Places to Revisit

25 days. Traversing Argentine Patagonia had taken longer than we had expected and now we were on our way to Chile. This country is shaped like an icicle, long and skinny, with only 350 km (217 mi) at its widest point east to west. Still, it stretches some 4,300 km (2,670 mi) north to south. Oh, and we also had to drive across Argentina to return to Montevideo, Uruguay where we would store our camper and fly home… another 2,000 km more or less. It was time to get on the road.

Our itinerary through southern and central Chile, then back to Montevideo, Uruguay

This part of our journey began in Villa la Angostura, Argentina. It was here that I met my first cousin Mark. He lives in Oregon, not far from us, but we had never met! After lunch, Andre and I were on our way to Chile. Although it was a short drive from there to the border, we were delayed 2.5 hours as we completed the endless paperwork to get out of Argentina and into Chile, followed by the “agriculture inspection.” Finally we were on our way through the picturesque forests and mountains of Region de los Lagos. This was a much different view from Argentine Patagonia…more amazing lakes, volcanoes and national parks than we had time for but many of them are on our “to do” list for next time.

We were about to meet more cousins, this time on Andre’s side of the family. Like me, he had never met them, except for his first cousin Marita. Our first stop was Puerto Varas. This is an attractive city, set along scenic Lake Llanquihue. It is very walkable here with clean air and wonderful fresh seafood. On our walk we caught glimpses of Osorno Volcano, one of the most active in the southern Chilean Andes.

Lake Llanquihue, Puerto Varas, Chile

Lake Llanquihue and Osorno Volcano, Puerto Varas, Chile

Sculpture near Lake Llanquihue, Puerto Varas, Chile

One of Andre’s cousins lives in Puerto Varas and we tried to contact her without success. We headed north to Osorno and stopped to say hello to Norma, another cousin. From there we continued to Valdivia. Marita and her husband Luis were waiting for us and welcomed us into their home. We stayed with them for a few days, long enough to appreciate their beautiful city and meet their 3 children who live nearby. Marita shares our passion for walking so we explored the city on foot with her.

Meeting cousin Norma, Osorno, Chile

Cousins Pancho and Camila, Valdivia, Chile

Cousins Marita, Luis and family, Valdivia, Chile

Valdivia River, Valdivia, Chile

Andre and Marita, Valdivia, Chile

Lynda and Marita, Valdivia, Chile

Northward bound, our next stop was the touristic town of Pucón. Its lake and volcano, both named Villarica, are major attractions, and it is a mecca for sports enthusiasts year-round. We had the good fortune to meet up there with Alfonso, another first cousin, and his wife Ana. It was fun to get acquainted and go boating on Lake Villarica. Then we went sightseeing for a good view of Villarica Volcano. Chile, on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is said to have the second largest chain of volcanoes in the world and Villarica is one of the most active. We couldn’t get too close since it was already smoking but fortunately it waited until we left to have a major eruption! The weekend passed quickly but we spoke of getting together again on our next visit.

Meeting our cousins Alfonso and Ana, Pucón, Chile

Volcan Villarica, Pucón, Chile

At the base of Volcan Villarica, Pucón, Chile

The scenery changed as we reached the coast. We had reached “La Ruta del Mar,” a string of charming beach communities. This section is also known as Coast of Poets, named for the Chilean cultural icons who took up residence here. February is still peak summer season and there were crowds everywhere, especially on the beaches.We stopped in Isla Negra, site of one of Poet Laureate Pablo Neruda’s three homes. We camped along the rocky beach and decided we would return here when we had more time to see his home.

Along Ruta del Mar, Chile

Beach at El Tabo, Chile

An interesting message on a bus, El Tabo, Chile

Coffee lovers take note: one thing that we learned while traveling here is that “café con leche”(coffee with milk) is not the same as in other Latin American countries we have visited. Usually we get something resembling Italian Caffè Latte or French Café au Lait. This is what you get when you ask for café con leche in Chile:

“Café con Leche,” Chilean style, Isla Negra, Chile

On the way to Valparaíso we stopped for lunch in the small “picture-postcard perfect” beach community of Quintay. Our guidebook had recommended Restaurant Miramar for its magnificent seaside setting and fresh fish. To get there we passed through El Quisco, another popular resort. It is part of the Coast of Poets and has a colorful history. When we reached Algarrobo we decided it was time to take a secondary road. This is an affluent and overdeveloped community that reminded us of Spain’s Costa del Sol. The rest of the drive was long but scenic, through pine forests with occasional glimpses of the ocean to remind us that we weren’t completely lost. Finally we found a fork in the road which led us to Quintay. It’s a tiny place and we had to wait a bit at the top of a steep hill for a parking place. We walked across the beach to Restaurant Miramar for an amazing lunch and sea view.

Restaurant Miramar, Quintay, Chile

We had mixed feelings about Valparaíso. Its impressive hills, lined with colorful buildings and stunning views prompted 19th century sailors to call it “the little San Francisco.” Those magnificent vistas are still there, but the city has suffered numerous earthquakes as well as the effects of growing pains – impatient traffic, noise and air pollution, poverty. Pablo Neruda had a love affair with Valparaiso and I was reminded of his ode that compares the city to a disheveled yet fascinating person… Our way of seeing a city is typically on foot and we enjoyed climbing the hills for beautiful views. There is a movement here to revitalize the city and graffiti artists have created amazing murals and street art, which adds to the city’s charm. The highlight of our visit was La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s home. It’s perched on a tranquil hill in the Bellavista district. We watched a documentary about his life and then we were given an audio tour to explore his home on our own. The guide was very informative and allowed us to linger over the chaotic collection of ship’s figureheads, glass, 1950s furniture and artwork by his famous friends. There are four floors of magnificently furnished rooms and we were rewarded on each level with ever more breathtaking views over the harbor. The best of all are from Neruda’s crow’s nest study.

View of Valparaíso, Chile

Downtown Valparaíso, Chile

City street art, Valparaíso, Chile

Palacio Barburizza, Museo Municipal de Ballas Artes, Valparaíso, Chile

A typical street, Valparaiso, Chile

Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana, Valparaíso, Chile

Pablo Neruda’s La Sebastiana, Valparaiso, Chile

The city of Viña del Mar is adjacent to Valparaíso but couldn’t be more different. It is an overdeveloped beach resort, with highrise buildings lining the waterfront. We also have a cousin here but were not able to see him so we kept on driving.

Viña del Mar, Chile

This section of La Ruta del Mar appeared quite affluent and not welcoming to low-budget campers like us. We continued on through upscale communities, then passed some scruffy and less desirable areas with dirty beaches. Evening approached as we stumbled upon the sleepy fishing village of Horcón. It was not in our guidebook and did not even show up on our map. We were enchanted by what we saw: modest fishing boats and food vendors along the beach, artisans packing up their displays of jewelry made from seashells, a cacophony of gulls, pelicans and locals out for an evening stroll. Hippies have found this place and no doubt it will soon be discovered by many a travel writer. Tourists will flock here, but for now it was perfect. We found a quiet spot to sleep in a residential area. Families were returning from the beach and no one seemed to mind that we were there. In the morning we descended down the hillside to the beach, just in time to find a multitude of fishermen returning with the morning catch, a colorful and memorable sight.

Fishermen and their morning catch, Horcón, Chile

A horse pulling a fishing boat, Horcón, Chile

We still had a long road ahead and it was time for us to head east to Uruguay. Turning inland, the temperature unexpectedly soared to 35*C (95°F). We stopped at the visitor center in the town of Los Andes and the friendly travel agent gave us the names and locations of 3 campgrounds. Climbing higher into the Andes, we had the all too familiar problem of not finding any of them. We ended up stopping at a cabaña park (a resort with furnished cabins), where the owner let us camp for the night. We have encountered many of these places on this trip and most will not allow camping, so we considered ourselves lucky! Then we continued through the Andes to the Argentine border. This drive had been recommended to us and indeed it was spectacular. On we climbed, snaking around impressive switchbacks through Paso los Libertadores until we came to Portillo Ski Resort near the border. This was the site of the 1966 World Alpine Championships, where Jean-Claude Killy impressed the world by winning many downhill and combined events. We were at an elevation of 2,880 m (9,450 ft) and still needed to climb higher, through the tunnel that would take us to the border. Not far away was Aconcagua, the highest point in the Southern Hemisphere ( 6,960.8 meters (22,837 ft). It was a fantastic journey, though we regretted it when we reached the immigration station and realized that we would have to wait in the hot sun for 3 hours. At least we didn’t need to get out of our camper.

Los Libertadores Pass, Chile

Laguna del Inca, Portillo, Chile

Portillo Ski Resort, Portillo, Chile

Lynda’s new best friend,Portillo Ski Resort, Portillo, Chile

Tunnel of the Redeeming Christ, Paso Internacional Los Libertadores, Chile

The long wait to cross the border, Paso Internacional Los Libertadores, Argentina

We persevered through the scenic Argentine Andes until we came to the small town of Potrerillos, a farming community in the Mendoza region. In recent years it has become a resort town, due to construction of a dam and artificial lake. Mostly locals come here for water sports and paragliding. We found an Argentina Automobile Club campground here and headed for Mendoza the next day. Here we found one of the most attractive cities we had seen in Argentina, with broad leafy boulevards and dazzling colonial architecture. It is the country’s 4th largest metropolitan area and a frequent stopover for wine tourism and Andes adventure travel. We found a crowded but well-appointed campground here, Camping Suizo. As the name suggests, it is run by Swiss expats. We loved the warm evenings here, so different from Patagonia. The Argentines are the friendliest group of South Americans we have encountered so far. Wherever we go, we have many opportunities for interesting conversations, despite the fact that our Spanish is rather limited! This time we met a man who spoke French and advised us to attend the Carnival festivities in town, which we attempted to do the following day. Though Carnival is celebrated all over Latin America, not all cities do much about it. We visited the city and didn’t find any evidence that a celebration was taking place although we did enjoy walking around. One sight that took us by surprise was a large Jewish menorah in the median strip of a street in city center. It had been put there by the Israeli Consulate and the Mendoza Jewish community and according to its inscription, marked the 50th anniversary of the state of Israel. It was astonishing to find such a monument in Argentina, especially because we didn’t see an Israeli consulate or synagogue in town.

Menorah commemorating 50th anniversary of Israel, Mendoza, Argentina

Pedestrian street, Mendoza, Argentina

Onward through the stifling heat, we stopped in the town of San Luis for ice cream. Again, there was no sign of a Carnival celebration, but people were out and about, enjoying the late afternoon in Pringles Plaza, which appeared to be the town square.

Catedral de San Luis, Plaza Pringles, San Luis, Argentina

There was no time for more sightseeing and we drove through the Central Sierras, also known as “Sierras Pampeanas.” I did make note of the many travel possibilities for next time: perhaps a 17th century estancia (Latin American cattle ranch) or the home of revolutionary Che Guevara… Thinking of the wonderful places we had yet to visit somehow softened the impact of relentless driving and minimal stops, resulting in more time in the camper than I thought were humanly possible. Our goal was to reach Montevideo before the weekend in order to reconfirm our place for storing our vehicle. We crossed the border at Frey Bentos in monsoon-like rain, one of the few storms we had encountered on our trip. Though we had rid ourselves of all fresh produce, we gratefully discovered there had been no need. This was the easiest and quickest border crossing we had experienced. Back in Uruguay, we sped on, in search of provisions. We camped along the Rio Negro at Las Cañas, then an early morning departure for another day of non-stop driving, but at least it wasn’t raining. Our efforts had not been in vain and we arrived in Montevideo in time to arrange to drop off our camper at the garage on Monday. Our day was not yet over and we continued to Camping San Rafael near the Punta del Este coast, a welcome stop and perfect place to rest and regroup. Truth be told, we didn’t get that much rest as we needed to find someone to repair the cracks in our windshield from our journey along Ruta 40. We did have a bit of time to enjoy nightlife in Punta del Este, though.

Tango on the beach, Punta del Este, Uruguay

La Mana en la Arena (Hand in the Sand) Playa Brava, Punta del Este, Uruguay

A well-deserved pause at Camping San Rafael, La Barra, Uruguay

We returned to Montevideo and said adiós to Betsy California. Then we walked back to the air b&b in Ciudad Vieja where we had stayed at the beginning of our trip. For the next two days we actually relaxed and did a bit of sightseeing in Montevideo before our grueling 18 hour trip back to the other side of the world…