Last Updated: 29-NOV-2019
DAILY WRITE UP - Our last day. This is going to be a LONG day as in the end I was up 36+ hrs. with two flights. We checked out of the hotel early and set out on a exploration of Chile's Pacific coast via motor-coach with a local expert. During our journey, we went to two neighboring but quite different coastal cities, Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Valparaiso, our first stop, is the second largest city in Chile and it enjoys a spectacular location between the mountains and the sea. This historic port and university town is famous for its more than 50 small hills connected by an ingenious network of twisting streets, stairways, cable car lines, flower filled balconies, and lookout platforms, all over a unique cityscape with spectacular views of the bay from which the city takes its name. On foot, we will examine the Historic Quarter of the old town and the new,
We made a stop in Cerro Florida to visit La Sebastiana, a historic house-turned museum, which was the one-time home of Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. We will then take the funicular railway to reconvene with the motor-coach, which we will board for the short transfer north to Vina del Mar, Chile's premier coastal resort famous for its beaches and a bustling commercial sector. Vina del Mar is known as the Ciudad Jardin, or "Garden City," thanks to its lavish gardens and subtropical atmosphere. This city was founded in 1874 due to the economic development mainly achieved by the mining activity and the good rank reached by the aristocracy that allowed them to continually travel to Europe where residents developed a love for European architecture.
We ate lunch atop a hill in Valparaiso at a private residence. We had a typical Chilean lunch with a family and they prepared the local drink, Earthquake. There are only three ingredients in the potent terremoto: pipeno, a hastily fermented, very sweet Chilean white wine, and that all-important pineapple ice cream - which, unlike ice cubes, keeps the drink icy cool without watering it down - over which you pour a healthy glug of grenadine (you can swap that out for fernet or even pisco if you don't have the sweet tooth of a kid in a candy store). All combine to give the terremoto its utter drinkability (and help make it so aesthetically pleasing), but they also possess the potential to have you necking what is essentially a pint of white wine in record time. Which brings us to that peculiar name - terremoto, aka "earthquake." most bars recommend you tap out after one, although if you feel you haven't quite got your fix you can chance your luck with a replica, or "aftershock," the smaller, less potent baby brother to the full-size terremoto.
We then headed to the international airport for our 9 hr flight back to Miami. We then took a cab to Ft. Lauderdale and flew Southwest Airlines to Baltimore. We were very happy to be back home after this adventure
Using a GPS tracking software to see exactly where we traveled each day. Here it is overlaid onto Google Earth. Here was the path between Santiago & Valparaiso and back to the Santiago International Airport (SCL).
Here is our path in the Valparaiso. We did a clockwise path in the coastal area.
ROAD SCHOLAR WRITEUP -- Valparaiso, Vina del Mar, Program Concludes
In Flight
Breakfast, Lunch
Activity note: Driving approximately 142 miles total throughout the day; about three hours, with stops for field trips. Walking approx. two miles throughout the day; periods of standing up to two hours; up and downhill; mostly paved terrain. See your program's travel details regarding transfers.
Breakfast: At the hotel, we will have a buffet breakfast with milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.
Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we will set out on an exploration of Chile's Pacific coast via motor-coach with a local expert. During our journey, we will go to two neighboring but quite different coastal cities, Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Valparaiso, our first stop, is the second largest city in Chile and it enjoys a spectacular location between the mountains and the sea. This historic port and university town is famous for its more than 50 small hills connected by an ingenious network of twisting streets, stairways, cable car lines, flower filled balconies, and lookout platforms, all over a unique cityscape with spectacular views of the bay from which the city takes its name. On foot, we will examine the Historic Quarter of the old town and the new, visiting the Plaza de la Victoria to see its lovely Neptune Fountain, the famous Turri Clock, the docks and fisherman's wharf, and the Naval Academy. We will make a stop in Cerro Florida to visit La Sebastiana, a historic house-turned museum, which was the one-time home of Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. We will then take the funicular railway to reconvene with the motor-coach, which we will board for the short transfer north to Vina del Mar, Chile's premier coastal resort famous for its beaches and a bustling commercial sector. Vina del Mar is known as the Ciudad Jardin, or "Garden City," thanks to its lavish gardens and subtropical atmosphere. This city was founded in 1874 due to the economic development mainly achieved by the mining activity and the good rank reached by the aristocracy that allowed them to continually travel to Europe where residents developed a love for European architecture. As we travel through town via motor-coach, we will make stops at the beach and enjoy the garden parks during some time for independent exploration.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in Vina del Mar, enjoy a delicious 3-course meal with two choices for each course, plus a glass of wine or soft drink, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase. Share some of your favorite experiences from the program with new Road Scholar friends.
Afternoon: Afterward, we will climb aboard our motor-coach and depart for the airport. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don't forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
Dinner: On your own at the airport.
We stayed the night at the highly secure Hilton Garden Inn at the airport
Continued large smoky fires near the airport. It was like this when we flew in from Peru a week ago.
Stopped at a rest area on the way to Valparaiso. They had some llamas in a field behind the facility.
Santuario de la Virgen de Lo Vasquez - Chilean sanctuary, of the Catholic Church, located in the town of Lo Vasquez celebrated with a big party on December 8 of each year, where thousands of people from all over the country come for 2 days.
Lider - Wal-Mart in Chile - We did not go in.
This guy needs bigger wheels.
Various views & more graffiti (they call it art here)
Visiting La Sebastiana in Cerro Florida, a historic house-turned museum
Pablo Neruda was a Nobel Prize winning Chilean poet-diplomat and politician, an eccentric, a bohemian and a collector, who in addition to leaving us inspiring verses, left us three houses, three dwellings that became extensions of his personality and that today we can visit. One of them is La Sebastiana, declared a Natural Historic Monument.
"I built the house. I made it first of air. Then I raised the flag in the air and left it hanging from the sky, from the star, from the light and the darkness, "wrote Neruda in the poem" A la Sebastiana ", now converted into a fascinating museum house.
Looked to see how far we are from home. 5,038 miles
Many missing cats here for some reason.
Various views & more graffiti (they call it art here) Cool stone streets.
More rail-road-rail wire support poles
Various views - Stone streets
Plastic recycle bins out on the street
Symbols on the street to take you to various stores
We stopped in a candy store.
Various views & more graffiti.
Fancy house with citrus trees.
Cool dog with shades.
Chinese made SUV - the joke was it's the last car you will ever had as nobody will buy it from you. - Great Wall Motors Haval M6.
Various views & more graffiti.
Strange.
Ken is NOT a Hippie and generally not a Happie either.
This dog needs a bigger house.
Various views & more graffiti.
This is not good and we saw a number of these I assume questioning the police ?
Ascensor Reina Victoria (Valparaiso) - funicular railway - Built in 1903 - Named after the queen of England who died in 1901.
Various views & more graffiti (art)
This was the downtown area. Not very nice area and lots of political graffiti.
Police car set up to deal with riots.
Back on the nice bus.
We ate lunch atop a hill in Valparaiso at a private residence. We had a typical Chilean lunch with a family and they prepared the local drink, Earthquake.
We enjoyed a drink the family prepared called the earthquake. There are only three ingredients in the potent terremoto: pipeno, a hastily fermented, very sweet Chilean white wine, and that all-important pineapple ice cream - which, unlike ice cubes, keeps the drink icy cool without watering it down - over which you pour a healthy glug of grenadine. And if you have another, it is called an aftershock.
View from the house we ate at.
Interesting roof line.
Mary in the back of the cab.
We stopped outside of the Fonck Museum to photograph a Moai, brought from Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and some other statues.
Building next to the Fonck Museum.
Large farmers market.
The flower clock - Missing hands - Strange characters roaming around the park. It was Halloween so I guess that was the reason.
Estero Marga Marga.
Pisonay trees we think - The Pisonay (Erythrina Edulis) tree is known as the "Red Cedar" for its height and the red flowers.
Looking north up the coast to Lomas de Cochoa .
Wulff Castle is a historic castle overlooking the sea in Vina del Mar, Chile. It was built in 1906 for the Wulff family. It is the headquarters of the city heritage center.
Driving back to Santiago with views of Valparaiso & Vina del Mar, Chile
Looking south over Valparaiso
Driving along Autopista del Pacifico Santiago-Valparaiso (Ruta CH-68) - Like I said looks like California.
Unknown cacti.
Really crappy photo from the bus but shows the 20,000+ mountains. On the left side of the photo you can see the glaciers well above the closer mountains.
Back to the Santiago International Airport - SCL - Good to see that they are branching out and trying to do some good in the sandwich world.
Funny - Not going to happen due to the riots.
Flight back: LATAM LA-502 - Made it through the Intertropical Convergence Zone and lived.
Friday November 01 - DAY 15
Almost every time we depart Fort Lauderdale airport going back to BWI we fly over the Grand Bahama which is only 55 miles east of the coast of Florida.
Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the Baltimore approach
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