An adventurous tour in Chile, Easter Island and Patagonia

DIY trip to Chile, Easter Island, Patagonia and a tour in Bolivia.
Emanuela and Roberto

 

Easter Island (Rapanui)

Overnight Te'ora highly recommended
Easter Island or Rapa Nui to the native inhabitants, most Chileans Polynesians who, as demonstrated by physical traits customs, is 3700 km from Santiago de Chile and a 6 hour flight. August is the coldest month, but on sunny days it sits nicely in short sleeves. The island is small, measuring just 24 km to 12, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Three days are ideal for a visit. The first we have dedicated to the only town, Hanga Roa. Here everything is concentrated, hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, almost all the same, shop and internet point. There are two main streets, and Atamu Tekena Av Te Pito. Leaving the pier, where you can see huge turtles right on the shore, you can take a walk along the coast to all'Ahu Akapu with his lone moai. The most beautiful is the 'Ahu Tahai. Ahu Vari Uri Here stands 5 moai platform that supports various sizes, and nearby is a large solitary and the Moai 'Kote Riku Ahu Moai with a mysterious and beautiful hair and round eyes. Wait for the sunset is one of the things you should not miss. The second day with a rental car we drove the coastal road starting from 'Ahu Vinapu. There are many places where to stop, but some do not much remains to be seen, the Moai are broken and lie on the ground, but always fascinating. Two places of extraordinary beauty. Rano Raraku is an extinct volcano and was the quarry where they were taken to carve blocks of tufa statues. The place is littered with moai buried to the shoulders or neck and staring eyes that fill with mystery. Some still cling to the rock but for some reason have not completed the work?? Do not you ever would you go from here. The entrance ticket, which went from 5000 pesos to 30,000 pesos from 1 May 2010, also applies to the entrance to the village of Orongo. Ahu Tangariki is a platform by the sea with 15 moai, which had been placed at his feet after the fall caused by a tsunami in 1960. Only one has the hair, the other can be seen nearby. The place is beautiful. It seems impossible but Akena is a white sandy beach with palm trees on a volcanic island. In this cove the sea is calm, turquoise, immediately invites you to swim, too bad that the water is so cold. At this point, you will also find the 'Ahu Nau Nau: 7 moai erected, some with hair and a short distance the' Huki Ahu ature with a solitary and imposing Moai. A unique beach in the world. The third day, always with the car and unfortunately with the rain we visited the western part. You meet a lot of Ahu (platforms) but the most puzzling is the Ahu Moai Akivi with its 7, the only erected inland and the only one with the statues facing the sea. How many questions about this, but only speculation and no answers. The most interesting is the visit to the village of Orongo. It rises above the sea and from there the race would start to take over the first egg of the black tern. He descended from the rock, he swam up to small islands in front and after you had found the egg without breaking it back to the village. The winner, became the Birdman and ordered for the following year. You can see the houses of the early inhabitants, partially renovated, made of stone slabs. In a group of stones are carved the petroglyphs, on which you can clearly see the bird man. Across the village, a lake and marshes occupy the crater of an extinct volcano Ranu Kau. A beautiful landscape. Rapa Nui is an island that is worth all the hours of travel to get there, you forget the reality and what is unusual for us, time passes slowly here!!



Santiago

The house overnight Roja only recommended for younger

Do not let this particular emotions Chilean capital. The center, or Plaza de Armas is the oldest and the most crowded. Pedestrian areas around teeming with shopping malls, fast food, and as exchange houses throughout South America, a disproportionate number of shoe stores. At the Central Market, many varieties of fish, you can buy that is enjoyed in many restaurants inside. Also the fruit stalls gratify the eye. Clean and tidy is a nice place. Neighborhoods, and Bellas Artes Lastarria are the most elegant. You can climb on Cerro Saint Lucia, this rocky hill is now a park with paths and stone steps through which we reach the mirador tower. It is worthwhile, because the view of Santiago, with its snow-capped mountains is fantastic. For a break or a refined meal, the lively Patio Bellavista barrio homonym, offers an excellent choice and is a nice place. You can continue with a visit to La Chascona. Pablo Neruda, had it built as a place to meet his secret lover Urratia Matilda, who later became his third wife. The visit is only possible with a guide that covers everything well prepared and have answers to any curiosity about the life of this extraordinary poet. In the city there are so many museums, exhibitions, you can do many things, as well as wandering the streets and for lovers of chess in the Plaza de Armas daily from 13 to 21 to play! The gringos are welcome.

A very fine restaurant that offers a breathtaking view of Santiago is the Roundabout in the barrio Providencia. You can dine by candlelight on the sixteenth floor and slowly turns around the city, to the sound of a piano. It 'a magical place that is worth the price of dinner. It 'absolutely necessary to book in advance. www.giratorio.cl



Punta Arenas (Magallanes)

Overnight Hostal Terrasur highly recommended

Despite not having a lot to offer and that there is a tremendous wind, the city is quiet, very friendly and very emotional at the end of the world and then where you happen to see the dolphins jump while sitting in a taxi instead of a boat? After seeing the square, the unusual and extravagant municipal cemetery with rows of cypresses extraordinary, you wander through a store and the other, especially gorotex, warming in some coffee shop with excellent pastries and hot tea. We have good memories of this day, especially for the fact that we met Alejandro, traveling for business. A very special person with whom we dined, eating the local specialty, salmon Magellan and pleasant conversation with the customs and traditions of this wonderful hospitable people.

P.S. The atteraggio in Punta Arenas has been very hectic, but everyone says it's normal!

Puerto Natales (Ultima Esperanza)

Overnight Erratic Rock 2 highly recommended

The trip from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales lasts 3 hours. A straight road in the middle of desert, frozen lakes, and many sheep rheas, ostrich-like birds. A magical landscape to arrive in this small town hospitality and cold in August, but thankfully no wind. From here you can organize many excursions. The country is swarming with travel agencies, accommodation, gift shops, pubs and restaurants. The food is good everywhere, but our favorite is El Asador Patagonico, grilled meat accompanied by a beer to Australia for a good evening. It 'a small country and easy to browse, but it deserves a little' time. Torres del Paine National Park. It starts at around 7.30 am and after 30 km you can visit the Cueva del Milodon. In this beautiful cave is discovered the remains of an herbivore than 4 meters. The entrance is a full-size replica of the animal, more or less similar to the one that welcomes you to town. Then continue to the park. The trip is well organized, because you can see the area from different angles and with different landscapes. Visiting the Laguna Amarga you see guanacos, rheas, Andean condors and wonderful thing, the pink flamingos, real estate on one leg in the middle of a frozen lake. A show! We then reach the Salto Grande, imposing waterfall between the lake and the Pehoe Nordensjold. Peace, tranquility and breathtaking views. The most amazing is the Glacier Grey. Stroll along the lake to get to almost touch the icebergs. And 'custom to drink a glass of whiskey with ice thousands of years. There is no life in the lake, only one insect lives here on the ice. The Parque Nacional Torres del Paine is one of the most beautiful parts of South America and is known for its granite peaks, but everything is of incredible beauty. In its 1810 square kilometers can be hiking, including the famous path W. The facilities available to visitors, are of high standard.



National Park Bernardo O 'Higgins.

E 'reachable only by boat, with a very expensive day trip. In winter the boat 21 de Mayo party on Sundays only and Agunsa on Saturday with 10 passengers. We reach the glacier Balmaceda where we stop to take pictures of the boat, then get to the Serrano Glacier. During the trip we encountered a colony of cormorants. With a 30-minute walk you arrive at the foot of this glacier, which retreated in 50 years, has formed a lagoon that is filled with turquoise icebergs, from the most unusual. At its heart is the erratic rock, stone or wrong, because it is not exactly the place, but a fall from the mountain not stop there. There is a great silence, you clean the soul, at least in this period, because in summer there are at least 300 people every day. The trip lasts from 8 am to 17.00 including a stop at a ranch for lunch.



Perito Moreno

Who is traveling in Argentina during the day visit the park Torres del Paine and those traveling in Chile, visiting the magnificent Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina. 30 km long and 60 meters high is amazing. Advances up to 2 meters per day and this displacement causes the continuous collapse of massive blocks of ice falling into the lake with a roar indescribable. The noise is continuous because even in forming new cracks or crevasses and the roar of falling is very strong. The glacier can be seen in two ways. With an output of an hour by boat to become fully aware of his incredible size and walking on a series of catwalks (we think so exaggerated as to ruin the environment) to reach different viewpoints so you can see, hear and photograph in all its beauty. The trip is long, you start at 7 am and on towards 21.00, but well worth it along these 700 miles. Too bad that does not allow little time to visit the city of El Calafate. It 'a nice place, although very touristy, we would have liked to stay here!

The visit to Patagonia is well in winter. We found beautiful sunny days. The wind that blows even at 120 km per hour in August in Puerto Natales is absent. There is very little tourism and booking in advance you can make all the trips because travel agencies together to get the participants to a minimum. We got so lucky to always be a maximum of 4 to 9 people for trips that otherwise would exceed the hundreds in the high season. We enjoyed full of this isolated part of Chile.



Arica (Big North)

Overnight Hostal Mar Azul recommended

The city just a few steps from Peru, is crowded with beautiful pedestrian zone. The Iglesia San Marcos was designed by the same engineer of the Eiffel Tower, built in Paris and then sent by ship and assembled on site. It 's all metal. Unusual! For a beautiful view over the city and to admire the flight of the condor, with a short but steep climb we reach El Morro. A huge flag waving on the summit. Many tours depart from the city, we have chosen Lake Chungará and Parinacota. It starts at 7.30 am through the Valle de Lluta, where you can see ancient hieroglyphics. We then visit the church Pachoncile decadent. The journey continues, reaching further and share, spotting llamas, vicuna, and cacti viscacce candlestick. The landscape is bare, but charming, until you reach the lake Chungará mt. 4500 which reflects the spectacular volcano Payachatas. We will also visit the small village of Parinacota with its ancient church. Here you can buy the dried meat of the blade, tough but nutritious and tasty. At lunch you return to Putre, small and unique village around the inhospitable Chilean Tourism Agency We relied Lauca, serious, with equity and comfortable, with the oxygen tank if necessary and prepared a guide. Many people were hurt, because the sea level and you get to 4500 meters. in just 5 hours. The headaches, strong, and unfortunately still is insured for 2 days, not recommended for children.

Iquique

Our idea was to arrive by bus from Arica to Huara, take a taxi, visit the Gigante de Atacama, 86 meters high anthropomorphic figure., Visible on Cerro Unita. But given the devastation of the stop we thought we could stay there forever. So we continued to Iquique. We enjoyed the city, with its wooden houses of the nineteenth century, the square with the tower Reloj and a beautiful pedestrian street. Pleasant also the boardwalk, with high waves, a paradise for surfers. Waiting for the night bus to San Pedro de Atacama we cuddled in an elegant coffee really crowded. If you go from here take a break to "Chocolate".



San Pedro de Atacama http://www.sanpedroatacama.com/

Overnight Hotel Pachamama recommended

Invaded by tourists, the village is only a proliferation of hotels, restaurants, laundries, internet and countless local travel agencies. The Caracoles is the dusty main street and everything is very expensive, but just around the corner to find lovely rooms and eat at half price. The church in San Pedro Square has a wooden roof of cactus! Although it seems a Rimini in the desert is a really nice place and offers spectacular scenery. And 'situated at 2500 meters. and has a temperature ranging from +28 ° C to -18 C °. It 'absolutely necessary to wear an onion during the excursions. The agency Cactus Tour is recommended for the excellent service and if you have Paul as a guide, you will enjoy it the best.

Valley of the Moon: it leaves at 15.00 from San Pedro and after a short trip you get to the Valley of Death. You walk for an hour amid beautiful scenery and go down a sand dune where you can also sanboard. Then you wait for the sunset in the valley of the moon. The names of the two valleys have been given to make them more attractive to tourists. The Cactus Tour is the only agency that makes you see the sunset on a dune different from all other tours, so you can enjoy this time without the presence of 300 other people.

Geysers el Tatio: departure at 4.00 am to arrive at their destination after 2 hours. El Tatio geyser is the area (there are 64) the highest in the world, 4300 meters. The visit of these fumaroles surrounded by volcanoes, is suggestive dawn. The temperature was -11 ° C and has put a strain on even the most difficult to swim in the spa bath to +35 C °. After a chilly open-air breakfast, we depart to visit the village Machuca. It has a beautiful church, a few souvenir shop and a mini barbecue skewers of meat with a knife ready, as well as excellent empanadas and queso blade. Simply test are too good. He then goes for a walk in the desert rocks and cacti. The view is incredible, some are centuries old and reach up to 10 meters. The temperature rose to +25 C °. Nice experience.

Salar de Atacama: starting at 6.00 ready to be fast with Cactus Tour the first to arrive at Laguna Chaxa. The reason is that if you come only after another bus flamingos have already moved. The view is beautiful, an immense desert of salt mixed with sand is not white as you would expect. It's a cold killer. You visit Socoa where lunch and then we reach the lagoon and Miñiques Miscanti. It makes a nice walk to reach them, the view is wonderful. The tours are interesting, but in our care, and similar to those hasty school. Too many people.

Tours in Bolivia from San Pedro you can take a tour of 3 or 4 days in Bolivia. We had warm sleeping bag for the night and not even want to deal with 3 days of meals and accommodation very basic with no hot water, but we regret after a few kilometers in Bolivia. We found only one agency, the Mystic Atacama, which allowed us to do the 1 day tour because he had already registered and the minimum is 2 to 4. Usually recommended to do these trips with the Cordillera Travel agencies and Estrella del Sur, which is Bolivia's only 1 day but it was not possible. Departure at 8.00, Chilean customs and then a bus takes us to the Bolivian border. Having completed all the cards to come, we will have a cold breakfast and a jeep with Noel, our Bolivian guide. It has a pleasant face, we like now. It is part of the lake Chalviry, including volcanoes and dirt come to Polques where a tank of water gives us a pleasant, relaxing spa. It's sunny so it is very cold to get undressed and do not disturb. The journey continues through a desert strewn with rocks such as Dali inspired by the same painter. It then passes through a geothermal area, geysers, fumaroles, boiling mud, steam ... .. a lunar landscape. Around 13:00 we arrive at the Laguna Colorada. A huge surprise because we knew it was inhabited by thousands of pink flamingos. The water is red because of the presence of algae. It 'an isolated place that leaves you breathless and you do not believe your eyes. We return to where you can dine Polques simply mashed and wustel, there is time to take another bath, but now there is more wind and cold. We leave for the two lakes side by side, one white and one green color due to the presence of minerals. The view is fantastic, as during the whole trip. We now return to this beautiful day spent in nature without the tourists and buses, alone in the middle of nowhere. Noel greeted the bus waiting for us that brings us back to San Pedro. Do not miss this tour!



La Serena (Norte Chico)

Overnight Hotel Londres recommended

This city was the second step after the Easter Island, but since the trip to the Isla Damas to go to the national reserve to see the Humboldt penguin was not feasible in early August for the rough sea, we have completely revised the route to wait until the end of the month with better weather conditions. Just arrived in La Serena on August 24 and we booked the excursion at 8:00 am we were ready outside the hotel, an hour later we called the agency saying that the trip was canceled because there was a strike of fishermen, protesting against the construction of a thermoelectric. Not convinced we called the Conaf, who confirmed the problem. But as long as you had today! We could have stopped the next day, moving buses and hotels in Valparaiso, but we thought that maybe the trip was not to do ... ....! In any case, the second oldest city in Chile is very pleasant with its 29 churches. From the lighthouse, abandoned, you can walk along the sea up to Coquimbo. Are 11 km of bike path to get to the port in this city where you can watch from close hundreds of pelicans. But how beautiful!. At the port there are also many restaurants to eat fresh fish or impanadas, those mariscos camarones y queso, and are fantastic. Along the way, then there is a section with thousands of different species of birds, cormorants, gulls, condors and others of which we do not know the name. Look at the lights on top are full of condors drying their wings in the sun, but where we are ... ...! We are very pleased with this day, there has not rewarded the trip to the Isla Damas, even if the return was only a pedal effort.

PS. Three days later on the front page of El Mercurio was the news that the power plant will be built at Punta de Choros.

Valparaiso (Chile Central)

Overnight Hotel Casalatina recommended

It 'a city and certainly the most unusual feature of Chile can be said to be divided into two parts. Plan and district level, with large busy streets, shops, restaurants and the Muelle Prat, where boats depart for a hike among the giant cruise ships and navy. Then there are the hills, 42 to be exact. They are spectacular, with all metal colored houses, some in ruins, labyrinths, murals and escaleras to get on top of the turkey. But it's much more fun and less tiring to take an elevator, some are even 1883, seem decadent, but we tried them and ... .. work! The city puts a strain on the legs, but it's worth. All the elevators leading to the Mirador, one of the most beautiful and the elevator leading to the Artillery Paseo 21 de Mayo, a harbor view is breathtaking. We then descended the stairs, steep and full of murals. The lift El Peral is red, beautiful. The Espiritu Santo, leads directly to the open air museum, a path through murals. We think it's the most beautiful cities in every corner offers extraordinary artistic creations. On Cerro Bellavista is La Sebastiana, one of the houses of Pablo Neruda. You can climb from here on foot, by bus 612 or with collectivos, in any case you will be rewarded by the sight and visit this wonderful house that belonged to him exposes pieces. We also went to the mercado Cardonal and really ask yourself: "but those who buy and eat all these fruits and vegetables, have tons of merchandise!" So we liked the city very much.

Chile has nothing to do with the rest of South America, they say it is the Cordillera, which stops all! And 'one country to clean, the buses are on time, the quality meals and excellent hotels. It offers spectacular scenery and different. The people are friendly and polite at all times, we never felt uncomfortable. We were guests more than once at the home of Chilean families, known for the event. It 'been a wonderful journey that has left indelible memories, even for the cost!

Diary: Emanuela & Roberto www.turistinonpercaso.it