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Our first week or so here was pretty hectic, so much so that we pretty much stopped for the week after! Started with a good look around Santiago, a lively city that felt pretty safe and friendly, and gave us the impression of a more civilised country than we expected. We were back to the land of white bread and instant coffee for breakfast so we stocked up on a few of our own supplies from the supermarket. We soon realised, that outside of there, it was going to be very difficult to get any healthy food, and by day 3 we´d already eaten far too much steak! Churrascos are the local steak burgers that everyone loves, covered with tons of mayonnaise in a big white bun. We had one and vowed to wait quite a long time before considering another!
We had arrived just in time to see the snow still capping the mountains, and headed there to celebrate Chris´ birthday and enjoy some snowboarding. Chris' leg held up and we were surprised at how big the resort was and how good the runs. We'd had a frustrating journey here stopping to pick up lots of people along the way, but eventually wound our way up the mountain road to Valle Nevado and checked into our hotel for the night. The first thing that struck us was how many people were sitting around using their laptops - quite bizzare when it was a nice day and they looked young and fit. We later discovered that they were conserving their energy for race day and were all part of international training camps or world cup competitors. Apart from them, there really were hardly any people there, and we were glad as it gave us lots of room on the slopes and no waiting in lift queues to get up there. After an exhausting day, we were tempted to jump in the outdoor pool, but opted for a bath instead and then went to the bar for a taste of the national drink - pisco sour. I'd say it's more sweet than sour but certainly alcohol is the overriding flavour, so one was enough! There were a few restaurants to chose from and it all felt surprisingly European. We opted for the fondue and stuffed ourselves full of yummy melted cheese.
The following day was Chris' big day and we made the most of the full buffet breakfast before packing our bags and getting out into the sun and snow. Had another great but tiring day with another nice buffet lunch in the middle (far too many delicious desserts to chose from!). Just had time for a quick beer in the sun before catching our ride back to Santiago. We were very glad we didn't try to do two way transfers in one day, but not so glad we'd decided to come back on Chris' birthday, as after dropping everyone off again, struggling through rush hour city traffic and being taken back to our hotel, we felt too tired to go anywhere. Got changed and went to the nearest restaurant for a big lasagne and a bottle of lovely wine, then collapsed into bed!
The following day we were off again and so checked out leaving our large bags and snowboards at the hotel. Took our rucksacks and Chris' surfboard and got picked up early in a fully loaded up 4x4. Chris was relieved to meet our guide, driver and two Mexicans; one male, one female, both reportedly new to surfing, as we were headed to a 'secret spot' with a big swell expected. We drove out of the city once more and stopped at the small town of Litueche to buy food supplies. We then veered off the main road shortly after the town and drove through some woodland dusty dirt tracks until we reached the cliff top and could see the sea. There was a narrow dirt road leading down steeply from there and I wasn't sure whether we'd be taking a different route, but that was, of course, what the 4x4 was for. We held our breath and let Max to the expert driving, occassionally looking back and asking helpfully, 'nervous?!'. Once down on the beach the 4 wheel drive took us swiftly along the sand and we went past a few wooden houses and kept driving to the far end of the bay. Paid 3,000 pesos each (3 pounds) and the family in their little wooden hut waved as they lifted the log barrier to let us through to our camping spot. Suddenly realising this spot wasn't quite as secret as we thought, there were benefits to this - one of the main ones being that there were actually decent toilets! There were only two other tents we could see and it still felt very secluded and wild which was nice. We erected our tents then it was time to assess the waves. There certainly wasn't a scarily huge swell as we'd been expecting, but the waves were decent and clean and quiet. Chris went for a good session before dusk, glad of the thick wet suit and booties he could borrow, then we set up a fire to keep warm into the night. Our host Christian cooked us a big roast chicken on the fire and we talked as much as our language barriers would allow until we were ready for bed. The tent was very cosy with the waves crashing onto the beach not far away - in fact we had our best night's sleep here so far as everywhere so far had been a little noisy, and we didn't emerge until gone 10! Had toast on the fire for breakfast with fruit and tea, then it was surfing time again. The waves had died right down here, but there was another spot we could walk to which may be bigger, so I decided to tag along with my camera. The walk was an event in itself and I was glad I had my walking boots. We ascended through the pine forest and edged along the cliff top dirt tracks. Flowering cactus lined the way reaching up to the sun as high as they could. There was evidence of horses having been here and I'd seen one on the beach earlier, but I think in this case I'd definitely rather be on foot. The view was amazing and it was worth the effort as we rounded the second then third point, admiring the vast open Atlantic ocean. Apparently whales had been spotted here, and Chris saw a seal pop it's head up yesterday, so I find it hard to believe there are no sharks, although I think they prefer warmer water.
Going down was interesting and again I was glad of the grip on my shoes and the fact that I wasn't carrying a surfboard. Chris still beat me to it and we hopped along the big boulders on the beach, ducked through a natural tunnel, then arrived at 'Tuman'. The powerful waves crashed onto the high rocky outcrops at the end of the bay that gave it an end of the world appearance. This was a break to seperate the men from the boys, and Chris was very glad he did himself proud. It took a while though as all three who tried to struggled to paddle past the white water breaking onto shore. They had to dive off the rocks at the right moment and get out the back before the next set came rolling overhead. I was poised with the camera but my new Mexican friend Lidia had a better zoom so I had to rely on her to take some shots when my battery failed. Chris proudly punched the air when he made it on a good long wave and safely to the beach, then went to try it all again - crazy! After that session, Chris needed food of course, and lots of it, but then wanted to stay. Our trip came to an end that day, but we vowed to go back. Puertecillo is one of those places that is sure to change in years to come and even now isn't so secret after all (we found it in the Lonely Planet book on the way back!). Stopped for - guess what? - a steak sandwich on the way home at the place in Litueche whose slogan is (in Spanish of course) 'the only thing worth leaving the waves for'!. Once in a while is certainly enough!
We had a day or two more in the capital city, enjoying some sunshine and afternoon siestas. The Plaza de Armas main square is full of artists, chess players of all ages, and some beautiful old buildings. The place really comes alive late into the evening, but we just weren't quite up to eating that late. Enjoyed a good night out in an area called Bellavista where there's a real mix of almost men-only heavy drinking bars (obviously Chris' natural first choice), clubs, market food stalls and some upmarket, trendier places (I can´t help it - I am a girl!). We'd got a bit dressed up not knowing quite what to expect and felt quite out of place sitting on the street tables with a ghettoblaster blaring by our side and everyone looking casual smoking away. Chris took his jacket off and ordered a litre bottle of Escudo beer (just to fit in you understand), and I ordered a gin and tonic that was strong enough to out do the biggest beer you can buy! A fun evening followed and we ended up eating, but not necessarily appreciating some lovely food at one of the nicer establishments around the corner, before taking a taxi home and leaving the crazy young things to party the night away!
We'd considered going through to Peru over the following week as we had time before our friends arrived to meet us here, but looking at flight prices and other transport options, we decided we'd be better off exploring more of Chile and doing it properly rather than trying to rush everywhere...Macchu Pichu will have to wait.
We still wanted to see some of the beautiful countryside so got a little adventurous and booked a train ticket to Talca a few hours south. Walked through the town high street with an astonishing number of pharmacies, but nowhere to buy still water, getting hotter and hotter in the midday sun. Eventually found the place we'd settled on to stay and settled into our nice room. Went back out to see what the town had to offer and tried to make contact with someone about trekking which is what we'd come here for. It turned out it wasn't going to be quite as easy as we thought, partly due to the language barrier and partly, we had at least gathered, due to the snow still preventing some of the passes being open.
We spent a fun night in the town and found a couple of nice places to eat and drink around the main square. Again we were headed home as most people were just coming out, but we'd enjoyed ourselves anyway! The following day we got a lift out to another lodge from our kind hosts (for a fee of course, but far less hassle than the buses!), and checked into Casa Chueca, a German run place with an experienced trekking guide owner. We waited for him to return while reading in hammocks in the pretty garden. Hired some bikes and attempted to visit a vineyard a few miles away, but the dusty, rocky road with large vehicles streaming past unsympathetically put us off and we turned back. Had dinner with our hosts as we were the only guests, and agreed to go with a couple of the staff to the nearest national park in the morning. Had an early start but an quick but bumpy drive out to Vilches. We did the two walks possible from the entrance and didn't see another soul! The first was through the forest and up to the snow lined summit for a stunning view of the valley below. The second was through the valley floor to a river which we had to cross on a wobbly log. A good couple of hours for each one and we were ready to go back, but would happily have camped or stayed here if there was more to do the next day. We then had to wait a while for a bus back to Talca, so played cards and got a drink while sitting on the road getting cold! The temperature here is ideal for wine growing apparently (and we haven't really had a bad bottle yet despite going very cheap!) - hot in the day and cold at night, but every day it surprises us just how cold it suddenly gets.
Enjoyed another two nights relaxing in Talca as it was a nice chilled out place and we'd done a fair bit or rushing around. Then got the train back to Santiago - a very pleasant experience; comfortable big seats and pretty cheap, just a slightly over enthusiastic refreshment salesman who's patter got a little wearing towards the end of the journey!
When we arrived back in Santiago, expecting to have a day or two to kill before our friends came to meet us, we heard that in fact they were going to be delayed. This was a little frustrating as we hadn't decided to go further afield because we were meeting them here, but it couldn't be helped. Chris strangely was keen to do more surfing as he'd been expecting to do this with his friend when he got here. So, we looked at the nearest accessible place to spend a few days while waiting to hear when they would be arriving.
We got the bus the next day to Pichilemu where there's a famous surfing break called Punta Lobos. The bus took a few hours and apart from the film viewing that was highly inappropriate for much of our fellow audience in their school uniforms, it was all quite pleasant and easy. The only problem came when we got off the bus and didn't know which direction to go in. A man could clearly see us floundering and came to ask if we wanted somewhere to stay. As we did, we went with him to have a look at his place which he kept saying was beautiful, but in fact when we got there was pretty grim, so we politely said goodbye and moved on. Headed for the sea and spotted the surf school then knew we were probably headed in the right direction. We settled on the El Mirador cabanas and put our small bag of things in the wardrobe of our own place, grateful for our own front door and kitchen with a sea view. Stocked up at the supermarket and felt a lot more relaxed than we had in our noisy Santiago hotel room. Gradually kept extending our stay as we enjoyed barbecues, roast dinners, and other home comforts, and even managed to watch the England rugby (though only on the promise of spending too much on booze during the match!). If it wasn't for these niceties we probably would've moved on sooner as the waves weren't that good. They were either huge or blown out. On a windy day we did manage to obtain the services of a kite surfing instructor, and Chris got out for a blast just before the wind dropped off. Decided to be lazy and stay the last few days before our friends were finally due to be in Santiago...
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