Lauren

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.

Santiago!

My first full day in this S. American capitol city was a rainy one. I walked around to get my bearings and just enjoyed being in a place with paved streets. I have been to this city several times, but this is the first time in 31 years that I have really spent some time here. The city has grown and changed a lot in 31 years, almost all for the better.

When the rain and cold got to be too much on day one, I took refuge indoors. One of the good things about a large city is there is always an art museum. The better thing about Santiago is that it is free!

The musuem did not allow picutres of the art, but the inside of the building was very pretty. I loved the staircase.

Santiago is a city of contrasts: both modern and historic; traditional and progressive; technological and environmental. Just walking around you are treated to wonderful sights. It’s also incredibly clean. I am glad I came here. This is a city where I would enjoy spending a long time.

When I was traveling here in the 90’s, this was the CTC building. It is supposed to look like a cell phone.

Seeing this building made me think of home. Yes, San Francisco, Santiago has THE SAME BUILDING! Same architect and everything. Google it. Only difference is that Santiago has a prettier backdrop.

Another day was spent going up to the mountains. To get to the first snow field, Farellones, you have to climb fast. Santiago sits at just below 2,000ft and Farellones is at about 8,000 and only 36 km (22 miles) away. The road is all switchbacks and each “curve” is numbered. There are 40 in total. It is not a road for people prone to motion sickness or with a fear of hights.

Once you get there, it’s worth it.

And yes, St. Joseph and The Penguin had fun too. The Penguin more so than St. Joseph (he liked the desert). Penguin was so happy to see snow!

A final day in Santiago was spent taking the hop-on, hop-off bus. They can be very useful to get to places public transport may not go.

On one of the city’s hills are stations of the cross leading up to a pretty little church.

Love that Santiago has public bike rentals.

Penguin likes the upper deck of the bus.

Our next stop is Valparaiso on the coast.

I’ve been to Quito and to San Pedro…and am no longer queen of the desert

I have made it to Santiago. Am I sad that I could not get to Salta, yes. But, it just means I will have to make another trip. I remember one old friend telling me she always wanted to go to Salta, so now we can go together.

I have until August 11th to play in Chile. Anyone got any favorite spots? I am thinking of heading down to Puerto Varas for a week. Lakes, snow capped volcanos (yeah, I know more snow is not what I should be seeking), fresh air and some nice hiking.

My hotel in Santiago is called The Sommelier (I am not kidding), so I also may never leave here.

If you “get” the title of today’s post, you get a prize. You will also be dating yourself.

Hasta manana o el Sabado. Besos y abrazos.

Don’t Cry for Me

Well folks, it’s official. I cannot make it to Argentina. The border is still not open and will not be by tomorrow at 7am.

I am now flying to Santaigo tomorrow afternoon. I will stay there for a couple of days and then figure out where to go. Most likely Puerto Varas in the Lake District. It’s pretty there, but I will likely run out of things to do there, too.

Things I have learned:

*Never book tours in advance on Viator or any other site. I will likely spend the next year trying to get refunds for tours that didn’t happen due to the weather. If I had known how many operators for tours there really were in the Atacama, I would not have booked anything. Same for Salta.

*Travel Insurance can be your friend. I’ll let you know how all that works out, but I am hopeful I will see at least some of my money back.

*Never book unrefundable hotel rooms in advance.

* Always have a PLAN B

So, when next you hear from me, I will be in a major city with hopefully faster internet and decent wine.

St Joseph will be sorry to leave the desert but the Penguin is ready to get out of here.

Weather and Dogs

According to the Chilean police and road folks, IF IT DOESN’T RAIN AGAIN, the road to Argentina will open on Wednesday…just in time for my bus to Salta, Argentina on Thursday morning.

If the road doesn’t open, plan B is to fly to Santiago and continue on my travels from there. What the hell I will do in Santiago for two weeks remains to be seen. Do I have the right clothes to go down to the Lake District? Cross your fingers that that clouds I see rolling in and the high winds outside do not mean MORE RAIN and snow. As lovely as this desert town is, I would like to get out of here.

For those of you who did not believe me about the dogs, see below. These pictures I took this morning in less than 30 minutes fo walking around near my hotel. There was one dog (1st picture) that has only three legs but has not been neutered. Locals will apparently pay to have a dogs leg amputated but not to fix them so they don’t have MORE DOGS. Most of them are super cute and if I were headed back stateside, I might bring one home. If you are ever looking for a super cute, well socialized dog, now you know where to go.

Atacama or at least parts of it

The weather has not really improved. We’ve had a couple of dry days and then a big storm the other night. Dirt streets afer rain make for muddy boots, and even muddier dogs. On the 20th, I went to the Valle de Arco Iris (Rainbow Valley). Beautiful colored mountains. Our guide told us how rare it is to see so much snow at these “lower” elevations…9,000 ft.

In the high valley, we got to see some lovely llamas. They like the cold and snow.

In the afternoon, I visited some beautiful lagoons. The light at sunset was incredible.

The next day, I went to Valle de la Luna. It was so named by a Belgian priest, Gustavo la Paige, who was sent to the Atacama and recognized the historical and geological wealth of the region.

The three “Marias” named by Father la Paige. Rock formations. I think the Maria on the left looks more like an iguana.

Further in to the valley, we hiked up a sandy hill to see the views. I do not like hiking uphill in sand, but the view was worth it!

During the trip, our tour was adopted by a puppy. She was on the side of the road and our bus driver said we could take her with us back to town. Her tag said her name was Kahla and our guide was going to try to find her owners or find her a new home.

At the end of a busy afternoon, we stopped for a roadside snack and pisco sour at the top of another hill. The sunset views were spectacular.

And, we all got a chance to get on the roof of the bus for photos!

Stay tuned for updated on whether or not I can get out of here or if I am destined to be stuck in the Atacama until Spring.

Rain and Snow in the Driest Place on Earth

A freak winter rain has hit the Atacama dessert. Most tours have been cancelled since snow has fallen in the higher elevations. Stargazing tours cancelled since you cannot see stars. I choose to look at the bright side…when I do get out there, the scenery should be spectacular.

Getting here from the airport city of Calama was interesting. Vast swaths of nothing for the 100km journey. I chose to stay one night in Calama since it took me 12 hours to get there from Quito. I then took a local bus. Turns out, there are plenty of transportation options easily arranged right at the airport. The only people coming to Calama are Canadian mining executives and tourists going to Atacama.

If you decide to come here, and are able, stock up on supplies and water in Calama. There are no real food stores here, just corner markets, and everything is expensive.

San Pedro de Atacama, the tourist center, is not much to write home about. This city is at an altitude of about 7,900 feet. Lower than Quito, but still up there. There are two main streets, neither paved, with souvenir shops selling all the same things and about 400 tour companies hawking the same tours. All tourists were just wandering around aimlessly today…up and down the same two unpaved streets.

There are dogs everywhere. EVERYWHERE! Some strays, some with collars, some without. Dogs were bored too and some fights broke out. A bit of lawlessness in this desert outpost. The dogs reminded me of a trip my mother and I took to Patagonia about 17 years ago. After dinner in Punta Arenas, Chile (the complete other end of this LONG country), Mom insisted on a taking her leftovers with her. Well, on the way back to the hotel, we were followed by a pack of dogs. A whole new definition of doggy bag. Don’t walk around anywhere in this country with a bag of cooked meat!

The only real thing of interest is the church. Built in the 1700s using traditional Adobe techniques and materials. It wasn’t open today (priest is probably stuck in the mountains) but there was a hole in the door that allowed me a peak inside.

Since the roads are unpaved and most structures are built from Adobe, there is a fine brown dust that covers everything; shoes, windows, dogs. Whether or not I want to, I will be taking a bit of Atacama along with me.

I bought my bus ticket for Salta today. The bus station was a bit of a circus since the road to Argentina was closed due to snow. No busses coming or going. Hopefully, by next week this will all be sorted out. It’s not supposed to rain anymore after today.

I am not going to give any information about the next few days, since everything is up in the air due to weather. You’ll jut have to check back in.

Galapagos Recap II

I decided the previous post was getting too long, and given the sketchiness of the internet connection here, I didn’t want to lose everything I wrote.

The previous post showed Sea Lions and different boobies. Perhaps one of the most interesting birds in the Galapagos is the Frigate bird. They are known as the pirates because they steal food from everyone else. And, they are one of the few (maybe only) sea birds that cannot land on water.

The male has a red pouch he can inflate to an enormous size to get the attention of the female.

The chicks are cute, but when they get a bit older, they look a bit like teradactyls (sp?)

In flight, the birds still impress.

You can just make out the pouch…

One creature of the Galapagos that I just loved was the crab. So colorful they almost look fake. They too are just about everywhere.

And, I cannot forget the giant tortoise. Not everywhere, but still easy to spot. We saw them both at a breeding center (and got to see two of them actually breeding) and in the wild.

I think Spielberg was inspired by the giant tortoise when he created one of his most iconic characters. Which one am I thinking of?

Alas, I cannot leave out the iguanas, Marine and Land. The marine ones are almost as ubiquitous as sea lions. They are the only marine iguana that FEEDS in the water. Others swim, but don’t feed.

Marine Iguanas mate for life. And here’s a fun fact that will make all you guys following this wish you were a Marine Iguana…the males have two penises.

Land iguanas a bit better looking. They are known for their contant “joker” smile.

There are several other animals I saw, but I know you are now asking “what about St. Joseph and the Penguin?”. Well, they had a great time in the Galapagos.

One day they made a new friend.

And St. Joseph got to visit the bridge.

This is all for tonight. It is getting late and I have an early start tomorrow in San Pedro de Atacama.

Buenas Noches!

Galapagos Recap

The first thing you notice when you get to the Galapagos is how stark everything looks. It is a region of contrasts. On the coast of the islands, it is almost a desert. Up in the highlands there is lush vegetation.

Beauty is everywhere, especially along the shore.

Of course, it’s the animals we all came here to see.

The sea lions are everywhere. I don’t think a day went by that we didn’t see some. And, on a couple of islands, you had to be careful not to trip over them.

The blue footed boobie is perhabs the most famous animal of the islands and they did not disappoint. The instensity of the color of the feet depends on when they last ate. The bluer the feet, the more recent the meal. They are also known as the clowns of the Galapagos and you can certainly see why. Their faces are just so goofy. I fell in love.

The juveniles’ feet arent blue yet, but their faces are still fantastic.

Boobie chicks are really fluffy.

There is also a red footed boobie. Not as common and much shyer (shier?), but we were able to see a few on the second to last day.

They have really beautiful blue faces. Yes, that really is the color.

And their chicks are just as fluffy…

More to follow in Galapagos II.

Wow, what a time…

I am off the boat and back in Quito for a few more hours. I have a flight at 4:15am tomorrow morning to start what will be the travel day from hell. I go from Quito to Lima, Lima to Santiago and then Santiago to Calama. For those of you unfamiliar with South American geography, it would be like flying from New York to Dallas via Chicago and Los Angeles.

The Galapagos were AMAZING. I am still sorting through the photos for a proper post, but below are some teasers. I think I took 500 picutres of Sea Lions and even more of the famous blue footed boobie (is that not the best name in the world). Don’t worry, I won’t post all of them.

I also think I lost some picutres. I had an issue with an SD card being corrupted. I have not lost all hope of recovering them. One that card were pictures of the Galapagos penguin. Something tells me St. Joseph had something to do with the missing picutres.

Anyway, as I said, tomorrow is a LOOONG travel day so I will have time to sort through the remaining pictures and tell you all about my visit to the Galapagos. Here are some picutres to whet your appetite:

The blue footed boobie

A beautiful beach

Pink Flamingo (Hello to Ashbury Terrace and Upper Terrace)

Sea Lions (they are smaller than the California species)

Galapagos day 1

Galapagos Day 1

We left Quito on a 7am flight, which means we were all up at 4am. There is a bit of buraucracy in getting here. All sorts of controls, which are probably a good thing. There are some great pictures of the flight out of quito on Instagram.

We got to the islands at about 10 am. After a quick bus ride we were on our boat, the Montserrat. She is a decent size boat and there are 20 passengers, 12 crew and 2 guides.

Our first stop was Mosquera island where we met a number of friendly sea lions. Almost all of them were female and it was very special to see the mums with their pups. I even got to see a couple of them nursing.

We also saw a juvenile marine iguana, a lava lizzard, numerous pelicans and some very cool crabs.

I had my first try snorkeling off a beach. It was a good effort, but my mild claustrophobia kicked in and I didn’t spend more than 30 minutes out there. The guides were very helpful and understanding.

Everyone on the trip seem very nice so far. We have a good mix of folks. I would say about 1/3 are from the US. We have a few from Australia and New Zealand and a couple from Europe.

Here are some photos in no particular order. Really slow internet and now I must dash. More later.

Robots Playing Soccer

When you find out that there is an entire convention center with Robots Playing Soccer, you just have to check it out. It was great fun and so cool to see the different robots.

They will, very soon, take over everything.

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