Chile - Vina del Mar and Valparaiso

On March 17th we crossed through the impressive Andes from Mendoza to Vina del Mar. The trasition from the fertile arid basin of Mendoza to the bleak high Andes, and then dropping down into green coastal Chile was impressive. The border crossing was straight forward and we even felt the distant ripples a 4.2 earthquake while we were up there! The first thing we noticed about Chile was their superior roads. Definitely a huge improvement from the mediocre roads we were accustomed to on the Argentine side. The roads were wider, smoother, and wound around the mountains with far more grace. The difference between the two southern cone countries was immediately apparent. The drive from the mountains down to the coast was beautiful and the impact of development was pretty obvious as well. The Chileans take pride in their progress..!







Ivan had the great insight to get off the bus in Vina rather than Valparaiso, so he got to pay an expensive taxi ride for that mistake... But once we got to our charming hostal by the busy port, all was forgiven. Lucky for us, that night we were invited to visit Stas's host family that she had lived with for 4 months last year. Sandra, Fiorella, Stefano, and Francesca were wonderful hosts and they welcomed us with open arms. After a long bus ride, it was really great to be in such a happy and welcoming household. We spent the evening sharing stories and munching on a tasty array of treats. Pretty incredible to see someone so close to Stas on the other side of the globe!!

A feast was prepared in honor of us

Only missing Stas!

A wonderful gift from a loving, warm family! Que Suerte

The following day we walked all over Valparaiso, and climbed some roads whose steepness might even rival those of San Francisco..! Actually, the city really did remind us of San Fran, with the huge port, the breezy coastal winds, colorful buildings (mostly graffiti), local mercados and a good chance for a devastating earthquake. The hills offered some incredible views! The highlight of the day was walking through Pablo Neruda's house and seeing his quirky collections, interesting architecture, and his poetry haunts. A very memorable tour. Afterwords, we walked to an amazing restaurant and each had a world class fish recipe. yumm!!!

Tram ride up the steep hill

Sooo excited to be visiting one of her favorite poet's homes!

Pablo's 5 story funky-colorful-antique house

The view from Pablo's living room (first name basis...)

Port Valparaiso

After sharing a bottle of wine and licking our plates clean we walked down through the winding streets. We even saw part of the Valparaiso Cerro Bajo course (an extreme urban downhill race). Too bad Ivan didn't have a bike..!

Ivan's Swordfish with spinach alfredo and veggies

Kristin's Curried Rockfish with wild rice

The following day we toured around Valparaiso some more, discovered some great markets, and took it fairly easy. We soaked up the smells and tastes of the Pacific Ocean that we had been missing for the past 6 months. Which by the way, March 18th marked the 6 month travel anniversary of Ivan and Kristin traveling together through South America!! WOW!

Kristin getting her foreign "Chico and Teigen" fix



amen...

On the 20th we said our good-byes to the lovely city of Valparaiso and headed to the Santiago Int. Airport where we spent the night! Early the next morning we awoke from the metal chairs with kinks in our backs to board the plane to Lima and then Quito, Ecuador. Lots of layovers, sleeping in airports, and finding silly ways to pass the time. So excited for what lies ahead in Ecuador!!

mmm, Cusquena!

mmm...ceviche in the Lima airport! YUMMY

Too many hours...
but somehow manages to still look pretty!