THE ENDLESS COAST OF CHILE

Friday, February 12, 2010

Our bags are packed again and everything stuffed into the car, precisely, as pieces of a puzzle. One extra bag does make a difference. We seemed to have accumulated several additional items, because the car is getting fuller and fuller.

While I get ready Ramiro fills up the car with gas. He comes back all excited. “Did you feel that?” He asked. “Feel what”? “The shaking!”. No, thank goodness I did not feel that. I know they happen, but I rather no know, or I may get paranoid.
We learn that Santiago was the centre of a tremor measuring appr., 5 or 5.5 . No serious damage has been reported however.

I am glad we are able to leave Viña del Mar early. Not that it makes much difference as far as traffic is concerned. But the day will be much longer and we can stop along the way to visit a few of the places.

I look forward to see the north and am curious to find out what it is like up in the desert. We stay along the coast and pass Concon with its large number of condos. There is lot of new construction in this popular vacation spot. It is only 1.5 hours away from Santiago, and I can imagine why people would want to spend their weekends and vacations here, rather than in Santiago.

The landscape varies from sandy beaches to rocks and enormous dunes, rising high above the sea, blocking the view of the ocean. There is a lot of fog mixing with the smog from the power plant in Quintero. What an enormous contrast from the various beach resorts and the pleasant coastal range. The plant stretches for several miles.

Further down the highway we see the giant power mills popping up from behind the mountains.

We’re happy to see a clear sky again as we continue north direction La Serena.
The road is excellent and the traffic is thinning out.

We are surprised with the large number of Condo complexes built into the mountains at various areas. Every complex has its own character and seems to be very secure with guards at all the gates.
If this was Mexico, I would say let’s buy a place here. But it is too far away from everything and everyone.

As we pass Los Villos, the landscape changes drastically: Where 20 some kilometers away from the coast. Driving through the rough dry cactus filled hills, as a scene from a movie. The traditional Chilean music on the radio is perfect for this setting and prepares us for the semidesert culture and climate we will be entering soon. This is a totally different experience.

Along the road handmade signs pop up “Cabra” and “Queso de Cabra”. We see freshly slaughtered goats, cleaned, cut open and spread out over a fence. People appear from the bushes, with such a goat spread out over a cloth. They get up as close to the car as they can in the hope we will buy a goat. We’re debating. Our coolbox is not large enough and where will we cook it, along the road perhaps? Ramiro could gather some wood and I will get some rocks together and we build a fire. We do have matches, plastic plates and cutlery. What else do we need?
We settle for goat cheeses instead and hope that we have a way of tasting it fried; That’s the best and safest way.

Back towards the coast we approach the beach at Tongoy, which looks very inviting. We are ready for a break anyway after spending four hours in the car.
We enjoy a long walk on the bach and spend some time exploring the rocks, where you will find all sorts of creatures.


It’s late afternoon when we reach La Serena. Before we go the house of Sylvia, a former Group Study Exchange chair for the Rotary District which hosted Ramiro and his team in 2004, we spend some time exploring La Serena and it’s extremely busy beach. There is so much going on here and of course the traffic is crazy. We hang around until the traffic has reduced a bit and over a drink and  a bite to eat, watch the sun set behind the mountain.

Sylvia had initially invited us to stay with her and her family, but her brother and his family are in town for a visit. Luckily her daughter is away for the weekend in Viña and we are able to stay in their house. That’s alright with us, an entire house all for ourselves.