Concha y Toro Wine Tour

Much to my pleasure, we took the subway out to the outskirts of the Santiago, and took a short taxi ride to the Concha y Toro vineyard. This is a pretty large and famous vineyard that was founded in 1883 by French settlers. It most famously produces the Trio, Castillero del Diablo and Terrunyo brands.

For $14 USD, we got an hour tour and to taste a red and white wine. This was a bit disappointing, considering when I had been to vineyards before, I biked to and from each one without paying an entrance fee and samples were free. However, the chardonnay was very crisp and sweet, and it was interesting to learn a bit about Chilean wine and hear about the legends of the vineyard. Apparently the founder was having trouble with theives/locals stealing his stored wine so he started a successful rumor that the devil haunted his wine cellar. It worked and the amount of stolen barrels dropped off immediately. We got to visit this haunted storage unit, the Casillero del Diablo, which I thought was quite beautiful in a dark and rustic way. I also enjoyed the cool, autumn temperature here in Santiago which has produced some nice fall foliage.

Santiago

Santiago is a brilliant city! It is probably one of the biggest cities that I have ever been in, in terms of size and building mass, considering that 40% of Chile's entire population resides here. I have relished in the fact that there is always something to look at here, whether it be graffiti in the alleyways, an enormous fresh fish in the market, a tourist guide with his kiosk attached to a segway or the brightly colored buildings overlooking the parks along the river. The cafe culture is alive and well in Santiago, and we have enjoyed many of the small, quaint shops they have near the universities. Especially one in particular called Cafe Bizarre, where I have eaten four times in four days. The avacado and tomato toast is to die for (or it is simply comforting to eat when it is the only thing you could keep down in over a week)!

Earthquake damage is pretty much nonexistant. When we asked a Santiago resident what it was like during the actual shake, he quickly volunteered that although it was a bit scary, the fact that he was with a hooker that particular evening seemed to outweigh the scarring of a natural catastrophe of an 8.5 magnitude!

We went to a park and took a train up to the top for an expansive view of the city. At the top we saw a pretty big monument to the Virgin Mary. I think this was because (if my Spanish serves me well) a saint named Joseph has seen Mary's feet at this park?! Either way, it was a nice place to catch a view and a nap in the shade.

Sandboarding in the Atacama Desert!

I decided while in the desert for the first time in my life, I needed to man-up and go sandboarding. Always being a little weary of strapping both feet to one board, this was a big test of courage for me. Andy is a veteran snowboarder, so it was pretty nice of him to humor me and pay the $20 bucks to spend the morning out on the dunes. He went down a couple times and then took a few shots of me ¨sailing¨down the sand. If we are being honest, I sat at the top of the dune for a good 20-25 minutes before I got the strength to stand up and slide down, but after I did it once, I loved it and went back for more!

Laguna Cejas

Took a side trip into the desert and to some salt lakes. The first lake we actually swam in had 30% salt -- more than the Dead Sea! We had no choice but to float! Afterwards, our bodies were completely covered with salt and our clothes hardened (see Andy´s shorts). Our guide took us to other scenic lakes and salars (salt deserts) where we caught a breathtaking sunset. This was one of the most beautiful parts of nature that I have ever seen.