Snow Day in the Andes

The road trips abound around Chile, and this weekend we took advantage of being so close to the Andes mountain range and skipped up to see the snow-capped mountains (and play a little).

The snow-capped mountains near Santiago.

We actually tried to have a snow day about a month ago, but the conditions worsened on our way up the mountain, and we had to turn around and come down.

Our first attempt to visit the snow was to go to Los Farellones, which is the hub for the majority of the very-near ski resorts, including Colorado, Valle Nevado and Portillo.

Wow!

Let me tell you, this trip is not for the faint of heart. The road up the mountain contained no less than 30 turn-on-a-dime switchbacks, along essentially a one-lane road. It was paved, but little other luxury has been spared. The edge of the road most of the time marked the edge of a cliff, and at one point, we had to stop and wait for some wayward cattle (although they likely thought we were wayward tourists) to mosey on out of the road and let us pass.

They don't make snow in Chile, which means that when the snow has been skied or it hasn't snowed enough, there isn't much skiing to be done. So, we headed up the mountain the day after a big snow. Unfortunately, the snow began to fall again while we were nearly to the top of the mountain, and this produced near white-out conditions. Not the best, but our trusty driver (Patrick) stayed calm and got us down safely, as I nearly hyperventilated in the back.

Getting ready to take a sled ride!

Our second attempt was much more pleasant. A number of factors improved this trip. 1.) We hopped a ride with a semi-local who had traveled up the mountain before. 2.) The weather was spectacular. 3.) We tried a different mountain that wasn't as steep of a climb.

Life is good.

This time we traveled up the mountain by Cajon del Maipo, which houses the Lagunillas ski resort. While the resort has been closed the whole season, we just rode up until the snow was thick enough to build a snowman, hopped out and started playing. We rented a sled on the way up the mountain and enjoyed a nice picnic.

Trippie made sure we packed a carrot for the snowman's nose.

The happy family, with Chilly (aptly named by Trip).

It was one of those days that I thought, "Now this is worth it. This is what living in South America can be... an amazing adventure." Glorious.

Road Trip: Quintay Chile

While Santiago is a lovely metropolitan city, packed with people and highrises, sweetened with history and mountain views and the metro, getting outside of the city becomes paramount on the weekends (especially when the smog takes over the sun for weeks on end).

One of our favorite spots to escape is the sweet fishing village of Quintay, on the Pacific Coast and just outside of Valparaiso. Quintay is slow, but the views of the ocean are amazing. There are two lovely restaurants right on the beach, and there seems to be a big draw for scuba divers (although the water is icy cold). 

The touristy part of the town is at the bottom of a hill (I would call it a mountain), and except for a public parking lot along the beach that quickly fills up, most visitors and residents of the village have to park their cars at the top of said mountain and walk down. This seems pleasant as you descend into the town and the views of the water take your breath away, but after a big meal and pisco sours (or gasp! carrying your luggage from a long weekend), the climb back up to reality seems a little unbearable. 

Quintay was a major whaling community back in the day, and there is now a very informative whaling museum there that tells of the trade. Chileans say that the waters of the cove used to wash red on the Quintay coast due to over-harvesting the whales. Fittingly, even though they stopped hunting the whales a long time ago, the whales no longer grace the Quintay cove with their presence. I wouldn't go there either if I was a whale. 

Long before the sun rises, brightly painted fishing boats head out to take local fisherman to their days tasks, and as we sipped our coffees in the mid-morning sun, the fisherman returned with their catch. Then the boats start taking out the scuba divers, some to have fun and some to dive for crabs and mussels and urchin to sell to the restaurants and at the fish markets. 

The fisherman then stand on the beach and clean their catch, much to the delight of all the beach dogs who take the skins and bones and tails to their little corners of the world to munch on. (True helpers, the puppies also curl up in their respective fishing nets at night, cleaning the lines of their smaller captives.)

To say the least, the restaurants serve amazingly fresh fish. We tried the congrio frito (fried white fish), marchas a la parmesan (mussels in parmesan cream goodness) and grilled salmon (with lots of butter). 

Not a fish fan? The fresh air and views of the sun setting on the water are worth the trip.

We're Back! The Blog is Revisited

 So we've been in Chile for nine months now. It's been a whirlwind, but very fun. Work is busy, weekends are adventurous, and our Spanish is improving.

Trippie has grown and grown. He's such a good talker, and he's really starting to understand and speak Spanish. His favorite is dinosaurs, and he knows all of them, more than I ever knew. His favorite is the T-Rex, but he knows the spinosaurus, cantosaurus, stegasaurus and more! Cars are still very important, but blocks are gaining on them.


We've made a few friends here, mostly American and very lovely. We've learned how to get around on the metro (subway) quite well, and are no longer intimidated (usually...) by the massive crowds. I actually commute now on the metro, and I've learned how to push, literally, onto the car and why people close their eyes when they ride (I think it's a mix between not wanting to stare directly into a stranger's face and not wanting to have to get up to give their chair to old people. Although Patrick is convinced it's because of the whoosh of air that happens when the train takes off.).

While we have paid a random guy in a less than stellar neighborhood to take us somewhere, we have not yet tackled the micro (bus system). Talk about cramped: there are so many people crammed into the buses I can't get myself to ride one. People do say that they many times have musicians riding for entertainment and tips. They've found a captive audience.

Patrick is learning how to use Chilean ingredients to make American, Chinese and anything else. In general, other than select Peruvian food, Casa Troy is the best place to have a meal in Santiago. Nonetheless, we keep trying new things and tasting fun food.

Speaking of Chilean delicacies, we've figured out that hotdogs here are sacred. They call them vianesas, and the most popular completo version is a hotdog with mashed avocado, diced tomatoes and a whole lot of mayo. (They take their mayo very seriously too.)

There are lots of new things to update you on (and we will), but we just wanted to welcome you back.

Love,
The Troys

One of Our Favs

Intriga Cabernet

This is a strong favorite of ours. Would love to drink Intriga as an everyday, or I guess "house wine," but there are so many good ones here for a little less expensive. We find this one easily at Mundo del Vino, and the price per bottle is less than $20. (I know, we're spoiled.) Certainly, it's one to take to a nice dinner or enjoy for a special night -- and we have!



From their site www.intriga.cl

The Edge of the World

A view of the harbor and coastline from above.

We scored a little time off from work at the holidays and traveled to the Pacific coast. We rented an apartment for a couple of days in a little town called Reñaca, which is near Viña del Mar and just up the coast from Valparaiso (to which the locals refer to as Valpo).

Enjoying a meal perched on the edge of the world at
La Colombiana restaurant in Valparaiso.

The coast is really lovely; it felt a lot like Greece, and there was plenty to explore. Dotted in the blue waters of the Pacific, are rocky islands, many times covered in sea lions sunning on the rocks.

Sea lions basking in the sun -- right in front of our apartment.

Viña and  Reñaca and another little town called Concon are preferred locales for Santiagians to visit, because they're a little more resort-like, where Valpo is really historical and lovely, but a little less family friendly.

Patrick and Trip on a beach in Reñaca.

The cliffs of Valpo are filled with homes on stilts, and this town's history lends for some lovely old buildings, despite the fact that it's been plagued with earthquakes. Many of the tiny little communities are only accessible by foot or funiculars, which Trip loved.

A view of the stilted homes in Valpo.

A beautifully painted funicular.

Trip's thrilled going for a ride on the "train." I am not so much.

The weather along the coast is quite cool in the mornings and evenings because of the Humbolt Current. Even when the sun comes out and warms everything up, the water remains frigid. Apparently, the waters are coming from Antarctica, and this makes for an icy swim.

Patrick surfed on a beach in Concon. He took some lessons
from a local surfer called Mono, and managed to catch some
waves despite the water only reaching 60 degrees.

Nonetheless, the beaches are beautiful, the waves are gigantic, and the seafood is fresh and yummy. We went to a local favorite called La Gatita, and this tiny little restaurant commanded a wait, and a line outside, but the food was wonderful, and the feel: really happy.

Our last sunset in Reñaca.

Our last night here, we discovered a little gem, high on the hilltop and overlooking the water below. I had a typical Chilean dish called pastel de jaiba (or crab cake), which is a cheesy, crabby casserole cooked in a tiny clay pot -- rich and good. We're already eager to return to El Secreto and share the secret with our friends.

Exploring Food and Wine in Chile

I can't believe that so much time has passed since I last posted. We have had so many adventures! From taking the metro (subway) to renting a car and exploring beyond Santiago, we're really starting to get to know our new home.

Concerning food, we have been able to find some gems, both in terms of restaurants and in terms of ingredients. Produce here is really fresh, and it tastes like you've just picked it from a garden.

Paltas (avocados) are divine. Truly. They have all sorts of avocados, big huge ones, the black-skinned ones that we bought in the States, green ones, slick-skinned ones... all sorts, and they are all lovely and yummy and amazing.

Vega Mercado, downtown Santiago

Additionally, Chileans take ice cream very seriously. I remember being here in the winter and thinking it strange that people were eating ice cream outside in very chilly weather. I know now that they have a special meal called onces (11s) that they eat directly after work to tide them over until their really late dinner. Many times this onces meal is ice cream or a postre and coffee.

Fortunately, we get to reap the rewards of their ice cream (helado) infatuation. It is amazing! Gelato-esque, creamy, home-made tasting... and the flavors are incredible. Their interpretation of cookies and cream is wonderful, and dulce de leche is amazing. I've seen  and tasted rose, which is light and creamy and actually tastes like rose, which is unexpectedly wonderful. Also, dark chocolate with orange, and of course mango and strawberry and raspberry.

The dulce de leche flavor is very similar to what we would think of as caramel, but better. They call is manjar when it's not in ice cream, and it's their go-to for sweet flavoring. Trip (and I) had a really special crepe with strawberries and manjar the other day, and it was certainly memorable.

Although not a food, I would be completely remiss if I did not mention the amazing wines here. Vino tinto, or red wine, is spectacular -- and cheap! We can get wine for less than we can usually get bottled water, and we've been enjoying immensely trying all sorts of new wines and wineries. (If you're interested in more information, we're started a section of this blog called "wine notes" where we are including photos and bits we learn and love about the wine here.)

Also, the fish is super fresh, and the ceviche is amazing. They have all types of versions of ceviche, but the typical is Peruvian, which includes diced sweet potato and large kernals of corn, which they call choclo here. It's different, but really lovely and lime-y and light.

A hot pepper Patrick found at the produce market, and she said it
was the hottest around. (It was hot.) The name, we'll have to find.

On the other hand, Chileans aren't much for strong flavors, like peppers or anything picante; so hot peppers are hard to find. They do have some common peppers, but they are very similar looking to banana peppers, but they are not hot immediately and the heat builds and doesn't subside. A pepper he has been enjoying is the Peruvian aji amarillo (although they are red fresh and turn yellow when they are cooked).

Aji amarillo, courtesy Wikipedia.

(On a side note, I met a couple of Mexicans recently, and they had all sorts of solutions for hot peppers here. It sounded like they traveled all over the city to get jalapenos and poblanos, but never found cerranos. Tomatillos and decent tortillas are in hot demand, as well, but I did hear a juicy bit of news that a Mexican was moving here and opening up a tortilla factory.)

Additionally, sauces aren't popular here either. (It's probably the reason -- combined with all the walking -- I haven't gained 20 pounds with all the avocados, ice cream and wine I've been consuming.) Nonetheless, they eat their meats grilled and their veggies fresh or sauteed, but with no sauces. Actually, the only sauce readily available is marinara, which they serve with pasta, but in general... sauces aren't to be found.

And surprisingly to me, coffee is pretty miserable here. They are big fans of instant coffee, or Nescafe, and it's just kind of coffee pellets that they mix in water... like powder lemonade, and the taste is, well, terrible. Finding real coffee proved difficult at the beginning, but we've resorted to buying coffee beans at Starbucks, and then having them ground them for us.

Fuente Alemana, a German sandwich shop (where everyone
eats the sandwiches with forks and knives...)

Concerning consuming food, Chileans don't eat with their hands. They eat pizza with a fork and knife, as well as sandwiches. Finger foods are nonexistent here, but what we would think of as finger foods, French fries or appetizers, are eaten a fork or a toothpick.

Patrick has taken to following the Chilean way, cultured as he is, but Trip and I tend to use our hands anyway. Maybe we just need a little more time to assimilate.

Now, you'll just have to visit us here in Chile to try all the lovely foods and experience the flavors of South America. Salud!

Getting to Know the City

We're been here for a little more than two weeks now, and we're getting to know the city. We've walked and walked around our little neighborhood, and I'm sure we'll walk some more.

Very near our apartment in SanHattan (Santiago's Manhattan).

One cool morning, we visited Parque Bicentenial, which is a pretty close walk to another neighborhood called Vitacura. (We live in Los Condes.) This park is new -- so the trees don't offer much shade -- but it's really wonderful. It's filled with walking and biking trails, has a wonderful restaurant called Mestizo, and ducks and flamingos to feed.

Much of the play parks have these Spider Man-type climbing  things.

Jumping like a pro.

Trip, of course, loved the play park, except that the equipment is for children a bit older than he is. Nonetheless, we enjoyed it, and we are excited to return to feed the ducks.

Phaedy and a sleepy Trip walking in Parque Forestal.

We also visited Parque Forestal, which runs along the Rio Mapucho (river), and leads to the Marketa Central, where we got to see some fish mongers at work.

The interior of Mercado Central.

A sleepy Trip awakened by fishy smells.

While certainly a touristy experience, the heat and massive crowds (think Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras) got to us, and I don't know that that's our fav.

But we did go to Cerro San Cristobal (Saint Christopher Hill) today, which includes a number of churches and reflection points, as well as a zoo and other fun stuff. (According to Wikipedia, San Cristobal was named by Spanish conquistadors and has always served as a landmark for the city.) A giant statue of the Virgin Mary is on the top of the "hill" (I'd call it a mountain), given to the city in the 1920s from France.

Mary, Phaedy and Trip at the top of San Cristobal.

There were a ton of mountain bikers there, as well as devoted Catholics seeking Him. I think it would be a wonderful experience to go to one of their outdoor services... maybe once we get a little better at our Spanish.

A glorious church on the way to the top of the hill.

Amazing stone artwork on the walls of the church.

The haze clouds how beautiful the view is from a pew at the outdoor chapel.

A view of the city.

Nonetheless, Trip loved climbing all the steps, as well as the "train" ride up there and down. (They call it a funicular, but it seemed like a train to us.) I was a bit frightened of the train ride, myself, but I enjoyed it once I was off.

Pure joy on the train ride.

Happy family.

At the base of Cerro San Cristobal is a lovely bohemian neighborhood called Arte Vista. Speckled with tons of outdoor cafes, jewelry and boutique stores, as well as a lion's share of discoteques, the neighborhood reminded me a ton of the Quarter in New Orleans.

We met some very nice Canadian girls who are teaching English here (which has been identified as the typical "gringo" thing to do), and we had a fantastic pitcher of sangria (but the food at the little cafe we chose left something to be desired...).