Wait, There's an Armada in Chile?

January 7, 2011 (part III)

After having our fill of seafood at Mis Nietos, we took a stroll along the inlet to appreciate the crashing waves and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. This particular stretch of road was well-equipped with a nice sidewalk and periodic look-out points from which to gaze upon the harbor in the distance. A strong breeze off the ocean was perfectly complemented by the brightly shining afternoon sun to make for comfortable strolling weather. We walked slowly and took many photos as we fought off the urge for an after lunch siesta.

Caleta El Membrillo

I'm fairly certain my Mom would have continued this meandering walk along the coast for the rest of the afternoon. However, we had a long list of things to see and it was already approaching 4:00pm and it was time to get a move-on. We began walking back in the direction we had come, toward the city center. On the map, it looked like our next destination, Museo Naval y Maritimo, couldn't possibly be more than a mile or so down the coast. So instead of catching a bus, we walked. And then we kept walking - for nearly an hour. Needless to say, it was more than a mile. As we walked, the scenery quickly turned from views of crashing waves and sweeping vistas to a more industrial scene. As we neared the port, we saw several university buildings for marine studies, as well as a facility for the Chilean Navy (La Armada Chilena).

Finally, we arrived at the base of Ascensor Atilleria  - the elevator that would take us to our destination at the top of the steep hill. Like the other ascensores in Valparaiso, La Atilleria looked as if it had received few repairs since it was originally built in the late 1800s. Unique to La Atilleria is that it is much larger than the other ascensores of Valparaiso, with capacity for 10-15 people vs. the 4-6 person capacity of the other elevators we had ridden in. The views on the way up the ride up were especially rewarding; this was the first time we had been up on the hillside while the sun was out and the blue sky provided a nice contrast to the brightly colored buildings and lush gardens that were in full summer bloom.

Ascensor Atilleria 

Ascensor Atilleria 

Ascensor Atilleria 

At the top of the elevator, we found the usual lively scene that we had begun to expect at the top of an ascensor in Valparaiso: vendors selling souvenirs, musicians, a cafe with an excellent view, and of course other fellow tourist. There was also a nice gazebo and pleasant tree-covered Paseo 21 de Mayo that provided a nice setting for some panorama photos of the city (the promenade is named to commemorate  a naval battle that occurred on the 21st of May, 1879 in Iquique, Chile during the War of the Pacific). We spent a bit of time looking at the souvenir stands; Mom was on a bit of a gift-buying shopping rampage - fair warning to any of our relatives that receive kitsch little South American trinkets this holiday season ;).

After some effort, we were able to pull her away from the souvenir stands and up the flight of stairs leading to the Naval Museum. Housed in a grand old white building at the very peak of the hill and surrounded by a well-cared for lawn, it seemed a world away from the grit and grime of the harbor below. Along the pathway leading up to the museum, a friendly golden retriever was enjoying a lively game of fetch by hoisting his chew toy (an old plastic coke bottle filled with sand) over the 4 ft. tall fence so that it could be thrown by passersby . Great fun and seriously entertaining for all involved.

Up at the Museo Naval y Maritimo, we paid our entry fee and browsed the many different rooms that recounted Chilean naval history. I was surprised to learn that Chile had been involved with several major conflicts over the past 200 years since their independence from Spain. When considering the length of Chile's coast, it really shouldn't be that surprising that their navy is as prolific as it is - in the harbor earlier in the day, we had seen row after row of navy ships.  I suppose these are the things one becomes enlightened about through travel and museum visits such as these.

Museo Naval y Maritimo

After another ride on the ascensor, we were back in the flat area of the city. Unable to locate a taxi (a noticeable trend during our stay in the area), we hopped on a city bus that delivered us to the base of the street leading up to our hotel. This cut our journey in half but we still had a hefty uphill walk ahead of us. Thankfully we continued to be blessed with especially nice weather that day, which made the never-ending walking a little less arduous. The route up the hill took us on many of the stairways and narrow pathways that we had traversed the day before. En route, we picked up our two bottles of wine and water for the night and retired to the Hotel for a bit of R & R before dinner.

Happy to have a little down time after a long day of walking and sightseeing, I spent some time in our lovely room peering out the window overlooking the hills of Valpo with a pleasant breeze blowing through the curtains as the sun began to set and the city lights began to twinkle. With wine glass in hand, I enjoyed the beats of typical Chilean music playing from the stereo (a CD my Dad had bought from one of the musicians who had serenaded us at lunch today) while catching up on some journal writing.

Once the bottles of wine were empty around 9:30, we walked the few blocks down the hill to the cluster of restaurants we had eaten at the day before. Seeing as how we had once again managed to get a late start on dinner, our dining options were limited by the amount of seating still available (waiting on tables is uncommon in Chile; it is expected patrons will stay for the better part of the evening, so it is not likely for a table to become available halfway through the dinner hour.) After peaking in a few different restaurants, we decided our best bet would be Almacen Nacional - the same place we had eaten at for lunch the day before, but hard to disagree with given it's convenient location, convivial atmosphere and reasonable prices. We ordered a couple tablas (appetizer trays) that included meats, cheese, veggies and olives prepared in typical Chilean styles.  Good, but nothing to rave about. After a quick walk up the hill, we were headed to bed at the early hour of 11:15.

Almacen Nacional

Conger Eel, Say What ???

January 1, 2011 (part II)

By the time our harbor tour was over, the morning fog and clouds had given way to beautiful blue skies. As we turned our thoughts to lunch, we decided to take a local bus down the coast a few miles to check out a spot recommended to us by one of the friendly staff members back at Hotel Thomas Somerscales where we were advised that we would find good, fresh, typical Chilean seafood.

Arriving at Caleta El Membrillo ( "Quince Inlet" - This inlet owes its name to the grove of quince trees that was once there.), we were immediately swarmed by a half dozen waiters from each of the seafood restaurants clustered here. We decided to let Mom choose the spot this time, and she selected Mis Nietos, which had an upstairs dining area with lots of windows that provided sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. There was nothing fancy about the restaurant, but the tables were colorfully decorated in bright pink and purple table cloths that matched the uniforms of the friendly and attentive wait staff. There were only a few other tables occupied when we arrived shortly after 2pm (a normal hour for lunch in Chile), but the spacious dining area was by no means packed. Our fellow dinners appeared to be local middle class Chileans, along with a couple other groups of Latin American tourist. We were definitely off the tourist map here (both literally and figuratively), which added an element of adventure and made the reward of a an authentic experience even more special. 

Mis Nietos - "My Grandkids" - Seafood Restaurant in Caleta El Membrillo

Our waiter friends at Caleta el Membrillo - soliciting our business at the various seafood restaurants 

The waiter recommended the Congria (Conger Eel), Corvina (Sea Bass) and Reineta (white fish, found exclusively in Chile), so we ordered one of each and hoped for the best. Dad decided to take a chance on the seafood soup, despite our prior experience with the dish back in Santiago. After we ordered, the waiter came by to ask if we'd like an Apéritif ("de la casa" - FREE). Well, sure. Why not?  We were each given little shots of pisco sour  (which were much better tasting than the strait pisco that we were given back in Vina de Mar)along with a  plate of super delicious empanads de marisco (fried seafood turnover). Next came the Reineta (white fish), simply grilled with butter and served on a fish-shaped plate. Dad's seafood soup had the same funky taste as the one at the fish market in Santiago. At this point we had determined that this was not the result of spoiled seafood but rather a by-product of the clams or oysters contained within; at any rate, I don't think we'll be ordered anymore seafood soup on this trip!

Caleta El Membrillo

Sea Lions & Cargo Ships in Valparaíso

January 7, 2011 (part I)

I love old houses. This is likely due to the fact that I grew up in a Victorian farmhouse and spent many a-weekends perusing antique stores with my Dad looking for period pieces to decorate our old home. When we were planning our trip to Valparaiso, my Dad made a special request to stay in one of the old Victorian mansions that line the hillsides of the port-side city. We certainly found what we were looking for in Hotel Thomas Somerscales, and on our second day in Valparaiso, we finally took some time sit around and enjoy it's beautiful decor while enjoying a breakfast of fresh orange juice, furit, pastries, jam, cheese and of course cafe con leche served in one of the elegant vaulted rooms downstairs.

Decor at Hotel Thomas Somerscales

Around noon, we set off down the hill to the Prat Pier (Muelle Prat). Today our intention was to take a boat tour around the harbor. When I had visited Valparaiso in winter 2003 (North American Summer), we had gone out in a little fishing boat all by ourselves (at least that is how I remembered it). Today, the fishermen were sending out boats filled to capacity with large groups of tourist. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long for a tour - a boat quickly came along and we were hustled into the hull along with 30 of our closest friends.  The seating arrangement was chummy at best - a clear example of how "personal space" has a different definition in Latin America. And I tell you, if this had been a boat full of Americans, they would have protested to the high heavens (my Mom was about to, if she didn't get a life jacket "right now!").

Boat Tours - CLP $2000 - about $4 USD

The guy in charge of filling the boat had a few people straddling cross beans and anyone under the age of 8 was kindly asked to sit on their parent's lap. No one on the boat ride was cold for the lack of body warmth! The entry to the boat was another interesting aspect - the boat rocked back and forth vigorously, only held to the shore by a few ropes that the skippers held onto. Everyone from grandmas to small children were helped on with a friendly hand (or two, when necessary).

Welcome Aboard!

We didn't leave the dock until the boat was 100% full;  and surprisingly everyone was given (and expected to wear!) a life jacket. The boat organizer-come-tour-guide commenced yelling over the motor to provide us with information about the boats in the harbor as we made our way up the coast, past large freight liners carrying fruit, a line of 100+ newly disembarked cars (presumably from Asia), as well as a group of sea linoins perched on a buoy sunning themselves. We also passed by a magnetic crane at the unloading docs where thousands of containers were being moved. Quite the logisticial feat!  After about 45 minutes we disembarked from our boat tour and began our search for lunch.

Yep, that's a sea lion!

Summer Nights, in January

January 6, 2011 (Part V)

A few short hours of relaxing were all we were afforded after our long afternoon of trekking up and down the hills of Valparaíso. After a quick trip to the liquor/wine/beer convenience store to pick up provisions for happy hour, we spent the remaining daylight hours enjoying a delicious bottle of Chilean wine and snacking on smoked sausage and fresh cherries in our nicely appointed rooms. We especially enjoyed watching all the city lights flicker on from the view high atop the hill at Hotel Somerscales, evidenced by the many pictures.

We were enjoying the views so much in fact, that we didnt' get our act together to head out to dinner until after 10pm (!!!). Now this wasn't really as bad as it sounds. After all, the summer solstice of the southern hemisphere had only just occurred two weeks earlier, so the sun didn't set until 9pm.

Conveniently, our hotel was located in close proximity to several excellent dining options, so we didn't have to walk far for dinner. We peaked into a Thai restaurant, but it was already packed full, so we chose the nearby Epif - a hip vegetarian bar/restaurant just off the main street. The place had a nice vibe to it, with organically inspired decor and creative little touches such as using the bindings of old children's books for the menu covers. We ordered a cheap Chilean wine (Cono Sur, for only $13 USD) and also a tabla (plate) that included several feature appetizer dishes. Everyone was still hungry, so we tacked on two Tofu BBQ burritos and a tofu peanut dish. It took a while for the additional food to arrive, but when it did, it was very tasty. 

After dinner, we trekked back up the hill and I fell asleep once again with wirting instruments in hand, and found my journal & pen buried in the covers the next morning.

View from our hotel room in  Valparaíso

Tofu BBQ burritos at Epif

The Cats of Valparaíso

 I'd be remiss not to give mention to the many gatos roaming the streets of Valparaíso. Similar to the quiltros in Santiago and other Chilean cities, the cats of Santiago are very much a part of the local culture. Their presence in the city is related to the fact that Valparaíso is still an industrial port, and fishing remains a part of the local culture. With all the ships in the harbor, I imagine there must be large supplies of rats roaming the streets near the port. The whole scenario reminds me of the cat-and-mouse games between Fievel and the cats of An American Tail. In any case, the cats seem pretty contented.

Acensores y Escaleras: Exploring the hills of Valparaíso

January 6, 2011 (part IV)

 Acensores y Escaleras means "elevators and stairs" in Spanish - two things that Valparaíso has a lot of. Many of the acensores (or funiculares, as they're also referred to), date back to the late 19th century, so riding in one is very much like a trip back in time. This unique aspect of Valparaíso's transportation system makes it well worth a few trips up and down the hillside, so we decided to spend an afternoon crisscrossing the city to take it all in.

Starting from the the flat part of town (the historical center, near the port), we took our first ride on Ascensor Concepción . A rickety old thing that slowly creaked up the side of the hill at a 30 degree angle, I think we all began to question what we had gotten ourselves into. Once at the top, we found ourselves transported to a totally different world. There was a light breeze and musicians could be heard playing in the background alongside vendors selling jewelry and other souvenirs. We also found a cute little place to stop for a cup of coffee at a cafeteria called Cafe Turri, a well known meet-n-greet spot at the top of the acensor, complete with patio seating and sweeping city views. The cafe wasn't quite open for afternoon tea (Las Once), so we walked around the neighborhood, peaked in a few of the art shops , and checked out the vibrantly colored houses of Paseo Atkinson. At Cafe Turri, I enjoyed a delicious artesanal beer from a local brewery while the rest of the group opted for coffee. It felt nice to take a break and enjoy the views before continuing our walking tour downhill, through various stairways and plazas before calling it a day and heading back to the hotel for a much needed happy hour!

Riding up Ascensor Concepción (like I said, it was STEEP!)

Enjoying an afternoon once at Cafe Turri

Graffiti-lined Pasaje Bavestrello, one of the many covered stairs paths in Valpo

Pablo Neruda's House: A visit to La Sebastiana

January 6, 2011 (part III)

A Chilean poet, diplomat and socialist, Pablo Neruda is certainly one of the most colorful personalities the country has produced in the last century. I was first exposed to his writing in a Latin American Poetry class that I took during my first trip to Chile in 2003. I was especially intrigued by his collection of love sonnets, Cien Sonetos de Amor. Each sonnet  is short and playful, yet somehow produces a depth of meaning that is difficult to accomplish in standard prose. It was the first time that I found myself enjoying poetry, and I have been fascinated by Neruda ever since.

I believe one of the best windows into someone's personality is to view the inside of their home, and Neruda does not disappoint in this regard. A foundation has been established in his name, and his three homes are now available for viewing by the general public. As one would expect from a poet, each home has a name: La Chascona (in Santiago), La Sebastiana (in Valparaíso), and Isla Negra (in Isla Negra). During my 2004 visit, I was fortunate to visit all three. On this trip, we made it to both La Chascoa and La Sebastiana.

La Sebastiana sits high atop one of the hills of Valparaíso. Our guidebook had provided instructions for catching a colectivo (see my previous post about this transportation option), so we decided to give it a go. We identified the appropriate collectivo without much trouble (being a well-tread tourist landmark, there were plenty of other folks doing the same thing), and were quickly transported up the winding streets in what can only be described as the most insane taxi ride I've ever been on. I have never gotten up a hill quicker. The taxi driver had to have been going close to 50 mph through narrow alley ways, giving a honk here and there when he thought it was necessary. 

We arrived safely at the gate to La Sebastiana where we purchased our entry tickets and began the self-guided tour. Via our audio guide, we learned that the house was built in the late 1940s by an architect named Sebastian (hence the name), who died before the unique house was fully completed. It sat unoccupied until Neruda purchased it in the early 1960's. The house has four floors with uniquely shaped rooms with lots of windows and knick-knacks that Neruda had carefully collected. One collection that I found particularly interesting was his colored glassware; Neruda believed it improved the taste of a drink. I have found myself searching for red and green wine glasses ever since - you know, just to check out the hypothesis ;).  Photos weren't permitted inside the house, so unfortunately I only have a few shots of the outside. 

La Sebastiana

View from the main floor of La Sebastiana

Valparaíso: A Whimsical & Inspiring City

January 6, 2011 (part II)

Valparaíso really is a whimsical place. All the guidebooks I read had indicated something to this effect, but the spirit of the city cannot truly be appreciated until you're actually walking among its hilly streets. I suppose this is true of most interesting cities, but I found Valparaíso to be more insipirational than most. It's geography is similar to many other hillside cities along the pacific coast (Acapulco and San Francisco, most notably), but it has an artistic spirit and historical charm that is unmatched. It is the type of place where one cannot help but feel inspired to create. With hundreds of murals throughout the city, a multitude of artisan shops, and restored Victorian mansions, I felt a wave of creativity sweep over me as we began walking down the hill from our hotel in search of lunch. 

Street Art in Valparaíso

Street Art in Valparaíso

We quickly found several interesting lunch choices, each with a distinct bohemian/Chilean flare that is so characteristic of Valparaíso and Cerro Alegre in particular. We decided on a place called Almacén Nacional ("National Market"), which in addition to serving excellent artesanal cuisine, also featured art by local artist. The chalk board menu outside had advertised a "menú del dia" for 3.800 (a fix prix lunch for ~ USD $8.00), so I went in side to inquire what the daily special was, and was happy to learn that the today's special was delectably interesting: a quinoa beet salad with avocado to start and a slow cooked beef pot roast accompanied by brown rice and a cooked squash/carrot combo - very tasty!

Almacén Nacional

Almacén Nacional

Viña to Valpo: Hostel Drama & Magical Old Houses

January 6, 2011 (Part I)

If you've ever stayed in a hostel, you know that they're not the most private accommodations availalble. And although we had private rooms at Hostal Reloj de Flores B&B (as opposed to communal bunks shared with 5-10 people you've never met before), we weren't immune the hostel lifestyle. Case in point: the only window in the room opened up to the main living area. Which is why I wasn't too surprised when I awoke the next morning to the voices of my fellow travelers having breakfast in the kitchen. On the bright side, the blazing hot temperatures from the day before had cooled to the point that I was able to sleep cozily under a heavy wool blanket. AND, by some miracle, the wireless internet was now functioning at lightning speed and I was able to  lazily check my e-mail from my smart phone while laying in bed. After being threatened by the fact that breakfast was ending in 10 minutes, I finally rolled out of bed and joined my chatty hostel-mates (young Brazilians and Argentinians)  in the kitchen for breakfast. 

View from our room at Hostal Reloj de Flores in Vina del Mar

Soon after breakfast we were loading our bags back into a taxi en route to the neighboring city of Valparaíso ("Valpo", for short). As we informed the taxi driver of our destination - a small B&B atop one of the city cerros (hills) - we were dismayed to learn that he wasn't familiar with the location. And as we began to climb the hills of Valparaíso, it was easy to see why - the streets twisted up the hillside like a vine; often changing name or dead-ending into a stairwell unexpectedly. But with the help of our trusty guide book, we 
arrived at the specified address in less than 20 minutes.

Winding Streets of  Valparaíso 

Climbing out of the taxi, our hotel - Hotel Casa Thomas Somerscales - was barely distinguishable among the other houses in the neighborhood of  Cerro Alegre  (literally, "Happy Hill"). A boutique hotel with only about 10 rooms, it was actually an old restored mansion transformed into a guest house. As the hotel staff  buzzed us into the gate from the sidewalk, we were immediately impressed with the magnificient facade and beautifuly maintained garden terrace, but daunted by the ~20 stairs we were faced with climbing to arrive at the front door. It was clear that this was going to be a magical place to stay - not unsimilar to the house portrayed in Isabel Allende's most famous book, The House of Spirits  (and my first introduction to Chile).

Entrance Gate from Street - Hotel Thomas Somerscales

Terrace of Hotel Thomas Somerscales

The  lavishly decorated foyer was even more impressive - decked out in period furniture appropriate to the age of the house (likely early 1900's since the Earthquake of 1906 destroyed most of the buildings in town). And even though we had arrived before check-in,  we were pleasantly surpised to learn that our rooms were indeed ready and so we settled into our rooms before setting out to find lunch. 

Foyer of Hotel Thomas Somerscales