On to Valparaíso!

With mixed emotions we packed up to leave Santiago. Anxious to board the ship and begin the next leg of the adventure, but longing to stay and explore more of this amazing country. Our guide said the trip to the coast was pretty long, but not to worry as we would make a couple of stops along the route for snacks and an opportunity to stretch our legs a bit. If you check the map you'll see that the distance is just under 80 miles. I've been known to drive 80 miles round-trip to pick up hamburgers from a favorite restaurant on a Saturday afternoon. During college move-in or move-out it wasn't uncommon for me to drive a 570 mile round trip in a single day. Eighty miles being characterized as

"pretty long" gave me a little chuckle! Keeping our mindset of curious guests embracing a new culture we went with the flow in order to gain an appreciation for a Chilean road trip. Once again, we were not disappointed. As we drove past acres upon acres of vineyards and avocado groves I developed a bit of a hunger. Avocado had been part of almost every meal since our arrival and I knew that our access to ample quantities of these magnificent green fruits at amazingly affordable prices was drawing to an end with every mile we drove. Our first stop came about 30 minutes outside of town at what amounted to a roadside coffee shop and my hunger for avocado was sated, at least for a short while.

For snacks we had hallulla, which is traditional Chilean flatbread, sliced in half and filled with manjar (dulce de leche) spread. Forget PB&J, this is the most amazing creation on the planet. After we recovered from our diabetic coma there was more hallulla, this time covered in fresh, creamy palta (avocado spread.)

Our need for rest and nourishment met for the moment, we continued on to our next stop, Emiliana Organic Vineyards. They were quite busy, especially for a Tuesday, and ours was a drop-in visit so we didn't have a formal tour arranged. We were able to stroll through parts of the vineyard and see the various animals wandering around taking care of weeds and providing fertilizer for the vines. When our spot in the tasting room was available we were treated to one of the best Pinot Noirs I've ever tasted, and that's saying quite a bit considering that my cousins at Chehalem make some absolutely fantastic wines. The Emiliana compared quite favorably and I wouldn't hesitate to put back a half-case if the opportunity presented itself. Emiliana wines are available in various places throughout the USA, so keep your eyes peeled.

When we arrived in Valparaíso our driver gave us a tour of the area, including Viña del Mar, before taking us to lunch. After lunch we visited the Moai statue from Easter Island at the Fonck Museum in Viña del Mar and were slightly accosted by a local gypsy woman, whom I strongly rebuffed when she wouldn't take a simple 'no' as an answer. I really did not need my palm read nor my fortune told! We headed back to Valparaíso and our driver dropped us off near the port with our guide so we could walk around the historic district and check out one of the funicular railways that dot the cityscape. The first of the twenty-six units started service in 1883 and remains in service today, along with seven others. A funicular railway consists of two cars attached to each other by a cable running on parallel inclined tracks. The cars run in opposite directions, counterbalancing each other and minimizing the amount of energy needed to operate the system. The ubiquitous automobile and other forms of mass transportation have rendered most of the railways prohibitive to maintain.

Our tour of the city complete, we headed to the terminal to check-in for the cruise. Since Valparaíso is configured primarily for shipping traffic and not large cruise ship traffic the process was a bit convoluted. Passengers were screened, checked-in with cruise staff, and received their Sail & Sign cards, then loaded on to busses with their luggage for a ride around the port to board the ship. Passengers who arrived on the ship were bussed back to the terminal area, where they could use public transportation to move around the city. The ship arrived that morning and was not scheduled to leave until the following afternoon, but we chose to spend the rest of the day unpacking and getting settled rather than venturing out again.