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International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Chile!

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Eleeski

Eleeski

Making fresh tracks
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San Diego / skis at Squaw Valley
I'm OK now. Touring Santiago and the banquet were fun and reminded me that not every part of the experience is about the moment of actual performance...

So off touristing! Gordon, who was the top seed by the tournament formula and a little disappointed by his early fall, offered to guide us through Santiago's downtown park. Driving in, we saw a walk signal where the little green walk man started to run as the signal was getting ready to change. Certainly passed the information to the pedestrians.

Walking from his hotel, the NH (nice but conventional), we found a restaurant row. I never time meals right in Chile. Every restaurant is open but empty. We passed up several and made a random choice. We got to sit outdoors on the street which was very pleasant. Chorrillana is meats on french fries with a fried egg on top. Interesting but needed beer to cut the grease. The Chilean Kuntsman dark beer was just right.

The restaurant was at the base of the park's big hill. We strolled over to check things out. The funicular had a line that would make Disney cringe. So we hiked up. I'm just getting over a cold and Lisa's in the middle of it so it was a brutal climb. Gordon was very patient with us. About halfway up, I regretted the beer and wished I'd had water. Lots of water, pant, pant. The dog (a pet on a leash not a feral one) happily got a soaking in the drinking fountain 3/4 of the way up. Good idea! I stuck my head under for a cool off - but I was still too paranoid to drink it. Survived to the top where there was a spot selling Gatorade. Saved! Gordon was very adventurous and got a mote con huesillo. Weird drink with a dried peach, barley and corn in juice (apple?). It would need lots of added rum for me to try it.

We had spectacular views of Santiago in all directions. No smog today. Santiago is a huge city. I touched the statue at the top which is supposed to bring good luck. Two years from now?! The security guards shooed us away (worried I'd take all the luck?). We didn't stay for the service in the outdoor cathedral there. We rode the gondola down (where were the ski racks?).

This put us on the other side of the mountain from Gordon's hotel. The subway was 20 minutes walk vs the 25 minutes to the hotel. Off to the subway! Clean, affordable, quick, efficient and reasonably busy. Public transportation in foreign countries rocks! We got off after one stop.

Fun city adventure.

Eric
 
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Eleeski

Eleeski

Making fresh tracks
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San Diego / skis at Squaw Valley
It's our last day here. Our friends are all doing some early downtown organized activity; biking to the statue at the top of San Cristobal, taking the bus to Valparaiso, the spa treatment or something too structured for the morning after the banquet. At least we weren't stuck there waiting for the 2am bus back to the hotels in Santiago. We left early but it was still late enough that we almost missed the turn to Pirque - no traffic jam at the horribly engineered intersection which took half an hour on the way to the banquet. We slept in.

A cold shower until they finished washing amiable grande negro perro watchdog and the water pressure returned (the dog needed it!). We decided on a mountain walk so we hopped in the car and headed east (I think, GPS ruins sense of direction). We saw a different route to Lagunillas and decided on a drive instead of the walk. The walk would have generated a much lower heartbeat.

I thought the road to La Parva was tough. This was as bad but with one lane for 2 way traffic. Toot the horn at every blind corner. Fortunately there were only 3 cars going the other way - in the entire half hour drive. La Parva looked like a ski report, Lagunillas didn't. No chairlift, just long platters. No amenities other than a few ski club huts. So 50 years ago. The hill had potential but I'd have to feel quite adventurous to actually ski there. We found a beautiful picnic site for lunch.

Uneventful drive down (maybe I'm starting to drive Chilean). We had time before checkout so we went on a fancy Pisco shopping quest. The local Montserrat store didn't have the fancy Pisco. They said to avoid the liquor stores and go to Jumbo, the big supermarket. Of course we didn't listen to them and programmed the closest liquor store in the GPS. As the neighborhood got sketchier as we got closer, we were debating whether to get out to shop. Our destination turned out to be a liquor bottle recycling site. Off to Jumbo.

A last swim at our hotel (we chose the place for its pool but the colds kept us to just one swim), nice pool. Warm shower with just a couple cold plugs (who flushed?). Credit card declined on checkout, was the conversion rate that bad? Used the 3% surcharge card to pay the bill and left with hugs from the hotel people. Spa Luna de Pirque was a good choice.

Whenever I travel I like to visit the embassy (McDonald's). I love the ice cream. In Switzerland we got a sundae that looked like the Matterhorn. In Scotland they added a cookie. Little local twists. So I was excited to get a "Chilean sundae". It was the worst McDonald's ice cream ever. Regurgitated pineapple and strawberry on top of the ice cream. Took half of the ice cream to get away from the flavor that permeated through. The guy at the gas station warned us.

A little shakedown attempt at the car check in - it wasn't that dirty. He backed down when everyone went into "No comprende" lockdown. So we didn't tell him about the brake issue. Be careful if you rent a dirty red Chevy in Santiago.

A last Pisco in the airport and we are heading home. Of course nothing is going my way on this trip. I'm typing in the airport in Mexico City waiting for the airport to reopen. Sigh, we'll get there.

Eric

Three hours late, we head home. Once there, the bag wasn't. When we get the bag and get home, the bottle of good Pisco is broken...
 

luliski

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It's our last day here. Our friends are all doing some early downtown organized activity; biking to the statue at the top of San Cristobal, taking the bus to Valparaiso, the spa treatment or something too structured for the morning after the banquet. At least we weren't stuck there waiting for the 2am bus back to the hotels in Santiago. We left early but it was still late enough that we almost missed the turn to Pirque - no traffic jam at the horribly engineered intersection which took half an hour on the way to the banquet. We slept in.

A cold shower until they finished washing amiable grande negro perro watchdog and the water pressure returned (the dog needed it!). We decided on a mountain walk so we hopped in the car and headed east (I think, GPS ruins sense of direction). We saw a different route to Lagunillas and decided on a drive instead of the walk. The walk would have generated a much lower heartbeat.

I thought the road to La Parva was tough. This was as bad but with one lane for 2 way traffic. Toot the horn at every blind corner. Fortunately there were only 3 cars going the other way - in the entire half hour drive. La Parva looked like a ski report, Lagunillas didn't. No chairlift, just long platters. No amenities other than a few ski club huts. So 50 years ago. The hill had potential but I'd have to feel quite adventurous to actually ski there. We found a beautiful picnic site for lunch.

Uneventful drive down (maybe I'm starting to drive Chilean). We had time before checkout so we went on a fancy Pisco shopping quest. The local Montserrat store didn't have the fancy Pisco. They said to avoid the liquor stores and go to Jumbo, the big supermarket. Of course we didn't listen to them and programmed the closest liquor store in the GPS. As the neighborhood got sketchier as we got closer, we were debating whether to get out to shop. Our destination turned out to be a liquor bottle recycling site. Off to Jumbo.

A last swim at our hotel (we chose the place for its pool but the colds kept us to just one swim), nice pool. Warm shower with just a couple cold plugs (who flushed?). Credit card declined on checkout, was the conversion rate that bad? Used the 3% surcharge card to pay the bill and left with hugs from the hotel people. Spa Luna de Pirque was a good choice.

Whenever I travel I like to visit the embassy (McDonald's). I love the ice cream. In Switzerland we got a sundae that looked like the Matterhorn. In Scotland they added a cookie. Little local twists. So I was excited to get a "Chilean sundae". It was the worst McDonald's ice cream ever. Regurgitated pineapple and strawberry on top of the ice cream. Took half of the ice cream to get away from the flavor that permeated through. The guy at the gas station warned us.

A little shakedown attempt at the car check in - it wasn't that dirty. He backed down when everyone went into "No comprende" lockdown. So we didn't tell him about the brake issue. Be careful if you rent a dirty red Chevy in Santiago.

A last Pisco in the airport and we are heading home. Of course nothing is going my way on this trip. I'm typing in the airport in Mexico City waiting for the airport to reopen. Sigh, we'll get there.

Eric

Three hours late, we head home. Once there, the bag wasn't. When we get the bag and get home, the bottle of good Pisco is broken...
But Squaw Valley is waiting for you :). Thanks for the trip report Eric.
 

Jim McDonald

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Great report!
 
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Eleeski

Eleeski

Making fresh tracks
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Downtown Santiago hiking.

Enter at your own risk. They were actually the only mean feral dogs we ran into.
20181202_144007.jpg

Disneyland? The line for the funicular. We walked up instead.
20181202_143426.jpg

A little hike on an easy trail.
20181202_155635.jpg

Some statue at the top of the hike. pant, pant.
20181202_155229.jpg

Incredible city views.
20181202_154629.jpg

20181202_155525.jpg
 
Thread Starter
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Eleeski

Eleeski

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@coskigirl I think we ate across the street from there at a little hole in the wall with just a couple tables on the street. Not as tasty and more expensive than the restaurants in Pirque - we were spoiled.

At least one bottle of Pisco made it. But it tasted better in Chile!

Eric
 
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Eleeski

Eleeski

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Adventure to Lagunillas.

Pretty drive.
20181203_114013.jpg

Roses by the road.
20181203_115652.jpg

Nekkid mountain.
20181203_121704.jpg

The lodge.
20181203_121725.jpg
The platter.
20181203_121905.jpg

More lodge.
20181203_122748.jpg

Another statue.
20181203_123338.jpg
Note the sandals for the snow country.
20181203_123649.jpg

Picnic spot. Note the product placement.
20181203_124535.jpg
 

coskigirl

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@coskigirl I think we ate across the street from there at a little hole in the wall with just a couple tables on the street. Not as tasty and more expensive than the restaurants in Pirque - we were spoiled.

At least one bottle of Pisco made it. But it tasted better in Chile!

Eric

Too bad. A classmate of mine from when I lived there owns the restaurant I linked to. I totally understand the feeling on pisco tasting better in Chile. I'll have it here on occasion but it just isn't the same. So glad you enjoyed your trip!
 

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