Chocolate is good for the soul.

Dec 28 Lolol to Algarrobo

So as mentioned the vineyard tour was not as time consuming as anticipated so we go a early start towards the coastal town of Valparaiso, we don’t expect to get there today but that is the general direction. There are not many route options but the one we choose takes us through wine country and into fruit farms, one of our favorite type of routes because where the fruit grows the farmers have vendor stands. Fresh strawberries, olives, olive oil, watermelon, blueberries, and honey are the treats along this route. I missed the sign but we were actually on Route 66, the Ruta de Fruta.

Typical hat for men in the area, wide brim with short flat middle piece.

About as fresh as it can get, picked behind the sales booth.

Locally made olive oil as well.

We end up passing through a large coastal town called San Antonio, a rather interesting town with an active port, a Naval Base, We are not sure what to make of the place as the only sign of a downtown areas was the oversized shopping mall across the street from the main port. Maybe they get cheap storage because on one side of the street is the mall, on the other side is a sea-can sorting dock. In any event the streets downtown were busy with shoppers and such, but the rest of the town seemed a little neglected and empty.

We carried on up the coast a little ways to Algarrobo, a beach town considered to be an upscale resort getaway for the citizens of Santiago. We really don't get that feel from the place other than the highrise condo's along the water that block out any hope of a view for the rest of the properties. As it turns out this is the location of the claimed "largest swimming pool in the world".

We are staying in the shadow of these massive condo's and due to the weather, enjoy a quiet evening in our room researching Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.

Dec 29 Algarrobo to Vina Mar

Breakfast served in our room.

A short but interesting ride.

As we approach Valparaiso it becomes apparent that the best option to navigate and drive is going to be whatever route the GPS picks, and we will just follow the purple line. Ah, the wonder of the GPS. The route it picks is usually creative to say the least. This time instead of taking us on the main highway into town it takes us on a city tour via the less than desireable neighborhoods, along the dirt road that has evolved into the garbage dump (pickers included) and then through one of the many barrios that make up the “suburbs”.

All is not wasted as we get directions from a nice old guy waiting for his bus, the GPS had taken us so deep into the barrio that it appeared we hit a dead end, all the cars were facing us. The old fella just gave us the customary arm flap and wrist flick indicating that it was ok to go against traffic, he looked like the expert traffic controller so we followed his instructions and hoped no busses or trucks would be coming around the corner. 

Timing is everything and we make it back onto a larger street without incident, then it was just a quick jaunt through the bus terminal and we were in downtown Valparaiso. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on viewpoint, the downtown did not look much different than the barrio so we decided to try a little farther up the coast in Vina del Mar. This turned out to be a great decision as Vina del Mar was much more appealing on every level.

Valparaiso

Vina del Mar

We find a nice Hostel for tonight but will have to find other accommodations for as they are fully booked for new year’s eve. Algarrobo was only 60km away so it is still very early and we take advantage of the day and internet to search out another hotel for tomorrow night. The bonus was that we also had an extra afternoon to sight see and take in the fantastic ocean front and beach.

Our hotel search found us a newly opened upscale hostal called Chocolate Manor House, the owners are Graham and Mariscol, a wonderful Australian/Chilean couple who in retirement decided it would be a good venture to restore the 100yr old house they had owned for years and turn it into a boutique Hostal. We found them on Booking.com but as we were walking distance away figured we could stop in and see the place before committing to a room. Often the online photos are not in direct correlation to the property being advertised. We are greeted with wide smiles and Ozzy accents followed by a whirlwind tour and a deal we could not refuse, we signed up for the room and then enjoyed a quick history of how they came to be Hostal hosts.

Guess which one is Chocolate manor.

Let's not forget Dog of the Day.