Chile! part one, Santiago and Valparaiso

Visions of Pablo Neruda

When we were planning our trip last year(or was it 2 years ago), I have to admit that Chile was Lysa's choice, not mine or Anika's. Lysa speaks fluent Spanish from many years of practice and she has always wanted to explore SA. We have been to other Latin countries most notably Mexico and Costa Rica. On those many trips we have usually enjoyed ourselves for a couple of weeks at a time on some nice beach ,or other relaxing locale. Each place has had its distinct culture of course, Mexico more raucus, Costa Rica more laid back for instance. But I had absolutely no mental picture of Chile. What little I knew was about their nature, most notably Patagonia. That knowledge was pretty limited however. Well, we each had our choices of destinations on this trip, this one was Lysa,s and I would make the most of it.

    Leaving New Zealand was hard for me. For the first time in months we could speak English. The country side was gorgeous, the people were friendly and there was so much more we could have done. We flew into Santiago Chile on a non-stop flight from Aukland,12 hours of relatively relaxing travel. I didnt sleep much, the in flight entertainment was too addicting so we were pretty beat when we arrived. One thing Chile is not known for is their cities. Natural beauty yes, cities, not so much. Over the course of my travel life I am learning to appreciate a good city more than in my youth. Good art food dance etc. is more attractive to me now. Santiago however is not described in glowing terms in the travel books. Lysa had booked us a hostal near the city center, "Rio Amazones". We got there by taxi. On the way through the urban landscape small things were making an impression, like the guy walking into the intersection to juggle knives for the waiting cars hoping for tips, or the street vendors selling lotto tickets or small bags of nuts. We were definitely back in Latin America!

Dogs of Chile(another post)

  Santiago doesn't impress like some major cities do. The appeal is more subtle and takes more time. I have learned to give places more time before making an opinion. The first thing you notice are the Andes looming in the background. Massive mountains in the distance promising adventure. Chile is shaped, literally by its topography. Long and thin, the Andes as its spine, relentlessly battered by earthquakes, seemingly always recovering from natural disaster. Santiago is the capital, home to Pinoche(thanks america) socialist governments and now some version of a democratically elected gov.  The military relinquished control about 20 years ago. Anyway back to my impressions of Santiago. Its worth at least a few days visit. Its a safe city, with good infrastructure interesting neighborhoods and good art.

Obey the Awe !

We went on a free walking tour which I recommend. We walked around with an English speaking guide, learned some history, saw some great street art, drank a pisco sour(the national drink) and met our soon to be friend Jeane, a firefighter from Southern calif. One thing not to miss is a tour of the poet and national icon of Chile, Pablo Neruda's house. Pablo Neruda was a nobel prize winning poet and statesman,who was at the center of art culture and politics during his long life. Born poor, he started writing poetry at a young age and was recognized early in his life as a great artist. He knew everyone, had a passion for his country, esp. the ocean, wrote great poetry, loved many women(often at the same time), collected things, and was a lightning rod for the political and cultural turmolt of his beloved country. He died the day after Pinoche took power in a military coup,some say of a broken heart. His home in Santiago is now a shrine to his life. We had a guided tour from a man with a passionate love for Neruda. It was a highlight for me. Although never having read Neruda, his power and influence and his emotional influence was very moving.

Walking tour of Santiago

Street art

Faces of Valparaiso

   Next stop Valparaiso. Even with 2 months to explore we had to make some tough choices. Most notably, North or South. We have found as family that too much moving around does not make for happy relationships especially with Anika. Fewer places longer works best for us. So we chose South. Attacama and the vast desert will have to wait till next time. Valparaiso is a couple of hours south of Santiago on the coast. It was once a major shipping port for goods coming from around the world. Its influence was greatly diminished upon completion of the Panama canal so its glory days are behind it. Whats left is an old colonial city on hilly terrain. Neighborhoods are defined by the hills, much like San Francisco. Valpo as it is called by some, has reinvented itself as a destination for people seeking escape from Santiago. It is picturesque, has great food, artsy neighborhoods, a still thriving waterfront and the most amazing street art I have ever seen.It also has the second of 3 Pablo Neruda homes. Our hostal, "caracol" was in one of the hilly neighborhoods just down from his house. We made a point of going, and again were not disappointed.  But wow the art is Awesome! Walk this city and every turn brings new artistic visions. its like a walking art museum except the art is mostly anonymous, and the variety is amazing. The spectrum of styles,from simple stencils to grand murals blew me away. I couldn't stop taking photos.

Lysa, talking with Pablo

 Many of these photos I posted on facebook and a few I will post here. Posting here takes a long time so I'm somewhat restricted. Again we did a "free" guided walking tour and recommend it. Free essentially means you are free to give a tip or not. We do of course, usually about $10.00 US for a 4 hour tour. Ben, our bi lingual guide was somewhat new, didn't have all the facts available but made up for it in enthusiasm. We saw parts of the city we otherwise would have missed. I asked him to explain why so much street art is found in Valparaiso. Some of the early murals were sponsored by a grant from the university in the early 70's. From there others just started appearing. Also there is a lot of street "tagging that was occurring. To combat it property owners would commission murals on their buildings. There is a credo amongst street artists and taggers. Taggers wont(or shouldn't) tag over art. So street art prevents tagging!  One experience we didn't get to try was the Ascensions they have all over the city. They are mechanical lifts on the side of the hills to get people up and down to their neighborhoods. Some are private others public, relatively cheap and also sporatically available. The one on our tour had a long line so we chose to walk instead. Often, when i say "we" i mean Lysa and I, not Anika. We often invite Anika but have learned to not always insist she join us. its often not worth the battle. We have concluded that our expectation when traveling is not necessarily hers. We have come to terms with that reality. I must say that being with Lysa without anika has also made our time together more fun
  Valparaiso is a charming small city easily walked and definitely should be on anyones list of must visit while in Chile.

New Zealand and Beyond

I am writing this from my limited memory of the past 6 weeks and apologize for any gross omissions. I usually preface my blog posts with an excuse for my lax standards of alacrity, and this is no exception. The combination of spotty internet with my own personal laziness is a combination guaranteed to create delays.

Overlooking the Cormandel

   Upon returning from our hastily arranged trip to the US we were all in a stupor. The return home while vital was also very taxing. We were now in the position of recovery, and unfortunately our reentry into New Zealand was not smooth! Prior to leaving we made reservations at the same charming hostel for our return, however something was not completed and they had no record of our reservation and no room at the Inn. we were immediately thrown into scramble mode(with no sleep). After many phone calls made by a sympathetic hostel worker another place was found for us for the night.

Kayaking along the Abel Tasman

  Because our time in New Zealand was abbreviated we were forced to make some tough choices as to what to do and see. We concluded reluctantly that the bulk of the South island would have to wait for another trip and we headed North from Aukland to a connection Lysa made through Servas. An all day drive later found us on the northwest coast in a small village called Opononi. The sand dunes were majestic and our accommodation included a kitchen so life was beginning to settle. The next day was a travel day as well, to our hosts Rod and Margie Davies. Rob and Margie live in the far North near picturesque Kaitaia. They are a couple about our age who have 2 grown children and have supported themselves with their pottery. They live up in the hills in a simple home they built themselves. This couple welcomed us into their home and made us feel comfortable immediately. They are emblematic of many people we met in NZ; simple, gregarious, funny, down home. They have been living the right life,growing their own food, raising a family being a positive influence to the community, and running their pottery. In the day(70's) their main income was domestic pottery, plates,bowls, cups, etc. However with the onslaught of cheap ware from China they shifted their focus to decorative products and have weatherd the world economy. There is an expression in NZ called the "tall poppy complex". Don't call attention to yourself(like the tall poppy) or you will likely be cut down. Humbleness in all things. Our fine hosts, and many others exemplified this dictum well. Rod and Margie shared their lives with us and also allowed us the space to recover and relax. many thanks!
   Our next destination was the Cormandel Penninsula. Highlights there included smoked mussels, a clean hotel with kitchen,(very common in NZ)a search in vain for one of the worlds most beautiful beaches, and a fantastic trip to one potter's fantasy made real. Rod and Margie strongly recommended we visit this man's place while in Cormandel and we are glad we did. "Driving Creek Railway" is the life's work of one man. What started as a simple pottery grew into a hand built railway that courses up the mountain and the restoration to native forest what had once been deforested. It was an amazing example of the humble plans and work of one man realized.
    Cormandel also is the location of hot water beach. As you know we search out hot water whenever we can. Findind it on a beach is a unique experience. After a fantastic lunch we rented a shovel and heade down to the area where at low tide people dig out a depression in the sand and enjoy bathing together while the waves roll in and conspire to wash away one's endeavors. Man against nature and we know who always wins that competition. All in good fun however and worth the effort.

Our yoga studio

   After Cormandel we headed south to the geothermal town of Rotorua. Rotorua besides having prolific natural hot water is also the home to a strong Mauri community. Look up the history of the Mauri's. Briefly they are the same Polynesian people that explored and settled islands in the pacific all the way to hawaii and Easter Island off the coast of Chile. Surprisingly, New Zealand was the last place they discovered about 800 years ago. They were many tribes until the inevitable incursion of the Europeans,then united in an attempt to retain something of their original domain. Unlike in the US they weren't herded onto reservations and have to a degree maintained their soverienty while also assimilating into the greater population. Besides the thermal springs the highlight for me was a guided Mauri village tour. I was somewhat reluctant because I feared a Disney version of Mauri culture. The tour was more genuine in feeling than that and we learned about the customs and ways of these proud people as well as enjoying a traditional Hangi feast of pit roasted meat and vegetables. A traditional greeting in Mauri is Kia ora which translates to Be well. It is used as a greeting and farewell much like Aloha in Hawaii.

Clamming near Wellington

   Continuing South our eventual destination was the town of Nelson, on the north tip of the south island. Nelson was recomended as the santa Cruz of NZ, and we planned to stay for about 10 days over Christmas. The summer weather we were anticipating had thus far eluded us as we experienced the wettest summer in recorded history. Thats nature! We did get a much needed respite from the rain in sunny Nelson. Our appt was rented to us by Dierdre and Wally, another fine example of understated Kiwi charm. Dierdre and Wally lived in the house and the appt was carved out of one side. They were gracious hosts and invited us to enjoy Christmas dinner with their family. Our place was next to the river swollen earlier with the historic rains. Evidence of the storms were still everywhere, including massive landslides throughout the area. Days were spent relaxing in town,swimming in the local pool, visiting beaches, eating good food at home and at restaurants, yoga and walks. Another highlight not to be missed in Nelson is the "Wearable Art Museum". 20 or so ago a local artist had the inspiration to have a fashion show composed of local artists displaying their prodigious talents on the runway. Over the years the event grew and ultimately became an intrnational phenomenon, attracting artists from around the world. The collection of outragious costumes ultimately led to the museum display of previous years entrys. Eventually the event became too small for sleepy Nelson and has moved to Wellington. The museum remains and is worthy of a visit.
   A side note re. museums in NZ; almost without fail the museums we visited there were fantastic! From the wearable art to the Te Papa in Wellington, the Bathhouse museum in Rotorua and the national treasure in Aukland, the museums delivered the goods at a reasonable price.Go!

Hunterwasser bathroom

   Yoga is one of Lysa's life passions and one I have recently embraced. As such we look for opportunities to indulge in the local flavor. Lysa went online and found a yoga retreat for us high in the mountains for the New Years transition. Both Lysa and anika have described this in detail on their blogs but let me add that while not what I expected it was everything I needed. Simple food,amazing location,meditation and yoga. Anahata yoga is yoga in the complete sense of the word. It was a lifestyle of internal investigation maintained by a small group of followers and their spiritual teacher. The dogma was kept to a minimum and the residents were universally kind. I would go back again as a respite from the chaos of the world we inhabit. Several days of mindful living put us all in the space of gratitude. Even Anika enjoyed the harmony, lack of internet, and connection with others. Well, as change is inevitable we reluctantly bid farewell to our mountain retreat and transitioned back into travel mode. Off the mountain, through the hippy town of Takaka, and north toward Aukland we headed. We had one last adventure in store before leaving NZ. Blackwater rafting in the glowworm caves of Waitomo! Almost too fantastic to describe, the caving trip was a true once in a lifetime adventure. Our NZ guides were in good humor as they oufitted us in wetsuits for our descent into the cave labyrinth. Picture an underground river system carving caves through the rock.Pitch black narrow tubes opening up into huge internal cathedrals lit by the glow of luminecent bug larvae. All thi while floating on your back in your own inner tube. Add the mandatory blind jump off a waterfall into the pools below! All in good Kiwi fun. Amazing! Well our time in NZ unfortunately was drawing to a close. While the Landscape of this place was fantastic it is the people here which made the greatest impact on me. I believe the splendor of the place coupled with it's relative isolation and its mauri influence has combined to create a people of genuine kindness with a understated pride and willingness to share their beautiful country. KEA ORA.
   PS after having reviewed our pictures I realize how much I didn"t describe. Included on that list were clamming with Anika's home school teacher Jasmine and her husband Clark, who visited on holiday,the purchase of an awesome wool vest at the farmers market in Nelson from a German woman who raised the sheep,sheared the wool,spun and weaved the vest from her sheep named Finnagan, and a visit to the most fantastic bathroom built by a famous artist named Hunterwasser. Also family kayaking and hiking along the Abel Tasman trail and visiting Hobbiton, the location of the Lord of the rings movies.
  We are now into our second week in Chile! Suffice to say"muy simpatico".description to follow at a later time. Remember to do something kind today and Obey the Awe!