Contributed by T. Wellman
I started my tour in Santiago de Chile
Santiago, Chile’s sprawling capital, is the gateway to some of the world’s greatest natural wonders — Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, Easter Island.
The city is alive with music, art and nightlife, against the arresting backdrop of the Andes.
50 years after General Augusto Pinochet’s USA backed coup d’état ushered in a 17-year dictatorship.
Just a few years ago, Chile exploded into cathartic and, at times, violent unrest, as hundreds of thousands of Santiaguinos protested social inequalities.
The scars are there for all to see. But if you’ve made it all this way, you should give Santiago a chance.
A hike to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal offers the best views of the city and the Andes Mountains, particularly after rain has cleared the air.
The Persa Víctor Manuel flea market boasts music, art and good food on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos tells the story of General Pinochet’s dictatorship, and helps to explain the Chile you see today and do not forget to step to the rhythm of la cueca.
To the uninitiated, la cueca, which was declared Chile’s national dance by the Pinochet regime
, can appear a bewildering whirl of handkerchiefs and heels.
Get the basics at la Casa de la Cueca, a cheerful dancehall at the top of a narrow staircase in the up-and-coming Matta Sur neighborhood.
Try reimagined Chilean classics
La Pulpería Santa Elvira, a few blocks south, has only seen its reputation grow since opening.
The place has a cozy, front-room feel, with family photos on the walls and squat jars of pickles, peppers and spices dotted around. You can also sit outside in a courtyard on warm summer evenings. The chef Javier Avilés’ small menu, which changes often, remixes seasonal Chilean classics, such as a creative bread basket that plays on “la once,” a traditional afternoon meal. Others play with textures, like a pumpkin puree served in its hard skin.
Check in at Hobbit hotel.
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of Tolkien’s fantasy writings.
The Hobbit and “The Lord of the Rings” take place entirely in middle-earth, as does much of the unfinished tales.
Tolkien prepared several maps of Middle-earth and the regions of Middle-earth, so thats the way we first came across this green, mountain-like resort.
The 13 room hotel looks like it came straight from middle earth. The lodge sits in the private Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve in northern Chile’s Patagonia and is a celebration of the rich natural heritage that the preserve aims to protect.
And get this visitors enter the establishment on a suspended rope bridge and are greeted by a cascade of water coming down from the cone shaped green roof.
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