Puerto Montt and into Argentina

We left Punta Arenas and after a short three hour flight we landed back in Puerto Montt. When we flew out of Puerto Montt a week earlier, we had only stayed for a night and had little time to explore the sleepy port city. The weather a week earlier was also dark and cold, and didn't motivate us to walk around the streets. This time around, it was a completely different scene. The sun was out and the weather was in the mid-70s. The sun illuminated the green hills and surrounding mountains. It was clear why some people compare this southern Lake District to the Pacific Northwest.

Downtown 

I hope this isn't high tide

Bohemian life

We took a day to explore the city and check out the markets. While Chile is an expensive country, the abundance of fresh fish makes seafood the cheap silver lining. We gravitated to the fish market and with empty bellies we dove into the smoked salmon and two different ceviches.

Take your pick

Sprinkle those chili peppers

With our smoked salmon in our bag for later and two orders of ceviche down the hatch we meandered through the market in search of a good spot for dinner. We found a small hole in the wall with great prices so we gave it a shot. The owner gave us free drinks and ceviche before the entrees came out. The entrees were huge and we struggled to make a dent but they were delicious.

Complimentary drinks and food 

Couldn't help myself

Shanta's salmon

My king crab (centolla)

After stuffing ourselves, we headed back to the hostel with enough leftovers to feed us for a few days. On the way, we saw a local protest at the port. The protest quickly died down as the carabineros arrived.

The robocops 

With our bags still packed, we took off early the next day for Bariloche, Argentina. Bariloche is just across the border and is known for its amazing chocolate and its proximity to great skiing in wintertime. It sits on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and has a slight resemblance to Tahoe City. Argentina requires US citizens pay $160 online before crossing the border. The reciprocity fee is never fun, but at least we can get some credit card points out of it. The drive is a quick seven hours through thick forests and past amazing lakes. Once we crossed the border and arrived in Bariloche, we found a hostel, set down our bags, and tried our first Quilmes beer. The next two days could have been our laziest of the trip. We caught up on sleep, sat in the park, had a few more Quilmes, and started exploring the variety of cheap Argentine wines. 

Looking at Lake Nahuel Huapi

Windy day

The town square

Church of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi

Lounging in the park

Quilmes naps

The famous Bariloche chocolate

Not the best flavor...

After a few days in Bariloche, we took off to start our two months in Buenos Aires. Back to city life!

Pit Stop in Santiago

We arrived in Santiago after a quick two hour drive from Valparaiso. We didn't have much time to spend there since we had a flight south to catch. The immediate impression of Santiago is that you've arrived in a bustling European city. After talking to some locals, they admit that they like it that way. The architecture is very neoclassical with long columns and imposing buildings everywhere. The center of the city is separated by the fast-flowing Mapocho river which is accompanied by a park on both sides. The city felt like a real taste of home, with prices to match. Huge modern malls offered all the same items you could find in the states, and plenty of bars and restaurants had a distinct American feel. It was a great city to relax in for a few days, but three was enough to get a taste and then move on.

Bright orange backpack brigade

Museo Bellas Artes

Street art

God bless Te- ...Chile

Best empanadas in the city

Fresh out of the oven

Yum

Fish market

Parque Forestal

Great spring day 

Monument near Mercado Central

I had the seafood mix, Shanta got the fried fish with fried onions and an egg

Need more lemon!

Adios Santiago

Valparaiso

We left San Pedro and took an overnight bus twelve hours down the coast to La Serena. It was a quick one-day stopover, then we took a day bus to Valparaiso. Valpo, as its sometimes called, is an eclectic city steeped in rich history. After we found a hostel and set our bags down, we started exploring the bohemian neighborhoods that give the city its personality. The city was once a thriving seaport, but the opening of the Panama Canal made the city obsolete to trade ships traveling from North America. The economy took a blow for decades, but the city has since rebranded itself as an educational mecca as well as the official cultural capital of the country. Universities abound in old buildings once used as maritime offices and detailed artwork is visible on every street corner. Today you'll find students, musicians, artists, and Chileans simply escaping the heat of nearby Santiago. While we spent close to a week exploring the city, we still left wishing we had more time. It was by far one of my favorite cities. 

Main avenue

Lounging in the park

Narrow corner building

Tree-lined plaza

Looking north

City at sunset

Victorian house overlooking the port

Cobbled streets and colorful buildings

Palace of Justice

Deep red

Assortment of colored houses

Old hotel

To get into the hills of the city, everyone will tell you to use one of the vintage ascensores. This is a near-vertical carriage that will carry you to the top for a few cents. The city is dotted with 26 of these famous elevators, however only a handful remain active. These have the same charm to Chileans as cable cars do to San Franciscans.

Ascensor, or "elevator" in English

Each is painted a different color

Taking a ride

Not the best way to go down

As steep as it looks

The artwork in Valpo is everywhere. From sides of buildings to doors, windows, and parked cars, nothing is exempt from having an artist put his work on display. This is only a small handful of what we saw.

The last day, we went to the market with the owner of our hostel and bought a few items to make ceviche. The owner's son made us the ceviche and his family gave us a good sendoff before heading to Santiago.

Had to try the market's ceviche first

Shanta deciding on tomatoes

Sampling the fruit is encouraged

The market gato

Nacho making moves in the kitchen

Finally got the bottle open

The final product

This held us over for the ride to Santiago