ON TO OVALLE

Sunday, March 21, 2010

We change our plans for the next few days and instead of going further inlands to explore places we have not seen yet, we return via the same road as we came. at least until Ovalle.
There are several reasons for this. Our moonlight dinner ended quite late last night and we slept way to long this morning. So we won’t be able to make it as far today as planned. Secondly we like to be in Viña del Mar by Friday, and finally we feel we have seen enough desert and are ready for the ocean again.

As we leave Taltal,  the entire coast line is covered with clouds, the sun is behind the mountains in the desert, where at least half of our travels will be through today, so we can enjoy some sun and warm weather. Once the road takes us back along the coast we’re right back in the clouds where it is a lot cooler.

It seems like we are the only private vehicle on the road. There are trucks everywhere and that for a Sunday.

The landscape is changing, there is a lot more variety in the rocks and more plants. although they are rather dormant looking.

We stop in Chañaral for lunch at a truck stop. That is one of the best places to have a meal. You always know you get lots to eat for very little money. Considering the volume they serve, the food is always fresh.
We also see families a the truck stop, enjoying their weekly Sunday meal together. Even Grandma is dragged out of her rocking chair and taken to the truck stop for the Menu of the day, which today is a soft drink, Soup, chicken with rice or mashed potatoes and desert. No, not chocolate cheesecake or icecream sorbet, but a simple pudding or fruit.

Since we have seen most of this area already, we keep on driving until we each Bahia Inglesa, where last time there was not a room available. Now the season is over it is a bit easier to find a pace and we end up in a large bungalow. Too bad there is no sun, it is quite a bit cooler than what we have been used to lately. We nevertheless spend some time outside to walk along the beach and check out the various Artisan shops and whatever else may be of interest, such as the old cars parked along the streets.

We return to the cabin for a quiet evening in front of the TV and a meal fo left over chicken wings and a rice salad I made of other leftovers.

Monday, March 22, 2010
We have quite a few kilometers to drive today and are all packed and ready to go at 9:00 am. The sun is still hiding behind a heavy blanket of clouds and we are dressed for the change in weather.
Just south of Bahia we see the light of the airport guiding an incoming plane, ready to land.
Chile looks so different without sun. We need to get used to this again and prepare ourselves for the weather back home.
We won’t be wearing shorts and sandals for quite some time when we return to Canada.

After three hours on the road, we pull into Vallenar. We dig up our jackets and go for a brisk walk along the river. What a nice sight. So much green an water. The air smell totally different here than in the desert. We don’t mind the cool wind at all.

The main street is full with people; We join them, walking by all the shop and hoping to find a place for an early lunch before we move on. The number of stray dogs on the street is the same in every town we visit, it is a real problem and no one is doing anything about it.

By mid afternoon we start seeing the sun again, which makes everything look different again. It’s getting greener and greener. Amongst the many trees and shrubs there are numerous cactus trees full with red blossoms.
I thing we are finally out of the desert.

Other than picking up a few groceries in La Serena we turn off the Panamerican and continue inland direction Ovalle, where we hope to find a suitable place for three or four nights and make a few side trips.
It's a most beautiful valley with orchards, vinyards, Olive trees and any other type fot fruit you can think of.


I keep my eyes open for Cabañas, knowing that those just outside the city are not the ones we are looking for. especially those that have a name such as Pussy.

We have no luck finding a cabin and end up right downtown in a hotel. Not what we had in mind, but it happens to be the Gran Hotel. We manage to negotiate a bargain price for the best room of the house; a newly renovated suite on the second floor on the corner of the street, overlooking the the shopping street. The car needs to be parked two blocks away, making it a challenge figuring out how much to bring from our car, loaded with a coolbox full of groceries and other mich needed items.

This hotel seems to be the best we have had so far with the best value for our money.