Chile 🇨🇱

1 week in Chile 🇨🇱🌶. Let's go!

The three amigos 🤗

After crossing the relatively strict border to Chile, we had a little "culture shock". Everything is very European: the people, everything is organized and clean, the buses and the architecture.

After about 1.5 hours bus ride, we arrived in the desert of San Pedro de Atacama. It felt like being in Disneyland: everything is well maintained and touristy. Since I was still traveling with my two Israelis (Or & Shahar), we tried to find the cheapest hostel. After about 2 hours of searching in the scorching heat, we found the cheapest one for CHF 12 (!) per night. Shahar initially wanted to sleep in a sleeping bag in the garden, but after they told him how many poisonous animals (snake, spider) there are, he decided to join us in the dormitory 😅.

We rode through hilly desert landscapes until we reached the entrance of the national park.

Next, we stopped at some caves and went inside. Shahar's amazed face, of course, had to be captured 🤓😂.

Then we hopped back on the bikes and rode to our main destination, the "Valle de la luna" (Valley of the moon). The name is quite fitting as the landscape strongly resembles the moon.

Valle de la luna 🌒 

Even the Israelis thought it was a really special landscape, even though they are more used to deserts than I am :-).

One evening, we went on an astrology tour to observe the stars. Being in the middle of the desert with little light pollution, the conditions were perfect. The guide explained everything in Spanish at first, since we were the only "gringos" there. But then he switched to English so that we could understand. I didn't understand everything, unfortunately, but it was still a unique experience. We even took a group photo at the end.

Astrology tour 

Other than that, we didn't do much, just took it easy. I had a couple of Skype interviews, and we wandered around the city and went to the market every day to buy fresh vegetables. Eating out is quite expensive, so we mostly cooked ourselves. Like, for example, the Israeli national dish "schnitzel" (I know it's from Austria, but they eat it just as often 😅) on their holy day, Shabbat.

Shabat Shalom 🇮🇱 

After spending about 4-5 days in the desert, I had enough of the heat and took a flight to the capital, Santiago de Chile.

Next stop ➡️ Santiago de Chile

There, I checked into a "combination hostel" and started writing my blog about Bolivia. I am a bit behind schedule, it takes more time than you would think 😅. In the evening, I met up with my friend Päscu (for those who know him) to go out for sushi. He happened to be in the city with a colleague on a "workation" (a combination of work and vacation) 😊.

Sushi time 🍣🍱

We had initially planned to go out, but the guys were too tired because they've been going out every night and had to catch a flight to Colombia the next day.

But it was also fine with me because the next morning, I took a bus to the nearby coastal town "Valparaiso".

Valparaiso 

This colorful and charming port town is located on 24 hills (cerros) and is known for its steep streets. I stayed at the hostel "La Valija" in the neighborhood "Concepción" with a great view of the harbor.

After a delicious lunch, I joined a free walking tour through the city. I always find this the best way to get to know a city at the beginning. Valparaiso also has areas that should be avoided at night. 

Valparaiso is one of the most important ports for import/export, and today, it is mainly known for tourism as it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As you walk through the narrow streets of Valparaiso, there is something to discover at every corner: colorful graffiti, charming cafes, and quaint boutiques. But what impressed me the most were the many different graffiti. The walls used to be covered in messy tags, so the city hired some artists to beautify them with beautiful graffiti.

ChocQuibTown - somos pacifico 🎶 

The houses in Valparaiso are built in a unique style, many of them using old shipwrecks. Each house is painted in a different color, which used to allow the ships to recognize the city from afar. Today, it's mainly done out of tradition - I love it 🤗😍.

Houses made from old shipwrecks

I then took a 2-hour tour that ended where it began, at the main square "Sotomayor". A little further behind it is an impressive building in the banking district with a large clock that reminds me of San Francisco.

The next day, I felt like going to the beach (since Peru, I haven't been near the ocean), so I took a bus to the south to "Playa Laguna Verde". This was a hidden gem recommended by the receptionist of my hostel, but it turned out to be a bit too "hidden" and deserted 😅. Aside from me and a few stray dogs, there was no one around.

Playa Laguna Verde

After a short walk along the beach with my four new furry friends and a quick nap in the soft sand, I got a bit bored and decided to return to civilization. So I caught the next bus that passed by and went back to "Valpo" (as the locals call their city).

Playa Riñaca

I still wanted to enjoy the beach, so I took another bus to the north. There, I discovered "Viña del Mar", a more touristy city, and a lady on the bus recommended the beach "Riñaca". It was really nice, with a good mix of locals and some beach bars, ice cream stands, and a beautiful promenade.

After strolling around and finishing my ice cream, I went back to the city center, packed my things, and took a 2-hour bus ride back to the capital.

Goodbye, Valparaiso

The next day, I met up with Ignacio, whom I met on the Machu Picchu tour. He is from Santiago and kindly offered to show me around his city.

Santiago de Chile

The capital is surrounded by the Andes, which are covered in snow in winter and offer great opportunities for skiing.

After a delicious and affordable lunch at the lively market, we drove to the hill "San Cristóbal". It's actually located just near my hostel in the neighborhood "Bellavista", which is known for its nightlife (but I didn't take advantage of that haha).

From the top, we had a wonderful 360-degree view of the city. There are viewpoints all around, from where you can see the different neighborhoods.

Like in any big city, there are very different neighborhoods, from poor to rich. From the bird's-eye view, you can clearly see it, from the high-rise buildings and villas to the practically corrugated iron huts in the south of the city.

Gran Torre Santiago

The "Gran Torre Santiago" with its 300m is the highest building in all of South America and is located in the modern district of "Providencia".

Amphitheater Pablo Neruda

On top of the hill, there is also an amphitheater dedicated to Pablo Neruda, the most famous poet and writer in South America, more precisely from Chile.

La Virgen

Like on almost every hill, there is also a statue here, not a Jesus statue, but a "Virgen". At least a woman for a change :-)

Next to it, there is also a area where people can hang something (from teddy bears to pendants to money 😅) and make a wish in return.

Mote con huesillo

After a lot of sightseeing, we enjoyed a national refreshment. "Mote con huesillo" is a cold drink with dried peaches and some kind of grain, topped with orange juice and quite a lot of sugar. It's a refreshing, sweet drink, but I only liked half of it 😅.

My private tour guide, Ignacio 🤗

We had a great day, and I got to see Santiago from its best side. Although I only spent about 10 days in Chile, I got a good impression of the country. And at some point, dear Chile, I will come back, hopefully with a thicker wallet 👛 🇨🇱