August 2018 – St Joseph & The Penguin

Helicopter to the Glaciers

Okay, I know you are getting sick of mountains. But today I took a HELICOPTER to the top of the glacier. I just had to share it with you because it was such a great day!

The views from the helicopter and the top of the glacier were incredible.

It was also fun to play in the snow on the top of the mountain!

So I won’t bore you with any more commentary. Here are some quick pictures to see what I saw today. If you are not interested, you wont hurt my feelings.

Have a great day! And remember, you can comment and send me messages directly from the post or email!

West Coast

I have stopped driving for a few days and am enjoying the scenery in Franz Joseph Glacier. Getting here took a couple of days traveling through some very pretty coastal and mountain scenery.

I left Nelson about noon, after spending the morning walking around the town. Nelson does not have that much to offer in terms of tourism, but the surrounding areas are beautiful.

After driving for an hour or so, we stopped to stretch our legs (flippers) and take in a view.

The road to the West Coast goes through an amazing river gorge.

After the gorge, you hit the coast. The weather was starting to deteriorate. I drove along a beautiful section before stopping for the night.

When I woke up the next morning, there was a storm approaching. However, you could just make out the mountains in the distance under the cloud.

The drive on to Franz Joseph was pretty much all in the rain. Halfway through the drive, I stopped in this town that had a Kiwi center. Kiwi’s are nocturnal, so it’s tough to see them in the wild. They are also MUCH bigger than I thought. They’re the size of a cat (about the size and shape of Reba, for those of you that knew my cat)!

Photos are not permitted in the kiwi area. They are very sensitive to light. So, I have a picture here I got online.

Evolution has not worked well for Kiwi. No wings means it can’t get away, and its instinct when threats approach is to “shelter in place”. It also has a very strong scent that dogs find irresistible. Dogs and cats are kiwi’s biggest predators.

The kind folks in the Kiwi center adopted a lamb whose mother had rejected it. Ed now greets visitors, but will soon go to a farm to work as a lawnmower.

I am sure the drive to Franz Joseph Glacier is stunning. However, it was pouring rain so I didn’t get to see much.

The next morning, however, the sun came out and the scenery did not disappoint.

Since the weather was cooperating, I decided to head out to Lake Matheson, New Zealand’s most photographed lake. Once I got there, it started to rain. However, it didn’t last long and we got to see a gorgeous double rainbow.

Lake Matheson is a Kettle Lake. It was formed as the glacier retreated and left calved ice pieces that melted and formed the lake. The hike around the lake is on a well maintained path. It’s about 4.5km around the lake, most of it through rain forest.

One you arrive at Lake Matheson you are rewarded with a spectacular view, and if you’re lucky (I was), a reflective lake.

After the hike around the lake, I headed back in to town. It was rush hour on the only highway, but I didn’t mind.

I have a couple more days here and keep my fingers crossed for good weather.

Southward Bound!

I continue moving south. The drive to Wellington went through a valley with more beautiful mountains.

I stayed a night in Wellington. Having been there before, I just stayed one night and then caught the Ferry the next morning. The morning sky at the ferry terminal was amazing.

This was my first time ever driving into a ferry. It reminded me of the Millenium Falcon.

Once onboard, Penguin and I enjoyed a Flat White (that’s a coffee).

The ferry crosses the Cook Straight and then goes through one of the sounds into the town of Picton. Picton is on the left about 2/3 way down the photo.

The scenery is impressive.

Penguin was very happy to be on open water again and had a good time goofing off on deck.

From Picton, is it a gorgeous 140km drive to Nelson. The road goes through vineyards and then up and over mountains to the bay of Tasman.

When I saw the vineyards with sheep, I just had to stop. (Jo, these are for you!)

The valley on the way to Nelson is just stunning.

One of the GREAT things that happened today was that I was able to change the drop off city for the rental car. I am now going to fly back to Auckland and leave the car here in the south. This will give me more time and less driving. Three cheers for the good folks at Apex Car Rentals who allowed me to do this for NO ADDITIONAL FEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will now make it to Dunedin which makes me, and Penguin VERY HAPPY!

Next big stop is Franz Josef Glacier.

Heading South!

After my time up in the Far North, I started to head south…in the rain!

My first stop was the town of Taupo. It sits on a lake of the same name and has beautiful mountains in the background. I got to see them on my second day when the skies finally cleared…briefly.

After Taupo I headed to Hawkes Bay. The drive was through some beautiful countryside that really did look like Middle Earth.

Hawkes Bay is New Zealand’s produce bowl. Seems just about everything grows here…including grapes. The countryside is stunning with shades of green that seem impossible. And, it wouldn’t be New Zealand without sheep.

There are a number of good wineries here. After going up to the tallest peak (Te Mata) to take in the view, I visited a couple of wineries. Craggy Range is particularly good, so if you see any in a store near you, pick it up.

Te Mata Peak view looking out to the ocean.

Tomorrow, I head farther south to Wellington where I will spend the night and catch the early morning ferry across Cook Straight to Picton. From there I will drive on to Nelson to spend the night.

I will still be driving after Nelson with a final destination of Franz Josef Glacier where I will stay for a couple of days. So, don’t worry or think you have been unsubscribed to the blog if you don’t see a post for a while.

I leave you, for now, with cows at the vineyard.

New Zealand 2.0

Hello!!!! I didn’t realize it had been so many days since my last post until I received a message from one of you asking if she was still subscribed. OOPS!

Yes, I am still here and still enjoying the trip. I was up in what they call here, the Far North. I stayed in a sweet little town called Russell where I met friends of my friend Claire (the woman I shared a room with in the Galapagos).

Russel is a picturesque seaside town that is in the center of an area called the bay of islands. The town itself looks like what Hollywood would create if it were creating the perfect seaside town, complete with cute gulls and interesting murals.

My first full day in Russell, I actually got sick. I felt the cold coming on for a couple of days and then it hit full on. So, I took a nice walk of the town and found the pharmacy. The pharmacist gave me this great homeopathic cough medicine made with ivy leaf extract. It was amazing. Worked in 1 day. Healing power of plants! I bought more to keep on hand for the next cold I get.

The next day, I took a boat cruise on the bay. It was a beautiful clear day with wonderful scenery…

And DOLPHINS!

The boat crew knows most of the dolphins in the bay and can identify them by the dorsal fins. These two are named Bad Jelly (front) and Fuzzy Bum. How a dolphin has a fuzzy bum I do not know.

One of the best sights on the bay is the Hole in The Rock.

We were fortunate on our trip that we got to take the boat THROUGH the hole.

The next day I went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. This is where the treaty was signed between the Maori people and the British crown. The grounds contain a carved Meeting House. Visitors can see tradition Maori dance and hear songs and explanations of Maori traditions.

After my day at Waitangi, I enjoyed an evening on the deck of some new friends.

Up in Northland, I also visited the northernmost point of New Zealand and saw some of New Zealand’s tallest trees. Northern New Zealand is really beautiful and I don’t know if I would have ventured up there if I had not met Claire in The Galapagos. I hope to get back there again in the near future.

I am now in the central coast of the North Island in a place called Hawkes Bay. I have a couple more weeks in this beautiful country. Stay tuned for more adventures.

Oh, and driving on the Left gets easier by the day. I have only been honked at once today!

Hello from New Zealand!

I spent three days in Auckland in a hotel that had the worst internet connection outside of the two poles. I could not log on with my computer no matter how much I tried and the ladies at the desk were no help. Even connecting with the phone was a problem. Don’t stay at the Waldorf (no connection to US company) apartment hotels in New Zealand. You’ve been warned.

Auckland is a lovely city. So clean and organized. It is clear that it is a great place to live; however, there is not much for a tourist to do. The first day was spent walking around and trying to stay awake until a reasonable bedtime.

The second day, I had lunch with the daughter of my roommate from the Galapagos. She also took me around to some wonderful parts of the city. Thank you, Megan for a great day.

There is a wonderful little working farm right in Auckland where we saw the lambs! They don’t let you get too close to them but they were still cute.

And then, we saw this guy. I think it’s a rooster of some sort, but he was just too fabulous to leave out.

One wonderful little day trip is to Waiheke Island. It a quick 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland and has some beautiful coastline and nice wineries.

Vineyards with Sea View – Must be a nice life the winemaker has

There is also a nice little village on Waiheke. Walking around, I came across this shop. I just loved the sign…make sure you can read the slogan. (Sorry to my vegetarian friends.)

I survived my first day with the rental car. Took my time getting to the “motorway” and kept telling myself “keep left, keep left”. Driving got easy pretty fast but I still turn on the windshield wipers every time I try to use the turn signal! At the first stop on the drive North, St Joseph and The Penguin came out of hiding.

Penguin even tried meeting some of the locals…

We all arrived in the Northland in one piece. I am here for about four days before heading back south to Hawkes Bay and then on to the South Island.

Santiago 2.0

I came back to Santiago for a couple of days before flying on to New Zealand. Once again, I got lucky. It rained the day before I got back here and there was more snow in the mountains. The biggest benefit to a day of rain is that the skies are clear (it washes the air, as they say).

Since it was such a clear and gorgeous afternoon, I went up to the top of the Costanera Center Tower (the building whose twin is in SF). The actual name of the attraction is Sky Costanera. It’s pretty overpriced for an elevator ride but the views are incredible.

Even The Penguin was in awe of the view.

The next day I visited the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. If you are unfamiliar with what happened in Chile (and the US involvement) between 1973, I encourage you to read this:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/14/world/americas/chile-coup-cia-museum.html

You could also watch the movie Missing, starring Jack Lemon and Sissy Spacek. It’s very good.

Before I talk about the museum, I want to tell you a story. In 1987 (yes, 31 years ago), I came to Santiago for the first time. I was traveling solo around South America for the summer and no, my mother was not thrilled. I arrived in downtown Santiago very late at night. My bus from Mendoza, Argentina was delayed at the border due to snow. I had the address of the local Youth Hostel, but my information was out of date. Pinochet’s government had closed all youth hostels the previous year (which I only learned later).

Luckily, I was in a taxi and my taxi driver was doing everything to help me. We asked around and were given an address. It turned out to be a rooming house for female students at an international studies program in Santiago. They were horrified that I was out on the streets alone that late and insisted I stay with them. I ended up staying five days and learned quite a bit about what was going on in Chile.

One night, a group of us were drinking tea in the kitchen and the national police (Carabineros) pulled up in front of the building. I saw terror on the faces around the table. The Carabineros were looking for someone next door. We saw them take a young gentleman away. The women I was with knew him and told me they would never see him again.

It is one thing to read about what went on all over this continent in the 70’s and 80’s. It was another thing to live it. I got a small taste that night in Santiago but too many lived with terror on a daily basis. Since there are still some 1,000 people missing in Chile, many are still living it. The Museum of Memory and Human Rights’ mission is to ensure that by remembering the past we do not repeat it. It was heart wrenching to see and learn from many recently declassified documents.

The museum itself is very tasteful and very well curated. It does not try to sugarcoat any of the atrocities but also does not strive to make the visitor uncomfortable or depressed.

The dictatorship lasted from 1973 to 1990. It was only in recent years that the CIA has admitted its involvement in the coup and the extent to which it supported the Pinochet regime.

My final day in Santiago was spent just walking around and visiting another museum: The Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s located in a lovely building next to the Quinta Normal park. Much of the collection is too “installation art” for my taste, but there are some wonderful paintings and several good sculptures.

My next stop is New Zealand. Stay tuned and stay happy!

Those Missing Pictures

Do you remember when I posted that I had a problem with an SD card and that I had lost some pictures. Well, I have finally been able to recover them. These were taken on the second day of the Galapagos trip and include a couple of decent photos of yours truly as well as some shots of the Galapagos Penguin.

Valle de Aconcagua and Los Andes

St Joseph and The Penguin on the hood of the rental car.

The Valle de Aconcagua is a wine region in Chile that sits at the foot of the Andes. The main city in the region is Los Andes. I wish I could tell you the city was a wonderful tourist destination and that the wineries were all wonderful and welcoming. Unfortunately, I cannot. What I can tell you is that the views of the Andes mountains are amazing.

I tried to visit some wineries; however, they were closed, despite all published information indicating otherwise. But, I did get to see some beautiful vineyards and lovely old buildings.

Vineyards in Winter with mountain backdrop

I also tried to head up into the mountains, but the weather would not cooperate. As I got to the switchbacks that take you the last 20 or so kilometers to the snow field, a cloud started descending on the mountain. I turned around and as I got down to the bottom of the mountain I saw that they had closed the road going up. Whew! I would not have been happy stuck up there. But, the drive was interesting. Note below how the Chilean department of transportation deals with what I am sure are constant rock slides on mountain roads.

The tunnel is built so the slide goes on top of it and off the other side. There is a gravel road to the left which I assume is used for clearing and maintenance.

Some people reading this are leaving comments, and I love it! Please keep them coming. It gives me a connection back home. If you read this in your email, I believe there is a way to commend directly from the email. If you come to the site to check for new posts, you can leave comments directly on the page.

Also, remember you can see other photos by following my Instagram page: Lemsfo

Have a great day!

Valparaiso and the coast.

Valparaiso is a port city about 100 km from Santiago. Geographically, it sits right next to Vina del Mar but is many miles away in culture and style.

Valparaiso is known for the colored houses that sit, at times precariously, on the slopes of steep hills. Streets are impossibly narrow and twist and turn up the hills. Imagine San Francisco with 80% of the streets like Lombard and Ashbury Terrace.

It is also known for its public art – or murals. They are on many of the buildings and are wonderful to look at.

I spent one day walking around the city – up, down and around. Luckily, on the really steep parts they have “elevators” or funiculars. They cost about 12 cents each way and are fun, if you don’t get vertigo.

I first visited Valparaiso in 1987 when traveling around the continent. I remembered not caring for it much then, but I wanted to give it a second chance. I still didn’t care for it much. I am glad I visited; however, the city is very dirty. When they decided to clean up Santiago and expelled all the litterbugs, this is where they were sent. It it really sad. The city has so much potential but the people just don’t seem to care.

I also went to the Casablanca valley, just outside Valparaiso. It is one of the newer wine regions in Chile and is known for cold climate wines. The climate is very similar to the southern part of Sonoma Valley with warm days and cool nights.

Wine tourism has certainly not reached the level of California (or even Argentina) yet. They charge way to much for the tastings and the people pouring, for the most part, don’t have any real knowledge of the wines. One place was great but the other two, not so good.

The town of Casablanca itself has a lot of potential to be super cute. There is a nice plaza and has good walkability. I see it as being a real destination in a few years.

After a day of wineries, I decided to check out the southern coast. I drove down to Algarrobo, a lovely seaside town about 30 minutes from Valparaiso. This town is beautiful, with s lovely beach and they are installing a new boardwalk. There are a number of retired expats in Algarrobo.

Driving around has been a hoot. Most of the time, once on the highways, things are pretty well marked. Getting to the highways is always fun. At least the geography helps. The Pacific Ocean is to the west, REALLY BIG mountains are to the east. From there, you can figure most things out.

Next post will be from a town farther inland. Stay tuned.

Drive to Valparaiso

Let me start this by saying it is faster to BUY a car in the USA than to rent one in Chile. It’s all good though. I got out of the Econorent office with a nice little Hyundai and a printout of Google map showing the route out of town! The Penguin helped navigate and we made it to stop #1 without incident!

About halfway between Santiago and Valparaiso is the Casablanca Valley, one of the cool climate wine regions in Chile. I stopped to enjoy some lunch and taste some wine at Verramonte.

Verramonte wines include some very nice labels such as Ritual, Primus and Neyen.

I don’t know what sheep have to do with wine, but they were cute.

A really cool table that I might just have built when back in the states.

Navigating the twisty-turny streets of Valparaiso was interesting. I couldn’t take any pictures since I was driving and The Penguin doesnt have thumbs. Finding the hotel was a challenge and I was very happy that I got an international SIM card for the phone.

The hotel, Casa Puente, is nice. A bit understaffed, but pretty. And the view is quite lovely.