Arriving into the neighborhood of Bellavista, we soon encountered a large outdoor craft market selling various Chilean-made art & craft-type items. We browsed the shops before gravitating toward one of the more unique stands selling knitted items: sweaters, vest, neck warms; each designed with a very particular Chilean Style in hip, interesting colors. This definitely wasn't your cooking-cutter souvenir stand; we happily picked up a few items for ourselves and few more to give as gifts.
We didn't get to wonder around the craft market too long (probably a good thing for budget purposes ;), asit was nearing the time of our schedule tour at La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's house in Santiago), which we easily found tucked away on a side street of Bellavista. We browsed the gift shop and cooled off with some iced tea in the on-site cafe The weather was was much warmer today, necessitating a bit of cooling down after our longish trek from Providencia to Bellavista.
Now, I must admit that this is where my real-time journaling from our trip to Chile ends. Upon returning to "real life" back in the States and the demands of full-time job, I quickly lost motivation to write down a play-by-play report of what occurred during our remaining hours in Chile. But I will try to reflect on the experience a bit here.
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| La Chascona |
And perhaps it will help that this wasn't my first visit to La Chascona. No, I also visited Neruda's Bellavista home way back in 2003; back in the days before I was using a digital camera; before Facebook had been invented; before many of the modern conveniences that we enjoy in 2011. I have pictures of this visit somewhere....tucked away in an old photo album I'm sure; certainly not available in electronic format. My visit to La Chascona occurred early in my 2003 study abroad experience, at a time when my knowledge of Chile was much more limited than in is today and my appreciation for the eccentric poet non-existent (Pablo who?). So I was thankful to have a second opportunity to visit La Chascona with the added benefit of having studied Chilean culture and Neruda's poetry in greater depth.
As Eóin's Epic Travel Blog describes, "La Chascona was actually built and named after Neruda’s third wife, Matilde Urrutia, although at the time it was built he was still married to his second wife and Matilde was a secret…Anyway, his house is just as bizarre and quirky as the man himself. It’s decked out, like all his houses, to look and feel like a ship. Curved ceilings, ship furniture, water running past the window, narrow rooms and lots of rum. You should read a little bit about his life, a life he seemed to spend constantly lying and covering things up. I suppose the title of his last book pretty much sums up his days; ‘I Confess that I have Lived’."
I particulary enjoyed Irene Gimeno Espasa's take on the life of Neruda in her post, I CONFESS THAT I HAVE LIVED: THE LIFE OF PABLO NERUDA, SOUTH AMERICA’S FINEST POET: "Chilean poet Pablo Neruda had one of those existences that do justice to life. He got a taste of happiness and love, of justice and heroism, as well as bitterness, sadness and exile."
As Eóin's Epic Travel Blog describes, "La Chascona was actually built and named after Neruda’s third wife, Matilde Urrutia, although at the time it was built he was still married to his second wife and Matilde was a secret…Anyway, his house is just as bizarre and quirky as the man himself. It’s decked out, like all his houses, to look and feel like a ship. Curved ceilings, ship furniture, water running past the window, narrow rooms and lots of rum. You should read a little bit about his life, a life he seemed to spend constantly lying and covering things up. I suppose the title of his last book pretty much sums up his days; ‘I Confess that I have Lived’."
I particulary enjoyed Irene Gimeno Espasa's take on the life of Neruda in her post, I CONFESS THAT I HAVE LIVED: THE LIFE OF PABLO NERUDA, SOUTH AMERICA’S FINEST POET: "Chilean poet Pablo Neruda had one of those existences that do justice to life. He got a taste of happiness and love, of justice and heroism, as well as bitterness, sadness and exile."
After the tour of La Chascona, we decided to go for quick happy hour drink before it was time to head back to the hotel and prepare for my flight back to North America, cold weather and short days of little sunshine. As we enjoyed our tasty beers among the tree-lined streets of Bellavisita, Santiago summer seemed to be in full swing; groups of friends filled the cafes and street-side tables for several blocks in either direction. A warm breeze blew through the air. I could have stayed another week. Or two.
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| Enjoying a beer in Bellavista |
But it was time to head to the airport, which was jam-packed full of other international tourist, most of whom were destined for the same fate as myself. A fate that included a 8 + hour plane ride, followed by a not-so-pleasant experience of clearing customs at 5am, followed by many hours in the Miami airport. All ending with the realization that it is wintertime where I live. And it gets dark at 5pm. And there are no leaves on the trees. And its cold.
Which is why it is so important to be thankful for those blazing hot days we had this past summer.
And that is the end of my Chilean Adventure of January 2011. Now on to other blogging topics...
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