You'll see photos of many of the places I intend to visit in these Pictures of Chile.
I've checked the airlines and know that many fly into Santiago but I am going to travel to Chile the way my family used to. Not on the passenger/cargo Grace ships that sailed regularly from New York and stopped in multiple ports before we disembarked, eighteen days later, in Valparaiso, but with a luxury cruise.
There is a sixteen day "Southern Discovery" cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Line that leaves Miami, and after two stops in the Caribbean, crosses the Panama Canal and then sails down the west coast with stops in Manta, Ecuador; Callao, Peru; Arica, Iquique and Coquimbo, Chile before arrival in Valparaiso.
This portion of my dream trip, traveling through central Chile, will be a a sentinmental one. I expect to see old familiar places, maybe get a little emotional, a lot nostalgic, and learn something new about the country.
I'll spend a few days in Valparaiso, or Valpo, and Viña del Mar. Valpo has been a shipping mainstay for centuries. Ships rounding Cape Horn put in for water and supplies, and sailors knew the city as well as they knew their home ports. For years the port was a financial support for the rest of the country, and today it is the second biggest city, the seat of the Chilean Congress and an industrial and naval center.
The city is built along the curve of the waterfront, with steep hills and old cobblestone streets. While I'm here, I'll ride one of the fifteen cable cars, or funiculares, up some of the many hills and enjoy the panoramic view out to sea as well as observe the growth of this very busy port city. The cable cars are not a tourist attraction, but a necessary means of transportation. The first electric one, Ascensor Barón, was put into place in 1906. I'll also visit some of the many museums, particularly the Naval and Maritime Museum. I've always been fascinated by how much of Chile's early history, as an independent country, evolved with the help of Irish and Scottish military men. For instance, the first president Bernardo O'Higgins, the son of an Irish mercenary Ambrose O'Higgins, established the Navy under Admiral Lord Thomas Alexander Cochrane. Cochrane then led the way to naval victory and established the superiority of the Chilean naval forces.
I'll stay in a hotel in the nearby seaside resort of Viña del Mar, probably at the Miramar to see how much it has changed. Of course, there are many choices, from less expensive to high luxury accommodations, lining the beach and more inland. Viña is one of the oldest and well-established seaside resorts and always a family choice. These photos of Viña del Mar and the surrounding countryside will give you an idea of what I'll be doing.
Naturally, I'll take a chance at the Casino, spend some time sunning on the beach, but unless the water has warmed up, I won't go swimming. Remember, the Humboldt Current runs offshore, bringing very cold water from the south along the coast. It makes for great varieties of seafood, even if it's too cold for me to swim.
Instead, I'll enjoy the temperate climate as I stroll through the parks that make this the Cuidad Jardín, or Garden City and through the national botanical gardens. I'll do some window-shopping, trying to restrain my urge to buy, enjoy the nightlife and indulge in the wonderful seafood restaurants. I'll stroll by the flower clock to see if it is as beautiful as I remember, and then I'll return to the beaches at Zapallar and Papudo, sites of a summer flirtation or two, and this time I'll remember the sunscreen.
When I lived in Chile, it was possible to go to Isla Negra, the home of Pablo Neruda, only by invitation. Since his death, his home has become a museum and a must-see on my list. There are daily tours and I expect to tour his home and spend a few moments by his gravesite overloooking the sea he loved. You can read more of his poetry via the page about the literature of Chile.
