YAY…we finally made it to the other side of the world! After a gruelling 13 hour flight from Melbourne we finally landed on the shores of Chile, that slender country along the southwestern coast of South America best known for the sprawling Andes mountain range and all those tasty wines. It was finally time for us to start our 6 month South American adventure, something we had been looking forward to for a long time. However, us being busy backpackers constantly on the move, nothing was planned in advance for this leg of our trip so the next 6 months would be a complete ‘wing it’ affair. However, so far I can report that MOST things have gone pretty swimmingly!
Why did we choose Chile to start I hear you ask?....Ehhh, cheap flights from Australia of course! But for a country I didn’t expect much from, boy was I taken by surprise. After finishing our amazing two weeks of trekking in Nepal 5 months ago I really thought I had seen the best that nature had to offer in terms of breathtaking scenery with the towering snow peaked mountain ranges of the Himalayas but I am happy to report that mother nature has out done herself yet again and has made Chile and, I can only assume, all of South America, just as epic.
Chile is a fascinating country from head to toe and one that is full of stark contrasts from the towering volcanic peaks of the Andes to the hostile Atacama desert and to the rugged glacial mountain tops of Patagonia. We spent a lot of time in Chile which was kind of annoying because it’s actually really expensive but we had no other choice but to stay because the country had SO much on offer. Instead of boring you with an insanely long post about Chile (even though I can tell it's going to be a long one already!) and for the fact I’m a bit lazy when it comes writing, I’ve decided to do Patagonia as it’s own post because quite frankly, I feel it deserves a lot more of it's own attention.
Santiago
Our first stop in Chile was of course the capital of Santiago, a sprawling Metropolis surrounded by the great Andes mountain range. We were really jet lagged after our flight, with Chile having a 13 hour time difference to Australia so as I attempt to write this post I've realised that we didn’t actually do a whole pile in the city except do a lot of much needed sleeping. We did manage at some point however to pull ourselves together to go and do some exploring. The first thing we noticed about Santiago was that it was HOT with temperatures hitting 30+ degrees and the fact that many buskers prefer to showcase their juggling and football skills in front of cars stopped at traffic lights rather than on the pavements like they do back home. We saw plenty of interesting displays while we were there, in particular that guy who spun on his head for an impressive 2 minutes in front of stopped traffic.
What's better than hiking in 30 degree heat?....well actually a lot of things but we decided it would be a great idea to hike up to the cities viewpoint at San Cristobal's Hill. We certainly got a good workout since it was hitting the mid thirties (I probably wouldn't do it again however!) but once at the top were greeted with a far reaching view out over the city with the Andes mountains looking down upon the concrete mass. I must admit however, I was quite shocked to see so much pollution and smog in the sky, nearly fulling masking the outline of the mountains. A city I am quite glad I don't live in, only for the fact the pollution looks to be a big problem here. I was glad to get back down and out of the sun and smog for the rest of the day.
Keeping out of the mid-day heat we decided to pay a visit to a few of the cities renowned museums. The most interesting being the Museum of Crimes, a harsh look into the human rights violations that took place during the military regime between 1973 and 1990 led by Augusto Pinochet. Before visiting this museum I knew very little about the history of Chile but upon leaving I felt I got a deeper understanding of the Chilean people and their plight for freedom during this terrible time. There were many sobering stories of the Pinochet era told through tributes, photos, artwork and personal affects. Very heart wrenching but I feel everyone needs to remember what absolute power is capable of!
Another great museum we visited was the museum of pre-Columbian Art, dedicated to the study and display of artworks and artefacts from the indigenous people of central and South America. We happened to go on a day when the admission was free which made it even better! A huge array of artwork, pottery, textiles, statues and jewellery were on offer giving a great perspective on the South America before the Spanish invasion. Many of the statues were say....very unique in appearance!
Valparaiso
Leaving Santiago, we bordered a bus (one of many we would take in Chile) and made our way to the coastal city of Valparaiso. Bohemian and colourful, Valparaiso’s hills have long attracted travellers, poets and writers. Being the wonderful mess that it is, one can discover something new at every turn wether it be a gem of a building, a spectacular view out over the Pacific ocean, another intricate piece of quirky street art, a drunken late night in one of the many hipster bars and hostels or if you're feeling up to it, a shot at some sand boarding. As the hills of Valparaiso rise sharply from the coastline, to enjoy the ocean views you can ascend using the many stairways which are often dotted with various mosaics and paintings or you can take one of the still functioning funiculars. The cities oldest funicular opened in 1883 and is still in operation today!
Valparaiso is one of the graffiti capitals of South America and no place showcases this better than a street art tour through the city. Street art and graffiti COVER the city ensuring the alleyways and back avenues are bursting with life, which other wise would be a pretty dismal state of living I feel. In this small city with a big feel, much of the built environment is used as a literal canvas for graffiti artists and these works operate in constant production and recycling. We were lucky enough to even spot one of the many street artists doing their thing, in mid construction of a new piece of artwork. We were just wild about the artwork of this place and spent the majority of our time in Valparaiso aimlessly walking through the streets like two snap happy children.
In an attempt to burn off some of that beer we drank the night before, we tried our hand at some sand boarding. Looks easy right? Well, it's actually completely exhausting under the midday sun trying to walk up those steep sand dunes. We admittedly weren’t very good at it but I feel we gave it our best shot, feeling delighted with ourselves if we got just a few meters down the the hill in a straight free flowing line without our boards getting stuck deep in the sand. If you want to feel the affects of a good workout and cure that hangover…go sand boarding because our legs were NOT feeling fresh the next day. The views out over the ocean were pretty nice however!
Pucon
Pucon is another beautiful Chilean city, albeit very different to the ones we had just come from. It's located 780km to the south of Santiago and is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Villarrica with the snow peaked, sulphur emitting top of the Villarrica volcano overlooking the town from 20km away. Yes, this volcano can be seen emitting sulfur gas from far below in the quaint little streets of the town which to me was a somewhat unnerving sight to be hold. Due to the striking natural beauty of the surroundings which include of course volcanoes, lakes, waterfalls and hot springs it is no surprise that that little oasis attracts plenty of tourism. One of the most popular activities to do here is to climb to the top of Villarrica, a 2840m high active volcano having more than 82 eruptions since 1558 the most recent of which occurred on March 3rd, 2015 and an activity that we were eager to do here...why, I'm not too sure but it seemed like a good idea at the time!
The morning we arrived we straight away booked a tour from our hostel for the following morning which would see us begin our ascent from 5am. I groaned to myself at the prospect of yet another early start but I knew (well, I hoped!) that the struggle would be worth it. I didn't really have much time to mentally prepare for the task that lay ahead of me but that was probably a good thing as ignorance is often bliss in situations like this!
To enjoy the day in Pucon before our 'little' challenge the next morning we decided to rent out a Kayak offered by our hostel to enjoy the smoking top of the volcano from the vantage point of the lake and one of the many little hidden beaches along the way. We aren't very good at kayaking it seems as straight away we got our boat stuck in the reeds of the shore line, having to heave ourselves through with our oars but once that initial hurdle was over we were taken by the beauty of the lake and the volcano beyond. It's a gorgeous pristine lake with our stop at a quiet little bay along the way making our time out on the lake a most pleasurable afternoon... except for when we got our boat stuck AGAIN on the way back into the shore. I'm not sure why we were so bad at the whole kayak thing but god loves a trier!
The next morning, we rose early at 4am (GROAN!). Today was the day we would begin our exhilarating expedition. Apparently the weather that day would be perfect with blue skies and minimal wind. The volcano hike is no easy feat and bad weather can have a detrimental effect. In fact, there has been multiple accidents resulting from deaths of people climbing the volcano, most of which were influenced by the weather. I really wished I would stop reading horror stories online about activities we would do before we actually do them! As our guide went through our snow gear with us, how to use our pick axe incase of a slip and how to correctly walk in crampons, I found my anxiety levels slowly starting to rise. I was already counting the hours until I was comfortably back in my bed that night. Why do I continue do this myself I thought!
Once all the gear was sorted we were driven to the base of the volcano. Our guide gave everyone the choice to either hike the first stretch of the summit which only contained rocky terrain or to take the option of the chair lift which would save about an hour hiking. Yes, of course we took the harder option and probably the less desirable for our guide. But we always aim to stretch our budget so decided we would save that extra €20 that it would cost to take the chair lift and put it to better use like some tasty beers back on the ground in Pucon! As we began to tackle the steep rocky terrain and as people sped by us from the comfort of the chair lift above, I kind of wished in that moment I had taken the lazy mans way! But once at the ice line and after a few big gulps of water and a banana, I was proud of our first accomplishment of the day.
Once we reached the ice patch, it was time for us to put on our crampons and use our ice pick as a walking stick, which was a much needed tool in order to stabilize ourselves on the some what treacherous terrain. I'd never walked with crampons before so found it rather a strange feeling and as we started the steep ascent towards the summit, my feet really began to blister as we were given specific boot types that would fit the crampons. I found the whole walking on ice quite an awkward task and having increasingly sore feet really didn't help matters. I think our guide could sense that I was feeling rather uncomfortable and perhaps a bit nervous so moved me to the top of our group where he could offer me some extra reassurance. I tried to look just in front, stepping into the footprints before me but occasionally I would get the urge to look to my side down the mountain facade and that steep sight of the smooth ice really made me shudder as I knew if I was to slip at any moment, I would be a goner! My guide told me to trust the equipment that we had but for some reason my brain took over and made me pretty terrified during the entire trek upwards. Our pace up the ice was a steady one, only stopping occasionally for a drop of water and quick bite of a cereal bar. As we continued upwards, me trying hard to fight back the onset of a panic attack, the toxic fumes from the crater began to make themselves known which really didn't help matters for me. It was at that point that our guide told us it was time to put on our gas masks. I really had to push through the pain and as the top of the mountain appeared we realized yet another vertical portion awaited us. The wind continued to carry the toxic fumes right in our direction. It was all fairly excruciating for everyone but we continued to dig deep and pushed ourselves hard where we ultimately prevailed, reaching the summit of Volcan Villarrica. The agonising climb had finally come to an end! The views were incredible and looking down into the depts of an active volcano was a really cool experience however I was hesitant to get too close to the edge as one wrong step would have been a disaster.
There is only one way down from the volcano and that is to slide! What a THRILL! and so much less painful than having to walk back down the whole way. There were huge tunnels carved into the snow that we jumped in and slid right down. It was like nothing we had ever done before and probably wont do again. The odd time I nearly flipped out from the channels so had to force myself quite hard to reduce my speed with my pick axe which had no became our steering wheel. By the time we reached the bottom my muscles were completely exhausted and never was I so excited for a hot shower and a cold beer! Without a doubt one fo the most unique, memorable and exhausting experiences we have had so far.
Puerto Varas
After our exhilarating time in Pucon we made our way to Puerto Varas which we would use as a base to get ourselves sorted for hiking in Cochamo valley. Puerto Varas is another city in Chile's lake district situated on the banks of Lake Llanquihue which offers commanding views of the snow capped Osorno Volcano, another active volcano in this region and considered the starting point for the Chilean Patagonia. We met two Canadian girls in our hostel who would be renting a car the next day to explore the region and kindly offered to let us join them for the ride. For the whole of the next day we road tripped around the outskirts of the city visiting the Petrohue waterfall which offered an interesting backdrop for some photos of Osorno. The water here is also lovely and clear with a slight green hue. From here we made the steep drive up to the foothills of the snow capped volcano where, despite the bitter cold wind, we walked some of the nice, not so long hiking trails to get a closer view. Not only were the views of the towering volcano pretty impressive but the surrounding views overlooking the lake were simply spectacular. We were very lucky to be granted clear blue skies for the entire day which allowed us to fully appreciate the beauty that abounds here.
Cochamo Valley
The next day in Puerto Varas was spent getting our hiking gear and food sorted for our few days camping in Cochamo Valley. Now, we are no camping experts, in fact the last time I went camping was with my parents about 20 years ago where they did all the work with putting up our eight man tent while me and siblings most probably spent the time pestering them (Respect to my parents!). Neither of us had much of an idea about how to put up a tent or even how much food or what sort of food we would need to bring for three days camping in the wilderness. Thankfully for us, we rented all of our gear from Antonio in 'Rent a Tent Chile' in the city who gave us a crash course in how to put up our tent, how to assemble our cooking stove and what sort of food we should bring. His favourite being instant mash potato, something I haven't had since my college days! It all looked pretty easy so we were excited for our next little adventure. The only little glitch for our trip was the fact that from searching online it seemed that all the camping spots were already booked out (major sigh!!) but Antonio assured us that we could get in without a reservation as they had over spill green spaces for campers like us who arrive unprepared. We believed him as he seemed like a good expert on the region so we didn't think much more of it. It was time for us to head into the middle of no where. No wifi, no cars, no electricity. It was bound to be fun!
Cochamo Valley is known in Chile as the Yosemite of South America with its high rise granite rock facades and best of all, not that many tourists know of this place....YET. It is a hikers and rock climbers paradise.
Once our bus dropped us off, we piled out with our backpacks, tents, sleeping bags in tow and headed for the trail head. Unfortunately our adventure didn't quite get started on the right foot as remembering what Antonio had told us about it being easy to get a camping spot without a reservation...yeah, it kind of wasn't! The lady who met us at the park entrance asked for us to show us our reservation to which we hastily replied that we didn't have one. She then proceeded to tell us we would have to come back the next day as all the reservations were all gone for that afternoon. No WAY were we coming back the next day after hauling all of our stuff here. After a bit of back and forth and us trying to make her feel sorry for us, she went away for a few minutes onto her walkey talkey. As we sat nervously twiddling our thumbs, we watched other hikers with ease make their way past us, all having their reservations approved. We really wished at that point we had been more organised, but that's how we seem to roll on this trip! Thankfully the woman came back to us a while later and told us she had miraculously found a spot for us to camp. HURRAH! We didn't really care how or what she did to get us that spot but we were grateful none the less and wanted at that stage to get our legs moving. After a quick briefing about the trails we finally headed off on our merry way with a huge sigh of relief.
Being on a new trail always gets me a little bit excited as starting out on a new adventure always seems to start with 'being on the trail'. For the next 8km, we would walk on a trail that has been carved out over many years by horses trodding to the centre of the valley bringing with them ample supplies. For the most part the trail was flat, albeit quite muddy. There is a main trail for the horses which is in quite poor shape but thankfully most of the time there was a better trail just beside it. Other than being muddy, the trail is wonderfully green. For most of the hike towards the middle of the valley we were walking in the shade of dense green forest but finally as we reached our camping ground after 4 hours of walking, the terrain opened up and we got our first sight of the magnificent granite domes that the valley is famous for. It was stunning! One thing that immediately struck me was how much green space was actually free in our campsite. I wasn't quite sure what all the fuss was about with getting us a reservation but anyways, here we were! After checking in, we searched around for an ideal spot to pitch our tent and opted for a space that over looked the beautiful granite dome valley. We could have set up camp in a more forested area that offered shelter from the wind and rain but we came here for the views. Thankfully the weather for us for the entire few days was just glorious so we could fully enjoy the spectacular rock formations from the comfort of our tiny little tent for two. Setting up our tent, which should have been a quick 5 minute job, took us a lot longer between putting in the poles and hammering in the stakes to the ground, I'm sure we looked like two right eejits. Everyone else around us looked a lot more prepared and professional but hey, learning is fun! After pitching our tent and hoping that the wind wouldn't blow it off into a distant land we set about cooking our first camping meal of smash which again seemed to take so much longer than it should have! This whole camping thing was pretty hard work but I was confident we would get into the swing of things eventually. After dinner and as the sun began to set we set about deciding what hikes we would do for the next few days. The best thing about hiking in Cochamo is that all of the trails are close by so you can arrive back to the comfort of your tent each evening without having to pack up all of your stuff. Our first nights sleep was a very cosy one, with there just being enough room for the two us and our bags. We also quickly realised that the mattress's we were given were really not the best as after a while of lying on our sides, our hips would get pretty sore. Lesson learned, foam mattress's are terrible!
The first hike we decided to do was to La Paloma glacier. A glacier hiding high in the granite walls of the valley and where crystal clear rock pools can be found. After our cosy, slightly uncomfortable nights sleep and after cooking porridge for breakfast on our little gas stove we began our hike early that morning, thankfully with the sun shining bright for us. First it was a steep climb through humid forest and then once that hardship was over it was yet another steep climb out on the open rock face up to the foothills of the glacier. The water trickling down from the glacier was in plentiful supply so we made sure to stock up on the most pure and freshest water one will ever find. Getting up close and personal with a glacier was amazing. There were also a few crevasses underneath the ice that one could venture into but we dared not just incase there would be an ice fall. Instead we enjoyed those granite filled views overlooking the valley and gazed in awe at the huge glacier that lay before us.
The next day we did the most terrifying hike you've never heard of..... 'Arco Iris'. This hike was one of the most challenging one-day hikes I have ever done. The trail is pretty insane and with the absence of any sort of harness, one must climb up the edge of vertically steep granite rocks with just the help of some rather worn looking ropes. The first part of this trek is through humid tropical like forest and then onto snow capped mountain peaks, if you are ballsy enough to climb those ropes. At first glance, once we reached the first rope I said 'NO WAY'. Other people had bailed on the idea of going up any further which made me even more nervous but there was a small queue of people starting to form behind me as I tried to muster up the courage to get climbing. Paul had already reached the top and struggled a bit to climb up over the branches that were in the way so I could only imagine how difficult I would find it. I thought to myself, it's now or never so out of no where I just starting climbing making sure to hang on tight and not look to my right where there was nothing between me and the edge of the cliff face. One slip would most definitely mean certain death and I'm not even exaggerating. It was nothing short of treacherous! After a lot of moral support from the guys still in the queue behind me and from Paul at the top, I thankfully made it to the top in one piece albeit uncontrollably shaking like a leaf. I was so glad I had the courage to climb those ropes as after a few more exhausting hours of clambering over rocks and walking over ice fields we reached the summit. The final mirador offered a 360 degree panoramic view overlooking the alpine lakes, towering waterfalls streaming below, the impressive granite towers down into the valley and the far off distant snow capped volcanos. It was most certainly an impressive vista and worth every bit of the awful fear inducing ascent. We were just two of 6 people that were at the top so I can only assume that most people decided to turn back once they saw those ropes or were too knackered to continue on so as a result I felt a little bit proud of myself.
As we were soaking in the views we were careful to keep an eye on the time as to get back down would take just about the same time it took to get up and I am a REALLY slow downhill hiker. I dreaded the thought of climbing back down those granite boulders using the ropes but it was the only way I could get on solid flat ground again. I had no choice but to, again hold on tight and not look down. It was utterly terrifying!
Once we reached the comfort of our tent, we both collapsed on the ground, thankful we had made it out alive. I looked at my hands covered in blisters and knew that they were the hands of someone who was literally hanging on for life! Would I do it again...NO! But was it worth it...absolutely YES!
Atacama Desert
Let's walk on the moon?? Well, that's exactly what it felt like visiting sadly one of our last stops in Chile. Tucked in the shadows of the snow capped Andes mountains, one of our last stops in Chile was to the Atacama desert, the driest non polar desert on earth stretching across a 1,000 kilometer tract of land. The region boasts stunning geological formations and has provided scientists with a wealth of scientific opportunities from geology to astronomy. Like most backpackers wanting to experience the allure of the Atacama desert, we based ourselves in the dusty city of San Pedro De Atacama. Most people visiting this region pay good money for the various tours on offer but we like to make life difficult for ourselves in order to save a few euro so instead of taking a tour, decided to rent bikes for two days to explore the region. Cycling just the two of us into the driest desert on earth probably sounds like some sort of suicide mission. With no place to avail of water and where from about 9.30am in the morning there's no shade, one would understandably wonder what the allure of such an undertaking would be. Albeit a very hot and sweaty affair, we absolutely loved our time cycling through the desert as it gave us the opportunity to enjoy this silent oasis without the annoyance of other tourists....for the most part!
After an early morning wake-up alarm, plenty of suncream and water in tow we headed first for the famous Moon Valley, named like this for its moon-shaped landscape. As much as it was hard to rise from the comfort of our beds, we really did appreciate the fresh morning temperatures. From the entrance of the valley we straight away felt like we were transported to a place that was completely otherworldly, like a terrestrial Mars. We also realised pretty quickly that the road was both dusty and gravely which was something we knew we would just have to get used to it as the whole valley was like this. There was thankfully many stops for us to make along the way, most of which required a steep 15 minute walk up to some form of view point but it was completely worth the hardship as to admire this stunningly unique landscape in virtual silence was something very special. The most beautiful rock formations, sand and salt expanses all of which can be seen from a 360 degree vista from the top of the various miradors were completely stunning and that sound of silence ringing through our ears as we sat admiring the view was really quite a strange sensation but certainly a most welcome one. We spent a most enjoyable 4 hours exploring the different vantage points of the desert but I must admit that when my head hit my bed later that afternoon, boy was it a relief!
Later that evening, as if we hadn't cycled enough already that day, we decided to venture back out on our bikes again, this time to watch the sunset (sometimes I wonder why we do this to ourselves!). The cycle to the sunset point was a very steep uphill climb out of the town of San Pedro and there was plenty of times I was ready to turn the bike around and speed back down the hill to the comfort of my bed but, to my determination I motored on with Paul being just a dot in the distance. He was clearly much more able for all this desert cycling than me! FINALLY, after a long uphill cycle, we made it to the sunset point. To my disappointment there was quite the audience gathered there already, all seemingly having the same idea of wanting to watch the sun go down but I tried to not let it bother me too much, these things happen in beautiful places, for good reason. We waited patiently under the cold Atacama breeze (yeah, the desert gets VERY cold at night!) when finally the side lighting did its little piece of magic, turning the arid landscape into an amazing otherworldly view. Despite being surrounded by hundreds of other tourists, the sunset view was pretty dazzling.
After our hectic, no shade adventure the day before we decided this time we would rise later in the morning (HURRAH!) to go explore the 'Valley of Death' instead this time under the late afternoon sun and hopefully this time we could enjoy the sunset away from the other masses of tour groups. Thankfully the cycle to the entrance of Death Valley was a much closer affair to that of Moon Valley but if I thought the cycle path the day before was tough, well this day would be A LOT tougher as this time, instead of gravel, we would be cycling on one inch deep sand. Cycling on sand is really tough if you've never tried by the way! Every couple of spins of my wheel, my bike would skid to one side forcing me off the bike to walk with it through the sand....I didn't think this was what I had signed up to for the day! BUT, having said that, the Valley of Death having lain in wait for millions of years to be discovered offered us a much different vantage point than the previous day. Instead of gazing down from high above upon the rock and salt formations, this time we were turning our heads upwards, almost at 90 degrees to fix sight to the top of the vast sand hills and canyon walls.
Despite being deep within the valley's red rocks walls, there was also ample opportunity for us to get up high to once again swoon over the views that lay before us. What really struck me about the landscape here is how different it is in every direction from cracked grey and white salt plates, far off snow peaked mountain tops to deep red stone which in turn collapse into rich golden sand. I feel one would never be bored spending time here, although the heat would probably take over! Leaving our bikes behind, we took some time to walk up the high rise sand dunes of the valley and to another sunset view point, this time looking down on Death Valley and where thankfully, tourist crowds were much less in abundance....just what we like! We hung out at the top until sunset, sitting much of the the time in silence as the views were what spoke volumes to us both (or for the fact we have spent everyday with each other over the past 10 months and have finally ran out of things to say to each other...LOL!) When the sun began to set, we were once again met with a landscape that was strangely from out of this planet, a composition that is difficult to put down in words to somebody who has never laid eyes on this part of the world but I can assure you one that it is beautiful. Despite all the sand that had built up in our war torn boots and the fact that we spent most of both days completely breathless, our time cycling through the Atacama was something very special and one of the many highlights of our time in Chile. It's a rarity to be in a place where one can find the pure sound of silence and I for one find nothing more pleasurable to the ear!
Thankfully arriving back at our hostel in one piece after a breezy down hill cycle into the town and through the deathly dark night sky of the valley, we treated ourselves to a guided tour of space. The desert offers some of the clearest skies in the world due to the lack of moisture and the mountains preventing clouds forming. I will admit, most of the explanation of the night sky completely went over my head. Space is a very complicated affair but it was a pretty cool experience to look through one of their VERY expensive telescopes to observe up close the rings of Jupiter. Looking through the high quality lenses of the various telescopes to observe...I couldn't tell you now as it was all very complicated, was pretty nifty but what I enjoyed most was just looking up at the amazing night sky in all its twinkling glory.
I found so much special in just once small slither of South America. With endless days immersed in art, culture, unbelievable scenery and camping under a beautiful nights sky, it's hard not to fall in love with Chile and all that blissful love is even before I present to you my post on Patagonia!
Adios por ahora!
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