Ushuaia to Santiago
Friday, March 3, 2023
We left our comfortable apartment in Ushuaia (we will miss the mountain and water view) and
headed for Rio Grande, about a 2-3 hour drive. Along the way we passed through beautiful forests and spectacular mountains until they gave way to open plains.
We were travelling north and the Atlantic Ocean was almost always visible to our right (east). What a vast and amazing body of water. I am beginning to realize that we put such emphasis on the places we visit, that we forget the most of the world is covered by water. We have seen both the Pacific and the Atlantic from the sky and the land on this trip. We have also been on the shore of the Southern Ocean. Amazing!! What a wonderful way to visit the oceans as well as the land.
We have been fortunate to encounter a wide array of wildlife including several foxes, the ever present guanaco, and loads of pairs of geese. We did not see any rhea (ostrich-like birds) during this part of our journey. We were surprised by that since we have previously seen them mingling with the guanaco.
We reached a familiar accommodation in Rio Grande as we had stayed there before. It was not our favourite place to stay but it would do for one night. Jim has done an amazing job finding great accommodation for this entire journey. Most nights we have stayed in two bedroom apartments with a reasonably functional kitchen and good wifi. This particular apartment was a bit lacking as it had no comfortable furniture in the sitting room area. It did have a spacious table and 4 chairs where we could sit and work/play with our computers.
Jim took this opportunity to visit a nearby sheep station, 150,000 acres with 30,000 sheep. It is a huge operation including a massive shearing shed. The owner took Jim on a short tour to see the shearing shed and some of the equipment. This ranch hires 20 shearers to shear the sheep. (Is that a tongue twister?)
We decided to forgo the cooking option today and, instead, pick up some empanadas for dinner from the corner shop just a few steps from our apartment. The shop, of course, according to South American tradition, closed at 3 in the afternoon and reopened at 7:30 in the evening. So much for an early dinner. The empanadas were worth waiting for, though.
After dinner, we has a quiet evening watching Netflix. We finished the Women in War series (a disappointing ending) and also watched the first episode of the new Call the Midwife series. It was amazing to us that Irene, from Britain, had never seen Call the Midwife before. She loved it, as did we.
Saturday, March 4, 2023
With a relatively early start, we left Rio Grande and headed north along the Atlantic Ocean en route to the Chile border crossing. After a long stretch of following the Atlantic coast, our route turned west and the ocean disappeared. We were once again travelling overland across vast open plains.
Wildlife was abundant – foxes, guanaco, rhea, geese, flamingoes – as well as domestic animals (horses, sheep, cattle) roaming in broad fields on privately owned ranches.
About noon, we crossed the border from Argentina to Chile. Border crossings are always interesting. This is the fifth (I think) time we have travelled from Argentina into Chile and vice versa. Exiting either country requires a stop at a customs and immigration office and completing paper work as evidence that you are leaving the country. Then, you enter a long stretch of no man’s land, about 5 kilometres. The actual country border is about half way along and clearly marked but the next customs and immigration office is still out of sight.
Chile is very particular about food items entering the country. We made sure that we had discarded or consumed all fresh fruit and vegetables before we reached the border. Did you know that fresh carrot sticks make a great mid morning snack whilst travelling? So do nectarines. So, when the fellow from the Ministry of Agriculture asked if we had any fresh fruit or vegetables in the car, I confidently said no. He decided to check our food bag to make sure and … oops …. We had two tomatoes in the bottom of the bag. We had totally forgotten about them. This was a giant no no and he insisted on searching the rest of the care and xraying our luggage to be sure there was no more contraband. It was an honest mistake on our part but it sure took a lot of time to convince the officials.
Once we were released from customs, we continued our journey. The next step was to take a ferry across the Strait of Magellan, the ferry to back to the mainland. We left the island of Tierra del Fuego where we have spent the last several days.
We continued west and, once again, caught sight of the majestic snow-covered Andes. What a spectacular view. We were lucky to have a clear sky to be able to see the mountains clearly.
We made a quick stop at a rare roadside café for coffee and lunch (more empanadas) and continued along our way.
Wildlife continued to be abundant, companions in the fields with thousands of sheep (some stations have up to 10,000 sheep), cattle (mostly beef) and horses, some wild and some domestic. The domestic horses are mostly ridden during the round ups of sheep and cattle.
Each station we passed had several small buildings on its perimeter. We have learned that during round-up season, the shepherds who are employed to assist with the round up and shearing are housed in these buildings for the time they work at a station.
Speaking of shearing, we have learned that the quality of the wool is determined by the thickness of each individual fibre. The thinner the fiber, the more valuable the wool. Sheep are bred in such a way that the wool fibres will become thinner.
We have also learned that llamas are often included with the flocks on a station. There are, in fact, no llamas in the wild. Over many years, llamas have been genetically created from the guanaco that we see here in the fields. Llamas are very valuable animals because their wool is the thinnest wool currently available anywhere in the world.
Tonight we are staying on a station, Rio Penitente, that has 59000 hectares of land, 3000 sheep, 150 horses and llamas that are well protected because of their value. This station has its own wool processing facility where the wool is cleaned, combed and packaged for sale to producers of wool products. Of course, there was a small selection of locally made items and we chose a couple of them to bring home.
This station has a beautiful and very large home, owned by the fifth generation of a family of Scottish immigrants from early 1900’s. The home has been wonderfully maintained and is filled with period furniture. Upon arrival, we relaxed in a comfortable lounge with open fireplace. Dinner was served in a formal dining room filled with collections of antique dishes, old paintings, and well loved antique furniture.
We enjoyed fresh salad (as good as home), small appetizers – cheese empanadas and guanaco empanadas, 2 mains of lamb and potatoes and one main of pork and sauteed vegetables.
Dessert included a selection of cheesecake with calafate berries, cheesecake with fresh fruit sauce, or caramel custard similar to crème caramel.
We had a delightful bedroom furnished with original furniture and tasteful embellishments, updated with a very nice bathroom and an amazingly comfortable bed, in keeping with the entire home.
It has been another great day. Tomorrow off to Puerto Natales.
Sunday, March 5, 2023
We lingered at the station a while this morning after breakfast. In spite of the rain, Jim went for a walk to explore the land. He found plenty of sheep and several llamas. I spent time in the dining room beside a cozy fire and worked on this blog. Irene spent the morning in her room, luxuriating in the lovely bed she had enjoyed last night.
Finally, about noon, we headed off for our relatively short drive (about 2 hours) to Puerto Natales. This will be the third time we have been through Puerto Natales. This is where we boarded the freighter, the Navimag, three weeks ago. We were not able to stay in the wonderful cottage we had originally had but, instead, we are in a modest but clean apartment for just one night.
Settled into our apartment, we headed out to find a restaurant that was open on a Sunday afternoon. Sunday shopping is not available in Chile and most restaurants are also closed. We were lucky to find a tiny place fairly close to our apartment. The menu seemed interesting and the restaurant was very clean. So, in we went. We could not have predicted the quality of the meal we were about to have, given the modest appearance of this place.
The menu included some traditional Chilean dishes, including empanadas. But we have had several empanadas lately so they were not appealing. Of course, there were meat dishes available but what caught our eye was the range of seafood offerings. Irene and I both ordered fettuccine a la sea, including scallops, shrimp and calamari. Jim ordered a seafood soup. We were all thrilled with our choices!! Absolutely delicious food accompanied by fresh, warm homemade bread and the finest service we could have imagined. A glass of wine and a delightful dessert completed the meals. We certainly would not have predicted this meal based on the modest facility we had entered.
It was a quiet evening of repacking (we fly to Santiago tomorrow) and relaxing. We only have two more days in Chile before this part of our adventure comes to an end.
Monday, March 6, 2023
We made an early start this morning, taking a taxi to the airport for a flight to Santiago. We were nostalgic about leaving Tierra del Fuego where we have seen so many different places and had such a range of experience. Just to make this moment memorable for us, the rising sun this morning illuminated the snow peaked mountains across the water of the Beagle Channel. It has been quite cold in Punta Arenas for the past few days with some rain at sea level and lots of snow in the mountains. The results in the early sun were gleaming snow covered peaks that took our breath away. It was a somewhat slow drive to the airport because we slowed down so often to take yet another photo.
Our flight to Santiago took off right on time and, I managed to sleep through most of the three hour flight. Baggage handlers assisted in finding our luggage on the carousel and soon we were on our way out of the airport to a pre-arranged taxi. It is always a relief to see one’s name on a sign and know that the taxi to take us into the city actually arrived.
Santiago is a very large and diverse city. As the plane landed, we could see a myriad of fields being used for agricultural purposes, quite a change from the areas we have been in to date.Suburbs closest to the airport looked somewhat impoverished and as we moved closer and closer to city centre, the neighbourhoods tended to reflect greater financial resources – well maintained yards, some swimming pools, more sophisticated shopping areas and restaurants.
We are staying in an Air B&B in a luxurious condo building close to the centre of the city. Needless to say, ‘our’ condo is well appointed and has a wonderful view of some high mountains, at least one of which has a large glacier near the top. There are also two swimming pools here, one on the roof of the building (pretty cool water) and a smaller one on the main floor (more like a hot tub than a pool in terms of water temperature). We chose the indoor pool as a way of relaxing this afternoon.
Santiago is a lot closer to the equator than other places we have visited. Thus, the temperature is significantly higher than we have experienced so far. I did not really bring clothes for weather this warm, thinking that it is still late winter here. I will be packing my winter jacket deep in the recesses of my suitcase, at least until we head south again as we explore more of Argentina.
We had a quiet afternoon in the condo enjoying the view over the city and catching up on some correspondence and reading. We have a plan for tomorrow that begins with hopping onto the Hop On Hop Off bus that will tour the town. Pizza from a nearby restaurant was delicious and some fresh fruit capped of our meal and our day.
Early to bed tonight. More fun tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
We were out of bed fairly early this morning to catch the first Santiago Hop On Hop Off bus of the day. Alas, our best laid plans were thrown asunder. Jim and Irene had showered and dressed ahead of me but when it was my turn there was no water anywhere in the apartment. Turning the tap was useless. Apparently the water company had had some difficulties earlier in the morning and had to shut down the water supply in order to repair it. So … toothbrush in hand and face left unattended, we headed off for the day. No one else noticed but I have to admit, I was well aware that morning ablutions had not occurred
We arrived at the pick-up point for the bus and managed to get the front seats upstairs. The windows were clean, perfect for picture taking. The bus set out for its 2 ½ hour run throughout the city. We had previously decided that we would not ‘hop off’ the bus for the duration of the tour and, later, decide what we wanted to go back and see.
Santiago is a large, busy city nestled in a valley surrounded by the Andes. Everywhere one looks, there is a snow-capped mountain visible. Along the way we encountered incredible traffic and courteous drivers. We passed by huge expanses of parkland and green space. Clearly these have been very important in municipal planning with very beautiful results. Early city development extends back over 500 years and the most significant buildings reflect many architectural styles. The buildings have been well preserved. There are many different neighbourhoods with shops, eateries, schools, parks and housing. Major streets are lined with stores, businesses and street corner pop-up shops. Some vendors still use carts and ply their wares along city streets. In contrast, we later had lunch in a huge and well appointed shopping mall. Western culture has found its way into Santiago – Subway, Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC to name a few.
Housing is quite varied – new elaborate homes, well preserved old mansions, new suburbs and old, rundown areas, evidence of homelessness with makeshift tents on neglected tracts of land. The most frequent form of housing is apartment buildings, many of them over 15 stories high. Ongoing construction is very apparent as cranes soar above the city. There is a well-developed public transit system with bus transfer points at regular intervals. And there are dedicated bus lanes. A relatively new subway system has 4 lines; tickets reasonably priced. Senior fare is about Cdn $2.10.
Groups of workers were frequently seen trimming trees, cleaning streets, collecting garbage and tending gardens. All the workers were wearing protective clothing – neon colours on the streets and hard hats in construction sites. From the noise that we heard, I hope they were also wearing hearing protection. Many types of uniforms identified various enforcement services, including military and police services. Parking tickets were liberally handed out.
The bus tour was 2.5 hours long. We were ready to disembark when we returned to the Touristico office. The day had become very hot (34 degrees) and we were ready for a beverage and some lunch. We entered a nearby shopping mall and found many different styles of restaurants and types of food. As this was our only day in Santiago, we wanted to eat some Chilean fare. In a breezy outdoor café under cover from the intense sun, we were able to order lovely food – sausage meat, a Chilean style sandwich and a delicious green salad with grilled salmon. Condiments included salsa, olives, fresh buns with pate, and familiar red (spicy ketchup-style) and green (avocado-based) sauces. Bottled water took care of our thirst. About mid afternoon we returned to our condo accommodation and relaxed for the rest of the day. Laundry, packing (again!), reading, napping and working on this blog and photo organization.
A light dinner sufficed followed by relaxing on our balcony watching the full moon rise before our eyes. Talk about a great vantage point!! The heat of the day had waned into a very pleasant evening. And … something quite unusual. No insects at all. Just the night sound of Chile around us … dogs barking.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Today is the day that Irene leaves our group and flies home. Jim and I fly to the Atacama Desert tomorrow morning. The morning was spent packing our bags again and relaxing over a leisurely breakfast of porridge, toast and fresh fruit.
Our taxi picked us up at 12 noon and we headed to an airport hotel (La Quinta) where Jim and I would spend the night. We relaxed through the afternoon – reading, napping, reminiscing and watching a horrible movie on Netflix. We ate dinner in the restaurant in the hotel lobby (delicious food and a lovely bottle of red wine).
A quick trip back to the room for Irene’s luggage and it was time to head for the airport. Irene and I said goodbye at the hotel and Jim accompanied her to the airport to ensure that her luggage deposit and check-in all went smoothly. She will fly Santiago to Miami (8 hours) and then Miami to Toronto where her son will pick her up and take her home.
It has been a great experience to travel with Irene. We all enjoyed the companionship and conversations as well as the many, many experiences and places we visited. Another memorable trip for all. With a full moon rising over Santiago we said farewell.
But Part 2 of this adventure begins tomorrow morning for Jim and I. We are looking forward to another 3 weeks that will include more of Chile, back to Argentina, on to Uruguay and finally to Brazil. We have had to choose our destinations careful as we do not have nearly enough time to explore each country thoroughly. Desert, mountains, seashore, wine country and waterfalls will all be part of the next stage of this trip.
Stay tuned.
Comments
Post a Comment