Chile, with what we expect is the most interesting part to come - Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Chile is just lovely, but I have to say, so far it doesn´t quite compare to the awesome-ness of Bolivia, which just blew me away.
Chile is not quite as exotic as Bolivia, in that it feels much more like the hemisphere I´m used to. Sure, the aspects of S. America are still here - water flows the opposite way down the drain, no paper (at all) can be thrown in the toilet, and the only coffee available is Nescafe - but many cities and towns resmble places we´ve seen before, particularly on the west coast.
The transportation here is great. We`ve traveled quite a few miles by bus, and have found them to be comfortable, modern and efficient/on-time. And, although the bathrooms aren´t anything to rave about, they put Greyhound´s to shame! They even serve food on most long-haul buses (but by the time they serve lunch, we´re usually so hungry that we´ve bought something from some vendor at a station) and most show movies. Unfortunately, they are mostly horror or action flicks, which we both dislike (although I have to admit, I´m developing a soft spot for Vin Diesel - he´s a cutie!)
The accommodations are also somewhat better than I expected. Though it is sometimes a challenge, we are managing to stay within our budget of $50 per day by finding hostals that cost between $15 and $20 per night. Most times we share a bathroom, but most places have been clean (enough) and some places even have laundry, cable tv and/or free internet, like this one. We save money on food by eating in local places (which we want to do anyway) and sometimes buying food at the supermarket. And we thought we would have to camp out to save money, but that doesn´t seem to be the case, at least not yet. Better to camp when we want to, instead of out of necessity. So what if I´m not living the true backpacker life - I`m too old for that crap anyway.
I don´t know if I mentioned this before, but there is a great deal of German influence in Chile. Apparently, many Germans immigrated here (no, not after WWII, as I`ll bet many of you would guess) in the 1800s. We don´t know why they came here, but we´re about to visit a town - Puerto Octay - that has a museum focusing on German ¨colonization¨ that should answer our questions. The influence is becomming much more evident in the southern part of country, where many of the houses look like they belong in Matthias' hometown, kuchen is available at every cafe, and the beer of choice is Kunstmann.
After Puerto Octay, we´re heading Puerto Montt, where we will make reservations for the ferry to Puerto Natales - a four day trip through the Chilean Fjords. Before we take the ferry, though, we´re planning to visit the island of Chiloe, which is supposed to be beautiful. Clearly, we´re excited about the next leg of our journey.
Hope everyone is well. And please, email us with news/updates about life back home or elsewhere. We miss you!
With a month and a half behind us, we are just about two-thirds through Chile, with what we expect is the most interesting part to come - Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Chile is just lovely, but I have to say, so far it doesn´t quite compare to the awesome-ness of Bolivia, which just blew me away.
Chile is not quite as exotic as Bolivia, in that it feels much more like the hemisphere I´m used to. Sure, the aspects of S. America are still here - water flows the opposite way down the drain, no paper (at all) can be thrown in the toilet, and the only coffee available is Nescafe - but many cities and towns resmble places we´ve seen before, particularly on the west coast.
The transportation here is great. We`ve traveled quite a few miles by bus, and have found them to be comfortable, modern and efficient/on-time. And, although the bathrooms aren´t anything to rave about, they put Greyhound´s to shame! They even serve food on most long-haul buses (but by the time they serve lunch, we´re usually so hungry that we´ve bought something from some vendor at a station) and most show movies. Unfortunately, they are mostly horror or action flicks, which we both dislike (although I have to admit, I´m developing a soft spot for Vin Diesel - he´s a cutie!)
The accommodations are also somewhat better than I expected. Though it is sometimes a challenge, we are managing to stay within our budget of $50 per day by finding hostals that cost between $15 and $20 per night. Most times we share a bathroom, but most places have been clean (enough) and some places even have laundry, cable tv and/or free internet, like this one. We save money on food by eating in local places (which we want to do anyway) and sometimes buying food at the supermarket. And we thought we would have to camp out to save money, but that doesn´t seem to be the case, at least not yet. Better to camp when we want to, instead of out of necessity. So what if I´m not living the true backpacker life - I`m too old for that crap anyway.
I don´t know if I mentioned this before, but there is a great deal of German influence in Chile. Apparently, many Germans immigrated here (no, not after WWII, as I`ll bet many of you would guess) in the 1800s. We don´t know why they came here, but we´re about to visit a town - Puerto Octay - that has a museum focusing on German ¨colonization¨ that should answer our questions. The influence is becomming much more evident in the southern part of country, where many of the houses look like they belong in Matthias' hometown, kuchen is available at every cafe, and the beer of choice is Kunstmann.
After Puerto Octay, we´re heading Puerto Montt, where we will make reservations for the ferry to Puerto Natales - a four day trip through the Chilean Fjords. Before we take the ferry, though, we´re planning to visit the island of Chiloe, which is supposed to be beautiful. Clearly, we´re excited about the next leg of our journey.
Hope everyone is well. And please, email us with news/updates about life back home or elsewhere. We miss you!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Chillin in Chillàn
We had a great time camping and then blew through Santiago. Saw some of the major sights, but it was HOT and we were tired, so we decided to take a train through the wine region to Chillàn, a nice sized city with a great market scene. We are staying here a few days to rest, and then moving on toward the lake district, where there are sure to be more hiking and camping opportunities.
The market here is really great - tons of frest fruits and vegetables, a meat market that doesn´t smell bad (that is something around here) and of course lots of artisan/touristy stuff. We have refrained from buying any souveneirs, mainly because we don't want to carry them.
And, South American politics seems to follow us wherever we go. This Sunday, Chileans are voting for president (a run-off election), and it seems they are most likely going to elect their first female president. Posters, signs, and marchers with flags are everywhere. Should be interesting.
Well, I wanted to write more, but I'm almost out of time on the Internet. The real reason for going online today was to put more pictures up. I haven´t had enough time to edit them (or even really look at them,) so you´lll have to look sideways at some. The link to them should be on the left side of this page (or sometimes, for some reason, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page) under "LINKS"
Until next time....
The market here is really great - tons of frest fruits and vegetables, a meat market that doesn´t smell bad (that is something around here) and of course lots of artisan/touristy stuff. We have refrained from buying any souveneirs, mainly because we don't want to carry them.
And, South American politics seems to follow us wherever we go. This Sunday, Chileans are voting for president (a run-off election), and it seems they are most likely going to elect their first female president. Posters, signs, and marchers with flags are everywhere. Should be interesting.
Well, I wanted to write more, but I'm almost out of time on the Internet. The real reason for going online today was to put more pictures up. I haven´t had enough time to edit them (or even really look at them,) so you´lll have to look sideways at some. The link to them should be on the left side of this page (or sometimes, for some reason, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page) under "LINKS"
Until next time....
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Baby steps up the Mountain
We are finally camping! Found a nice national park near Viña del Mar with lovely camping facilities and good hiking trails. Yesterday, we hiked up a mountain for some nice views of the valley, and then sat around the fire (while Matthias barbequed) at night. After a few weeks of walking around towns and cities, we (especially Matthias) are happy to spend some time in natural settings. The climate here is still quite dry - sort of Mediterranean-ish, but with cacti all over.
So, what does the Internet have to do with camping? We walked into town today to buy supplies and call Matthias´grandmother (her 91st birthday is today.) Then we´re heading back for a little more hiking and a little more grilling. Tomorrow we are off to Santiago and then points south.
So, what does the Internet have to do with camping? We walked into town today to buy supplies and call Matthias´grandmother (her 91st birthday is today.) Then we´re heading back for a little more hiking and a little more grilling. Tomorrow we are off to Santiago and then points south.
The Cool Green Pacific
After La Serena, where we spent three nights, we took a short trip up the Elqui Valley to celebrate my birthday (yes, I´m 39!) It was a pretty town, and also pretty boring, but I got to visit a Pisco factory, where they process and bottle the regional beverage (sort of the Chilean version of Grappa.) We also got a little "extra" for a hotel--our own bathroom and cable, and had a nice dinner in town. Woo hoo.
We then landed in Viña del Mar, which was a lovely Pacific resort city right next to Valparaiso (which Lonely Planet also lists as Chile´s second biggest city.) We visited the hills of Valparaiso and the Beaches of Viña. The weather was great, but the ocean was quite rough, and very green (I have to read up on why this is.) The beaches were full, but no one could really swim - they just walked to the edge of the water and let the huge waves splash them. It´s not like it was really hot anyway, with the cool ocean breeze and all.
Also in Viña, we discovered our favorite Chilean food - or bar stack - so far. It´s called Chorillana, and it´s basically meat, eggs, onions and cheese piled on top of french fries. Delicious, cheap, and it hasn´t made us sick yet! We´re looking forward to some good seafood in the south (up here, they always want to fry everything!)
We then landed in Viña del Mar, which was a lovely Pacific resort city right next to Valparaiso (which Lonely Planet also lists as Chile´s second biggest city.) We visited the hills of Valparaiso and the Beaches of Viña. The weather was great, but the ocean was quite rough, and very green (I have to read up on why this is.) The beaches were full, but no one could really swim - they just walked to the edge of the water and let the huge waves splash them. It´s not like it was really hot anyway, with the cool ocean breeze and all.
Also in Viña, we discovered our favorite Chilean food - or bar stack - so far. It´s called Chorillana, and it´s basically meat, eggs, onions and cheese piled on top of french fries. Delicious, cheap, and it hasn´t made us sick yet! We´re looking forward to some good seafood in the south (up here, they always want to fry everything!)
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