TEMUCO AND PUERTO VARAS, CHILE

January 20, 2026
Departamento Nuevo
Temuco, Chile

Terminal Rodoviaria in Santiago

Monday morning, we called an Uber to take us to the Terminal Rodoviaria in Valparaiso in order to catch our 8:45 bus to Santiago. We took a Flix bus. This was not a luxurious bus, but it was only a two-hour ride. It was foggy and we couldn’t see much along the way. We transferred to the bus for Temuco at the Santiago Terminal Rodoviaria, also known as San Borja. That bus terminal was immense with something like a hundred gates. The place was packed with people weaving in and out and dragging their suitcases through the throng. We had to fight our way to the Flix counter to determine which gate we needed and then fight our way back to the general area because we knew only that it would be somewhere between gates 39 and 43.

Fields in Chile's Central Valley

Finally, the bus for Temuco arrived. It was a double-decker bus and much more spacious and comfortable than the short-distance bus. It took us over eight hours to get to Temuco. Driving down Chilean Route 5 was only slightly more interesting than driving down US Highway 5. We were driving through the Central Valley of Chile and, like the Central Valley in California, it was all agricultural. We passed orchards and fields of vegetables. There were lots of eucalyptus trees. I slept and read. The bus never stopped. Fortunately, we had brought snacks.

Our Apartment in Temuco

We arrived at the much smaller and less hectic bus terminal outside of Temuco. A taxi tried to charge us 9000 CLP to go three kilometers. We called an Uber for under 3000. Our apartment was new and very nice. There was just one big problem. The owner had informed us the day before that the only form of payment he would accept was a transfer to his bank account. This was probably quite normal in Chile. It is a very normal means of payment in Mexico where I live. It is not, however, an easy thing to do internationally. Between Sally and me, we had accounts in four banks in three different countries and the best we could do was to pay him in four days. That was not acceptable. We had to wait until the next morning, go to the ATM, withdraw cash, take it to his bank, and deposit it in his account. Of course the bank didn’t open until 9:00. By the time we did all of that, ate breakfast, and picked up the rental car, it was nearly noon. We still had to drive for 90 minutes and we knew that the last entry to Conguillo National Park was at 14:30.

Sally at the Closed Park Gate

Short on time, we chose to use the north entrance to the park, which was an hour closer. It was a pretty drive and we could see the volcano in the distance. Our primary reason for going to the park was to see the Chilean national tree, the araucaria. We didn’t see any before we reached the park gate. The gate was closed. We had already tried to buy passes online with no success. While I had had luck using the website with the Chrome browser at Cerro Pintados, it would not work this time. We figured we would have to negotiate with the ranger, again. There was no ranger. At least we had not paid. We were not the only car trying to get into the park. One car was bold enough to raise the closed gate and drive through. The rest of us turned around.

Volcan Conguillo

Knowing we were going to be too late to get into the park, we still elected to drive back to Melipeuco and drive the 29 km on a gravel road to the other entrance, hoping to see an araucaria tree. We stopped in Melipeuco for lunch and I finally got to try pastel de choclo, a sort of cross between shepherd’s pie and a tamale. We didn’t see any trees, but we did get some stunning views of the volcano and a big lava flow. The ranger was leaving when we got to the closed gate. We followed him back down the mountain and returned to Temuco.

Lava Floe at Conguillo

I spent the entire evening trying to buy park passes for Parque Nacional Villarrica for the following day. I managed to buy them on my computer using Microsoft Edge as the browser, but we needed to have them on our phones and the only options they offered were to show them on our phones or print them. We had no printer. I got the bright idea of printing them to a .PDF, thinking I could send that to my phone. No dice. Not being willing to buy Adobe’s software, I could not save the file. Next, I copied the .PDF to OneNote, but I couldn’t access the file from my phone. Finally, I was reduced to taking a photograph of the tickets on my computer with my phone.

January 21, 2026
Departamento Nuevo
Temuco, Chile

Queltehue in Coñaripe

Determined to have better luck getting to Villarrica than we had getting to Conguillo, we left the apartment at 7:30. Google Maps didn’t know where it was, but AI said to drive to Coñaripe and look for the park signs. Traffic was heavy and we didn’t make it to Coñaripe until almost 10:00. We hadn’t seen a single sign, so we stopped at the tourist information office to ask how to get there. They gave us a couple of maps and highlighted how to get out of town and then told us to follow the road.

After zigzagging through a neighborhood, we finally saw a sign for the park that pointed us up a gravel road. That was the last sign we saw for 25 kilometers. The map suggested that a certain hot springs was inside the boundary of the park. When after 20 kilometers of gravel road, we came to a fork, one way was not marked and the other pointed to the hot springs. We followed that road. We got hopeful when we saw several tour vans and a big parking lot, but that was just the hot springs. We asked the woman in the ticket booth and she told us the park was up the other fork. Fortunately, she warned us not to try to drive the last part of the road.

We Parked at the First Sign

When, after another five kilometers, we came to the first park sign, we parked the car and continued on foot. Not long after that, we came to a section of road with very deep holes. We would never have made it. A kilometer or so past where we parked, we finally came to the park entrance. The park ranger who greeted us was very helpful. He helped us pick an appropriate hike and identified some birds we had photographed. He looked at the pictures of my tickets, but didn’t try to scan them. Finally, we were in!

Me with the Friendly Ranger

Araucaria (Monkey Puzzle) Trees

We decided to climb up to the Mirador Los Volcanes, a spot above the treeline where we could see five volcanoes. The first section was gradual and we were able to appreciate the grove of araucaria or monkey puzzle trees that are Chile’s national tree. They are funny looking trees that grow straight up with no branches until near the top. The branches are spiny and the bark of the trunk is divided into sections that look like puzzle pieces when not covered with moss. Not far beyond the ranger station, stands the Millennium Tree. It is a very large araucaria with a platform around its trunk. We admired the tree and continued up the path. Eventually, we came to the turnoff for the Mirador Los Volcanes.

Millennium Tree

The path climbed over a small hill and then dropped down to a river. The river was fed by snowmelt, but looked muddy from all the volcanic silt it carried. We crossed a bridge over the river and then began to climb in earnest. The path was very steep, with lots of steps. We climbed through the araucaria forest for an hour or more and finally came out onto a barren volcanic landscape of black cinders. We continued to climb until we reached the summit of a small hill. The view from there was stupendous. To the north, we could see Volcanes Mocho and Choshuenco, although they were somewhat obscured by the smoke from forest fires. Close by, we could see Villarrica. Just south, we saw Volcanes Quetrupalan and Lanin. All were capped with snow. There was a chill wind blowing at the mirador, but we stayed long enough for me to eat most of a sandwich and take some photos.

Volcan Villarrica

Volcan Lanin

Mocho and Choshuenco

Our descent was much quicker than the ascent and we were down by 16:00. Our ranger friend was a little surprised that we had made it to the mirador and back so quickly. We didn’t see more than a dozen people the whole time we were in the park. The town of Coñaripe was swarming with hundreds of tourists, but they clearly had not come to visit Parque Nacional Villarrica. We joked that it was because they could neither buy passes nor find the park.

Where the Ranger Got Stuck

While we were walking back to our car, another friendly ranger came along in a 4-wheel-drive SUV and offered us a ride, which we gladly accepted. When we got to the spot with the deep holes, he got stuck. It took him about four tries to escape. We were about to get out and walk. It felt like the bottom of the car was balanced on a high spot and the wheels were just spinning. Finally, he got loose and delivered us to our car, glad that we had left it where we had.

It took us a few hours to drive back and put gas in the car. Then we returned to the apartment and dined on the leftovers from the previous day’s grocery run.

Sally's New Friend

January 22, 2026
Hostal Brisas del Sur
Puerto Varas, Chile

The rental car agency didn’t open until 8:30 and our bus wasn’t until 10:00, so we had a leisurely morning. We returned the car shortly after they opened and took an Uber to the bus terminal. The Terminal Rodoviaria in Temuco was quiet at that hour. We killed an hour playing with the dogs inhabiting the terminal. One of them tried hard to adopt Sally.

The ETM bus that we took to Puerto Varas was very professional and quite comfortable. We arrived as scheduled at 14:45. The bus dropped us off at the town gymnasium, which was a little odd, but it was easy enough to get an Uber from there to our hostal.

The hostal proved a disappointment. We had reserved a quadruple room, but were given a triple room. Towels were not provided, although Sally helped herself to some she found in the laundry area. The room was small, beds not very comfortable, there were only a couple of electrical plugs, and nowhere comfortable to sit. We had waited too long and failed to find anything up to our usual standards. We had booked this place, despite the shared bathroom, because it looked OK online, but many of the proffered amenities were not as they seemed. Perhaps worst for Sally, there was no coffee before 8:15 and we were not allowed to use the kitchen before noon. We couldn’t bring our own food, either. The location was a couple of miles from restaurants and shops. We were stranded.

Hotels in Puerto Varas

We checked in and set off to walk to the center of town, hoping to find food, cash, and a tour agency. It was a long walk and I was so hungry and grumpy by the time we reached the edge of downtown that we ate in the first restaurant we saw. This turned out to be a very elegant Persian restaurant where we had a nice meal. That improved my mood, briefly, until we got to the center of town and found it full of high-end shops and hotels swarming with tourists on vacation. It was not our scene at all. The ATMs were closed, by that time, so we couldn’t get cash. The tour agencies were about to close and we felt rushed. We were too frustrated to make a decision. We admitted defeat, decided to blow off the following day, and took an Uber back to our hostal.

Volcan Osorno

January 23, 2026
Hostal Brisas del Sur
Puerto Varas, Chile

As we had no other plans for the day, we waited around until 8:30 to have breakfast at our hostal. It was a pretty good breakfast, over all, with abundant fruit and plenty of butter, jam, and avocado for our toast. There was even milk for the coffee. Of course, Sally couldn’t wait until 8:15 for coffee and had to illicitly use her own electric kettle to make coffee in our room while we waited.

The Marina in Puerto Varas

After breakfast, we walked down the hill to see what was available along the lake on our end of Puerto Varas. There were a few restaurants and we sneaked through a gated community to get a look at the private marina. On our way back, we realized that the path we were following was on the wrong side of a rustic three-rail fence from the road we needed to take into town. As I would have had to shed my backpack to squeeze between the rails, I elected to climb over the fence. It was about five feet high, but was constructed on a downslope. When I got to the top, I noticed that the substantial post was a bit crumbly on top. I grasped the other side but, as I started down, the entire post split in half, the rail on which I was standing gave way, and I tumbled backwards onto the path at the bottom of the slope, bonking my head on a fence that fortunately prevented me from sliding into the roadway. My head was okay, but my weight had landed on the bony part of my right buttock. It smarted a bit.

Beach in Puerto Varas

Museo Pablo Fierro

We walked another couple of hours, went to the bank, arranged tours for the next two days, and then decided to stop in a café for coffee and a snack. I discovered that my right buttock was so swollen that I couldn’t sit on it.

We strolled up to the Iglesia Sagrado Corazόn de Jesus, the one notable building in Puerto Varas, to take a look. Of course, it was closed. While architecturally interesting, being clad in dirty corrugated metal siding didn’t improve its appearance. We took a few shots and then did some shopping for food for the next couple of days’ tours. We took an Uber back up the hill.

Sagrado Corazόn de Jesus

I really wanted to work on my blog but, as there was nowhere comfortable to sit, it was difficult to do without putting pressure on my poor bruised buttock. I lay on my side and pecked away at my laptop. I hoped the swelling would go down before the next day’s bus ride to Chiloé Island.

January 25, 2026
Hostal Brisas del Sur
Puerto Varas, Chile

Car Ferry to Chiloé

Our tour guide picked us up at 7:20. We had to make special arrangments to get out of the hostal at that hour, since no one was up. It was chilly and drizzling a bit. We picked up the other passengers and then drove south for an hour and a half to the port of Pargua where we took a car ferry across the Chacao Channel to Chacao. Chilean Route 5 includes this car ferry and terminates on the island of Chiloé.

Church Interior in Chacao

Chacao was a small town that had become a tourist hub. There, we saw the first of the wooden churches covered with metal siding for which Chiloé is known. During the seventeenth century, the Jesuits established churches at each indigenous settlement and would visit them annually, arriving by sea. After the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, the Franciscans took over their mission. Most of these churches have two bell towers and simple wooden interiors. Chacao was home to a large population of black-necked swans and even a few flamingoes.

Black-Necked Swans

From Chacao, we drove down the eastern side of the island, through the countryside, until we came to Quemchi. Quemchi was distinguished as the home of the Chilean writer and explorer Francisco Coloane. Vendors were selling authentic local handicrafts, such as carved wooden items and all kinds of things knitted or felted from local wool. There was a nice boardwalk leading down to the beach, but the high tide covered it and it was too slippery to negotiate. We barely had time to stick our heads into the Coloane museum before it was time to go.

Chiloé Tractor

Quemchi Waterfront

Bridge to Aucar Island

The local industry in the area was salmon and mussel farming. At low tide, it was easy to see the mussel beds. In 1837, an earthquake and tsunami altered the coastline and separated Aucar Island from Quemchi on Chiloé. A long wooden footbridge was built in 1885. The island is home to a chapel and a cemetery. We took the bridge over the mussel beds and walked around the peaceful island. It was easy to see the pontoons of the mussel farms from there and we could hear the sea lions.

Mussel Farm

Cemetery on Aucar Island

Vendors in Dalcahue

Church & Plaza in Dalcahue

Our next stop was Dalcahue, a slightly larger town, which features a neo-gothic church built on the site of the original mission. Dalcahue attracted even more vendors. The majority of our group ate lunch at a restaurant on top of a hill in Dalcahue. We declined lunch, since they did not have a vegetarian option for Sally and we were never hungry enough to eat a three-course tourist lunch. We sat outside, ate our picnic lunch, and enjoyed the scenery, although it was chilly on that windy hilltop.

View from the Hilltop in Dalcahue

After lunch, we drove further to reach the capitol city of Castro. The coast of Castro is lined with palafitos, the traditional stilt houses. These former homes are now a popular attraction and many house restaurants and businesses. We looked around for coffee, but ended up having to go up the hill to find anything other than seafood. Castro also sported beautifully carved statues depicting local myths.

Palafito in Castro

Church in Castro

After visiting the palafitos, our guide took us to the main square where we visited the Iglesia San Francisco, the largest of the wooden churches. Built in 1910, it replaced an earlier church that burned down and the first attempt at replacement was also destroyed by a wind storm. Today, the church is sunshine yellow, but older photos show it with a red and blue color scheme.

Pincoya, the Marine Fertility Goddess

Interior of Church in Castro

From Castro, we returned to the ferry at Chacao and crossed back to the mainland, returning home about 20:00. It had been a long day.

Car Ferry to the Mainland

Petrohue Falls

Sunday, we took an excursion to Peulla. We left even earlier to meet our bus in downtown Puerto Varas at 7:30. The bus drove us out of the city and stopped at the Petrohue waterfalls. Here, the Petrohue River tumbled through contorted lava flows. The river, fed by water from Lago Todos Santos, contains minerals that give it a lovely light blue color.

Water at Petrohue Falls

After a brief visit to the falls, we returned to the bus and continued on to Petrohue where we boarded the CruceAndino catamaran to take us across Lago Todos Santos to Peulla. Highway 225 is an international route that links Bariloche in Argentina with Puerto Varas in Chile. The traditional road ends at Petrohue and the route then continues by catamaran as far as Peulla, where the road resumes. Buses ferry tourists back and forth across the Andes via this route. There is a Chiliean customs office in the tiny town of Peulla.

Volcan Osorno from Lago Todos Santos

Pudu at the Peulla Petting Zoo

Crossing the Peulla River

The Rio Negro

We took another excursion from Peulla which loaded us into a 4-wheel drive bus and took us to a petting zoo before crossing the Peulla River and then driving us to the Rio Negro where we took a short jaunt on a pontoon boat. We didn’t see much wildlife, but the scenery was spectacular. The area was part of the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. There were a few volacanoes in the area, but they mostly remained hidden in the clouds. We never got a clear view of Volcan Osorno, but we did get to see the glacier on Cerro Tronador.

Glacier on Cerro Tronador

International Hwy 225 to Argentina

Once we returned to Peulla, we were encouraged to eat an excessive and expensive lunch at the new hotel. We declined and instead grabbed a sandwich at the original Peulla Hotel. We then had time to walk back to the catamaran dock and relax for an hour before reversing our journey.

Our Ride Back to Petrohue

VALPARAISO

January 15, 2026
Comarca Valparaiso

Valparaiso, Chile

The Santiago Airport

Yet another early morning saw us leaving for the airport by 6:15. We parked the car and slipped the keys into the after-hours box. Then, when I went to scan a QR code to check in, I realized that I had left my phone in the door pocket of the car. I nearly panicked. No one was due at the rental car office until after our flight was scheduled to leave. Fortunately, while the drop box was metal, it was not affixed to the counter. I was able to invert it and snag the key fob. That was a relief! We made our flight to Santiago with time to spare.

The Bakery Was a Madhouse

From the Santiago airport, we took an airport bus to the Pajaritos bus station. It was the lunch hour and the bakery where we intended to grab lunch was a madhouse. We had to take a number. When our number was called, we ordered. They gave us a receipt and we stood in line to pay. Once we had paid, they called our number when the food was ready. The place was emptying out by the time we got our empanadas, so we were able to find a place to sit and eat.

Lunch out of the way, we took another bus to Valparaiso, about 90 minutes west. The road passed through an agricultural area and we could see some of the orchards that grow the fruit that Chile exports. They were also growing corn and vegetables.

Art on Our Street in Valparaiso

Upon our arrival in Valparaiso, we took an Uber to our apartment. The place was in a hillside neighborhood filled with street art. Down the hill and around the corner were plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants. We had two rooms plus the bath. The bedroom had two beds and the kitchen/living room had a table with chairs, a sofa, and another bed. It wasn’t very attractive, but was comfortable enough for $40/night. Our landlord, Hernan, was very helpful and gave us a map of the city which he annotated in great detail.

Valparaiso Waterfront

I was exhausted after too many days with very little sleep. I slept for several hours. Then we went out for a quick walk down to the waterfront to determine whether or not we needed a transit card (We did not. A credit card would work.) and then stopped for dinner on our way back. Sally had rice with vegetables salteado and I had chorrillana, a pile of french fries topped with a slice of pot roast and two fried eggs. The chorrillana was delicious.

By this point, I had to admit that I was probably coming down with something. We went home and I took an antiviral and sat down to write. My nap and dinner had revived me somewhat and I wrote until 23:30.

My antivirals contain an antihistamine that really knocks me out. I slept until 8:00. We got up and passed a leisurely morning. I sent a load of laundry off with the landlord. We headed down to the Plaza Sotomayor about 10:00. The plaza was filled with market stalls. We were hungry and, after exploring the area, settled on a coffee shop fronting the square where we had nice coffees, eggs, and toast. We finished just in time to join a walking tour at noon.

The Navy Building in Valparaiso

Our guide, Krishna, showed us the navy building and explained how the waterfront had been filled in over the centuries. There was originally water where the Plaza Sotomayor is located, today. She then took us to a cooperative art gallery called La Escala located in a former large home. I was taken with a nude made from a mosaic of wine corks.

Image Made from Wine Corks

The Port Market

We then visited the port market, just starting to be revived after it was partially destroyed by an earthquake. Currently, only the first floor is ready for occupancy, but our guide was able to take us up to the roof where we had a 360 degree view of Valparaiso. After decades of abandonment and neglect, the old downtown of Valparaiso has been included in the Unesco World Heritage Site and is starting to receive the funds necessary to renovate it. The buildings, such as the former stock exchange, are ornate and beautiful, but are dirty and often covered with graffiti.

The Stock Exchange

Was This Safe?

Sally Posing with Jack

"Island" House

Cruise Ship House

After walking back through the plaza, we took a funicular to the top of Cerro Concepcion. Here, we found narrow streets brimming with murals. Colorful houses dangled from the slopes of steep hills, some of which looked rather unsafe. Houses perched on a hill without street access were called “island” houses and had to be sold furnished because moving in and out was too difficult. There were also “cruise ship” houses wedged into narrow lots between two streets that looked like the bow of a ship.

Palacio Balburizza

Krishna ended her tour at the Palacio Balburizza. Once a private home, it is now a fine arts museum. After the tour, Sally and I visited the museum. The palace was a work of art in itself and featured elaborate fireplaces and the first bathroom with hot water in Valparaiso. Perched on the edge of the hill, nearly every room had an amazing view.

Views from Every Room

Bathroom with First Hot Water in Valparaiso

Fabulous Fireplaces

Colorful New Flats in our Neighborhood

I was starting to flag by the time we left the museum. We took a long staircase down to the port level and tried to visit the tourist information office, but found it closed at 16:00. We then walked uphill towards our apartment, stopping for a cold drink along the way. We bought empanadas for dinner at a local empanada factory and then trudged up the steep hill to our place where I found my clean and mostly dry laundry piled in a tangled heap on the bed in our living room. I had to fold everything before I could put it away. Then I was able to sit down and try to catch up on my writing.

January 16, 2026
Comarca Valparaiso
Valparaiso, Chile

Downtown Viña del Mar

We wanted an easier day than we had had of late, so we decided to take the bus to Viña del Mar. Originally a vineyard by the sea and later the favored location for the wealthy to build palatial estates, Viña del Mar is now an affluent and modern suburb of Valparaiso. We caught the 607 bus from near our apartment and rode it all the way to the Plaza Vergara in Viña del Mar. We ate breakfast in a German restaurant near the plaza and then paid a visit to the tourist information office after it opened at 10:00.

We had been chasing tourist information offices for days, hoping to find tours that would take us to sites outside of Valparaiso. Every office we came upon was closed. This one was open, but only offered information about Viña del Mar. They were, however, friendly and gave us a nice map of the city, which helped us to formulate a plan for the day.

Palacio Vergara

We started our visit with a visit to the magnificent Palacio Vergara, which housed a large collection of fine art. The building was exquisite and made an excellent gallery.

 

Palacio Vergara Interior

Carved Mammoth Tusk

We then strolled down Álvarez to the flower clock where characters in costume were posing for pictures with children. We crossed the street to the beach and strolled along the coast until we came to the river.

The Flower Clock

The Beach in Viña del Mar

Bridge Over the River

At the river, we were forced to turn inland and follow the bank until we came to a bridge. The river was teeming with large fish that were probably flathead grey mullet. We crossed the river at the first bridge and returned to the coast where we soon came upon the Castillo Wulff built on a rocky outcropping that jutted into the sea. The castle-like architecture and dramatic location made it fascinating, but it was closed for badly needed renovation. We continued along the beachfront promenade with its endless parade of vendors until we had passed the Plaza Colombia. Then we decided we were thirsty and needed a bathroom, so we backtracked to the McDonald’s where we ordered milkshakes and relaxed for a bit.

Castillo Wulff

After using the facilities at McDonald’s, we turned inland and followed leafy streets to the Palacio Carrasco. This, too, was closed for renovation.  

Palacio Carrasco

A few blocks further along, we came upon the Palacio Rioja, which housed the Museum of Decorative Arts. The palace was in excellent condition and retained its original furnishings, allowing visitors to see how the very rich had lived up until the 1940s. Every room was carefully decorated with incredible detail. The Art Nouveau tiles in the bathroom were amazing.

The Palacio Rioja

Art Nouveau Bathroom at Palacio Rioja

Dining Room at Palacio Rioja

We were starting to flag by that point in the afternoon, so we headed back to Avenida Libertad and followed it to the Viña del Mar metro station. We took the train to the port and, once again, went in search of the tourist information office. This time, it was open and the woman working there was very friendly and helpful. She couldn’t offer us any tours out of town, but she did give us enough ideas for things to do to keep us busy in Valparaiso.

We ate dinner in the food court of the port shopping mall and then stopped into the mall’s grocery store for some snack and breakfast items. We trudged back along the waterfront to our street and up the hill. All told, we had walked about 6.5 miles, not too bad considering I still felt a little under the weather.

January 18, 2026
Comarca Valparaiso
Valparaiso, Chile

The Ascensor Was Out of Service

Our mission for the day was to visit the National Maritime Museum, which sits on a bluff overlooking the port in the complex that once housed the naval academy. The heroic captain of the Esmeralda, Arturo Prat, became a cadet there at the age of ten.

We Took the Stairs

Still not feeling quite up to snuff, I wanted to avoid climbing the hill, so we walked to the Ascensor Artilleria, but found it had been out of order since 2024. We climbed up the steep hill, passing numerous cafés beside the stairs or located on landings.

The Maritime Museum

Every mention we had made of the museum when talking to locals had met with decided disinterest and we weren’t sure what to expect. What we found was an extensive and well-curated collection of artifacts from Chile’s naval history, displayed in a gracious location.

Arturo Pratt as a Cadet

A chapel-like space displayed stained glass windows of Chile’s three great naval heroes: Bernardo O’Higgins who founded Chile’s navy, Thomas Cochrane (the basis for the Horatio Hornblower and Patrick O’Brien books) who led Chile to victory in their war of independence, and Arturo Prat, the captain of the Esmeralda, sunk during the War of the Pacific. Another two windows honored the great explorers: Columbus, Magellan, Copernicus and, of all people, Neil Armstrong. Portraits of fallen naval heroes were displayed in what was called the crypt.

Monument to Copernicus & Armstrong

The Crypt

Cochrane, Pratt, and O'Higgins

The museum displayed numerous meticulously detailed models of ships, nearly all of which were difficult to photograph because of glare on the glass cases. One of the most interesting things, in my opinion, was an early inflatable dinghy made from sea lion hide.

Early Inflatable Dinghy

Grapeshot Canister

There were many examples of torpedoes and other ordnance, including grapeshot still in its canisters. The original Fénix capsule used to rescue the thirty three Chilean miners trapped underground for sixty nine days was on display. This capsule was lowered down a borehole through 700 meters of solid rock to extract the miners one at a time. The museum was a treat for sailors and lovers of maritime history.

The Fenix Capsule

We spent quite a while wandering through the extensive exhibits at the museum and then decided we needed to visit the original sailors’ bar in the port. We trooped down the stairs and eventually managed to locate Bar La Playa, in existence since 1908. The bar was crowded with memorabilia from its long life. The food was excellent. I had chupe jaiva, a sort of thick soup made with crab, tomato, cheese, and bread crumbs. They brought us fresh sopapillas and pico de gallo to munch on while we waited for our food. It was a pleasant place to hang out and was popular on a warm Saturday afternoon.

Bar La Playa

After lunch, we headed for the new Museo del Inmigrante, which had been recommended to us. This museum was on top of Cerro Allegre, so we took the Ascensor Concepción to the top. Unfortunately, when we got there, we discovered the entrance fee for foreigners was about $20, which seemed a little steep to us. We decided to get an ice cream instead. Then we wandered back to our apartment and I took a much needed nap before settling down to work on my blog.

Museo del Inmigrante

Some of the Many Stairs Leading to La Sebastiana

On our last day in Valparaiso, we wanted to see Pablo Neruda’s house, La Sebastiana, and the open air art museum, both high on a hill above our apartment. We climbed endless stairs until we finally arrived at the Barrio La Florida where La Sebastiana is located. Pablo Neruda purchased the incomplete structure because it offered views of nearly all of Valparaiso. He must have loved cats, because there were several greeting visitors to the museum, including one orange one reclining on a pillow atop a table by the entrance. Another supervised the ticket counter.

Greeter at La Sebastiana

La Sebastiana

The house had a small footprint and covered five floors, each with only a couple of rooms. The stairways were cramped, but the details of tile and stained glass were lovely. The views were stunning from every room. Neruda had filled the house with objects collected during his travels. It was truly an expression of his personality. He loved the sea and many of the details were nautical. The admission included an informative audio guide.

Neruda's Bedroom Had a Great View

Neruda's Bar

Fireplace in Neruda's Living Room

Sally Having a Chat with Pablo Neruda

After we had soaked up the view and the ambiance at La Sebastiana, we went for a Thai lunch at a little restaurant down the hill. The food was pretty good. Most restaurants in Chile expected patrons to scan a QR code to see the menu, which we found very annoying. Sally didn’t have internet and always had to log into the restaurant’s WiFi. We hated having to page through the entire menu to find something specific and then page back to see the drinks. If the practice hadn’t been so pervasive, we would have boycotted restaurants without physical menus.

After lunch, we looked for the open air museum. We found the archways marking the beginning and end of the area and saw some lovely Gaudi-style light posts, but weren’t impressed with the quality or quantity of artwork. It almost seemed like the project had been neglected. The artwork on Concepción (and even on our street) was much more interesting.

Piece in the Open Air Museum

It was still pretty early, so we walked downtown to pick up some sundries for Sally and some snacks for the following day’s bus journey. Then we returned home to nap and plan our onward journey.

Light Post