The Great Chilean Roadtrip!

My last week at Finna Estampa was great but it was really sad to leave Monica and Rolf! They had become my Chilean family and I am so glad to have gotten to know them and be a part of their lives for the past month. They have a really special hotel and they truly treat their guests like guests. I learned a lot about how to run a property that is comfortable and inviting, but still professional and efficient. Working with them was definitely a valuable and overall enjoyable experience!!

Day 1: 

Brad and Patricia have made it to Chile!! As soon as my parents arrived at Finna Estampa about noon, they picked me up in their cute little Toyota Rav 4 and we went straight to Viña Viu Manent for a wine tasting. It was a perfect kickoff to the trip to drink beautifully crafted wine in the middle of a picturesque vineyard. Starting the trip off right! Then we went to the vineyard’s adorable restaurant for an amazing and huge lunch. We couldn’t even eat dinner that night because we were still so full. We waddled ourselves out of the restaurant and drove to downtown Santa Cruz to visit the Colchagua Museum. It’s an enormous museum with artifacts from pre-Spanish colonization up until present time, including an extensive exhibit on the 2010 rescue of the 33 Chilean miners that even had the actual capsule that was used to transport the men from the mine back to the surface. It seems a little random that this small town in the countryside has so many significant artifacts pertaining to Chile’s history and culture, but apparently the owner/curator just buys up everything he can. The whole place is a little overwhelming actually, and you could easily spend 7 or 8 hours going through all the rooms if you wanted to read about and look at everything. Luckily we prioritized and made it out in about 3 (skipping a few less-than-fascinating exhibits) and followed up with a quick walk around the corner to the Hotel Santa Cruz in the main plaza to relax in their courtyard with some drinks. This would be the beginning of a trip-long passion for the sweet and sour apertivo known as the Pisco Sour. Too bad pisco (a grape brandy that’s a specialty of Chile and Peru) is so hard to find in the States!

Day 2:

Monday started with a walk through the vineyard with the dogs (who I am so sad to leave!!) and then relaxing in the garden of the hotel. It was really fun to have my parents stay at Finna Estampa and meet Monica and Rolf. Despite the language barrier, involving lots of hand gestures and expectant stares at me to translate (which was great practice for my Spanish!), they communicated well enough to have conversations about traveling and airplanes and more.

Thor and Diana playing in the vineyard

Relaxing in the garden and enjoying the sun!

Then we went on to our vineyard tour at Viña Mont Gras for their “Haga su Propio Vino” (“Make your Own Wine”) tour, which was great fun! They give you a tour of their vineyard and tell you all about the history and process (typical wine tour fare) and then take you to a cellar downstairs where you use three types of their own wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenere, to try different creations by mixing them in different proportions to make your own unique bottle. Then you bottle it, cork it, burn the foil top on it, and put a label on it, making it very official looking! You even get to keep the apron! We had way too much fun on this tour I think.

Viña Mont Gras

This is what the bark of a cork tree looks like. It's actually squishy just like cork.

They let you drink right out of the tanks

Experimenting with different combinations

Corking the wine

Final product!

Then we went straight from that tour, with a quick stop for a pizza and some empanadas for lunch downtown, to Viña Santa Cruz for a tour and tasting. Their vineyard built up into the hills, and has a fun cable car that takes you up to the top that gives you an incredible view of the vineyard and the hills. And there were even llamas up on the top. Still not sure why, but they were super cute! And there was even an antique car museum on the same property, owned by the same curator of the Museo Colchagua, that Dad was pretty happy to spend some time exploring. Seems pretty random to me, but they had some cool old cars! Keeping with the car theme, we took advantage of the vacant country roads and the parking lot of the vineyard for me to learn to drive stick shift. I am NOT a multi-tasker, so it took me a few minutes (and a few times stalling the engine) to kind of get the hang of it. I’m definitely not about to go buy a stick shift car, but it was a fun lesson!

The cellar at Viña Santa Cruz

Cable car up to the top

Such goofy animals

When we got back to the hotel room, we realized that we had accumulated quite a few bottles of wine from all the vineyard trips, but I suppose there are worse problems that having to figure out how to pack and abundance of wine bottles. And we got rid of one when we opened up a bottle of champagne to share with Monica and Rolf on our last night at Finna Estampa, toasting to their hospitality and save travels on our next adventure. I gave them a little parting, ‘thank you’ gift too, which included a few Reese’s pumpkins, that Monica found out she loves when I gave her a taste of mine (My parents love me so much that they brought me Reeses’ pumpkins!! How I’ve missed peanut butter). But I can sacrifice a few to Monica for all that she and Rolf have done for me during the past month. I’m really going to miss them! But maybe I’ll see them again in the future; they know they are welcome in Orlando whenever, and I would love to take them up on their offer for me to return to Finna Estampa and stay with them as a guest.  We ended our evening with a delicious Italian dinner at Vino Bello, owned by a woman from California, who also uses the same site that I used to find my job at Finna Estampa in order to find people from all over the world to come work at her restaurant. Seems like a good deal to me!

Day 3:

We left Finna Estampa just after breakfast, after saying a sad goodbye to Monica and Rolf (and Thor and Diana, the adorable dogs) But we were off on the next leg of our adventure and now the roadtrip had officially begun! We made our way through beautiful country backroads to the Panamerican Highway and then traveled south toward Los Angeles. We stopped along the way at the Saltas del Laja, a huge waterfall unlike any that I’d ever seen. There was even a rainbow to complete the picture!

After our stop at the waterfall, we continued on to our hotel for the night, a sweet little residential, Residencial el Rincon, secluded in the woods next to a river. It was a very tranquil spot to relax and explore their gardens. Getting there was interesting, since it was about 2 km on wooded back roads, and we weren’t quite sure what we were going to find at the end (definitely a good thing we had 4 wheel drive!), but it ended up being the perfect little place, very welcoming and comfortable. It was just us and a German man staying there, and the owners Wendy and Roland, a really interesting couple that have sailed all over the world and decided to settle in this quiet part of Chile and open a small hotel/guest house. They were great hosts, and we loved being able to get to know them. And that night, Wendy cooked a lovely meal with most of the ingredients coming from her garden. We felt very at home there!

Day 4:

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast, complete with homemade jams and non-instant coffee, and then said goodbye to our hosts and new friends. Hopefully we’ll see them again sometime and place in the future! We got on the highway and continued south to Pucon, a little town on lake Villarica with lots of places for hiking and water-related activities. On the way we saw fields of beautiful yellow flowers that covered huge areas. I found out later that they're actually an invasive species and no one likes them, but I think they're pretty at least! We went on one hike to the Ojos del Carbugua, some waterfalls where 2 rivers converge into a clear, blue pool. We spent the afternoon exploring Pucon, shopping (I got a new rain jacket that isn’t horrible!! And Mom bought an adorable pair of shoes) and stopping in a cute little creperia for tea time and a crepe.

Ojos del Carbugua

View from the roof of the hotel

Day 5:

Today is Halloween! I celebrated with a Reese’s pumpkin, which is the only way I ever want to celebrate Halloween anyway, so it was perfect for me. We drove today from Pucon to Valdivia, a city on the river that’s famous for being the home of the Kuntsmann Brewery, a super popular beer in Chile. We had lunch in their German restaurant (which is already being decorated for Christmas and that makes me so happy!) and then took a tour of the brewery and had a tasting. It was actually really delicious too! Then we meandered along the river’s edge by the market, watching the sea lions and seals that linger nearby, looking for scraps from the fishermen. It turned out to be a sunny day, so it was nice to be by the river. Our hotel, Villa del Rio, is on the other side of the river, overlooking the city. We explored the hotel grounds a bit and then out for a great meal at Murtao, a cozy restaurant with lots of different varieties of pisco sours, which is always fun! My meal of cheese and crab stuffed Hake, with a side of hazelnut quinoa risotto was probably one of my favorites on this trip. Amazing.

perfection

I can never resist a face in a hole!

Christmas season is beginning!!

The most enthusiastic beer tasting

Salud!

Sea lions patiently awaiting fish scraps

These are HUGE

Rio Calle Calle by night

and by morning

Day 6:

Our next stop was Puerto Varas, but we stopped in Angelmó, a neighborhood market in Puerto Montt, for some fresh seafood in one of about 20 small, restaurants, most with just 1 room and 2 or 3 communal tables. The one we chose was owned by a sweet older woman, who made an amazing fried congrio and Avalones, which are both very typical of Chile.  And we shared a table with a friendly group of Chileans and 2 of them were actually living in Virginia, so it was nice to chat with them and get recommendations and their perspectives on the area. I love that social atmosphere of this country!

Seal swimming by the beach in the harbor

Fried Congrio

After lunch we wandered around the seafood and artisanal market and I bought an insanely comfy Alpaca sweater and some socks, which you can never have enough of. Then we got back on the highway and continued to Puerto Varas and our hotel. Our hotel, Gran Hotel Colonos del Sur, is right on the lake, overlooking the Osorno and Cabuco Volcanoes, which are so beautiful when the sky is clear enough to see them. We explored the downtown area a bit, and then went out for dinner at La Jardinera, a little highly-recommended restaurant that did not let us down. We had a Thai and Indian themed dinner, followed by one of the best desserts I’ve ever had, a warm sticky toffee pudding with homemade ice cream. We are definitely not starving on this trip!

Day 7:

We woke up early this morning to get ready for our 8 am pick up for our flyfishing float trip on the Maullin River. Cristian, our guide, and Juan, our driver, met us at the hotel and we drove to the river where we donned our waders (so official looking!) and put the boat in the water. After a quick lesson on land on how to use the fly rod and a group picture with Cristian (and a selfie of Juan that he accidently took while trying to take a picture of us), we hopped in the boat and we were off. The boat was a little crowded, but we made it work! One person would use the fly rod off the front of the boat and another would use the spinner rod off the back. Mom caught the first fish of the day, right as we were passing a group of Chilean fisherman on the shore and Cristian asked them how the fishing was going, and the responded that it wasn’t very good. Her fish hit about 2 feet away from their line. Oops! It was exciting to have caught a fish though! We spent the next few hours floating down the quiet river looking at the beautiful Patagonian landscape. After a bit, we stopped in a field for a delicious lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches and coca-cola. We also had another lesson with the fly rod, and it was really good to practice on land a bit more. It can be tricky on the boat with the movement and trying to avoid trees and things.  After we got back on the boat, I practiced more and got the hang of it after a while, and I really like it! The rhythm of it makes it very relaxing. I’d definitely like to try it again. We kept floating for another few hours and caught a few more fish, some brown trout, rainbow trout, and some other little fish. Mom caught the first and last fish of the day, and Dad caught one on the fly in the last 5 minutes of the trip, just in time! We were greeted on shore by a friendly black lab and Juan to drive us back to our hotel. The flyfishing trip was just what we were looking for: a relaxing, casual day on the water learning to flyfish in a beautiful place. And we even caught a few fish so that was just the cherry on top!

Good morning!

Flyfishing models

Juan trying to take a picture of us and accidentally taking a selfie

So excited to be on the river!

First fish of the day

Kiss the fish

Lesson on land

Fish on the fly!

Our lovely greeter when we got off the boat

The fish slayers with our guide!

We got back in the evening just in time to see the volcanoes before the clouds came in, and Dad and I went on a hunt to find a famous viewpoint in Puerto Varas of the church with the lake and volcano in the background. After about an hour of driving around backroads trying to find the right perspective, we found the spot and took a beautiful picture with an ugly crane in the way. Maybe we can photoshop it out… Then we spent some time in the hot pool at the hotel before setting out to find dinner. We found a delicious little Italian restaurant, D’Alessandro, and had a great pizza and salad. And we saw the sunset from the window, which was amazing the way that it lit up the Osorno Volcano and turned the whole thing pink. A great end to a great day.

Driving back into Puerto Varas

Those colors!! And look at the pink volcano!

Day 8:

Today is sadly our last day! We drove from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt, where we hopped on the ferry that crosses the channel to the island of Chiloé. From there, the Panamerican Highway continues on to Ancud, a little town on the north part of the island. Ancud will be my new home for the next month or so!

Goodbye mainland Chile...

And hello Chiloé Island!

Ancud in the distance, across the bay

We continued on past Ancud another 30 min to go straight to Puñihuil, where the penguins nest every October to March. It’s a picturesque drive the whole way, the road following the coast with dramatic rolling green hills and sheer cliffs dropping down to wide beaches, with sheep and cows roaming all over. The landscape here is amazing. Not what I was expecting at all.

We made it to the beach and drove to one of the 3 or 4 restaurants that we were directed to by Pablo, who would turn out to be a good friend. When we went inside, we were greeted by Melanie, a sweet Canadian who moved down here. After talking with her a bit about why we’re here, she said that her friend owns a hostel here who is expecting someone to come and work, and it turns out that it was me! So it was nice to know that there were already people in town who knew about me. I felt like I already had friends on the island.

View from lunch

After a delicious lunch, we went on the tour with Pablo and saw all the penguins on their islands! They all come here to breed in the summer. There are 2 types of penguins here, ones from the north of Chile and others from the South, and they follow the currents that converge at Puñihuil and they nest on the islands. They were so cute!! And they somehow climb up into the peaks of the hills, navigating boulders and everything. They look very awkward doing it but I love their awkwardness.

The clever invention of a cart to take you to the boat!

Ignore my finger and my horrible video skills and just watch the cute penguins climb the rocks!

The islands where the penguins live

Our cute little Rav 4 navigating the Puñihuil beach

After the penguin tour we drove back into Ancud, and found a hotel that was much better than the original we booked. The other was full of rude people (among the first genuinely unpleasant people I’ve encountered in Chile). So we moved over the Galeón Azul, a quirky bright yellow building overlooking the water, with friendly people. Even if the doorknob did break off in dad's hand (which we actually found hilariously quirky), it was still 1000 times better than the Petit Hotel Ancud! We did some reorganized of the luggage, trying to make all the wine bottles and souvenirs fit, plus all the clothes and everything of mine that I don’t need anymore that I’m sending back with my parents. We actually made it all work somehow! And it’s so nice to have less things since I’ll be living in a hostel for the next month and a half and space is a little more limited than in my last places. We walked from the hotel to a restaurant that Melanie recommended, Retro’s, which is a casual bar/pub with really good fajitas and burgers and other bar food. Certainly not a typically Chilean meal, but it was delicious and just right!

Nov 7:

Now I’m in Ancud working at 13 Lunas Hostel, and it’s been an amazing first few days. The owners and staff here are friendly and welcoming and fun, and I fit into life here pretty easily. Yesterday was my first official day working the reception desk, and it was great.  I love receiving guests and making them feel welcome. And this is such a great place to welcome people to. It’s a sociable and well-organized hostel in a beautiful place; not much more you could ask for! And it’s such a friendly atmosphere here to hang out with staff and guests and get to know people that are staying here. It’s funny how quickly you connect with people and make friends in hostels, especially here. I’ve already met some really interesting people and I’m confident I’ll meet plenty more, who I’ll keep in touch with after they leave here. Here’s the link to the hostel if you’d like to take a look at it yourself! http://www.13lunas.cl/english/home

Hard at work!

 

The Great Chilean Roadtrip was a huge success!! I'm so glad that we were able to do it. We covered so much ground and saw a good variety of things, experiencing lots of Chile and all of its natural beauty. I'm so happy I got to share this amazing country with my parents. And I had so much fun planning it too. Maybe trip planning is in my future...

I'm really happy to have settled in Ancud and am enjoying it a lot so far! Stay tuned to how my life and work experience goes here. I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to tell. In a hostel, life is never boring :)

Besos xox