Chile

12 August 2016, Amsterdam to Santiago, Chile

We took evening flight from Amsterdam to Santiago, Chile with 3 hours transit at Paris Airport. We departed at 18.45 pm from Amsterdam.

13 August 2016, Santiago

We arrived at Santiago Chile Airport at 08.00 am. We followed the sign to the gate where the bus to downtown would stop. We found the bus ticket counter. There were two bus operators, Turbus and Centropuerto. We chose Turbus because it was clear that the bus will stop at Alamada Bus Terminal. The price was CLP 1700 per peson one way. The bus stopped at several bus stops, including Pajaritos Bus Terminal. The last stop was Alameda Bus Terminal. We got off here, and walked less then 3 minutes to Ibis Hotel.

We took a rest for a moment, as we need it after the long hour fligt. We marked all the places that we wanted to go on the Santiago city map that we got from the hotel. As our hotel was not in city center, we need to take metro. The closest metro station was Universidad de Santiago. It just less than 5 minutes walking from the hotel. To take the metro, first, we must buy metro card “Bip”. It cost CLP 1500 for the card. The card can be used for more than one person. Each trip will cost $ 610 CLP to $720 CLP, depending on the hour not the distance. If the trip is in peak hour then the price will be CLP 720. Children can ride the moetro for free. To top up the card, we just need to go to the ticket office, the minimum recharge is CLP 1.000.

Our starting point was Plaza de Armas. From the metro station we walked to the Plaza. It was a big Plaza. There were so many people in this Plaza. We can see a group of children were practicing Taekwondo in one spot. A group of men were playing music. Some people just sit on the bench, giving bread crumbs to the birds. There were stalls that sell art and craft. Everybody was enjoying their time in this place. But, besides all those interesting activities, the buildings that surrounded the Plaza were also easily caught our attention. We can see the beautiful Cathedral of Santiago. It was built in 17^th century with Baroque style that later changed to the Neoclassic style. Close to the Cathedral, the building of Correo Central (Central Post Office) is also built in Neoclassic style.

At one of the side of the Plaza, there was a building packed with lots of food vendors. A right place to try some of the local food. We tried the must try snack, “empanada”, a stuffed baked pastry. We tried the Pollo (chicken) and Queso (Cheese) filling. And it taste really good. It become our regular snack while we at Santiago.

From there, we went to Palacio de Tribunales de Justicia. It has a small square in front of it with a modern design pools that match with its neoclassic style façade. Opposite the building, there is another building with the same style, National Congress building. National Library was inside this building, on the second floor. Another important building in this area is Museo de arte pre colombino, an art museum with collection of pre Columbian art and artifacts.

Then we walked to Palacio La Moneda. It is the office for Chile President, and like the other building, this is also built in Neoclassic style. In front of the building is Plaza de la Constitucion. It has a nice garden, a nice place to take some rest. The Plaza is surrounded by other government buildings.

Then we walked to Teatro Municipal. It is the oldest cultural center in Chile. It functions as opera house, theater and also concert music. Teatro Municipal is very close to Cerro Santa Lucia, so though it was almost sunset time, we still decided to visit and climb the hill. Cerro Santa Lucia was one the first places where Pedro de Valdia (the Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile) founded the city in 1554.

We walked slowly on the path that lead us to the Castillo Hidalgo.We could not enter the castle. But there’s a small garden and benches in front of the castle, where we can sit while enjoyoing our mote con huesillo, a local drink made of peaches and wheat kernels. We bought from the vendor just across the castle.

We continued walking up to the hill. In no time, we reached top part of the fort and got a nice view from above. We still had time and energy to climb to the very top of the hill. The view from was fantastic. We saw Santiago city with its Alpen Mountain as its background. And in fact, we also arrived at perfect time, when the sun was almost set. It gave a beautiful orange color on the mountain. But, we could not stay long on the top, because it was almost closing time for the site and the officer told all of us to get down. On our way down, we still can take some breathtaking photos.

We entered the hill from Santa Lucia Metro side, now we exited from Bella Artes Metro side. So,we had covered all the hill. On our way out, we passed Terazza Neptuno, a beautiful building that encircled a water fountain.

14 August 2016, Isla Negra

We went to Isla Negra to visit the house of Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean poet. We took Pullman bus from Alameda Bus terminal. We bought the ticket in the bus terminal on that day and we bought a round trip ticket, to make sure that we will get seat for the return trip. We got the 11 am bus since the earlier bus was already full. The trip took about 1 hour 40 minutes. The bus stopped at Isla Negra. First, we tried to find the Pullman Bus ticket office, we walked straight and spotted the Pullman ticket office on the opposite side when we got off of the bus. We made a reservation first (which was a good decision since the seat was almost full) for 4 pm bus.

After that we continued to Pablo Neruda House. At the entrance, there were already a queueing. We bought the tickets and got the 14.40 pm tour. The ticket price was CLP 6.000 for adults and CLP 2.000 for students. The house was open from 10 am to 6 pm (March to Dec) and from 10 am to 8 pm (Jan to Feb). It closed every Monday. While waiting for our turn, we spent time exploring area nearby. There were some stalls selling art and crafts items. The beach has lots of big rocks and it’s not a safe place to swim.

Around our turn, we decided to go back to the house. We waited for our turn to go inside. Before we got inside, they gave us an audio set. So we can get information while touring the house. Pablo Neruda was the most famous Chilean poet. He won a Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. One of his famous works is Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada (Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair). Pablo Neruda loves sea and maybe because of that, Isla Negra was his favorite house among his other two houses, La Sebastiana in Valaparaiso and La Chascona in antiago. Even the house in Isla Negra resembles a ship.

The first thing we saw when entering the house site was a locomotive steam train. It was said his big toy. Then we enter the house, started with the living room. The room has a wooden ceiling and stoned walls. There were some statues in this room. Then we continued to dinning room. Here we can see the round dining table eith eight chairs. On the wall, there was a statue of a lady that facing the statue of a man on the opposite wall. Pablo Neruda said, he wants those two to fall in love. But it fails because the lady prefers to look at the ocean.

Then we went up to the bedroom. The bed was arranged to face the ocean. The stained glass window in his bedroom, make him see the ocean with different colors, like he always says. We also saw a sheep doll which Pablo Neruda kept to remind him to always have a child side inside him.

After that we went down outside the house and saw the icon of his house in Isla Negra, The star shape and the boat. After that we enter the other part of the house. Begin with a corridor full of souvenirs from all around the world, including from Indonesia. Then we continued to the desk room, where we can see his writing and his butterfly and bug collections. In this room, there was a big telescope, which he never had not a chance to use it.

Then we went to the living room, which was beautifuly decorated with mural made by many kind of stones, in this room, Pablo Neruda usually meet the important guest. Then we pass through the library to Horse Room. It is called Horse Room because there is actually a horse statue in this room. Then we arrived at a small room with a table which Pablo Neruda got from the ocean, literally. He and his wife saw the piece of wood in the ocean, and they waited for hours till the wood within their reach.

From here, we went to the last room, the Snail Shells Room, where we can see the display of shells collection. After we returned the audio guide, we still can roam outside of the house. We visit Pablo Neruda and his wife, Mathilda tomb. The tomb is facing the Pacific Ocean.

On the way out, we visited the museum shop. It sells souvenirs with good design and quality. Then we walked back to the Pullman bus office. We only waited a few minutes for the bus. It came quite on time. We all fell asleep on our way back.

When we arrived at Santiago, it was still around 6 pm. So we decided to go to Costanera, the greatest mall in Santiago. Indeed, it was large and it had everything, we can find any international brands here. We had our dinner at the food court. We also bought some food and snack at the supermarket in the mall. After that we took metro to back to the hotel.

15 August 2016, Valparaiso

We bought bus ticket to Valparaiso at Alameda Bus Terminal. Unlike bus to Isla Negra, bus to Valparaiso has more frequent schedule and there were many bus operator that we can choose. We chose Turbus. The price for one way was CLP 3000. The ride took about 1 hour 20 minutes. We arrived at Rodoviario Bus Terminal. From there we took local bus to Plaza Soto Mayor, and started our walking tour.

Valparaiso is an unique city. It is vibrant, colorful and artistic. We can see the art street everywhere. Walking through its small lanes and steep staircases, we can easily agree why Valparaiso become UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So, our first spot was Plaza Soto Mayor. It is a square in Valparaiso and located next to Valparaiso Port. In the middle of the square, there is a monument with statue of Arturo Plat, a national hero in Chile. 

Next, we walked to Plaza Anibal Pinto. It is named after Chile former president, Anibal Pinto. It’s a small square surrounded with some cafes. It has fountain that called Fuente de Neptuno. There’s nothing much to see in this square.

After we had our picnic lunch at the park near the Plaza, we went to Ascensor Reina Victoria (very close to Plaza Anibal Pinto). Due to its hilly landscape, Valparaiso is equipped with funicular lift (ascensor) in some places. It’s really save our time and energy. It only costs CLP 100 per ride. In no time, we were at top of the hill. We can see the city view from above. There were also some informations about attraction route map that we can find here. From here, we walked to Paseo Gervasoni, where we can see the colorful houses. There’re lots of nice cafes in this area. Then we continued to Cerro Conception, where we can get a very nice view point, looking to the coastline and city view.

After that we walked to Paseo Atkinson, not far from this area we can find the famous piano staircases. Then, we climbed down by the stairs and walked to Ascensor El Peral. But at that time, it was closed. So this time, we need to use our energy to climb up to the top. After a few minutes climbing the stairs, finally we arrived at Paseo Yugoslavo. Here, we can visit Palacio Baburizza, the fine art museum of Valparaiso. We also had our snack time in one of café here. In this Plaza, there was a vendor that sold a very nice miniature of funicular lift. We bought one for CLP 45. We chose the original design – the funicular that painted with Chile flag.

From Plaza Yugoslavo, we continued to Casa Crucero. Just opposite Casa Crucero, there is Pasa Bavastrello. But at that time, it was closed for renovation. Just around the corner, we can see the beautiful blue mural painting with ocean theme. And next to the mural, we can see the rainbow stairs. Along the way to Calles Urriola, there were so many beautiful murals. It seems, there is no wall remains untouch.

Then we backed to Plaza Soto Mayor and spent some times at the Muella Prat. Enjoying the nice view of the ocean while observing the busy activities at the port. It was almost 5 pm but the sun still shone. Though our original plan was to go to Vina del Mar after Valparaiso trip, but finally we decided to back to Santiago since there’s still so much things to do with our next trip to Peru to visit Machu Picchu.

We took bus to the same bus terminal. The smell of Empanadas made us (suddenly) hungry. We bought the fresh empanadas from the street vendor. and it taste really good! Then, we went to the ticket office, bought ticket to Santiago. But since Turbus had already sold out, we must buy Condors. It was more expensive than Turbus, CLP 6.500 per person. But the bus was more comfortable than Turbus. On our back to Santiago, the traffic was bad. It took more than two hours to reach Santiago.



 16 August 2016, Cajon del Maipo & San Cristobal

We took tour from Ando Andes tour to Cajon del Maipo to visit Embalse El Yeso. We met them in their office since our hotel was too far for them (but we got CLP 10.500 back as transport replacement) J We must arrive at 7.30 am and after waiting for some minutes, the tour van came. Inside, there were already some participants, but we still need to pick up 2 more group participants before we start our tour.

On the way, we made a quick stop at Plaza de San Jose de Maipo. There was a small café near the plaza, where we can have breakfast (on our own expense) and toilet time. After breakfast, we walked to the Plaza. It has a small garden with statue of Governor Ambrosio O’Higgins, the founder of San Jose de Maipo. There is aslo a church in this Plaza, The Church of San Jose de Maipo. This Catholic church was built in 1800.

It was a small plaza, so we just need few minutes to explore it. Then we backed to our van and continued to Cajon del Maipo. As we getting near to the reservoir Embalse El Yeso, we can see the Andes Mountain covered with snow. Finally, we reached the reservoir. There already some vans and cars. Our tour guide chose a spot for our picnic. While he was preparing the picnic stuff, we had time to take beautiful photos around the reservoir. Then we join the picnic. It felt amazing to have picnic by the reservoir, enjoying our cheese and wine (orange juice for Kaeo) with the spectacular view. Besides the cheese and wine, we also got huge sandwich for our lunch. After lunch, together with we explored the reservoir. We must walk really careful as it was very slippery. The path was covered with snow and ice. The wind was blowing very strong. We walked to the place where we can get the best photo shot.

Though in this tour we only visited this reservoir, but the trip was worth it. If the wind was not so strong, maybe we can enjoy our picnic much longer J. From the reservoir, we went back straight to Santiago. And our tour guide was kind enough that he agreed to drop us at Bellavista area (near Cerro San Cristobal). We walked in Bellavista (which famous for its “art” area) to Cerro San Cristobal. Cerro San Cristobal is a hill in Santiago. To get to the peak, we can walk or take funicular. When we arrive, we still had time take the funicular to go up. But for going down, we must walk because the funicular service was closed at 7 pm. The funicular had some stops (to the zoo, pools and park), but since everything was already close at that time, we can only visit the top part of the hill. From that part, we walked in a path that has cross in some spots. Each cross has a different design. From that path, we can see the view of Santiago from above. The path will lead us to the small chapel. From the chapel we can see the 22 meter tall statue of Virgin Mary on top of the hill. It was a good place to capture the sunset. And we were just in time for that. We were enjoying some time up there, watching the sunset and had our picnic, before taking our way down.

We also enjoying our way back, down the hill. The view was spectacular. With all the lights, the city of Santiago from above look like a sea of stars. It was a good thing that we could not take the funicular down the hill. It was a refreshing evening walk. After almost one hour, finally we reached the base of San Cristobal. From there, we went to the nearest metro station (Los Heroes Station). Then we went straight to the hotel.

17 August 2016, Santiago and Flight to Lima, Peru

In the morning we went to Mercado. Mercado is a big market that sell almost everything. It had a “tourist” section that sell souvenirs and seafood restaurants. It also had some counters that sell tour packages. We didn’t spend so much time here. After bought Moai (easter island statue), we decided to back to hotel and get our luggage. We took turbus from Alamameda bus terminal to Santiago Airport. Our flight by Skyairlines from Santiago, to Lima was at 15.10 pm.


Expenses:

Air ticket from Amsterdam – Santiago and Lima to Amsterdam : EUR 869.49 (child) + EUR 1064.85 (adult)

Air ticket from Santiago to Lima : USD 540 (2 adults + 1 child)

Air ticket from Lima to Cusco (return) : USD 142.37 (adult) + USD 127.03 (child)

Turbus from Airport – Alameda Bus Terminal : CLP 1700 + child free

Turbus from Alameda Bus Terminal – Airport : CLP 1700 + child free

Turbus from Santiago – Valparaiso : CLP 3000 + child free

Condor from Valparaiso – Santiago : CLP 6500 + child free

Pullman from Santiago – Isla Negra (return) : CLP 6000 + child free

Tour Cajon del Maipo : USD 100 + USD 100 + USD 65