During my first night at Villa Pehuenia, I was woken early in the morning by the sound of bubbles bursting, suggesting some kind of exciting activity in the lake just below my balcony. Then I went back to sleep and forgot about it. On my last morning there, while I was getting ready to check out, I heard the same sound and went onto the balcony to ( Read more... )

I didn't sleep well, and I'm absolutely positive I was awake between 6.15 and my alarm going off at its usual time of 7 am, but I heard no sound from the other rooms. This was even better as it meant that I was going to hear them discovering they'd overslept, but all remained quiet. Checkout was at noon and my flight wasn't until 4.15 - and I'd ( Read more... )

I was usually the first at breakfast, and I think that was especially true on New Year's Day, when no one else had turned up by the time I headed back to my courtyard table with my second mug of coffee (as far as I can now remember). One earlier breakfast I had been beaten to the dining room by the young German couple from the room opposite mine, ( Read more... )

The weather was clearly going to be too hot for visiting vineyards, but I did fancy a wine-tasting while I was in Santiago, and Lonely Planet recommended Uncorked Chile who have tastings-with-food in central Santiago as well as day-tours. I contacted them on Saturday via the website saying I was interested in a tasting on Monday, and asking about ( Read more... )

Pablo Neruda built three houses in Chile. I'd visited the one in Valparaíso during my 2005 round-the-world trip, and had been particularly charmed by the terrace that Neruda had designated a launch-pad for expeditions into space. The one in Santiago is called La Chascona, which is derived from a Quechua term for a wild mane of hair and was a ( Read more... )

I got in the door a bit after midday, and discovered that Marcela had checked on the place very recently, and sorted post into piles, and laid in milk and biscuits. That is a good friend ( Read more... )

This is my fifth visit to Santiago and I've seen the main sights on previous visits, so my plan was to take things easy. My hotel is a block from the river, and Google Maps showed that there was a sculpture park nearby on the other side of the river, with an 8 am opening time. I got there around 9, and had it almost to myself apart from some locals ( Read more... )

On waking up on Friday morning, I wished myself a cheerful Happy Birthday. Though the website for Temuco airport says an hour check-in time for internal flights, when I'd checked in online on the 26th, there were warnings of allowing at least two hours in the busy holiday season. The people at Reception dismissed this extra caution when I asked the ( Read more... )

Breakfast was from 7 am, the earliest by an hour in the whole trip, showing that this hotel is not just for tourists. It was served in the rather dark basement restaurant, and had fresh fruit juice, and bacon or sausages along with the scrambled eggs, which is unusual for Chile and was welcome ( Read more... )

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm sorry I'm behind in responding to comments. I'm concentrating on posting, in the hope of getting caught up before the end of the trip - which is tomorrow. I was delighted to get so much response to the dinosaur post, though. Usually I guess incorrectly about which posts will get a reaction, but I was spot on with the ( Read more... )