Tres Vinos

Will, our host, arranged for us to visit three different wineries today.  One is a boutique winery, one was a very large winery and the third was one that makes high quality wines for export.

Ian is part shareholder, general manager, and winemaker of Tresmonte Boutique Winery in Colchagua Valley.  We toured the vineyards with Ian pointing out the different grape varitals and why he has planted them where they are on flat ground, hill sides, or mountains areas.  He then offered us tastings directly from the barrels for a Syrah and a Malbec and then we tasted wines from three vintages.  Three very interesting things about this vineyard and winemaker make this a unique experience.  One, Ian is an astrologer and collects asteroid fragments.  One of his wines is made with a piece of asteroid in the barrel with the wine.  He named this "Meteorite".  Two, some syrah vines are planted over an abandoned gold mine.  This one is called "Oro Los Coipos" as Los Coipos is the name of the mine and Oro is Spanish for gold.  And three, the restored home on the property is a 150 year old adobe brick house that has survived 7 earthquakes.

The second winery was Casa Silva which produces wine on a much larger scale and they have two other areas where they grow their grapes.  Most of the wine is kept in Chile and is priced for the average wine drinker.  It is family owned with 4 sons taking four different roles in the business.  The family home is now a hotel and they have some large spaces used for parties and for their antique car collection.  We tasted three excellent wines before dining on the restaurant patio which overlooks their polo field.

Santa Helena is right next door to Casa Silva and in fact was once part of Casa Silva but about 15 years ago part was sold to become Santa Helena.  They also have other areas where they grow grapes.  Their production focuses on reserve, grand reserve and premium wines.  We had a short tour of their facility and then were ushered into the second floor tasting room where a huge table was set up with wine glasses just for us.  We tasted four different wines with the guide asssting us through the process of of smelling the wine to pick out the notes of aromas and then tasting the wines.  Each wine was a higher quality than the last.

Rental Car Fiasco?!

Our rental van for six people plus luggage was supposed to be delivered at 10 am.  It arrived at 10:45 am and it would seat 6 people comfortably but not with luggage. After some major discussions with the driver and all three guys putting their heads together we were able to cram all the suitcases plus five backpacks in the back of the Toyota SUV.  One person sat in the back with the suitcases as his seat back, three girls in the midde and the driver and navigator and one backpack up front.  The hotel concierge helped with translation between John and the rental employee to negotiate the insurance deposit and voucher payment. Over one hour later we were able to start our drive to wine country.

It's always an adventure to drive in a foreign country. We circled a roundabout once then turned into a parking lot instead of onto the freeway ramp but we made it onto Ruta 5 Sur (route 5 south the Pan-America Highway) on our way to Colchagua Valley, a highly rated wine region of Chile and the location of our B&B.  Along the way we stopped for lunch and again took a wrong turn trying to get to the restaurant but out little detour took us thru a cute village.

The B&B is about 15 miles off of the Pan-American Highway in the middle of a forest between two ranges of the Andes Mtns. We are a long ways from civilization in an area most tourists will not visit. The owner of Tumunan Lodge is British and built this place about 5 years ago.  There are only 4 bedrooms but they have a huge pool and a wood fire heated hot tub. Located on 40 acres of land between two hills there is a river running thru the property and the owner, Will, has planted a small plot of grape vines.  He has arranged a winery tour for us tomorrow.

Santiago Day Tour

Yesterday on the drive from the airport we decided to hire the travel agency which picked us up to give us a 4 hour tour of Santiago today. James, our guide, arrived at 9:30.  Our first stop was on top of St.Christopher Hill where we had an expansive view of the city. The smog here is really bad due to forest fires last week but I'm sure the smog is bad anyway. If we had time we could have ridden the funacular up. 

We drove thru several neighborhoods near the hotel and up in the foothills of the Andes Mtns.  We also looked in two churches and walked downtown in the London/Paris District and the Neuve York ( New York) pedestrian area. One stop was at the Jockey Club. Besides horse racing Santiagans like tennis and soccer. 

Following our seafood lunch where we once again forgot the portions are gigantic and couldn't begin to finish our meals, we walked back to the hotel, napped. Afterwards we joined the group for a hike up St Lucia hill where an 18th century fortress had once stood guard over the area. The rock steps to the pinnicle were steep and worn smooth making the climb treacherous. We then wandered around the district and found our way to a neat wine bar John and I had discovered earlier. We had a waiter/ sommelier who spoke fluent English making our evening of wine and tapas enjoyable. All the wine we tasted were from Chile. 

The end to a great day was being able to use the internet to video chat with all our grandkids. 

On To Santiago

We had to getup at 3 AM, catch the ride to the airport, check in then wait.  Quito to Guayaquil to Santiago, arriving at 4 pm. A representative of Abercrombie and Kent Tourismo met us as we got off the plane then walked us thru immigration, customs, and luggage pick up.  By the time we got to the hotel and checked in it was after 6.  

Lucky for us Chileans eat late so we got a table at 8:30 pm after having a beer at a patio bar.  We had a great dinner then a very pleasant walk back to the hotel. 

Ecuador Roses

We were wonderfully surprised with our accomadations in Quito. Actually, we are in the suburb of Tababela near the airport. Casa D'Campo is a boutique hotel with 4 cabins and 3 rooms in the main house.  They serve breakfast as part of your stay but, for an extra charge, they have prepared two wonderful dinners for us. The house is beautifully decorated and the lawn surrounding the house is neatly manicured. 

Today Henry, our guide, took us to straddle the equator then we toured a rose production center. The growing and selling of roses worldwide is Ecuador's 4th largest income producing business. 55% of Ecuador's roses are sold to the US with Russia and Japan following. 

Our next stop was at Otavala Market. This is an open air market in the town of Otevala that spans 10 blocks one direction and 3 blocks on both sides with a large square in the middle. They sell mostly textiles with art, crafts, jewelry and food. It was crowed with booths and people. 

After a very late lunch at a 300 year-old hacienda we visited the shop of a native who weaves wall hangings, scarfs and sweaters the way it has been done for generations in his family. He worked not only on a loom but on the floor using sticks to seperate the strands of yarn. He has been doing this since he was 10 years old. Very fine work. 

Travel Day to Quito

Fri. 1/10 - We left the boat at 8:30 this morning and walked thru a Galapagos Interpretive Center beforewalking around town and having lunch. The rest of the day was spent flying back to Quito.

We are staying in Tababela, a suburb of Quito, at Casa d'Campo Hotel Boutique. They have 4 cabins with 3 rooms in the main house where we will dine. It looks like an old home with modern amenities but is only 15 years old. In the US it would be labeled a bed and breakfast.

Santa Fe and Plaza Islands

Thurs. 1/9 - A short walk this morning on Santa Fe Island took us past Santa Fe land iguanas and many sea lions of all ages. Mocking birds are plentiful as are Galapagos hawks. We watched a couple of mother sea lions nursing their pups on the sandy shore while a big male chased off two coming-of-age males.

Back on the boat we prepped for snorkeling off the panga. We saw lots of fish, the sea lions rushed past and one sting ray escaped the cove shortly after we entered the water. I spotted an octopus but it disappeared before I could show it to John.

After lunch ( are you seeing a pattern?) we moved to South Plaza Island and took a late afternoon leisurely walk along both sides of this small narrow island. Sea lions, sparrow tailed gulls and iguanas populate this island while magnificent frigate birds and red beaked tropic birds soar overhead. While waiting for the panga to pick us up we watched baby sea lions frolic in the surf. 

This is our last night on The La Pinta. It has been a most enjoyable week in paradise while learning many new things about nature and the world we live in. But I think we are ready to move on to our next adventure. 

Post Office Bay and Sting Rays on Floreana Island

Wed.  1/8 - We got to sleep in this morning then we went for a short walk on Post Office Bay on Floreana Island.  While there we stopped at the 'post office' barrel. Started by the whalers late in the 1800's one can place a letter or postcard in the barrel. When the next ship comes by the people check the barreI to see if any mail is addressed to someone near their home and then that person delivers the mail by hand.  So we all addressed a postcard to ourselves or to a friendly family and put it in the barrel. Then other postcards were pulled out of the barrel and the cities called out. If you lived nearby you were asked to deliver that postcard. I got one for someone in St. Louis. When we get home I'll go see my mom and deliver the card. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for someone to deliver my card to me!

We then snorkeled from the beach. After lunch the shipp moved to Champian Inlet where we snorkeled from the panga. It was one of the best spots so far. Ka-jillion fish in blue, blue water!!

Our late afternoon walk at Punta Cormorant took us near flamingos and then to a white sand beach crawling with sea turtles and sting rays!  It was a magical beach visit. 

The lesson for the day concerned natural selection using Darwin's Finches. The research and conclusions were started by Darwin, continued by Lark, finished by Mr & Mrs Grant. The whole goal and mission of the park is to maintain these islands in as original state as when Darwin first visited here. Not always an easy task when rats on ships get on the island or humans kill all the turtles for food or pollute the area with trash or bring in seeds from non-native plants. 

The Great Tortoises

Tues. 1/7 - We left ship at 8:30 this morning and spent the whole day on Santa Cruz Island in the town of Puerto Ayora.  At the Darwin Research Center we learned how the eggs are taken from the tortoises and brought to the center to incubate and hatch.  They are kept in enclosed pens for two years and then in open areas for another 5 years to learn how to live in the wild  They are released on Santa Cruz Island or two other Islands to repopulate the archepelago with this very important link in the evolution of these islands.

We shopped in town then a short boat ride to the Finch Bay Eco Hotel for lunch and a rest around their pool. Then we were off to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat.  Just outside of town on a small ranch in the highlands there reside a large number of these giants.  The females come here to be fertilized and then lay eggs near the shore but the males stay here all the time.  We were allowed to walk near the tortoises to photograph them but could not touch them.  One lone female was accosted by an amorous male while we watched.  The sad part was that he mounted her from the wrong end!

This island is lush and green due to its location in the archepelago and was hot and humid even when it rained.  This was in stark contrast to the dry, arid islands we have visited thus far. Santa Cruz was first populated by pirates and whalers but now is the home to native Galapagoans. Our guide is from here but now calls Quito home.  

Rabida Island and Cerro Dragon

Mon. 1/6 - Last night we sat on the bow of the boat with our friends to watch the stars and moon shining on the water.  Since we are on the equator we are not sure what constellations we are seeing.

As clear as the sky was last night it was that cloudy this morning!  But as the day wore on, the sun came out and we had a very hot day.  Rabida Island is a very small island with a bright red beach due to the abundance of iron in the rock.  We took all of our snorkeling gear with us to the island but went on a hike until the day warmed up more.

Today's lesson was about the finches found on this island.  Even though only one type of finch first came to the island, three distinct lines of finches have evolved with as many as 6 varieties in each line. Most of the differences focused on the size and shape of their beaks which are used in different ways to get their food.

Then we had the most amazing experience snorkling in the bay.  The water was clear and smooth and the variety of fish and marine life was numerous!

As we lunched and napped, the boat moved to Santa Cruz Island and parked near Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill).  In a brackish lagoon we watched 6 pink flamingos scoop up mud and crustasions in their long beaks.  Later we heard the cry of a baby goat and the bray of a donkey.  Both are wild, feral animals on this island and currently are a controlled population.

Our days have taken on a routine with breakfast at 7:30, first morning activity at 8:30, second morning activity (usually aquatic), lunch then two seperate afternoon activities one of which might be aquatic or a talk or movie.  There are three naturalists who take groups ashore for each activity.  At 7:15 we attend a briefing for the next day then supper at 7:30.  Breakfast and lunch are buffets and dinner is a choice  of meat, fish or pasta.  A couple of times during the day we are served snacks if we want one.

At the end of the day, we are tired and ready for early bedtime.

Isabela island

Sun. 1/5 - During the night the ship cruised down Isabela Island to about its mid-point and stopped at Urbina Bay.  This area was formed by an uplifting of land in 2008 caused possibly by a gas bubble under the surface and added 3-4 square kilometers of land to the island.  This island was also home to thousand of goats which were brought here by sailors but then reproduced to over populate the island.  A few years ago the park had them all killed or as many as they could find.

During our hike we spotted 3 giant tortoises.  There are many islands where one can find these turtles but this spot is the only one on the tour where we will see them in the wild.  The shells of some of these tortoises are shaped like a Spanish saddle, which is called Galapagos in Spanish.  With a raised area over the tortoises neck, they can stretch out and up to reach flowers on tall cacti.  Land iguanas also populated this island.  Most of them were yellow in color due to the abundance of yellow flowers they eat.  I noticed many holes in the ground which were burrows for the iguanas.  We were told that the males dig tunnels between several burrows which attracks the females.  Evidently the females like a man with lots of property!

Following a talk about the differnt fishes one can find around these islands we went snorkling in Tagus Cove then hiked up the back of Darwin Crater.  The crater is filled with salt water with about 30% salt so nothing lives in it.  Right now the landscape is very brown and dry since most of the trees are lying  dormant until the rainy season begins which should be soon.

Punta Vicente Roca & Punta Espinoza

Sat. 1/4 - For our first full day we visited the islands of Isabela and Fernandina where we stopped at Punta Vicente Roca and Punta Espinoza.  Isabela is long and skinny with an outcrop that makes it look like a seahorse.  After breakfast we boarded a Zodiac for a ride along the coast of Isabela with a geography lesson on how the volcanos shapped these islands.  A cave on the water was once a lava tube.  Most of the islands were formed by volcanos that sprung up non-violently but this particular volcano exploded outward to form the 'nose' of Isabela.

This is the only place in the world where one will find marine iguanas who are dependent on the ocean for their food.  The males will actually dive under the water for food while the females and young will feed at waters edge.  This is their breading season so the males were very colorful and actively protecting their territory so they were facinating to watch.  We also watched the flightless cormorants hop around on the rocks.  Once a flying bird they now have very small wings that are used for balance only but they still dive in the ocean for fish.  One of the rarest sights on the islands is the Galapagos penguin.  Only about 2000 live here and it is the warmest place you will ever see any penguins.

Following the boat ride we prepared to go snorkling in the same waters we explored above the water line.  Besides all the colorful fish we were startled by a sea lion and enjoyed floating with the sea turtles.  This is one of our favorite activities and one we will get to do everyday on this trip.

Following lunch we watched a movie about the Galapagos then the pangas took us to shore n Fernandina Island where we walked on ancient lava fields and witnessed the transformation of the volcanic rock into mango groves where many birds live and where iguanas and sea lions find shade and shelter.

Speaking of iguanas, Fernandina Island has one of the largest populations of marine iguanas on any of the islands.  So many, in fact, that we had to watch every step so that we wouldn't step on any.  We also got to watch them swim and fight over the females.  We saw the Galapagos hawk, the Galapagos mockingbird, a yellow warbler, sea lions, and one penguin.  And did I mention we saw hundreds of the iguanas?

Galapagos Here We Come

Friday, Jan 3 - Poor John had a very rough night and day as he got some food poisoning most likely from the hamburger last night.  Imodium and Cipro are now his best friends.

Our guide picked us up at 6 am to take us to the airport.  We flew to Guayaquil then to Baltra Island in the Galapagos.  From the airport we boarded a bus to the pier then a panga (small boat) to La Pinta Motor Yacht.  We dropped our carry on bags in our room, ate lunch, took a short nap then back onto the panga (zodiac boat) for a guided walk on North Seymour Island with our naturalist, Carlos.

John stayed on the ship trying to get better.  The rest of us experienced our first encounter with the animals of the archipelagoes.  Sea lions, red crabs, land iguanas, frigate birds, sparrow tail gulls, brown pelican, blue-footed boobie birds, more sea lions, more frigate birds of all ages and crashing waves.  We were all so excited to walk right next to any one of these creatures.  I probably took way too many photos.  Here are the best:

Ecuador - Republic of the Equator

We left Missouri only a few hours before a winter storm moved in.  Then we had a long wait in Atlanta due to delays before our 5 hour flight to Quito, Ecuador.  We landed at 12:30AM, got thru customs, found our luggage and our guide and arrived at our hotel at 2AM!   We were awed by our luxury accommodations but going to bed at 3AM is just too late. 

This morning our guide picked us up at the hotel and continued his narative of the culture and peoples of Ecuador.  Quito is the largest city in Ecuador at 2.2 million people.  Roses, broccoli, oil and Panama hats are a few of the income producers for the country.  The city is 34 miles long and 4 miles wide, nestled between two ranges of the Andes Mtns.  Our hotel is in the middle of Old Town, the colonian section full of ancient churches, museums and shopping.

As we traveled south out of the city we were introduced to the many volanoes in the area.  In fact, we traveled along the Avenue of the Volcanoes on our way to one of the highest and most famous volcano, Cotopaxi.  It is over 19,000 ft tall and last spewed ash and lava in 1999.  Cotopaxi National Park covers over 80 square miles around the mountain and is home to wild horses, deer, llama and the very rare, and rarely seen condor.  Henry, our guide, couldn't wait for us to climb up the side of the volcano, but at over 15,000 ft we didn't even make it to the refusio (shelter) at 16,000 ft elevation. On top of no oxygen it was cold and very windy and the path was very loose gravel.  We were happy we made it as high as we did.

Lunch was served at a hacienda at 3 pm then we were in rushhour traffic most of the way back.  The hotel served a complimentary high tea then John and I left the others to explore the area around our hotel.  It was a lovely evening but after this long day we can't wait to turn in.

South American Adventure Begins

We want to give you a heads up about our upcoming adventure. We leave for Quito, Ecuador on New Years Day and will be traveling in South America until February 7th, and no, not in our RV. The adventure will take us from Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands, then Santiago, Chile and nearby wine regions. Next the southern tip of Chile where we will hike in the Torres Del Paine National Park of Patagonia. After that the Mendoza, Argentina wine region and lastly Buenos Aires, Argentina. We are traveling with some very good friends, John & Susanna and Jack & Mary. As we have been planning this trip for over 9 months, to say we are excited is an understatement.

I have every intentions of blogging daily but the issue of internet access may make that difficult to impossible. Be patient.

We wish you all the best of the New Year in 2014!!

Wet, Wet Day

As predicted, it rained all day long and we were walking in the worst of it. We missed a downpour on our walk to the Harley-Davidson Museum and were happy to be dry while walking around the displays and learning more than we really wanted to know about the history of this iconic motorcycle. They had at least one of every model ever built with a storage area that held over 600 bikes. It was interesting to see how the motorcycle has evolved and then how that evolution affected society.

When we left the museum it was pouring down hard. Unfortunately for us a bridge over one of the river was under construction so we had to walk the long way around to the Milwaukee Market Place where we had a late lunch. We trudged back to the hotel in the rain, took a nap and waited for it to stop raining.

Since it is Halloween, I thought it would be fun to hit some bars before dinner and see some goblins and such. Our cab driver had suggested we go to the Spy Bar just across the alley from our hotel. What a neat place to hang out! We tried all three doors under the awning in the alley and the least likely was the one that opened. We went inside what looked like an old-fashioned hotel foyer and tried two doors, knocked and nothing happened. So we went back outside, checked the other doors again then went back into the foyer. This time I saw a sign about needing a password but before we could figure it out a hidden panel opened and we were admitted into the bar. If we had entered the Smoking Room off the main road we could have sat at a booth that would turn and admit us into the bar as well. After ordering a martini the barmaid gave us a sheet of paper with clues to find our way to the secret password and to discover other spy passages and eerie espionage tools. They had two-way mirrors in the bathrooms, a changing wall, a photograph that changed, a trap door from Russia, and an ejection bar stool. It was quite fun!

But no goblins or scary costumes. I guess the parties had all happened last weekend! We dined on small plates with wine and then headed home. Luckily the rain had stopped by that time.

We left Milwaukee on Friday morning.