From northern Chile to Patagonia region.. Tour de force in Chile

2-week tour de force from the north to Patagonia in Chile, with a final stop to the mythical Easter Island.
As far as I'm concerned I can say that I liked so much the north of Chile over the Andes amazing, so I was disappointed in the Chilean Patagonia.
Easter Island is very interesting, sin is so small that in 2 days we have seen everything. the misfortune is that there are only 2 flights a week to the island and then tap to stop at least 4 days ..... are too many.
There sconsoglio to go to Chile with Iberia, which is terrifying, and Lan Chile is an excellent company.
The climate is pleasant. And 'the winter, but overall it's fine. Always raining in Patagonia, it is obviously more humid and chilly .. On Easter Island is a tropical climate.
In the Andes there is a strong temperature change, a very hot day, cold at night.
The Chilean cuisine is super-wonderful.
If you come from Santiago go to Las Vacas Gordas.

 

Finally came the day of departure. I have to pull for my afternoon flight to Madrid in the evening. Are attacked by hunger cosmic and since it seems that you do not eat on Iberia (not a low cost airline, but you pay to eat and even a lot), I'm going to shoot a giant slice of pizza in the cafeteria. Finally, the take-off. The plane is full of tourists in Bermuda shorts and flip-flops in Mexico and direct Brazilian beaches. But who made ??me do go to the cold?
The appointment with Daniela, my traveling companion was in Madrid. It will only be a short meeting, because there will go up on two different planes, which depart every half hour drive, direct to your final destination, not being able to find 2 seats on the same aircraft. Just enough time to do 4 steps and tell us about it, its flight, operated by Lan Chile, the right on schedule at midnight, while mine is given with Iberia already 2 hours late on the board.
At 2.30 am (with 2 hours and a half late) I finally embark on a horrific and very old Airbus 340-300, with brownish turds seats, headphones do not work, music channels, and that should not be a single small monitor and invisible of attaching the "Mission Impossible III", to which I give for obvious reasons. I just have to try to sleep, when the old man next to me was the beautiful stone's designed to fall asleep and start snoring continuously, going forward for all 14 hours of flight.

After more than 14 hours of endless flight, poor food, and now awake 50 hours, no other than dawn landed in Santiago, capital of Chile
At the airport is a bustle of actants that come from our hemisphere skiers to ski in the Andes, even in our summer, but not even look at them, because they fucked up from sleep and seeds from the bitter cold. The temperature is 12 degrees. Daniela has already arrived for 2 hours and passes and waiting for me in the airport parking lot.
After a quick breakfast of strawberry juice and biscuits we start our journey to Santiago.
The city looks interesting. And 'surrounded by the Andes, with their snow-capped peaks that reach 5,000 meters, giving a spectacular view of Santiago. The city is modern and rich, not how I expected. It 'a mixture of many different cities, there are angles that remind me of the old Paris and London, a neighborhood full of great signatures equal to Beverly Hills and other neighborhoods and other more traditional Spanish style of South and Central America. Santiago is busy and full of people. Daniela and I, instead of looking at the monuments, churches and museums, we are lost for markets.
If you ever happen to go over there, where you walk in the pedestrian eye, or you risk being hit by cars. Walking the streets that cut through the pedestrian streets are not marked and are free of traffic lights, seem almost inseparable from the pedestrian area, there is no difference in the pavement. Follow the Chileans and everything will be smooth.
In the evening, after touring and visited the racecourse, the fish market, the longest river, the pedestrian streets of the center, the business district, parks, museums and churches, and so on and so forth, of board of a lady of the hotel, Daniela and I go to eat at "Las Vacas Gordas," what will become our favorite restaurant. They are eaten grilled meats and huge high (minimum 500 grams), which is cooked on sight enormous braziers, empanadas, papas in all sauces, kebabs, succulent camarones and other local specialties, among the local (the place being shirker in an alley away from the central area and unreachable by tourists). How wonderful food and the bill is only $ 11,000! We are so used to the euro, we take a shot, but actually after doing 4 accounts we find that it is just 20 euro 2! The first day is not bad.

Today is dedicated to the visit of Valparaiso, a city on the sea, the most important port of this country's long and Viña del Mar, Chile Forte dei Marmi.
Before reaching the sea, however, we stop in the area of ??the vineyards, visiting a winery, learning the art of fine wine and swill wine glasses with red and white on an empty stomach at 10 am.
Valparaiso is a colorful town, perched on the hills by the sea. It seems a huge rainbow because of its tiny colored boxes and a variety of sheet metal roofs, very similar to San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas (although very much less beautiful). The hills are so steep that in order to facilitate the movement is a succession of lifts and cable cars that bring people home from the seashore to the hills.
First you go to see "La Sebastiana", one of the houses where he lived the poet Pablo Neruda, a building very funny on multiple levels, rooms full of strange, like a sailboat and folleggiante almost like the "Vittoriale", then me and Daniela we decided to climb on the funicular railway to the city to take a test drive. The funicular called Conception is claustrophobic, like a studio than 1 square meter, all old wood and equipped with a mini bench (I do not know why because the journey takes a minute poor). When you first hand there is a little 'scared because of the mechanisms are creaky and wobbly cable car, in short, the medium is always the same since 1880. Once at the port area we stop the enormous Sotomayor Square, across the tiled a Chilean. Having not yet learned the art of architecture road, oblivious to walk, not knowing that the square is not as it seems pedestrian, but the cars being driven and parked without there being a rule.
For lunch we went to Viña del Mar, where it seems that all Chileans pass the summer holidays. Pity that the beautiful beaches and cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean pissed off, been ruined by this pouring of concrete and skyscrapers.
Daniela and I we enjoy the meal with great local dishes: machas the parmesan, seafood, or pink in the middle between oysters and mussels, which are baked in a gratin with parmesan cheese and white wine and chupe de mariscos, a soup phenomenal and nutritious seafood served in bowls of hot and typical black cast iron.
To digest we take a walk on the beach, we stopped in a room made entirely of glass, shaped like a wave on the beach and sipping the famous cafe cortado accompanied with water and chocolates. Then we decide to wander through the stalls and we buy some sweets from the pastry an old sailor of the place, without understanding what we are buying, because the sailor is expressed in Chilean narrow and lacks teeth, so it's really hard to follow the conversation.
On the highway back to Santiago I see the most beautiful sunset and red fire of my life.
In the evening I go to dinner and Dani "Ana Maria", a very elegant and exclusive restaurant near the Hippodrome, where to get it to sound the bell, like a private club.
For dinner I eat congrio, a local fish resembling the cod and cream de choclo and I understand that if you continue to eat so well, I will return with at least 5 pounds more.

The wake is scheduled at dawn. Today we have to take the plane to go to the Andes, in San Pedro de Atacama, on the border with Bolivia, at an altitude of 2,550 meters above sea level.
Actually landed in Calama, the Andes, where we expect the young Rodrigo our local guide.
The temperature in 1 hour is spectacular and breathtaking landscapes, rocks, minerals and dunes we arrive in San Pedro de Atacama.
This town is amazing and worth the trip. It 'a place forgotten by the world, with houses made ??of clay, in the dust, no asphalt, stray dogs, "Rastoni" and people freak. It seems to shoot scenes in the midst of an old western, or being in the pueblo of New Mexico, seems to live in a new age community. The atmosphere is unique and there are also stalls full of crap. I have found paradise!
In the afternoon we visit the nearby Valley of the Moon, similar to a split in the rocks of Petra in Jordan, which is reached by walking on the dunes. The dunes are so high that you can even surf. The landscape is very beautiful.
Return to San Pedro, dusty, dehydrated, Dan and I go to dinner at 'the "Adobe", the trendy restaurant of the citadel, where we eat outdoors (despite the steep fall in night temperature), in front of a campfire under the stars, with Andean musicians playing funny instruments in the background. What a dream!
Let's go to sleep "Kimal", a hotel with the features of a pueblo, whose rooms are in the little house where the vegetation is incorporated. The roof of the hut is made of glass, pull the curtain that covers the ceiling and I sleep under the bright stars and many of the southern hemisphere, the Milky Way and the full moon. Who could ask for more from life?

Today after an encroachment in the nearby Bolivia, we stop in a remote pueblo named Toconao Radio.
To finish the day, as in the most romantic of holidays, we go to the Salar de Atacama, Laguna Chaxa to see the sunset and the reserve of flamingos. This rich day never seems to end and we still want to reserve a magnificent breathtaking spectacle.
And 'winter and Saline are not pure white as I expected (the salt is not formed at all) and as I had seen pictures, but the show deserves it anyway.
Imagine a vast expanse of salt, the pink flamingos in contrast, the absolute silence, the mountains and the sunset colors of various shades of pink and purple all the scenery around.
No one dares to speak, caught as we are by the beauty and magic of the place. Even after the sun has set behind the Andes rise up and dare to break the spell. I am speechless.
When you are going to get dark we go to a shelter at the entrance of the Salar, where, for the extraordinary ending to the day, the park guards and Rodrigo have set up a gargantuan banquet-style happy hour, and while sipping Chilean wines, pisco sours and eat dried fruit, cheese and biscuits, we continue to look at the Andes.
We return in the evening in San Pedro, where Daniel and I continue to buy the jewelry, paintings, "Andean shit", to finish eating all '"estancia", a cute room with fireplace and a huge dragon embedded in the wall.
We fall asleep as usual under the stars and a huge full moon.

The alarm clock, to my great joy, is at 4 am. There comes the tea bag when it's time for breakfast. We expect 2 hours of heavy dirt road, uphill, to reach the El Tatio Geysers at 4,321 meters above sea level. The reason for up early, distance apart, is that you can watch the eruption of geysers at dawn.
As soon as we arrive, Rodrigo tells us that there are -12 degrees outside. The panic comes over me, and because an empty stomach (apparently you can not eat because of the sulfur gas), and because tired, and because I do not think of being equipped for a cold so pungent when awake. Less than twelve goats in the mountains in winter they usually ....
As soon as I get off the bus I get stabbed by the frost and I feel bad. Around the geysers like an automaton, unable to appreciate the beauty, the sulfur vapors bubbling jets and colored, hardly perceiving the colors of the dawn is coming out behind the peaks of 6,000 meters.
The Tatio is divided into three zones well separated. Arrive at the third, when the sun, a little 'higher, it begins to warm up a little' air, there is prepared a banquet to refresh and give us energy. After the pain, and who wants to can relax by taking a bath in hot springs. But I do not launch.
We spend the afternoon to relax, and rest a little shopping around, asleep in just touched the mattress.
Dinner from Los Vascos based giant empanadas.

Last day unforgettable in the Andes, so different and far more beautiful than those Peruvian want to leave even a little. 'I'm going to plant roots in a beautiful place like San Pedro!
The day is devoted to visiting some old Atacameni settlements, such as Picasa and the fortress of Quitor of Aldea de Tulor. The view is beautiful, but after seeing the Laguna Verde and Laguna Chaxa nothing can compare to, so the day goes fast. It 'time to embark on the plane that will bring us back to civilization.
The impact of trafficking Santiago is a real blow to the heart after several days surrounded by the silence and beauty of nature.

Like any holiday that you respect the alarm is at 5. We must embark on a direct flight to Puerto Montt, a town south of the country, in the middle of the Chilean Patagonia, a place in the Great Lakes region where it rains 360 days a year, but that seems to be absolutely divine in the only 5 days of sunshine. The real lucky it happened in those days, but, being summer, giving birth already disconsolate.
The flight is quiet and we landed in Puerto Montt in a dazzling burst. The landscape is very green, for me a mix of New Zealand, Canada, Ireland and Maine.
We are demoralized by the rain, but happy because we will soon embark on a ferry that will take us to the island of Chiloe, UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the 150 churches and colorful wooden stilts that characterize the island. We are unaware of the fact that Ciloti are protesting against the government to prevent the island is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Moral, is prohibited and remain frigates set sail.
Let's stay in Puerto Varas. Daniela and I can find a positive side also in Puerto Varas. Meanwhile, this town on Lake Llanquihue is a gem. I'm so New Zealand. Secondly, the shopping is amazing. Our favorite store is called "Vicky Johnson." In the evening we are informed of the blockade of the island until Sunday. No chance to visit Chiloe. Basically we ended up in no man's land, in the freezing cold at all. At least I can say that I have seen in Patagonia and beautiful, are now certain that there are places like the best and much closer to (or far away depending on your point of view).
Obviously not stop raining, it's wet and cold, so we stay the night in the hotel restaurant to eat in front of the fireplace.

Just to do something we go to Fruttillar, the place where the strawberries are born and there is an old German colony, pity it is not strawberry season and it rains heavily. We go around the lake that never seems to end up LLanquiuhe.
We end up in Puerto Octay, where nothing is nothing and decide to return to base.
Let's go back to Puerto Montt to visit the fish market in San Angelmó. It 'very nice, but it rains. The dried seaweed and seafood buckets hanging like necklaces, although extraordinary and characteristic not seem to care much.
We have dinner at the hotel (with cabbage that I go, I do not have a dress dry).

Always in the rain to go Vicente Perez Rosales National Park to see the famous waterfalls of the Osorno Volcano and Petrouhè.
The waterfalls are immense and turquoise. Too bad that now the water is the only constant in this part of the trip. I'm sick of having wet clothes, I can not stand being surrounded by water in all its forms and types, only missing the snow already ... eh, I am satisfied, because on top of the Osorno Volcano balls to pull us find ourselves snow, surrounded by snow up to his neck.

Finalmente stiamo per lasciare la pioggia e la Patagonia per tornare a Santiago, dove abbiamo una coincidenza per Rapa Nui, l’Isola di Pasqua.
Sono emozionata perché in fondo Rapa Nui è Polinesia, perché è un luogo mistico, è lontano 18.000 km dall’Europa, il punto più lontano a est. Così in là non mi ero mai spinta, non in quella direzione almeno, visto che mi sono spinta ben oltre. Posso dire che ormai ho circumnavigato il globo e ne sono orgogliosa.
Arriviamo ad Hanga Roa, la capitale la sera. Scendendo le scalette dell’aereo vengo avvolta da una brezza calda e mi sembra di rinascere. Come se non bastasse, veniamo tutti accolti in aeroporto con bellissime ghirlande di orchidee viola. Alohaaaaaaaaaaa…..benvenuti in Polinesia!!!
Il nostro alberghetto è molto spartano, ed è attaccato alla pista dell’aeroporto.

Here we are on Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui, or as the end point of the matrix, the navel of the world, Te Pito or Te Henua.
The island is 12x25 km, beautiful, very bleak because deforested by ancient kings for the construction of the famous Moha, the large stones that are known to all.
Geographically is part of Polynesia (politically, Chile), but because of earthquakes and the movement of the plates, is moving further south to Patagonia and (poor things). Cmq fate is even more sad because it seems that one day a tsunami flood at all.
The indigenous population is 111 inhabitants, others are mixed Polynesian, or Chileans.
The scenery is great, a little 'Scottish, there are wild horses that graze anywhere. The sea is crystal clear, pink-white beaches and the volcanic soil. The climate is tropical, very variable and occasionally a slight and imperceptible drizzle drops for no longer than 1 minute.
The first day we immediately teaspoon of 5 Ahus Vaihu, Akahanga Tongariki, Te Pito, Te Kura, Nau Nau, or more than 500 Moha in one day. Too much even for me, finally I've got out of his eyes.
Ranu Raraku volcano, visit the factory of Moha, on top of which there is a stunning lake, one side of which is overlooking the ocean.
In the evening we go to the beach of Anakena, where there are other Moha. The sea is beautiful, cold and do not swim.
For dinner, we go from "Pecheur", the most famous restaurant on the island.
It is very good eating fish from Polynesian bizarre names, shame about the service is bad and the bill.

Today we can only look at what remains of archaeological interest in the tiny island, such as the Museum, a few petroglyph, Moha the only ones who do not look the land but the sea and the second volcano, Rano Kao to which is even more beautiful in the first .
The day goes fast.

Today we just get bored, we did not know how to shoot at night.
We turned to stands with the same crap for tourists at least a hundred times.
At dinner we booked from "Orongo" on the advice of Dinah, a woman who lives in Reggio Calabria to Hanga Roa for 18 years because of a mystical
Of course the bill is sky high, like everything on this island and the bastard makes us pay 2 a tuna as two entire menu at full price. Crazy yes, but with a great business sense, it seems ... ..

It's time to leave this island lost in the void, under a strong tropical downpour.
We land in a very sunny and hot Santiago.
The city has been processed, do not remember it so beautiful.
Let's go for a stroll to enjoy the city and go back to "Las Vacas Gordas", of empanadas, soups, kebabs, big prawns, wine and mint sink-plungers, we feel satisfied.

It's time to leave. I leave alone because Dani stops a day longer.
I just wanted to spend more time in the Andes .....
The flight is on time, the noon. Iberia, Lan Chile flights after 6, it is even uglier than I remembered.
The worst flight of my life. In only 14 hours a sandwich and a glass of water and woe to ask for more ..... And then as the first leg, lights and audio out of use.
Delirium.