Yesterday, J finally had a day off from work. It was his first day off since May (except Sundays). We took advantage of it with two friends from the orchestra, Johannes and Paulina. We rented a car and set off on a huge exploration of the west coast of Chile. It was a lot of fun to get a map and find our way through new fun cities and places, and even some places that we had been to before.
We left in the morning and took a south-western route out to a small city called Pomaire. Pomaire is a small villiage about 60 km from Santiago. It is famous because everyone in the entire city either makes or sells pottery. You litterally drive into this basically 2 street town and both streets are lined with little booths where these people sell their pottery. There are flower pots, cooking pots, decorative pottery, piggy banks, and an endless supply of various objects hand made by these people.
The main road in Pomaire
J and C walking in Pomaire
Johannes, Paulina, C, and A outside a shop
A and C buying a Maraca
Pomaire is also famous for its empanadas. They sell empanadas that weigh up to a kilo. This picture shows an empanada chef demonstrating his creations.
The Empanada King
What very well might be the worlds biggest empanada - at least 1 kilo
After we left Pomaire, we headed back on the road for an out of the way excursion to the coast. We were provided many spectacular views and scenery. We stopped in Isla Negra which was home to the famed Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda. There is a museum at his beach home which tells of his story and amazing life. He is even buried there with his wife. He was an amazing man, who wrote inspiring poetry, and who is a beloved figure in Chile's history. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature and was the first South American to recieve an honorary doctorate to Oxford. His political leadership also influenced this country and as ambassador of Chile, he helped many countries around the world get to know Chile.
Pablo Neruda's Grave
We then continued our journey through the random mountains which felt like the middle of nowhere and ended up in Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. It was beautiful, as is always the case in those cities. Rain and clouds eventually caught up to us at the end of the day. And we then ventured back to Santiago.
The beautiful hills and mountains on the way
The beach with the incoming storm
Looking towards the Pacific
Chile is a beautiful country that is rich in nature. It seems that in every 10-20 minutes of driving the scenery changes and you are introduced to many new and beautiful marvels. The south of Chile houses the famous Torres del Paine and the beautiful Patagonia. Farther south are the Penguins and Antartica. The north is a huge dessert and the central region is famous for its wine. The Andes mountains are breathtaking. The ocean is spectacular. We have been so lucky to be here and to see some true natural beauty. Plus, it was great to leave smoggy Santiago for a day and explore on our own with friends.
2 comments:
Cool! Just read something about Pomaire...and I think it was on The Mole as well. :)
What a cool trip. Caitlin must have an eclectic collection of toys now...maracas and all.
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