Chile

The founder of the city of Valparaiso - General O'Brien, nice chops

Sunset over Viña del Mar - was featured in the film 'Motorcycle Diaries'

Relaxing with the Kerbys over lunch in Santiago

The South Americans love their statues (and their heroes)...

Santiago, air pollution, and a run that soaked it all up

Where to start...it truly is a great country. Amazing landscape, ever developing government, humble friendly people, and after months of hardly getting 3+ a day in Argentina, the hoardes of fresh produce. Much like NZ in many ways. To the amazement of Argentinians I found some great buys in Chile. While figuring out the actual price was difficult (1 NZ dollar buys 200 Chilean pesos) I managed to find two great pairs of jeans for NZ$25 each and a snowboarding jacket for NZ$50! Fast food with avocado was a nice change and the local beer proved more than tolerable. Ryan ensured we have a pisco supply in the flat, purchasing a bottle for me as a belated birthday present.

The major excursion we took was to Viña del Mar and Valparaiso. After a brief stop in the country side to try some chicha (corn wine) and huge local empanadas (a bit like pies) we made it to the coast. The mayor's former mansion was the first stop. It's situated amidst a garden that could be a botanical gardens from any major city in the world, and the guide said it contains a whole lot of art of national and international interest. However, there was a fee to enter - gutted for you Dad but he wanted to move on so I didn't get to see even one piece! The site was also home to the amphitheatre that gave birth to such stars as Shakira - it was a sweet set-up, state of the art and right in the middle of the gardens. We then passed by an Easter Island museum that also contained the Chilean mummies and a cool collection of butterflies. The view at the beach was rocky and reasonable - nothing to rave about. We have sealions in Mar del Plata too...However at the markets there was this amazing fur hat (similar to a pasa montaña - traditional mountain hat). It was huge, well made and really warm but at US$60 with no guarantee it would make it back into NZ I gave it a miss.

The following day I went for an early run to do a bit of reconnoissance and after jogging up a steep hill of 600m elevation I decided I don't care much for the air pollution. The view was amazing however (the photo above is one of a panoramic series of about 8) and all of Santiago and the surrounding mountains. At the top of the hill is a huge white statue of the Virgin Mary and as I stretched by it old men would run up (it was a sunday) breathing heavily, imitating condors as they ran back and forth then kneeled to pray that next sunday they would be able to do the same. A very tranquil, affirming site - I hope I can return to do the same when I am 65! Later in the I returned to the spot with the Kerbys (this time via funicular) and it was swarming with mountain bikers - an equally heartwarming sight. The street filled with people, markets and street performers that night and in the dusk and early evening it was hard not to soak up the atmosphere. I found everything from celtic runes (for budding celt Jandro) to finger puppets (they just appeal to me, don't ask me why).

I left Chile feeling great, to me it provided everything (except a night on the town - Ryan, fea actitud mi amigo, que pecho frio tenes) adventure, good food, some hills for a change and a reprieve from corruption