Chile is 4200km long and only 178km wide, so from Santiago you can access both the Los Andes ski fields and the beaches of the Valparaiso coast within a couple of hours drive. The country is bordered by the Atacama Desert in the North, the Los Andes range in the East, Patagonia glaciers in the South, and the Pacific Ocean to the West.
This also makes it a well-protected spot for wine production and agriculture – apparently some of the best avos in the world! The primary industry is copper at 35% of GDP, with Chile the source of over 30% of the total global production.
As we drove through ‘Casablanca’ we could see vineyards for miles. Chile is also the only place in the world that produces the Carmenere grape, after the European vines were wiped out in the 19th century.
Vina del Mar (‘Vineyard of the Sea’) is known as the garden city, and was originally home to the vineyards for Valparaiso. After an earthquake in 1906, the town was established with the lower and middle class living in the hills, and the upper class building castles and palaces by the sea. Today, it’s a sea-side town, with a casino that provides 50% of its income, and the town claims some of the best Pacific beaches in the area… although the water is still only about 10-15 degrees!
Valparaiso is a multi-cultural city which has clearly been influenced by people from all over th world. It’s 42 neighbourhoods sit on 42 hills, so is a striking piece of coast.
It is known for the colourful houses and street art that is everywhere… very cool! The houses are corrugated iron and were originally painted using the leftover paint form the shipyards – hence the range of colours.
It is known for the colourful houses and street art that is everywhere… very cool! The houses are corrugated iron and were originally painted using the leftover paint form the shipyards – hence the range of colours.
Back to Santiago, and we raced back to to Museum of Human Rights… only to find that it had reverted to winter hours. I guess it’s saved for our next trip…
Again, we walked the streets of Lastarria, enjoying the second hand sellers, the artists, the restaurants, the bookshops, and the buskers. It’s been a really energising place to stay.
Tomorrow we start the trip home – time flies when you’re having fun!
Love M & the Bunch x
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