Chillin in Chile

I was wondering over the last few days what was different about being in Concon. I've been to seasides many times before and I'm used to the steady waves coming in to shore. But what is different with our stay here is that there is no real rush to move on.

It's fanastic to watch the waves for hours on end and go for long walks along the shore.

Don't get me wrong, we're really looking forward to seeing more of the world. The thing is, I think 'retirement' is beginning to sink in! We don't have to rush to the next country and there are no real time commitments. So when I say we're chillin in Chile, I'm saying it literally.

Like these Pelicans, there's nothing better to do for them (or us) than just hang out by the shore and gawk at passerbys.

And the crowds? No need to be 'in amongst the crowds'; just move on to more quieter places and times.

Like a sunset- so routine that it happens every day. Yet now, we can take the time to admire the majesty of it all...

When I think it would be nice to go back to my book... that's chillin and something totally different than what we've been accustomed to. It's an amazing realization that the world awaits us and we can take the time to enjoy. You can tell we're having a blast. And up to this moment on our trip, still in love and still holding hands...

Pacific Coast Chile

We are staying in the coastal town of ConCon, shown here in the upper left of the map and about 2 hours from Santiago:

Getting here was somewhat uneventful by bus with the exception that we didn't know we had passed the town till we were 16 miles past it. With two lanes along the coast, our friendly bus driver just stopped the bus when a returning bus approached, stopping all traffic allowing us to get our bags from the cargo-hold, wheel them across the highway and onto the other bus back to ConCon. 

Of interest, this town had an 8.3 level earthquake in September last year as it is part of the 'Pacific Ring of Fire'. Fortunately, there were no casualties or visible damage.

Where we are staying, we overlook the main beach:

It is very peaceful early in the morning but during the day the surfing crowd takes over:

This time of year is considered the end of their summer with school starting up in two weeks. Still, there are a lot of vacationers here and the 'feel' is really a beach town. Lonely Planet and others say this is also the gastronomical capital of Chile- we're really looking forward to this but only see fast-food so far.

Climbing the Andes in Chile

She did it again! What is it with Cathy and her friggin mountains? 

This time it was climbing the base of the Andes outside Santiago to Glacier San Francisco, a 16 km trek. Now 16 km might not sound a lot but it is the equivalent of trekking from Jane Street to Yonge Street downtown- and back. And its 'up'- the equivalent of climbing 4 CN towers on rock. 

This is Cathy enjoying herself on the climb. She's having a ball:

This is a picture of me after I've talked to God, promising anything- even going back to Rogers* to work- if he'd get me off this mountaintop safe and sound. 

You may think this is beautiful, what is there not to like? Let me tell you. You see those little dots in this picture? 

Well, this was the start of our climb and those little dots are actually 40 foot tractor-trailer haulers. We climbed up from there for over 3 hours and then down again. 

What this has convinced me is that I must take control of the world trip. Stick to the basics, like spas and saunas and ocean fronts. Nothing over 2 story accommodations. 

Above all, stay away from friggin mountains! 

*Just kidding about Rogers- loved it there!

Museum of Memory and Human Rights- Santiago Chile

The effect that this museum has on you is like hitting a brick wall. You are stunned by the brutality Pinochet inflicted on his people during his term as President from 1973 to 1990. You simply can't ignore the devastation and depth. This museum was built "so it would never, ever happen again". It highlights in a most dramatic way the human rights violations of his military regime.

Pinochet over-threw Allende's democratic government calling it a Marxist cancer. And then his junta went on a rampage of murder, rape and torture. The numbers might not be significant compared to what is currently happening in Syria, or what happened in Bosnia or the Holocaust. But the way the museum presents this devastation with footage of survivors is most disturbing. It asks very simply- what if it were you, or your brother or Mom or daughter?

There is a huge wall, three stories high, of pictures showing the number of people afflicted. Under his rule, there were 35,000 documented human rights violations. Of these, 28,000 were tortured, 2,279 executed, and 1,248 missing and never found. This included gruesome acts of physical and sexual abuse (raping both males and females), electrocutions (the favoured way was placing prisoners on a wire cot with no mattress and electrocuting them)  and psychological damage. In addition, some 200,000 people suffered exile and were denied entry back to Chile. This absolutely instilled fear and terror throughout Chile during his reign.

What is surprising is the amount of time it took, 25 years, before the World and the Chileans were able to get him out, then make him pay for his crimes. He made new laws while President such that after he was defeated in 1990, he made himself head of the army and couldn't be touched with his official title. In 1998 when he finished his term, he sought exile in England and it was there that he was finally indicted for violations committed on his people. He was held until 2000 but then authorized to freely return to Chile. Pinochet died without having been formally convicted on any case (too bad he didn't die like Valdivia).

One final note- when you enter and exit the museum, there is a wall depicting the plight of the world's human rights violations:

I noticed Canada was not included among the 30 countries. 

As a world we can't seem to get it right as atrocities against one another continue in spite of what we have learned, especially over the last 100 years. You would think that as human beings, we would have seen enough of this.

Santiago Chile

Santiago City has a very interesting history. When the Spanish first came over, explorers declared there wasn't much in what is now Santiago (no gold, silver, anything of value). But another explorer, by the name of Valdivia, convinced Spain that he could make something of it. Given the green light (so to speak) he started to build his city and army. 

The story goes that Valdivia took young indigenous Mapuches males as captives and then groomed them to become members of his own army- including a guy named Lautaro . But a few years later, when Valdivia had to go off fighting down south, young Lautaro  showed his true colours, switching sides, becoming leader of the indigenous resistance and destroying the town. Valdivia comes back- gets real mad and starts killing and persecuting the Mapuche. These two guys get into some nasty skirmishes for several years until Lautaro kills and skins Valdivia, then eats his heart. Unfortunately for the Mapuche, persecution continued for quite some time.

There are two statues in the city depicting the history. First, for the Indigenous people, this statue-

It shows the broken face of a Mapuche man and is a tribute to the bravery of the original inhabitants of Chile. The face is partly cut off representing the suffering they have endured since the Spanish arrival.

Next, Valdivia gets credit for founding Santiago with a huge statue in his name:

But if you look closely, the statue has no reigns on the horse and shows Valdivia the way the indigenous see him, as a leader with no control over the direction of what he was doing!

Another interesting part of history which, fairly current, is the overthrow of 1973 government by the army headed by Pinochet:

This is the Presidential Palace and in the 1973 overthrow, there were 4 tanks at these front gates. Pinochet gave President Salvador Allende 10 minutes to step down or they were going to bomb to get in. Allende immediately goes on air and broadcasts his last message on radio; the front doors were blasted along with the Air Force bombing the palace and Allende was found dead. 

To this day, it is uncertain if Allende died of the bombs or if he took his life.

Pinochet then ruled for the next 17 years as a ruthless dictator. His brutal rule is my next blog.

Spectacular Machu Picchu

It has recently been named one of the new 7 Wonders of the world and it is breath-taking. Machu Picchu was built in 1450 at the height of the Inca Empire and UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site, describing it as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization".

It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti; it is now recognized as the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. To think that this was built over 550 years ago, it's amazing how intact the buildings are.

It was built as a settlement for about 500 Inca inhabitant, 200 of nobility and 300 basic workers. The mountain-top was primarily granite and the Incas mined this and cut the stone into blocks to build their settlement. There are about 200 buildings comprised of 92 'homes' and the rest temples and storage buildings.They cut blocks of stone to fit together tightly without mortar. Many junctions are so perfect that it is said not even a blade of grass fits between the stones.

The terraces were built for farming. The whole area is basically all mountains with little flat terrain for agriculture. That's the main reason for the terraced part of the settlement (and other Inca terraced land).

Although the Incas built the estate around 1450, they abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. It remained unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. 

It takes a bit of travel to get here. From Cusco you need to take a bus or car-ride for about 2 hours to Ollantaytambo, then take a 1 1/2 hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. We stayed overnight in the town, then took a bus up to Machu Picchu (to our more adventurous friends, you can walk up if you want but it is steep and will take you 3 hours). But once you arrive at the site, the affect the site has on you is unforgettable.

Next stop- Santiago, Chile.

Climbing Huayna Picchu

Ever regret saying you're listening to your other half when you really weren't? Case in point- I said 'sure' and 'yes' a few months back when Cathy booked us on a hike up Huayna Picchu, the towering mountain behind the actual site of Machu Picchu. I regretted that moment today!

Let me show you a picture-

If you enlarge the photo at the top where there are specks, you'll actually see stupid human beings like us who hiked up this relentless cliff! From a distance the mountain looks impossible to climb- at times I thought we'd have to go back without finishing the climb. It's an unbelievable strenuous climb with some parts where you actually use both hands and feet in climbing up. 

 

The Inca literally cut out some steps out of the rocks as you wind around the mountain. Some structures seem almost glued to the mountain side with a sheer drop of a couple of hundred meters on the other side.

For many people climbing Huayna Picchu IT is one of the highlights when visiting Machu Picchu. For me, I call it survival and an absolute miracle that we did it!

Why this walkway? Back in the 1500s, the story goes that the top of the mountain was the residence for the high priest and the local virgins. Every morning before sunrise, the high priest with a small group would walk to Machu Picchu to signal the coming of the new day. I think this whole thing is 'wacko' beyond belief and if I didn't actually do the climb with the other 199 idiots (Cathy would call then adventurers) this morning starting at 5:30 a.m. I'd say these Incas were all smoking some really good dope building a stairway to heaven!

However, the views of Machu Picchu seen from the Huayna Picchu top are breathtaking and do really give you an impression of the magnitude of the site.

We climbed it!

Cusco, Peru

The city of Cusco is very beautiful with well-preserved colonial architecture. When we first got here, we had to mentally think back in time at least 100 years compared to Lima. It's a Unesco World historic site with lots of history that you can explore. 

Cusco was the capital of the Incan Empire. Just as we white folks took over North America, the Spanish were in Peru in the 1530s for their gold and silver and with the Spanish Conquest, overtook the Incas and introduced Catholicism to the area. 

This is very evident along the main square with two gorgeous churches still standing.The Cusco Cathedral started being built in 1560 and took nearly 100 years to complete; it is actually made up of 3 churches today-

Kitty corner in the square is the Church of the Society of Jesus. Beginning construction in 1571, the Jesuits decided to make it the most magnificent of Cusco's churches. The archbishop of Cusco argued that it should not be allowed to compete with the cathedral and it went to Rome for arbitration- lucky for the Jesuits, it was virtually completed before the answer got back not to compete.

To this day, the area remains Catholic. Recently added this past century and perched high above the colonial centre of Cusco is Cristo Blanco, a large statue of Jesus Christ that can be seen across the city-

Towering some 26 feet high the white structure was a gift from Arabic Palestinians who sought refuge in Cusco after World War II (it represents a symbol of their gratitude to Cusco for accepting them and the statue was a parting gift when they finally returned to their home country).

The city itself represents the centre of indigenous Quechua culture in the Andes with about 90% of the population indigenous. This is very visible when you go past the square to the Cusco open market. This is by far (to date) the biggest market I've seen and represents at least a full city block. Think Kensington market and multiply by a 100 at least. 

They were selling meats, cheeses, fruits, breads, chocolates, spices, lots and lots of alpaca stuff and rows of seating for food that I question if they ever clean the plates before the next serving  The vendors are all indigenous.

On our way back to our hotel, we walked by streets and streets of clothing and shoes. There was one full block of only shoes and another full block of just jeans. For the shopoholic that I am but with only one bag to carry around the world, it was worse than giving up shopping for Lent! For me, it was just plain cruel having to pass up on all the bargains the city has to offer. (But don't feel too sorry for me as I WILL be shipping stuff back during our travels, believe me)!

Next stop- Machu Picchu!

Carnival in Cusco and Pisac, Peru

We are back in Peru and spending some time in the southern-eastern part of Peru (to the right and down a bit from Lima) in Cusco and the surrounding area before our trip to Machu Picchu. 

In Peru, come February and just like other parts of South America, we are also in their Carnaval season and there are parades, dancing and just plain fun. Here is the start of the Carnaval parade down the main Street of Cusco; they dance along the route with the band along for the festivities-

A festive part of Carnaval are water balloons (think small clear coloured balloons filled with water), foam spray and coloured talcum powder sprayed or thrown just for fun-

We went on to Pisac, a Peruvian village in the Sacred Valley and known for it's Incan ruins. They have a great market but today was also their Carnaval-

There are Inca ruins along the Sacred Valley and here is a shot of the Quel Assa, one of four main ruins (imagine having to mow this)-

As you may know, Peru is home to both llamas and alpacas and there are lots of them here. The alpaca wools are used for sweaters, hats,  scarves and gloves that are sold everywhere. As a side note we are also at an elevation over 10,000 feet and you experience rain, in and out, frequently. So for this next picture, you will note a very bored, wet Alpaca just waiting for me to take a shot of him-

Now we're off to explore the city of Cusco in detail.

For B. Young Forever

When we were at Tortuga Bay, a new friend was putting out this heart for her friend Brian-

                          

 The 'heart' I'm holding is made of glass from a daughter who's Dad passed last year. The story behind this is that he always wanted to travel but came down with a breathing problem when he turned 50 and died of it last year at 65.

His daughter made a few dozens of these hearts and has given them out to people she knows are travelling. She asks that they leave them in a favourite travel spot so they can be picked up by another traveller and then they could take it somewhere else in their travels. In that way, her Dad would be seeing the world through the eyes of others. 

I'm planning on leaving it somewhere in Santiago when we get there in a few weeks. And I'll post it on Facebook on his site. I think this is fabulous and thought you'd appreciate this.

Seymour Island (Isla Seymour)

I didn't know until I actually got here that there are species found in the Galápagos that you won't find anywhere else on earth. So our trip to Seymour Island turned out to be fantastic. I'll be the first to tell you that birds aren't really my thing but on this island the birds and reptiles don't really move when humans are present- it's a very strange phenomenon. 

I really wanted to see what they call the Blue-footed booby and wasn't disappointed. These guys really do have blue legs-

Next up is the Frigate birds. The male bird, during mating, will 'puff up' (probably getting ready to, you know...). Our guide said, without skipping a beat "the bigger the puff, the bigger the..."

This next shot is a female frigate bird and her young one. Note the colour difference...

Of course, you always get entertained by the sea lions and this guy really hammed it up for the camera-

Last, and definitely not least, is this shot of a land Iguana- 

I ran like hell right after taking this shot as he was moving really fast at me and I wasn't going to be his dinner!!