8.211 Santiago Chile, wine tasting and goodby to South America Dress 39

8.2.11 Santiago Chile, wine tasting and goodbye to South America Dress 39

Valparaiso (Paradise Valley)

We berthed very early in the second city of Chile, before 6.00am, to the lights of the town snaking upward and over the horizon. It was very reminiscent of Madeira harbour. As the town is built over 42 hills getting up and down is time consuming therefore they have a series of 15 funiculars (ascensores) to carry people to their hill side homes.

Dress 39

Low rise housing here and in other parts of Chile and South America is platform timber frame ‘stick built’ with corrugated roofs and either timber shingle cladding, corrugated iron or some sort of cement based weather proof board. Very rarely did we see any bricks.

We have seen buildings up to about 4 storeys for commercial use built in the same manner.  It looks cheap and not very substantial however, even large detached villas are built in the same system. The reasons we have been told for this method very but key elements are abundance of slow growing top quality timber, corrugated iron historically came over with the early ships and was re-used. Eventually a preference and industry developed. Also, much of Chile experiences earthquakes and tremors, timber is a more flexible material and also it’s easier to expand and extend as wealth and need increases in a family unit. Many of the buildings in the Falklands were also built in the same manner. During the Santiago stop we saw many new standardised homes under construction ideal a 66m2 home for about £30k.  The average wage here is about £14k.    

Santiago Plaza de Armas and central area

Having said that, Santiago is the capital and as we got nearer to the centre the buildings changed, very grand, familiar architectural styles Neo-classical etc.  cool shaded squares, lots of police, and lots of very well fed stray dogs. (More about them later)  We saw many army officers in fabulous uniforms, white, crisp lots of braid and knee length very shiny riding boots, these three just had to be Dress 39.

 

The extremely grand Central Post office is the old Governors palace and houses a museum too, the queue to get in to buy stamps meant we just visited the museum and just enjoyed the architecture.

Central Post office

In the middle of all this culture we seemed to attract a following of very well feed German Shepherd dogs and a very handsome boxer. Initially our little group were a bit nervous but eventually we could see they have little else to do but stare curiously at the tourists and were happy to trot round behind us as we studied the buildings; however things changed when anyone on a bike passed.  One dog in particular would immediately head off barking furiously and attack the unsuspecting cyclist.  The first couple of times we were alarmed but after about six or eight we were laughing somewhat unkindly and hoping to capture on film the furious dogs’ battle to rid this beautiful square of anyone who dared cycle across such a prestigious landmark.  

Our guide reckons that the Chilean wealthy are ‘careless’ with their Pets and rather than lock them up all day they play outside until the family come home.  This is unlike in Buenos Aires where we saw many dogs on leads with one person. Apparently the BA wealthy don’t dog walk they pay others to do it. 

In the building behind me we were shown where the bullet holes are in the walls of the buildings from their last revolution in 1973. But now all is good, the economy is growing, much new investment from overseas and there is strengthening middle class.  

Me, dogs and Plaza de Armas Im in the front with the two dogs!!!

   

Wine tasting Concha y Toro

We just had one very long day here and certainly needed longer.  

Also we certainly were going to taste the famous Chilean wine.  Great fun as always:  we had a guided tour of the Concha y Toro estate and cellars and staggered back to the ship with bottles of wine, souvenir glasses and rosy cheeks from sunshine and wine.

We heard the story of Casillero del Diablo.

 In the early days the owners of Concha y Toro would lose wine and were not able to establish who was helping themselves. They therefore created the myth of Diablo (the devil) visiting the cellar and thereafter no more helping yourself.  These cellars were built in the 1850s’ and there was no CC TV.   David however risked the Cellar and enjoyed the Casablanca valley white sauvignon blanc.

David in Casillero del Diablo

The Chilean navy and goodbye to Chile and South America

Valparaiso is home to the Chilean Navy and we saw activity behind us with Helicopters coming and going, Chile is a very long and narrow country – 3000 miles long and only 120 miles wide. And so they have a lot to patrol and look after.

The lights came on again before we left and we watch until they were just a glow in the distance very romantic. 

The clocks went back one hour at 2.00am, we are now four hours behind UK. 

 As at the noon day bell on the 9^th February, 2011 we are Latitude 32degrees 49mins Longitude 47degress 17minutes. Our speed is 22 knots.  We are 90 miles north of Robinson Crusoe Island:  So named in the 1960’s in honour of the shipwreck experiences of Alexander Selkirk.  Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the book of these experiences– Treasure Island.

It’s a long way to Easter Island which we should see on the 12^th February, 2011