A 'Horrible History' of Santiago, Chile

The history of Santiago must be one of the most fascinating of any capital city, not to mention it's geography, ecology, politics and culture. For a variety of reasons, I elected to make it my base for 28 days as I desperately tried to re-learn my O-level Spanish, catch up with my travel writing, work out the next steps of my adventure and consolidate my depleted finances. That period of time gave me the chance to thoroughly explore the city and a little of the outlying areas, not something that many tourists to Chile usually manage, as they invariably arrive in Santiago en route to somewhere else and spend a scant few days in the capital itself.

       

Let me share some of my discoveries. 

The Incan Empire stretched throughout the northeast of South America and governed the indigenous populations until the time of the Spanish Conquistadors. Spain then became the dominant force throughout much of South America (hence Spanish being the first language of most countries.) Eventually, as the 'new world' then fought for independence from their colonial rulers beginning with Argentina, Chile became an independent nation.

Santiago itself, founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia, has survived challenge after challenge. Warfare, both from indigenous and Colonial forces, disease, earthquakes, over population, chronic pollution, economic hardship and a military coup have all impacted on a city not yet 500 years old.

                                  

      

                 Pedro de Valdivia

Architecturally, it is a beautiful mix of European style buildings, a few surviving colonial structures and more modern developments. The city is divided into separate and distinct Barrios, churches are prolific and public parks are extensive. The occasional peak within the city adds to it's beauty. Santiago is now a vast urban sprawl with sharp contrasts between the 'haves' in the affluent eastern suburbs and the 'have-nots' in the poorer suburbs of the south. The population is a staggering 6.7 million and rising (some 40% of Chile's total population) causing huge issues with congestion and pollution exacerbated by the fact that Santiago is located in the country's central valley, 1700 feet above sea level and surrounded by high mountains. 

                                  

                     Satellite image of Santiago, Chile taken by Landsat 8 on October 24, 2014

                                  

            You can see the layer of smog which cloaks the city and is trapped by the mountains

                                 

                   Cracking sunsets though as a result - the view from my 14th floor apartment

Skyscrapers dominate the urban economic centre, including the highest building in Latin America (the Gran Torre Santiago.) Alongside this rising skyline, Santiago has increasing numbers of shopping centres, several universities and South America's most extensive subway system. The outskirts of the city are abundant with vineyards and it is possible for a person to ski in the Andes mountains in a morning and sunbathe on the coast of the Pacific in the afternoon, though I didn't quite manage that myself.

         

Geological issues mean that Chile has numerous earthquakes every month. In 2010 the sixth largest earthquake ever recorded hit the city, but improved standards of 'earthquake proof' building meant that whilst 316,000 died in Haiti the same year from a smaller quake, deaths in Santiago were under 1000 people. I felt two quakes during my time in the capital which, whilst alarming for me, were practically unnoticed and quite frankly ignored by the local population.

                                  

                                 

                                             I have highlighted the two quakes which I felt

I was embarrassingly ignorant of the political events which hit Chile in the 70's (with a far greater death toll than all of Chile's quakes in the last 75 years combined.) For a Chilean, 9/11 is not a date which refers to the attack on the twin towers, but September 11th, 1973. For this was the day that General Augusto Pinochet seized power from the democratically elected Socialist Government of Salvador Allende in a military coup. The presidential palace 'La Moneda' was attacked by troops, Salvador Allende made a final radio broadcast to the nation and then took his own life and a military dictatorship then ruled the country for nearly two decades.

            

                  Statue of the former President and La Moneda during the changing of the guards

Pinochet's 17 year leadership was brutal and thousands of political prisoners were rounded up, tortured and subsequently 'disappeared'. Since the restoration of a democratically elected leader in 1990, the scars of the dictatorship have been gradually fading, although people say it will be decades before they heal completely. I visited the moving and rather traumatic 'Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos' to learn more about this period of modern history about which I was largely unfamiliar. It was immensely moving.

                                  

                                                    La Moneda under siege 11.09.73

                                  

                            Troops round up and detain political prisoners in the national stadium

                                  

                                  

                                              The Memorial and Human Rights Museum

                                  

                      A world map highlighting individual Human Rights violations across the world

So, from pre-Columbian civilisations to the spread of Catholicism, from Conquistadors and Colonial Governments to Marxist democracies and military dictatorships - Chile has seen it all. And a youthful Santiago, at just 474 years of age, has seen the most.

                                               

                                   

                                   
  

I can definitely recommend Santiago to visitors. Yes, it is polluted, particularly in the winter, but the climate is a gentle one, the surrounding landscapes are epic and the variety of visitor attractions, from the changing of the guards to taking the funicular to the top of San Cristobal peak, make it sincerely worth a trip. My Spanish improved dramatically with 21 consecutive day of online lessons and from struggling to make myself understood with locals. I now hope it is strong enough to take me safely through Argentina, Bolivia and Peru in the coming weeks. 

      

                                      Rory and I                                                                Sophie

I even had company from Britain for a few days at the start of my time in Santiago and a couple of meals out with Sophie towards the end (the lovely lady I met on my delayed flight over from Atlanta) to augment my time in the city. 

Muchas gracias Santiago y adios.

My Visit to the Devil's Cellar

Those who know me well, know I have a limited palette when it comes to alcohol. Long gone are the days when I would add a blue-bols and vodka to a pint of snakebite (a 'Green B@&*$^' if you wanted to know!) And 'Drambuie handshakes' and the 'Flaming Finger' are both now things of the past. 

Cider. The sweeter the better. That's all I look for when I am out for a drink. Bitter and lager has always tasted horrible to me, and since being diagnosed coeliac, I couldn't drink them now even if I wanted to. No, it has to be cider and the searching for it has become rather a global quest as I have travelled. Sadly, I have frequently failed to find any and have had to resort to the very occasional Rum or Southern Comfort with diet coke instead!

Such is my fondness for cider that it is in my top three 'most missed things from home' list, behind brown sauce and bacon baps. As a result, I will be seeking out an ice cool Magners or Bulmers at my earliest opportunity when I return to the UK in Autumn. (Please feel free to buy me one of either, or both, if we catch up in person!)

But...stop the presses...I have news for all of you who pour scorn on my drinking choices. In Alaska I drank (and very nearly enjoyed whisky!) Laphroaig Quarter Cask to be precise - neat! In Canada I had numerous shots of Fire Ball (half medicine, half whisky.) With each shot I would take a taste to experience it fully and then down the remainder. Great in front of a campfire at Lake Horne.

Well today I decided to go further with my alcohol experimentation and 'take one for the team' so that I could report back afterwards. How can I spend four weeks in Chile and not visit a vineyard? Now you all know that I do not like wine. Red, white, rose - it all tastes the same to me and I just don't like it. It is not as if I haven't tried either, tasting wines whenever they are pressed upon me by well-meaning friends. I have even visited vineyards before, most notably in California and South Africa, but to no avail.

Well, a few hours ago, I was inside one of the finest (and biggest) vineyards in the world and certainly the biggest in Chile. Concha y Toro in the Maipo Valley - 90 minutes from Santiago. 

                                 

 

Now for those of you who find my blogs informative let me not disappoint you. Wine production is big business in Chile and is the fifth largest national industry after mining, timber, seafood and agriculture. Concha y Toro has vineyards in several countries and is the third largest wine producer on the planet making 30,000,000 litres per annum (though my Spanish speaking guide could have said 300,000,000 - so choose the amount you feel sounds most plausible!) Established in 1883, the Concha y Toro Vineyard was founded by Don Melchor de Santiago Concha y Toro and his wife, Emiliana Subercaseaux. 

To start the winery, he brought grape varieties from the Bordeaux region in France including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Merlot and Carmenère. The vineyard began exporting wine in 1933 and in 1950 began to acquire more vineyards. In 1994, shares of Viña Concha started trading on the New York Stock Exchange. It is now one of the most important wine brands in the world, with a presence in more than 135 countries. Their premium wine, Casillero del Diablo, is renowned as Chile’s first global wine brand with sales topping 2 million cases. In 2010, Concha y Toro became the official wine partner of Manchester United Football Club and in 2012 their home vineyard received the Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor as a major visitor attraction.

                                  

       I'm sure the Red Devil on the United logo is why Concha y Toro wanted to become partners

         

     

                                                       The fabulous house and gardens

I must say that my visit was fascinating. The Maipo Valley is a beautiful contrast to the hugely urban, overly populated and extremely polluted Santiago. Snow capped mountains are visible and the vineyards stretch for miles (though the bit I saw was less than 1% of the land they own in Chile.) Whilst all the vines were bare (this being the middle of Chilean winter) we toured the grounds, saw Don Melchor and Emililiana's beautiful home and explored the cellars (old and new) before getting to our promised tasting session. 

I gritted my teeth and promised myself I would taste it all. 

Wine one was a young and rather fruity white - which I could drink. Not too overwhelming, rather sharp, slight hint of jaffa cakes and fresh morning dew (no - that last bit is bollocks, but it's what you are supposed to say when describing wine!) But anyway, I thought to myself 'well done Paul, one down and it wasn't too bad.' 

                  

Wine two was red, but not a really dark red. It smelled strongly... of wine. I swilled it around my custom  Concha y Toro wineglass, expertly admiring the legs and inhaling the bouquet and then I tried it. Eek :-(

                  

Wine three looked interesting. Very red. Very dark red. Retails at over $60.00 a bottle. Aged in casks made from french oak which cost $500 each when new and are only used four times. Produced from grapes which are cultivated by hand from vines pruned severely to limit their number, but increase their quality. I swirled, sniffed, looked, breathed and then drank. Yackity-yack! Our guide offered us all some more. "Come along," he said, "I am not paying for this and you need to finish it all." I went back for some more of the cheap white one I had tried first. That third wine was so dry and so rich in tannin that my mouth was immediately bone dry. I dreamed of cider. "You like?" asked our guide. "Yes thank you." I replied and then he topped up my glass with more of very red wine number three.

  

                               

We were all given our own Concha y Toro commemorative wine glass and box to take away, though with no room in my back-pack and several thousand miles yet to travel, I found a young couple who wanted another one and gave them mine.

             

As for the Devil's Cellar. That was most interesting. Apparently, not long after Don Melchor's first successful  harvest, thieves broke into his main cellars and stole several bottles of his wine. Incensed by the intrusion, he swore that vengeance would be his and started to put around that his cellars were also the home of the devil himself. Rumour spread, stories were embellished, noises were heard and when further attempts were made to steal more wine, those who tried returned empty handed and terrified from their night-time raids on the cellars. Today, only the very best wines are stored in the Devil's Cellar (as it has survived numerous earthquakes without damage unlike some of it's more contemporary counterparts.) A bottle of Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon will set you back over $130. 

  

I'm gonna stick to cider. Well tea actually, but cider when I am in a pub!

                                   

                                     How it would have looked if I had visited in the summer

                                

                                                             How it looked today

          

My USA Adventure Part II

After an amazing, yet all too brief time in Chicago, I flew to Nashville via Charlotte, North Carolina to stay with Tom and Joann, people I had met whilst on the Barrier Reef back in February. 

                                 

                   Tom and Joann are front centre (we were about to disembark at Lizard Island)

I can now say that they are no longer 'people I met', but are now lovely friends. I spent a whole week in their home and had a fabulous time (that will teach them to be friendly to a complete stranger in the future!) Actually, thinking back to our first meeting - it was not an auspicious one as Joann spent the first 24 hours onboard the 'Spirit of Freedom' throwing up at every opportunity due to the large swells, even I threw up once prior to a dive. Tom, who in his own words, is the less sociable of the 'Tom and Joann' double act, had to step into the breach and chat and socialise on their behalf until Joann gained her sea-legs. Fortunately, he did a great job and a small group of us really got along particularly well. His sincere invitation to us all "to visit them in Nashville if ever we were passing" became a reality with my trek across the States.

      

                   The 'Bat Tower' in central Nashville

The timing was remarkable, as I arrived in Nashville during the CMAs (Country Music Awards) which was amazing. I have never seen so many cowboy boots, nor heard so much music. Some places had different acts playing on each different floor and all around the city, stages were set up for the cream of Country talent to perform to the masses. Joann took the Friday off work and we went to the Ryman theatre, the Johnny Cash Museum and the State Capitol buildings before visiting a couple of bars and a restaurant. I think she may have noticed I was developing a fetish for cowboy boots!

          

                         Lindsay Ell on stage

          

                              The  Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium

                                              

                                 

           I like Taylor Swift (so there) and I loved her sponsorship of young talent at the CM Centre

                                  

  

                 Kellie Pickler live on the river front stage

 

I went into downtown Nashville again to get a second taste of the country music city. I toured the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Parthenon and the local attractions. I even managed to visit the home of a former US President - Andrew Jackson (he was a US war hero, instrumental in the defeat of the British at the battle of New Orleans which resulted in American Independence.) 

At the weekend, Tom drove me into Birmingham, Alabama so we could visit the home of motor racing in the south at a place called 'Barber Motorsports'. We set off at 6.00am to make the most of the day and to give us time to explore the motorcycle museum there first. I enjoyed a remarkable three hour tour of all the bikes, though Tom accused me of being rather biased towards the British manufacturers - Royal Enfield, BSA, Triumph, Norton, Vincent etc - he was right, though I did admire a few Hondas too! We eventually made our way over to the racetrack to watch the afternoon series of races. With the temperature hitting 100 C, I kept in the shade at every opportunity as we watched insane motorcycle riders averaging 106mph on the long and complex race track before saluting the crowds with wheelies on the straits. We had a long drive back to Tennessee that evening, but the day had been very much worth it.

                                   

                         Q1.  Who remembers Easy Rider - and can name the two lead actors?

                   

                                    

                                  

 

But whilst the sights and attractions were all very welcome, what made my time so special was the fact that I was brilliantly looked after by Tom, Joann and their two sons Patrick and Ryan. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to stay in a family home, enjoy family meals together, go to their local church and sit in their hot-tub in the garden at night and watch the fireflies. It also gave me time to plan the rest of my trip, book my flight out of America, deal with the car insurance claim, consolidate my finances and replace my shoes. What a welcome break.

     

                And I absolutely loved Nashville. I had to make myself leave on the eighth day  

                                                before I totally outstayed my welcome!

                                  

All too soon I was sat on another Greyhound bus, this time heading to Memphis (just four hours this trip.) Another fabulous place. I loved Memphis, though it is definitely a place with mixed areas of wealth and poverty. A lady I met on the bus journey, Connie, offered to drive me to my hotel when we reached the Memphis terminal, but first insisted on showing me key locations she knew I would want to visit. She drove me past Graceland, Sun Studios and Stax Records and all the time she pointed out the various communities and neighbourhoods she thought were safe and the ones she said I must not walk in alone. She was born and bred in Memphis and was proud of her city, but knew it had been through the wars in it's turbulent past and still had some areas affected by more recent financial depression. She had a big laugh and a big heart and was a real blessing.

Of course, as you all know, I made Graceland my first port of call on my first full day in Memphis, but apart from saying again just how great it was - you will need to see my previous blog for full details of that magical day.

      

I then met a bloke from Michigan who was staying in the same hotel as me and we spent the next few days touring the different sights together and spending our evenings on the world famous Beale Street. After the country music of Nashville, I was now enjoying the Blues and the Rock 'n' Roll of Memphis. I visited Sun Studios, Stax Studios, the Gibson Guitar Factory and the incredibly challenging National Civil Rights Museum, erected at the location of the hotel where Martin Luther King was assassinated in April 1968. Jeff and I took a river boat trip down the mighty Mississippi River and managed to dodge the sudden and torrential rain storms when they came, before baking once more in the hot and humid Tennessee weather. 

                                   

                                   

            The black cross marks the spot Elvis was standing when he recorded 'That's All Right'

                                  

                              

                   Q2. The Million Dollar Quartet in Sun Studios in 1956 - can you name them all?

                     

                                   

                  The Lorraine Hotel and the National Civil Rights Museum - an amazing exhibition

       

               Blues on Beale Street

       

                                  

                                                      M - i - ss - i - ss - i - pp - i

From Memphis I took my final Greyhound (11 hours) to New Orleans, and I had a fabulous time in this hot and steamy part of the United States. The food, the music (now predominantly jazz) and the sights were again quite remarkable. I spent my days visiting galleries, museums and attractions and my evenings enjoying the less seedy aspects of Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street. From Louis Armstrong Park to the architecture of the French Quarter, the awesome World War II Museum to Mardi Gras World - New Orleans was a wonder and so easy to navigate on foot.

           

           

      

                                  

                                  

                                                      Louis Armstrong's first cornet

                                  

         I had a memorable night of jazz with a great couple I met from Texas and a Serbian barmaid! 

                                                 Cheers to Lisa, Michael and Yvonna

                                  

      

   Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans with lethal force in 2005 and they are still recovering years later

                  
                                                                                                  But they are getting there

                           

             Former rulers of New Orleans and the future President of the United States of America

Finally, it was time to leave the USA, but it seemed I had a final adventure in store. Direct flights from the US to Santiago were simply outrageous. So I looked at options with multiple stops to take the cost down. Remarkably, it was far cheaper to fly around the States and then head off to Santiago, rather than to go direct. Houston to Los Angeles to Dallas was one option, other options included Miami, New York and Panama. I ended up choosing a flight from New Orleans to New York (some 1200 miles) then New York to Atlanta, Georgia (756 miles) before finally flying overnight from Atlanta to Santiago (9.5 hrs and 4730 miles.) However, my New York departure was delayed and I ended up missing my onward flight to Chile. The Delta Rep said I would have to stay in an Atlanta hotel for the night and return to the airport for a flight 24 hours later. Fortunately, I was not alone. I had met a lovely Chilean woman called Sophie and as we were in the same boat, we decided to keep each other company. We had breakfast together the next morning at our hotel and then went into downtown Atlanta to visit the Coca-Cola Museum. After lunch we then returned to the airport to wait. Annoyingly, our flight out that night was also delayed! But, I finally left the US and arrived in Santiago. After writing a short, but eloquent letter of complaint to Delta, I have received a written apology and a voucher for £100 from KLM. I didn't tell them that I enjoyed my extra day in Atlanta!

                                   

                                                        Q3. Who created Coca-Cola?

       

                        

                            Sophie and I made the most of our 24 hour stop-over in Atlanta

                                  

Anyway,

I want to say thank you America. I had a most unexpected and unplanned fabulous time. I travelled through a dozen States and experienced the best of people, music, food, weather and attractions. I only hope that you fare so well if you make it over to the UK. I feel we can be far less gracious as hosts when it comes to hotels, restaurants and customer care.

Thank you.

Paul

Q1. - 'Easy Rider' - 1969 (the year I was born) - Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper

Q2. - 'The Million Dollar Quartet' - Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis

Q3. - 'Coca-Cola Creator' - John Pemberton