Sep 3rd – Day 12 Ruka Antu Ecolodge and exploring the beach
Normally we would just head straight back to Concepcion and perhaps go and have some seafood somewhere on the coast, but today was a little different. Susana (from the Santa Berta Winery), had wanted me to go and visit an Eco Lodge on the coast as a potential add-on to our programs. There’s great surf in Chile and this lodge was right on the ocean near a great surf break. I was keen to go check it out as long as it was convenient and appropriate for the guests. Susana said it would be a nice day out for us so she organized Ramiro to come and pick us up at 10:30am.
I’m always a little nervous about going somewhere sight-unseen, but I asked Gav and Rich and they were up for an adventure. Ramiro was there with his wife Matilde and we drove to the coast. The Ruka Antu Lodge is in a little town called Cobquecura, 128km north of Concepcion. There is not a direct road to Cobquecura yet, the current road meanders around inland before heading back towards the coast. There is a river (Itata River) that diverts the road away but soon there will be a bridge that will cut the commute down from Concepcion by about 30 minutes (down to around 1 hour). From Las Trancas, it takes about 3 hours to get to Cobquecura.
It was a long drive and we got a little lost at one stage, but Ramiro was able to ask for directions and we made it there. We drove around to the lodge and parked in an undercover parking lot. Susana was there to meet us and she introduced us to Rodrigo, the gentleman in charge. They gave us a tour of the facility.
The lodge is very impressive, it has an initial rustic feel from the outside (like old shipping containers and lots of recycled wood), but inside it is modern and light. It looks like a surf shack on the outside but is well-appointed on the inside. There are 8 rooms and a couple of open-air hot tubs, with a bar, kitchen and a couple of eating areas. The views from the dining areas are incredible, the ocean is right there and you can see the point break around the bay.
There is an outside area with a pool, hammocks and seating areas. You get the same views from the pool area and then behind the building, you get the inland views with fields and forest. It’s an amazing spot. After the tour, we had a seafood lunch in the upper dining area with views of the ocean. The food was really nice. We were very spoiled.
Then it was time for a walk along the beach to go check out the waves. There were crab bits all over the sand, I couldn’t believe how many crabs must get washed up. The locals eat them all the time too and there were some big ones. We walked around to the point and found a crab on the beach. Gav tried to make friends with the crab and it seemed to enjoy nipping him on the hand. Good times, they had clearly bonded. Gav wished him well as he tossed him back into the ocean.
Then we went over to a shack selling fresh seafood. Gav tried some
piure, a Chilean delicacy. It’s like some kind of shellfish, but it looks like a rock. You eat them raw. I was not game to try it (not going to try something like this when I have to fly international the next day….). They taste of really strong sea water apparently. Gav said they were better with some cerviche on them. Good on him, I did try some of the fresh crab, steamed and then eaten right out of the shell. It was pretty good.
That was pretty much our day. We still had nearly a 2-hour drive to get back to Concepcion and the Ibis. I had dinner downstairs with Rich and Gav (the Ibis actually does a really good steak) and then we said our goodbyes. They were flying back to the UK early in the morning and I wasn’t heading out till the afternoon.
I had a nice sleep in and headed to the airport around 1pm. I flew to Santiago and then had about 4.5 hours to kill. I couldn’t check-in for a couple of hours so I had some late lunch and waited upstairs. There’s not much to do in the Santiago airport, so I queued early and was first to check-in. The flight back to Houston was quiet, I had a row of 3 seats to myself so I managed to get about 6 hours of sleep. Then it was a quick flight back to Denver and my wife was there to meet me.
All in all, it had been a great time in Chile in 2018. Things had gone well; the guests were all safe and happy and I gained more experience guiding in the area. The snow hadn’t been great but we had still skied plenty of fresh lines. I’d definitely eaten way too much, but that goes with the territory. The food is very good in Las Trancas. It’s kind of like an eating tour with skiing. Eric had done a great job, having a fluent Spanish speaker onboard and someone who’s so well-connected, really elevated the program to the next level.
I do need to give a big shout out and say thanks to the following people: Firstly, to all our guests, both new and old, thank you for coming out to Chile this season and making it a memorable experience, without you, we'd have no programs and none of this would happen. Thanks to the session 1 crew: Susan Gober Brown, Ron Brown, Margaret Brown, Pearce Brown, David Westall and the session 2 crew: Anne Bertsch, Richard Sulston, Gavin Beardall, Jeremy Johnston, Jacques Goulet, Dave Stultz, Brian Begin and Eric Plumb Thank you all for being part of a memorable season.
Thank you to Eric Green for doing a bang-up job as a guide, my right hand man and super skills translating and secretly being the godfather of Nevados de Chillan. Thanks to my good amigo Francisco J Penafiel for being a great host Cabañas Lodge y cafetería Los Hualles and for making us feel very welcome. Thank you for all the wonderful staff you lead, they were all awesome. Thanks to chef Manny for the extra pounds he helped me to add.
Thank you to Ramiro Chavez and his lovely wife Matilde Eliana Leal Solis for their great driving and J Cofre Oyarce and his team for the daily driving to and from the mountain. Thank you for keeping us safe. Thank you to David Eduardo Vivero Arriagada and the crew at Casona Violeta for the wonderful cultural day and not forgetting Susana Villegas Silva and the team at Viña Santa Berta. We love your wine! Thank you to a new friend, Rodrigo Andres Villa Nuñez for hosting us at the Ruka Antu Ecolodge at the end of our stay. That was an awesome day and I look forward to spending more time there in the future.
It had been a really fun time and I think Chile might be my favorite trip that we do. I’m already looking forward to 2019. Thank you all for following the journey and have a great winter. Time to get ready for Japan and India…..
- Matt