Fri-Sun, Jul 5-7 - Hil y Cait in Santiago

Friday, July 5

We got a Turismo taxi to our hotel – the W Santiago.  Being after 4:30 on a Friday evening, traffic was very heavy so it was nice to have someone else doing the driving!  We arrived at the W and were greeted by Lars, the concierge, who whisked us up to the 4^th floor reception where we checked in and later enjoyed our welcome glass of champagne.

Our room on the Eleventh Floor

 Cait and I wandered about a bit to stretch our legs and see where we might find a couple of bottles of water.  The streets around the hotel are mostly residential – apartments and/or condos but with many cafes.  We opted to eat at one of the hotel restaurants – there are three.  We chose the “Peruvian/Japanese Fusion with Chilean ingredients”– Karai.  It was fabulous.  We shared a variety of sushi and then split a dessert which was mini churros with a tiny scoop of cinnamon ice cream…. 

Saturday, July 6

We had chosen breakfast as my Titanium benefit and were not sorry.  This was a most elaborate and comprehensive buffet.  There was an omelette bar where you ordered eggs, pancakes, French toast. Then large tables of breads, pastries, wonderful fruits, juices, coffee and a hot chocolate station, a Bubble Bar with champagne for your fruit juice or makings for a Bloody Mary.  There also was cereal, smoked salmon, various meats and cheeses, plus two espresso machines.  

We rolled out of there and headed for the Metro, loaded up the Metro card that Karen A. had given us and headed for the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.

 We spent two plus hours exploring all of the pieces including the Textile Room.  This room includes a long, dimly lit table of displays with additional drawers that can be viewed by pushing a button on the side of the table at 3 or 4 points on the sides of the table.  Each drawer lights up as it opens!   We spent a bit of time in the lovely gift shop and then headed back to the Metro pausing to admire the other old buildings in the area and a great mural on one wall.

The streets were busy at this point on Saturday afternoon.  We took the Metro back towards the hotel but got off a stop before so that we could explore the local mall – Costanera Center. This mall opened in 2012 and apparently has 7 floors of shops, restaurants and a huge movie theater.  We searched for a snack and found the largest food court I think I’ve ever seen. We got hot dogs but maybe a different selection would have been better…. We shopped a bit at Falabella where Cait was happy to find that they carry her favorite Esprit pants that she can no longer get in the US.

We walked back to the hotel – about ½ mile and later went to another of the hotel’s restaurants – Terraza – for some dinner.

Sunset on our hotel and the Andes

Sunday, July 7

We again visited the amazing buffet and then headed back to the Metro to get to La Chascona at 10am when it opens.  La Chascona is one of three houses that Pablo Neruda lived in.  The others are in Valparaiso and Isla Negra.

 Our timing was perfect and we got our listening devices in English and explored each of the rooms. Many rooms have a nautical theme – port holes, cubby holes, etc.  My favorite is the Summer Bar.  This is in a separate building up the hill from the rest and attached to a study. I had been here before in 2004 and it was great to be able to see it again.  I think that there are many more buildings built right up to the edge of the property now but they did not detract from the environment he created.  Cait and I walked around the neighborhood since it is an arty area with lots of restaurants.  There was a whole new Patio Bellavista that took up at least a quarter of the block and was full of small shops and cafes.  We opted for pizza for lunch after shopping in a tiny jewelry store.

 The woman in the jewelry shop is Venezuelan and has been in Chile for only 4 months.  She had been studying medicine in school but things were getting more intolerable at home so she went to Argentina to work.  They are having some economic problems so she came to Chile.  She was very knowledgeable and nice and it turns out is only 18!  

We once again headed back to the Metro as we now have to re-pack and head for the airport.  We managed to get everything into our bags and the hotel concierge got us a taxi and off we went.  No traffic on Sunday afternoon so it did not take long.  I was able to check in after about 15 minutes but Cait had to wait a couple of hours before she could check her bag.  Security lines were long but we had plenty of time.  I headed off to my flight while Cait went to eat – a steak that was reportedly delicious.  The one annoying thing is that in Santiago, they do not let you board with any liquids over 3.5 oz.  You go through security but then at the gate, your carry on bags are checked again on the ramp…… I had bought a bottle of water and had drunk a small amount but had to give it up.  Oh well.  

I arrived back in Atlanta early at just after 5 AM on Monday, July 8.  I was through customs and had my bag in less than 15 minutes!  

This was a wonderful trip !

Fri-Sat, Jul 5-6 - Returning Home

After breakfast, we drove down to the water again and walked along a newly constructed part of La Rambla, the seaside pedestrian walkway on the south side of town. 

There was a sign warning of dangerous surf at high tide, but it looked pretty safe that morning, and we had a good time for about a kilometer or so.

We returned to Casa Zapallar at noon, loaded up our car, and took off towards Santiago. 

 We passed the outskirts of Valparaíso, a big city on the ocean, and a hillside covered with Chilean wine palms, and then turned inland through miles of vineyards and fruit orchards.

We reached the Santiago airport at 3 PM and turned in our faithful car.

View of the Andes

After riding the car rental bus to the terminal we bid Hilary and Caitlin farewell as they took off in a taxi for downtown and the W Hotel, where Hilary can use her hard-earned Marriott points for a couple of luxurious nights for them both.

We stood in line for 45 minutes until the American Airlines’ counter opened up and relieved us of our luggage.  More lines at passport control and security and then we found ourselves in an American-style food court with a hankering for a hamburger!  We went to Johnny Rocket and split a Route 66 (hamburger with grilled onions, mushrooms and cheese) and a coke (delicious!)  and proceeded to our gate.  We eventually went through another inspection on the jet way, boarded and settled into our comfortable Premium Economy seats for movies, dinner and drinks.  Still not owning a TV, we were unaware of John Oliver, whom I discovered as one of the TV choices, and introduced to RR which kept us well entertained for several hours.

We landed in Dallas at 5 AM, and went through customs, baggage claim & re-check, and yet more security and groggily found our new terminal and gate.  A decent Mexican breakfast, onto the Santa Barbara flight at 8:30 AM and landed at 10 AM in FOG in Santa Barbara.  May Grey and June Gloom….I really thought by this time the weather would have improved!!  But it’s still cool and cloudy.

I picked up Madeline who howled more than ever, but eventually quieted down, happy to be home, as are we.

Maddie settling in

 

Hil and Cait arrive home Monday morning – I hope they enjoyed the trip as much as we did!!

Trip stats:  92 species of birds seen, 10 new lifers for Bob.  Hilary drove 3200 KM, or  1920 miles.

Thu, Jul 4 - Zapallar

Our Breakfast Room

At nine we drifted into the dinning room and had a buffet of good coffee, eggs, fruit, and breads, and set out to explore Zapallar.  Bob, Hilary and I had been in Zapallar 14 year ago and remembered what a lovely town it is.  It was established in the late 1800s by a Chilean who had spent some time in Europe.  He bought the large chunk of land on the Pacific that makes up the town, and gave plots of land to friends and family who then had to promise to build villas similar to those on the French Riviera.  It remains the same today: a hillside dotted with one- and two-story houses.  The towns north and south have the usual high rises, but not Zapallar!   It is like a slightly Latin Carmel and very charming.

Fire-eyed Diucon

We walked down the steep hillside into an arroyo with a carefully swept dirt path, lined with beautiful succulents and found ourselves on the ocean.  

Although the beach is lined with houses and gardens, there is a wide public stone path all along the shore for miles, on the beach and climbing over rocky points, allowing everyone to enjoy the coast.

We walked out on a point covered with cacti and bromeliads, watched birds and the beautiful views.  We started back, climbing the steep hills to our hotel.  

Cait with Bromeliads

There is an famous fish restaurant, El Chiringuito, that we visited the last time we were here; our hotel manager found it is only open from 12:30 - 4:30 in the winter, so we decided to have lunch, much to Caitlin’s delight as she has been missing it; our routine is usually just having some snacks as we drive along. 

The restaurant is next to a cove of fishing boats  and so has really fresh marine life on its menu.  We sat outside in the sun with crushed sea shells for a floor and ordered premium Pisco Sours - even smoother than our ordinary ones.   Hil and I had Pastel de Jaiba, crab casserole and platters of salad - we should have split an order!  Cait had scallops in broth and Bob had grilled congrio eel.  With a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and the ocean and town in view, it was a magnificent meal!

We chatted with a couple and their 7-year old daughter who had come from NYC for the eclipse, but they had miscalculated the path of the sun and totality happened just after the sun had dipped below the edge of a hill!!!  Considering the severity of this event they seemed quite jolly!

We rolled out of there and drove down the coast a short ways to Isla de Cachagua, an island just off shore where Humboldt penguins can be seen.

American Oystercatcher

Humboldt Penguins

We had been promising Cait that she would see some penguins and hoped they would be there.  Thankfully they were, shuffling along, chatting with each other, and very endearing.

As it was getting dark, we returned to our hotel to start organizing our gear.  We are going to drop off our car tomorrow afternoon at the Santiago airport.  Bob and I are flying home while, Hilary and Caitlin spend two days in Santiago, exploring and visiting museums

July 3 - Driving to Zapallar

July 3 Newspaper

We packed up, had our last French breakfast, and said goodbye to our friends, Bill & Karen, Marie Laure and La Sombra del Viento, a very nice hotel.  The jolly street sweeper who seems to work closely with the parking attendant got us out of our parking space and we drove west to the. Panamerican Highway which, this near to Santiago, is a four-lane highway with a center median.

Coquimbo Mosque

The traffic was pretty bad due to a combination of commuters driving to work and the Eclipsos returning to Santiago.  We drove past Coquimbo and started seeing olive groves and roadside stands selling the fruit and olive oil. 

 A Vaquero herding Goats

After 90 minutes we reached the turn off for Parque Nacional Bosques de Fray Jorge (the National Park Forest of Friar George).

We drove on into the large preserve on a dirt road through the usual dry cactus-filled hillsides, and up steep hills to the remnant cloud forests.

  At the top of the hills exists a dense habitat of trees whose only water comes from a daily blanketing of fog.  When Bob visited this park 45 years ago, he remembers walking on a trail through dripping cloudy forest.

Green-backed Firecrown Humming Bird

  Today it was clear and sunny, 52 degrees with a fierce wind, and a new well-designed boardwalk. 

We had a lovely hike through puya and many blooming plants and patches of thick forest, overlooking the crashing surf 1800’ below.  In places one could also see to the snow-capped  high Andes far to the east.

Puya with last year's flowers and this year's buds

Snow-capped Andes in the Distance

We left the park around 2 PM and returned to the Panamerican Highway and were speeding along towards Zapallar, our next destination, about two hours away, when we came to a screeching halt.  With our binoculars we could see a solid line of cars far into the distance.  We crept along, watching our gas gauge.  An ambulance appeared driving down the dotted line with cars swerving out of its way.  

About 45 minutes later we came to a halt again, creeping into a toll plaza.  The officials at the plaza had at least expanded from two to five booths, but with the massive number of vehicles, we all moved very slowly.

After another 45 minutes, we came to a stop once again near Los Vilos.  Hilary’s phone said that it was due to construction blockage.  We called our hotel to reassure them that we were going arrive eventually. By now we were running low on gas - the stations we had passed had lines 1/4 of a mile long as everyone was short on gas, food, toilets!  We waited as long as we could and pulled into a rest area with gas station and waited in line.  Cait and I dashed into the restaurant which had a huge line, fortunately waiting for food, not bathrooms, so we took advantage of that!

Hilary soldiered on, got gas and we all took off with no more delay.

We were passing beautiful shoreline, but as it was dark by then, could see nothing.  We entered Zapallar and, with the help of Hil’s GPS lady, found Casa Zapallar, an elegant small hotel in this community of European-style villas for the Santiago elite.

It was 8 PM when we finally arrived, but the very nice manager said we could still get dinner.  We quickly cleaned up a bit and sat down in the pretty living room with a crackling fire.  We were served pot roast, rice, and salad with a couple of bottles of nice red wine.  Breakfast tomorrow isn’t until 9:30, outrageously late by our standards, but perfect after our long day!

Tue, Jul 2 - Eclipse Day

After our French breakfast, Karen, Hilary and I set off to buy some provisions for our afternoon of eclipse watching.

We got to the large supermarket of Santa Isabel, and bought sandwich makings, cookies and chips.  They suggested La Recova Market for the salsa that we are looking for for our friend, Robert, who used to buy it when he worked at Las Campanas Observatory many years ago.  We walked over to the market which consists of many small booths selling quite nice crafts and local foods, such as the salsa we were looking for.  We found similar sauce and maybe that will do.

At noon we all set off from our hotel  in two cars, heading north about 45 minutes to the spot on a hillside over looking the coast that we had picked out Saturday when we first drove into La Serena.

There were quite a few cars driving in and we saw people camping out and settling in to wait for the eclipse. We parked, walked around some ruins, and checked out some nightshade plants that were blooming. 

There was quite a bit of haze over the ocean which was developing into a fog bank.  We discussed that for a while and finally decided to head inland to higher ground and clearer sky.

We returned to the Panamerican Highway and continued north, seeing people parking all along the highway and even in the median strip.  We knew that several tour groups, including Leila’s & Brian’s, were heading to La Higuera, a small town right on the center line of the eclipse path, but when we approached the turnoff, it was jammed and blocked off to more traffic.  Hilary pulled off the highway onto some dirt and we considered staying there, but being right on the highway with all the noise and cars racing by was too unpleasant.  We noticed cars pulling off the highway ahead and driving into the desert, so we decided to try that.  We approached a wooden gate which some kids were holding open, drove through and up hill about a quarter mile and parked near some family groups who were setting up tables and picnics.

We settled in among the thousands of others scattered across the rocky cactus-filled ranch land,

Lunch!

ate sandwiches and beer and waited until around 3:23 when we could see First Contact - when the moon first takes a bite out of the sun!!

Karen, Hilary, Cait, & I

We could see the fog bank creeping up over the coastal hills and worried that it might block the sun at the critical time. 

After seeing thousands of these tiny cacti, finally one in bloom!

Using Bob’s filters, we watched the sun slowly disappearing.

The air temperature cooled, our shadows became crisper, the sky darkened and suddenly at 4:38 PM, the diamond ring, the last speck of sunlight, appeared and the sun became a black disk and we could observe it with our binoculars and no filters.  It was magnificent, as usual!

And then just as suddenly, the diamond ring re-appeared and the sun’s powerful light took over and the eclipse was finished!  We timed the length of totality as 2 minutes 34 seconds.

We all cheered, packed up and started back. The highway was jammed, of course.  We had to turn around as we were headed north.  The highways in Chile have “returnos” which allow one to turn around on a freeway by entering an exit lane on the left and cutting across the median.  We drove past the completely frozen first one and easily made the turn on the second one we encountered.  The Chilean traffic police were helping control things as best as they could and we were making pretty good progress, considering. 

But it still took us 2.5 hours got get back to La Serena, mainly due to a construction project that reduced two lanes to one just outside the city, which  backed up traffic for many miles.

We got home at 7:30 and immediately set off on foot for Donde el Guatón, the restaurant we went to our first night here.   After Pisco Sours, I had a bowl of Congrio, eel soup, Bob and Cait had steaks a la brasa on the restaurant’s large grill and Hilary had fish of the day. 

Karen and Bill arrived a little later and had crab casserole with corn pudding topping. 

A great day.