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| A quick mountainrun to Santiago de Chile |
| Geplaatst door: Felix |
Tijd in Nederland: 01:41 30/03/10 - Tijd in Santiago, Chile: 20:41 29/03/10 |
A beautiful day. In Santiago de Chile!
Only a few days ago I got on a bus to Mendoza, almost a straight line west, about 1000km, from Buenos Aires. 14 hours later I wondered around town, my far too big pack on my back, sweating like..
It was a bit bigger than I expected, no small countrytown at all!
A lot of students, so a lot going on. Pauli aka my personal GPS told me to head to avenida Villanueva, that should be where the partyīs at.
So my own GPS in my hand I walked some wonderful streets, with wide roads, lots and lots of enormous old trees hanging over them. Which was lucky because I got some shade, it was hot enough not even in direct sunlight.
Going from hostel to hostel I found out this town & street was really popular. Big hostels, big swimming pools, and not so big, quite expensive, dormrooms, what a surprise!
At the end of the street I found one quite reasonable, still with a huge pool, canīt complain about stuff like that right?!
Close to the park, and when I looked at the map, I noticed that this park must be one of the biggest I have ever been in!! Also it is well known for having an amazing amount of different trees in it, but I am far from a specialist so I will leave that part to someone else. (Parque San Martin).
Maybe even more important than the park, really close to my hostel I found a nice shop, a whole family seemed to be working there, with some of the best and cheapest empanadas I have had in all my time in Argentina! Empanadas mendocina, come with meat, egg and olives!! Olives fresh from the trees that cover this whole region.
Friday I had to find the trees that gave me these wonderful olives of course, so I got on a bus to Maipu, a small village closeby. There I got myself a bike, a Canadian friend, and we went on a tour of wine, more wine, olives, and beer at the end!
It was great to have the whole process of vineyards, and how to make oliveoil explained to me, some of it in crystalclear English, and others in Spanish to create some practice..
Saturday I got on a bus to the mountains, and made a stop in Potrerillos. At 1320m above sea level, there is this small town, alongside a road going uphill quite steep here and there. This town is quite famous for itīs wonderful lake, in the middle of the mountains, since it was a saturday, lots of people gathered around it, for BBQ, chillout, water-activites and whatnot.
Best part was getting myself on a mountainbike. I found a really chilled out hostel, stayed the night in a fabulous wooden hut. This hostel had more on offer than simple beds, you could go rafting, hiking, biking, whatever you wanted they would organise.
Since I donīt like the organised adventures to much, I just asked for a bike and went up the hill.
I made it to 1680m, twice! Heart beating like mad, but it was so worth it!
For the first time on my travels, Iīve been really alone for a bit.
I started out on the road, but then I found this really small stream, and I went through it, to get myself off the real road. I was lucky to be on a really decent bike, so I had no real problems with the moving rocks and some water I met on the way up. After climbing some, the water left me and I continued on a gravelroad. It was this road that got me totally out there. I met some Quad bikes, and 3 walking guys, in the other direction, so after a while, I was completely alone.
A big rock was waiting for me, I climbed it, a lot of wind suddenly made the temperature drop enormously but I sat down and took a deep breath.
Everywhere I looked, as far as I could see, big mountains, bigger mountains, and the lake, far far away. Mountains here are totally different from Europe, it is really dry most of the year, on the hills you find some small plants but no serious trees, nothing. This creates a strange un-earthtly feel while at the same time being nothing short of gorgeous.
It was right there that I read some more notes, from my belt, from the party in Trouw, almost 3 months ago now!! Wow guys, thanks so much.
I seriously considered reading all of them, the place totally seemed to deserve it, but then I am only about halfway really, so I probably will need more backup happyness from all you lovely friends.
Sunday everything fell apart, I wanted to stop really high in the mountains and get myself on a bus there to Santiago, first having the chance to walk around in Aconcagua neighbourhood a little (highest mountain of South America, creating Chile-Argentina border somewhat).
But the busdriver drove through Potrerillos early, I was still walking down from my hostel, and with my pack I can not seriously run, so I saw it driving away from me in the distance. That was the bus stopping everywhere possible till the border, and there wouldnīt be another for hours. So instead I got on a bus to Uspallata, another small town an hour higher in the mountains from here. There I tried to get a bus to Santiago, but the bus supposed to take me broke down, and I had to wait for hours and hours, without knowing anything, staring at the gravelgarden of this so called busstation..
Well it took a while but another bus showed up and took me anyway!
Getting to the higher areas was nothing short of amazing, neverending steep slopes, black most of the time, but also some green/yellow spots. No serious plants though. I really donīt know what to say, you have to see this for yourself. I will try to get pictures up really soon!
Everyone ever going to Mendoza or Santiago, if you cross to the other side, donīt even dare to take an overnight bus! You have to SEE this.
It was one of the best busrides ever. Not only thanks to my great mother-like company in the chairs around me, they all moved out of the way to let me take more and better pictures, no, they made me take pictures! Thanks ladies.
Frontera! Welcome to Chile! But donīt even dare to take an orange!
My īmotherī forgot an orange in her suitcase, got busted, and she was almost crying and screaming because they act like you have to go to jail for this. In the end she could board the bus just before we would leave without here, and I helped to calm her down, always have candy ready!
In Chile all is different. Suddenly green patches are everywhere, and as soon as you drop into lower mountain areas more and more plants and even trees appear. Getting there took a while though. Around the border most traffic is 1 way only, we had to wait turns a few times, they are building new avalanche protected tunnels but it will take a while before all that is done.
Hairpin after hairpin after hairpin slowly we got back into the world, with a beautiful sunset above the hills. Different colors everywhere you looked, really pretty.
Here in Santiago I would finally meet up again with long lost friends!
First finding some money, getting a bip! card for local transport, finding the subway, finding my bus, it all worked neat. They got a really good system here. The bus dropped me at Plaza San Enrique, sundaynight a quiet small square, a lot of trees, different hills to all sides. Friday and saturdaynight it is madness hear apparently, some big clubs, and all neighbourhood youngster flocking to this epicentre!
Something for another weekend!
But now it was time to get in a cab, walking up the hill at night didnīt sound that appealing, plus in reality I didnīt even know which way to go.
Cabs here are divided into regular ones, we know, and the best ones, the collectivos! These ones go to a particular neighbourhood, where lots of people need to go, and you share the ride! A small fee and a lot of fun, I finally got to Camino El Cajon!
There she was, Rosita!!!! So happy to see her, and her uncle Ivan, and the house! Itīs situated on the hill, you have to climb some stairs to get above the garage to the house, so many plants, flowers, trees everywhere, itīs beautiful. Grapes everywhere, fresh juice today, made by her mother, Veronica!! Last time I saw Veronica was in Sa Tuna, Spain, many, many years ago.
Fantastic to see them all again, I feel at home already and I just got here!
Waking up this morning, looking out at the hills of what is now the outskirts of Santiago, and once, in old times was just a small village on its own.
Walking the streets today, I saw some repairs being done, on benches, walls, houses, still results from the Quake last month... A lot of talk about it everywhere of course, and hearing the stories from my friends who lived through it, itīs something else. Everyone is returning home from a hard dayīs work, time for me to make myself useful in the kitchen?!
Riding through the gorgeous landscapes the past few days I reminded myself I havenīt done any work uploading pictures for you.
This is unforgivable, and there is only one thing to be done.
Getting it done.
This week! Promise!
Besos
F
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