Foresta Hotel - Santiago Chile

The Foresta has been mentioned several times in previous blogs because of its unbelievable price ($36 including continental breakfast), perfect location, and convenience. The staff including the manager (bottom right) and Carmen (top left) were the best Even though no one spoke English and my Spanish was terrible, we seemed to do just fine. It was almost anachronistic to be using their free internet in the shadow of the suit of armor. A few downsides - no air conditioning and a high noise level. Ear plugs or Ambien is a requirement. Even mid-summer, the lack of air conditioning wasn't a problem as long as your room had a fan. The restaurant and bar at the top of the building has a good view of the park and city, but remember that eating hours are very different in South America. No one begins to think about dinner until 8pm or later. Also the chef is tempramental, but aren't they all!
One day I had to walk several blocks from the Foresta to meet a tour group at the Crown Plaza Hotel. The hotel was much nicer and charged $280 per night. $36 versus $280? No contest for me.
Happy Trails and onward to the south to visit Isla de Chiloe, the remote fishing islands of Chile.

Santa Lucia Park, Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile-the Castle Across the Street - Santa Lucia Park

One of the reasons for staying at the Foresta Hotel is that you can walk across the street and enter the world of Santa Lucia Park. I could imagine Escher designing some of the winding trails that climb to all sorts of turrets and chapels and castle embankments and various levels of parks. Some of the climbing is terrifying. The steps are odd shaped worn slabs of stone and if you are lucky there is an iron railing. As you climb higher, you need to squeeze between rocks and cross around narrow passgeways that seem to dangle over the city. The reward is the turret at the top with a 360 degree view of Santiago. Also you can see the San Cristobal Mountain, the highest point in the city, with its own fenuncular.
Each turn in the climb brings little pockets of shaded solitude with lush plants, wild park cats and parakeets, families picnicing, and people walking their dogs- a perfect time-out from Santiago city life.
Climbing down on the other side of the park brought other parks and trails that ultimately ended back at the Foresta Hotel, my home in Santiago. Tour the park with me at
http://picasaweb.google.com/ramblinme

Valparaiso, Chile - Faded Glory

Ok, I'll admit it. I fell in love with this city. In some ways it is like San Francisco, but more quirky, eclectic, steeper, with more electric Kool Aid colors. The house in this picture has been in several movies because it is 3 stories on one side and 6 on the other - dramatically showing how steep the hills are. You need to be in shape to tackle them.
At one time Valparaiso was a rich elegant city; the stopping off point for all ships on their long journey south. After the canal was built the city declined. It is in a semi- renewal mode now, with sections completely remodelled and showing off their bright new colors. Other sections have the old beauties, the victorian mansions sitting in ruins, while other sections have people living in huts made of corrugated tin. Even these huts in some places are painted the bright colors.
With the incredibly steep hills the city at one time had over 40 fenunculars, the elevator type cars that run on a track at an angle. As one car goes down the other comes up. Our tour group rode in one of the few left.
A large cobble stoned central square has statues, stores, and the headquarters for the Chilean Navy. The Navy building is an exquisite rennovation of one of the old mansions in grays and whites with maroon trim.
As the tour bus took us through one of the darker crowded streets of ruined buildings we were told that this section had been declared a World Heritage Site 10 years earlier. Unfortunately no investment has been made to restore that section and it remains a reminder of what might have been.
I will return to Valparaiso and spend more time getting to know this intriguing city. Every corner seemed to have more surprises and a half day is just a tease. Some of the photos I took of the city are titled Valparaiso, Chile on my photo website. Click on the address below, click on the Valparaiso photo for the album, and then click on "Slideshow."

http://picasaweb.google.com/ramblinme

Vina del Mar, Chile - the "Rich' side

Vina del Mar did have the California look of a wealthy beach city, with a few exceptions - very few people actually on the beach or in the water and no surfers or cyclists. After stepping in the water I know why so few swimmers. The ocean there is cooled by currents from the Antarctic and the water was in the high 40s, low 50s. Even though this is Chile , a large number of people come from Argentina - a 6 hour drive compared to a 12 hour drive to an Argentinian beach.
The tour group had time for a lunch and walk on the beach before heading off to the poor side of town - Valparaiso

The Easter Island Connection

A tour to see Valparaiso (a city near Santiago) started with a visit to a Moai, one of the mysterious stone statues from Easter Island (which is part of Chile). Only 4 Moai statues have been taken from the island and this is the one on mainland Chile. The guide said that the US has one in San Francisco. It was tempting to go to Easter Island while visiting Chile but the $600 6 hour flight was a deterent.
The tour's focus was to see the two seaside cities that sit side by side; Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. The guide described Valparaiso as the oldest city in Chile (1536) and the poorest and Vina del Mar as the newest and richest. An interesting way to begin the tour to the two cities...

Snow in Santiago, Chile

Santiago is known for great skiing with Portilla mountain a short one hour trip from the city. My trip however, was in the middle of their summer. I did not expect snow, but if there was this much snow in the summer, winter skiing has to be outrageous. Perhaps the next trip.....
Chile is known for its excellent wines, fruits and vegetables that are regularly shipped to the US, but the country itself remains somewhat of a mystery to most Americans. Chile wasn't open for tourism until 1992 and it has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to compete with other South American countries like Brazil and Argentina for American tourists. During my entire stay in Chile (8 days) I met only 2 American couples and very few locals who spoke any English. It felt like a great adventure into uncharted territory. Thank goodness the primary language of Chile is Castellano (Spanish) rather than the Portugese spoken in Brazil. I remembered some of the Spanish I learned living in Los Angeles, especially the important words concerning food, drink, and bathrooms. (What does it say about me that I can order a beer in 10 languages??) Luckily, I had my pocket size Latin American Spanish English dictionary from Lonely Planet, which I highly recommend. It has Castellano and Portugese as well as two remote mountain languages you may need in South America.
Couldn't wait to experience this wonderful new country......