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+ Log & Blog December / Dec 24

 Progress log and blog report

24 DECEMBER 2005 - A long Christmas Eve, a very long Christmas Eve

Goodbyes all round and we were off after an excellent breakfast. Today we planned to go to Santiago, the capital of Chile. However Helen advised it was too hot and sticky in the city and that Vina del Mar, along the coast from Valparaiso, would be much more pleasant and pretty. We knew this would be a long drive, and we didn’t set off as soon as we should… This deviation to Vina del Mar also added over 100km to the day and it was already about 800km we had to cover – still it was all motorway Rn5 (toll roads) so we thought it should still be ok. Helen also told us the best place for lunch and a visit to a waterfall at Salto de Laja. Now it was getting hot. Layer after layer was peeled off as we headed North. Through the day we caught glimpses of white topped volcanoes as they came and went through the haze, one was smoking.

Smoking-volcano

The cars started to have a few problems again. The Westie wouldn’t start after stopping for petrol, the battery was flat. I think it is a loose alternator connection as I managed to push it more in place a little. Time will tell if this re-occurs. Ivor’s also had charging problems, but more elusive. Despite this the miles went by to our lunch stop at Salto de Laja for about 1pm. Pulling in to park we were flagged down and shown where to park by a grinning man in a baseball cap. He was effectively the parking attendant, not a formal position, but for a few Pesos he watches the cars. The falls at Salto are impressive, not so much for their height, or their width, but for their energy. A huge amount of spray is generated and you can’t get close without being drenched in spray. In the heat of the day this was quite refreshing.

The-falls

Large black and orange flies also took an interest in us, they didn’t look too friendly. We found a café that looked reasonable and eventually managed to successfully order cheese and tomato sandwiches. Here they peel the tomatoes, a precaution against stomach bugs. This and a few drinks came to over £15, a great price change since Argentina.

Christmas-Eve-lunch

We sat and chatted, reluctant to go out again in the heat of the day, at about 2.30 we set off again, a small crowd gathering to see us off. The Westie started fine, so the loose alternator connection was probably the problem.

Vineyards

We passed vineyards, cherry orchards, rows of fruit stalls selling all kinds of produce. Stalls selling carved sandstone. Stall after stall of wickerwork and the fields where the reeds were grown. Past asparagus fields, maze fields. Everywhere where there wasn’t food being grown were plantations, often of Eucalyptus. It seemed that every square inch of the country was owned and farmed.

Evening-in-the-hills

The miles went fairly slowly, as we needed to bear in mind Ivor’s missing overdrive. At last Santiago approached by about 7pm. The roads became busier, pretty much like driving through a big city at home. Two lanes, three lanes, two again. Signs pointed out places that we couldn’t find on the map, but surely there must be a sign to Vina del Mar or the second biggest city in the area – Valparaiso? There wasn’t. So we ended up taking an even longer route out through Santiago and then to cut back on Rn60. At least that was motorway too. Unfortunately we couldn’t find Rn60 either. Meanwhile Ivor’s charging problems kept re-occurring. After what was quite a pretty drive through the hills after Santiago (if we hadn’t been so tired) in the cooler evening we eventually turned off to Vina del Mar. By now it was getting dark, the road was not a good one and we were tired. The next hour was the worst of the trip. Dark unpredictable roads, fatigue, concentration on not losing the cars behind. We were relieved when we finally found the sea front at Vina del Mar at about 10pm. Now to hunt for a hotel. We found one, Hotel Oceanic, on the edge of the Pacific, it looked quite reasonable. Prices were a shock again, $140 US for a twin room with a view, $89 for no view. As it was Christmas Eve Chris and I plumped for the view, the equivalent of £45 for the night. We were tired, we were hungry and thirsty. Everything in the hotel was shut, ‘Christmas’ the manager explained with a smile and a shrug. So it is! Everyone disappeared into their rooms to collapse for the night, no supper. We went to ours. A huge room with a balcony overlooking the sea directly below and a view of the coast. Chris and I slowly munched and drank our way through the mini bar and watched coloured flares go up at midnight from the city. We talked about life the Universe and everything long into the night. Happy Christmas. Over 600 miles covered today.

The-lights-of-the-city

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