Chilean "SUCKERS" - lies
In June 2008, after returning from Fr. Mauritius, I ended up in the office of one of the major banks in Moscow. There was a 3-meter globe on the first floor and I studied the distance for a long time, which I had recently been thrown. The choice of a country for the next vacation had two components: the distance from Moscow to the point of rest should be maximum (while you are young, you need to fly long distances) and you need a complete absence of native compatriots (this goodness is enough when flying for weekends and holidays to Egypt, Turkey, etc. . P. ). Final decision - Chile! Many were going to go, but the bulk of the people disappeared for economic reasons (crisis after all! ). As a result, there are two of us: mother (41 years old) and daughter (21 years old). By the way, there is a problem with Russian-speaking guides in Chile (somehow in Santiago, and then - if you want the whole program - pay all his expenses for accommodation, flights and another company $ 200 per day, i. e.
consider it easier to pay for a trip to a third person from Moscow). We are not friends with Spanish at all (printouts from the Internet / phrase book helped, a list of main dishes, wines, briefly about the main attractions, etc. /), English is weak with my daughter, and my mother has a school base about 25 years ago. But this has never frightened us in any country: adequate people work everywhere, only all guides, drivers, hotel employees must be immediately warned so that they do not load with unnecessary information (dates, complex phrases) - it’s easier for them and we are pleased.
I would like to immediately thank the organizers of the trip (two Tatyanas from Astravel /www. astravel. ru/ and Aquatravel / www. akvatravel. ru, tel. ALL WAYS TOUR", thanks for the organization and the full alignment of Chile).
Customs in Chile is tough.
We were warned by Chilean (leftist) guides about morals and prohibitions: no raw vegetables and fruits (fine up to 500 euros), seeds and cereals (from 1000 euros for 1 package), sausage (in a vacuum it is possible, but according to the mood of the customs officer - in our day it was not very good and all the meat snacks were taken away completely shamelessly). Later, our guide Ricardo explained: the state is very kind to its agricultural producers and is afraid to let any filth through the cordons. But you can get around everything - offer to issue a fine (paid by court decision within 30 days, and you dump without payment, but they will no longer be allowed into the country). Ours do just that when they screw up.
All meeting guides and drivers were given a souvenir from Moscow: they ordered magnets via the Internet / 30-45 rubles.
apiece /, Russian coins, lighters with Soviet symbols, our cigarettes (they rejoice like children with sweets), a set of a bottle of vodka + a can of herring (a complete delight from Cuba to Cambodia, the Mauritians were especially struck / an island state, but there is no herring /, they soaked up all the brine to the last drop). Accordingly: the human attitude and at all points of stay took us on excursions, showing unique places at no extra charge (see below about the post office, the cave of trogladites on Easter Island, etc. ). Typical Chileans of the central part of the country are not tall (we are Gullivers with a height of 168 cm for our daughter and mine are 178 cm), fair-skinned and calm, like a T-134 tank, they are called by the British of Latin America. In the north and south of the country, Indians are even shorter (like our Kalmyks and Chukchi), but very good-natured and cheerful people.
A Russian-speaking guide was hired only for one day, on the day of arrival in Santiago (a type of day for acclimatization, but this is not for us) - a private guide (Larisa, Igor). Igor took us to the store (the wheels of the suitcase were lost somewhere between Moscow and Santiago, and we still had to fly and fly), the central post office (sending postcards to ourselves and friends is a standard tradition in every country of residence + it’s very nice to open a mailbox upon returning home and a piece of joy - here it is !! ! ), buying the bulk of souvenirs right away (put it in a suitcase and put it in a storage room at the airport so that you don’t bother with all the transfers and flights further / storage costs up to 100 rubles per day, storage room on the 1st floor of the airport on the right, open around the clock /), visited Mount San Cristobal (cable car, statue of the Virgin Mary, view of Santiago - always able to! ), travel through the evening capital.
The main idea of ordering a Russian-speaking guide is to get complete information about the country: politics, economics, travel and non-standard sights, that is, something that official guides will not give. Hotel Torremayor (www. hoteltorremayor. cl, declared as 3 *, it turned out to be 4 * - 10 minutes by car to the historical center, Providencia area) - a high-quality European four. We really liked one of the Chilean laws, according to which any employee can be fired without trial, showdowns with trade unions and all payments if he was late three times on Mondays during the year (you won’t buzz especially on Sunday, right? ) /.
Second day in Santiago (+30, + 32 degrees): excursion with a Russian-speaking guide to Valparaiso (a port city like Naples, but very narrow streets with traffic lights at the beginning and end of the street - otherwise you won’t pass, all the houses are painted with bright colors so that the sailors they saw their home from afar) and to the garden city of Viñ a Del Mar (a resort like Sochi).
The whole road (140 km) passes through 7 climatic zones, in 2 minutes the bright sun of Santiago changes to fogs, light rain and vice versa (temperatures between cities differ by 7-10 degrees, take windbreakers). Never believe anyone who will persuade you to relax in Viñ a Del Mar: fine sand beach 2 km, BUT waves only for surfers and water all year round +15 due to the cold Peruvian current. Two stories from our guide: during the 2006 election campaign, President Michelle Bachelet solemnly promised to swim there in case of victory and kept her promise, but she was taken away with a cramp in an ambulance; our tourists (husband and wife, 50 years old), not listening to the guide, climbed for a swim. The wife is smarter - she wet her legs, froze, and the kid thumped and dived under a 3-meter wave. The wave hit him, tore off his entire skin and, with fright, the pressure jumped. The result - he is in a hospital (insurance is not valid - at his own expense), she is with him.
Later in Patagonia (the southernmost region of Chile, where Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn are) we were offered a one-day excursion to the glaciers of Antarctica paid for by this couple at a bargain price, but we are smart girls - we didn’t fall for a freebie: in Chile, the end of the tourist season is February 28 ( in fact, our last week before the start of school, the children are still on vacation and there are no traffic jams) - the penguins are already on the continent, the weather is getting worse. A week before the date of the excursion offered to us, 4 Russian boys flew to Antarctica (4 hours of flight one way), due to fog and snow, the plane was blown to Argentine territory - they were almost shot down. Moreover, the excursion, in addition to the flight, provides for a visit to the penguin colony (we are already scheduled in Punta Arenas upon arrival) for 1 hour only along the paved road and lunch at the Chilean Antarctic station - all of it was not worth it.
In Viñ a Del Mar, a Latin American song contest was just taking place - the whole city is in fans, incendiary music plays and you get turned on by this situation. On the very outskirts of the city, flows of solidified lava (from an ancient volcano 200-300 meters high) formed a cape and several islands, on which sea lions hang out imposingly.
Our Russian-speaking guide Ricardo (paid only for 1 day - cool) turned out to be a Cuban with Chilean citizenship and studied at the Physics and Technology Institute at Moscow State University (this is fate: where I just didn’t meet guides who came from my native university). On the basis of love for Cuba, we got along very closely: we met his mother (Martha, a cheerful, incendiary lady of 65 years old, but God forbid we look like this at her age !!!
) and we talked for hours about our adventures in Cuba, excursions, fishing in the Atlantic (we rented a personal yacht, swam with dolphins, fed pelicans, caught lobsters ourselves, played hard tricks - the Cuban guide and the captain of the yacht were shocked - our men are Russian, okay but decent 2 mothers with daughters? ). In the evening, on the recommendation of the guide (untwisted taverns, where they sit elbow to elbow at a table of 20 people and you have to pay another $ 50 for this with a standard menu not for us), we went to an awesome restaurant (Los Adobes de Argomedo / tel. in Santiago 222.21-04 or 222-97-94 /, from the historical center 10 minutes by taxi for $ 6), where they hung out until 3 o'clock in the morning. The show is just great! - all regions of Chile are represented in dances and songs, by 2 o'clock in the morning the whole party is dancing. A special pride is the presentation of guests by country with simultaneous musical accompaniment: Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, etc.
Latin American countries, Europe: Spaniards, Germans, British (grouped by direct flights) and under the "Kalinka" - Russia (as Chileans call Russians). Here we performed in a difficult way, but why be ashamed? - let them know ours! Our principle in all trips is to sleep no more than 4 hours at night, the rest - on planes, cars and at home, in Moscow. A story about Chilean cuisine is a thankless task, depending on the region of stay, seafood, meat, a lot of vegetables and fruits (a portion of freshly squeezed juice: raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, mangoes, pineapples, etc. we were surprised even after visiting Vietnam and Cambodia price and, most importantly, volume - from 0.5 to 0.75 liters). Yes, in Chilean cuisine, portion sizes are something: we were in complete shock the whole trip, and the farther we drove away from Santiago, the more we ordered less and less, although everything was very tasty (we never got poisoned, cheers! ). Steak from 1kg to 1.
2 kg per serving, a bowl of salad can feed 2-3 vegetarian men, pizza - 60x80cm, etc. So until the end of her stay in Chile, my daughter remembered hungry African children and opened my brain.
The third day in Santiago: our English-speaking guide - Martha (Riccardo's mother) and the option of changing the sightseeing tour of the city to a non-standard option, discussed with her in advance, at her discretion. The result is an overview without tension, along the way with photos of the presidential guard, local policemen, state flags and other sights that are obligatory for us. She showed us the Forestal Park in a thieves' area with black-necked swans (very original, they have never been seen before), climbing Mount Santa Maria Moikehue by car to the richest quarter with villas (the higher, the steeper - without smog, with fresh mountain air - here they are the snowy peaks of 7-thousanders!
There are 20 mers in the garages, and servants' houses are a feast for the eyes), a copper jewelry store (Chile - 40% of the world's copper production) and the Concha and Toro winery (2-hour tour of the vineyards and cellars with tasting / modest, everyone left sober, but the wine is good. We returned to the city through the Andes - beauties! In the evening, both families (we and the guides, after an hour-long gathering in the room with vodka with red caviar) fell into a fish restaurant, where they ran into lovers to talk with Russians about politics (their Pinochet, our Stalin, Putin and the enemy Americans with their conspiracies against all of us) . It all ended with general fraternization to the local squeak (an analogue of Italian grappa, only on methyl alcohol - a rare muck, you can’t drink clean - you can throw horses from our usual volumes - they dilute it with lemon juice and sugar).
The next day - a flight to about. Easter (5.5 hours there, 4.5 hours back; the earth is spinning).
The LAN company is a monopolist in transportation on about. Easter - Tahiti, so the cost of tickets - scrap (all other domestic flights cost us less in total). Arrival at about 12-00 local time (it differs from Santiago by 2 hours ahead, i. e. from Moscow by 8), the cheerful guide Maria (mpazdiaz@hotmail. com) presented us with an orchid necklace and placed us at the Taha Yai Hotel (www . HOTEL-TAHATAI. CO. CL, decent three rubles, transfer to the hotel - 10 minutes), had lunch and went on an excursion to the coveted moai (basalt statues from 6 meters to 23). The island has the shape of an isosceles triangle, at each corner there is a volcano (as it turned out, the lower the volcano, the more dangerous, but these are inactive). From the highest point you can see the whole island, practically without trees (they devoured in the famine years, like almost all the vegetation, and then in the 60s after France refused to give a protectorate (like Tahiti) - they agreed to Chile's conditions), even saw their plane .
It should be noted that the runway is one of the longest in the world - 4 km, it is possible to land space shuttles in emergency cases. We were taken to ceremonial places (Ahu-tahai, Ahu ko te Riku to Rano Kau volcano with a lake in the center of the crater), rock paintings and a guide in addition (do not tell the boss! ) Took us to the cave of cannibals Ahu Tai Tangata - cool, but to see the fire fresh...For the evening recommended to visit the show "Kari-Kari" - impressed. Dances and local Nanai songs turn people on, the soloist was amazed - she sobbed with crocodile tears, singing a song about her deity. The girls are cute and very plastic, and the men are tough and belligerent (not only on stage). For 1.5 hours, tourists were entertained and quite aggressively attracted to participate in the show. The daughter was dragged onto the stage and she showed them how Russian girls instantly adjust to the rhythms of tom-toms - everyone is completely awesome.
The Rapa-Nuis took her into the ring and spun her in a local dance, at the same time making a “eat” (a natural blonde is a complete shock for them). At the end of the show - a photo session with the most colorful participants, during which the baby was brazenly groped.
The local population is completely different from the continental Chileans (outwardly Polynesians) and are officially called Rapa Nui (from the name of the Rapa Nui island), and the Chileans call them Pasqueans (from the international name of Easter Island). The language is super: yorana - hello, good evening and other greetings, maururu - thank you. The guys are funny - they don’t lease the land of the island, they don’t allocate shares to the indigenous people, they want to keep it in its original form, unlike the islands of French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora, where there are only cool 5-star chain hotels).
It takes 2 hours to fly to Tahiti, but we initially did not plan to combine for 2 reasons: this route provides for 5 flights for a total of 38 hours of flight (there is an easier way through Japan, only 19 hours of flight with one landing, we have plans for the future! ), as well as in terms of time - otherwise you will not have time to complete the main task of traveling on a tight schedule throughout the country with its sights. There are few hotels on the island (3 * and 4 * without bells and whistles, but clean and tidy). They scared us with big bugs and cockroaches like in Vietnam, but everything worked out.
Fifth day of the tour: in the heat of +30 visiting the villages of the ancient moai Hanga Roa, Waitu, Ahu Akananga (fallen statues during the 1960 tsunami, the Japanese later helped to raise them as a sign of solidarity), Rano Raraku, Ahu Tongariki (the coolest moai, but when considering behind them, the 3rd from the left turned out to be with a bare ass - the guide was in shock, she didn’t pay attention before), Ahu Te Pito Kura (“navel of the earth” - a stone of sacrifice, put their hands - warms and vibrates - it’s not clear and dumb) and the bay La Perouse (not to be confused with the strait near Japan, water in 17 turquoise shades). Lunch was spent at the foot of the volcano. Having galloped over the mountains like gazelles, they happily arrived at the last archaeological zone - Anakena Beach. Pink sand, clear ocean, +24 water and another group of moai standing with their backs to you - complete relaxation! The way back to the hotel across the island took 30 minutes.
I don’t know how people go there for a week, probably, all hidden masochist archaeologists in their souls, feel every leaf and coastal stone. On the 3rd day, I could no longer see these moai - they got it, they are everywhere (thousands of pieces on the island). You can’t touch it (the Finnish tourist was soldered 8 years in a Chilean prison or the authorities offered to pay a fine of 25 thousand euros), employees graze from each hill, but we still took pictures in my arms only at dawn, at 7 in the morning, when they still see the 10th dream .
We advise you to go to the local church (if you get to the island on Sunday) - this is something: church psalms are sung to the local (Rapanui) rhythmic and very cool music. You can walk along the main street with restaurants and souvenir shops in 20 minutes - you won't get lost. Also, on the advice of the Internet community, they put 3 stamps on Fr.
Easter - very cool: one in the shape of an island / isosceles triangle with full topography /, the 2nd with the profile of one moai and the 3rd - moai in a row. But at first we were upset, because the post office does not work on weekends, and on Monday morning we fly to the continent. But our accompanying smart girls - at 10 in the morning before the plane were brought to the post office and we managed to do the planned business (already in Domodedovo, the stamps caused shock and horror among the border guards, it took a long time to figure out what it was, but we issued a version about mandatory stamps on Easter Island - no check it out).
The day of returning to Santiago was also not in vain: after checking into the Holiday Inn Airport (the hotel is completely non-smoking and located across the street from the airport), we went to have dinner with our friend Ricardo in the central Vitacura district. We decided honestly and modestly, but despite the future early flight to the next point of the trip, we silenced until 2 am with the owner of the restaurant (there was also a code in the USSR).
Seventh day: flight to Punta Arenas (land of glaciers, 4 thousand km from the capital), which competes with the Argentinean Ushuaia for the title of the southernmost city in the world and for proximity to Antarctica. The nature here is already harsh (as we have in the Arctic): the trees from the constant wind grow at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground, their height is no more than 1.5 meters, and their age is more than 120 years. After crossing the Magellanic Pampa, we visited the Otway penguin colony. I never thought that penguins are so small (up to 70 cm tall) and live in minks like moles. Further - movement (270 km) to Puerto Natales, on the way we stopped at a cafe and were stunned: the mileage to the main capitals of the world is indicated on a huge stand - 15.973 km to Moscow (there is not a single one! ). They settled in Charlis Darwin (www. hotelcharlisdarwin. cl), a family-type hotel (decent 3 *): mother at the reception, daughters in the restaurant and in the kitchen, men - seafood miners.
Early in the morning - departure to the Torres de Paine National Park (protected by UNESCO).
A young guide John (Greenpeace fan) took us to the national park "Cieva del milodon" to visit the cave of Milodon (an ancient relative of the bear, only with a long tail). Foxes roam freely on the territory of this park (two clumsy foxes constantly twirled under their feet, played and grumbled), guanacos (South American camels), vicuñ as and llamas.
We settled in Rio Serrano (www. rioserrano. cl) - a decent 4 * hotel, but the prices in it are crazy - they take advantage of the fact that there is no competition (3 smaller hotels in the area, there are no shops or restaurants). We were absolutely unlucky - it was raining, there was nowhere to go, we had to arrange our own party with pleasure (with our own swill, but we had it with us! ) in a corner, on the 1st floor overlooking the mountains and the opportunity to go on a smoke break under a huge canopy (the hotel is tough in terms of smoking - everywhere there are sensors and a fine of $ 500).
In the morning, all the staff were on their ears - we were told the wrong time to leave for an excursion to the glaciers (but we, as experienced tourists, were still ready, and therefore we were on a personal motor boat (speed 80 - 100 km / h and snow with rain in the face ) were taken to the place of docking with a large covered ship - we love extreme sports! We were given 2 waterproof insulated jackets to the ground, but we still froze. Serrano and Balmaceda glaciers are majestic and really blue icebergs floating, breaking off with a roar from them. On the ship we were given a glass of squeak with ice, broken off by the team from a thousand-year-old glacier in our presence, and through the Gulf of Last Hope, enjoying the warm views of Patagonia (a mixture of Antarctica with the Himalayas), landed 2 hours later on the pier in Puerto Natales - a very small town, but now we at least we know where the edge of geography is.
Our little things had already been delivered by land to the hotel and we moved to a restaurant famous for its lamb on a spit. A lamb is being prepared in a huge glass room, and you show the waiter a tidbit (they cut off very “modestly” - a whole leg and a piece of loin for a serving). Most of all, in this Tmutarakan, we were struck by the combination of tiny buildings of the town, the harsh landscape of gray mountain peaks, the ocean and a huge ocean liner flooded with lights in the roadstead. The ship delivered American and Canadian tourists - this is a spectacle: grannies and grandfathers over the age of 70 (dropping jaws, crutches, hearing aids) with badges around their necks with their own names (so that they themselves do not forget their names).
The next day was devoted to transfer to the airport (4 hours, but the road is empty and a stop at a huge lake with pink flamingos) and a flight to the city of St.
Puento Mont (the land of lakes and volcanoes, founded by German settlers - people are taller than throughout Chile and love beer very much). The captain of the plane warned us about the approach to the Chaiten volcano, which exploded in February, and we clung to the porthole - the view is still the same - red-hot lava is pouring, stones are flying. For safety reasons, planes fly along the ocean 50 km further than usual. The journey through this region began with a small "jamb" - the guide Pilar was late for 25 minutes and we talked for life with local taxi drivers in the heat. We moved to the left from the largest lake in Chile, Llanquihue, to the town of Frutillar (translated from the Spanish dialect "costellano" as a strawberry, 2 thousand people), which we really liked for its greenery (mainly bushes of large raspberries and blackberries), cleanliness, views of the formidable Ozorno volcano and 3 more active volcanoes located 100 km away, but already in Argentina. Puerto Varas (city of roses) and hotel CABANAS DEL LAGO std room (www.
cabanasdellago. cl) we were not impressed at all, we went around the entire center in 20 minutes and wandered along the embankment to the La Rada restaurant (cool owner - J. Antonio Abelli, www. larada. cl). In this region of Chile, over 25 species of coniferous trees were counted: of different shapes, sizes, and some of them are quite difficult to consider as trees at all - a cross between a cactus and a spruce
A trip to the Ozorno volcano is planned for the morning, but it turned out to be covered by clouds - we took good pictures in the evening. We stopped at the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, wandered around Lake Ensenada: unique in its kind - streams flow from it, heading towards the Petrohue waterfalls, and not vice versa, as is usually the case with normal people. The mountain road to Ozorno in the fog (from the hood you can see 2-2.5 meters) is another element of hard extreme. An observation platform is equipped at an altitude of 1.5 km, but nothing is visible from above. They didn’t go on the cable car either - what’s the point? In the evening I will move to the airport, and again, hello Santiago at 22-00!
By the way, in the center of the airport building there is a mountain of suitcases - 25 meters high, so that people are not afraid of earthquakes (there are up to 10.000 per year) - we found a few modest 3-4 points, but we didn’t even feel how earthquake-resistant buildings are built by Chileans!
Departure to the next region of Chile at 7-00 - in the city of Calama (the center of the Atacama Desert, the border with Peru and Bolivia). We traveled around the city in transit (there is nothing to see there, the industrial center is surrounded by copper mines) and to the center of the desert. There are completely different mountains around and a deserted, dead landscape - at first it is very similar to Egypt, but the higher you climb into the Cordillera (as the locals call one of the Andes mountain ranges, between which the desert is located), the more “smoking” volcanoes are found. Heat (+30) and dry air at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. We got (130 km) to the town of Sanpedro de Atacama (2.5 thousand km).
population), there are huge 3-meter cacti around (wouldn’t they grow only in the desert, but in the rocks? ), we stopped at the Los flamencos (Chaxa lake) national park, where flamingos from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil flock to breed offspring (apricot color and black spots).
By lunchtime, we reached the point of rest (all the time of the tour we tried to “roll back the mandatory program” at first - excursions, only then to hotels, so as not to waste time and not relax ahead of schedule) - Hosteria San Pedro (www. dahoteles. com). At first, they were shocked - is it 4 *? But, as it turned out, this is the best hotel here, but we weren’t the first to go nuts - after going through the reception, we ended up by the blue huge pool (is it in the center of the desert, with almost no crowds of tourists? ) and around neat little houses with complete infrastructure (and what kind of minibar with cheap prices! ).
We dined in a cafe on the main street (only 500 meters long - choose any catering point, the prices are the same, everywhere it's tasty, a lot and very cheap). We were warned about the prices in this region, but we didn’t expect such pennies at all (especially for lovers of various “highs” - in the souvenir market: a pack of cocaine tea / 20 bags / - $ 2, a package of coca - $ 1, they give everyone a sample and tourists trudge quietly! ). We bought small souvenirs and for change we were given small wallets of local color (bright, woven from llama wool) with whole leaves of some local plant.
Upon arrival in Moscow, the news saw the speech of the Bolivian President Evo Morales at the UN (demonstrated eating coca leaves and thus proving only the tonic effect of the drug) and were horrified - these are the same sheets that were handed to us at the Indian market in Chile, and we they were carried in luggage through all the customs cordons of Chile, Spain and Russia!!!
The second half of the day is devoted to visiting the museum ...The ancient Chinchorro and Aymara tribes (the forerunners of the Incas, because the north of Chile is part of the Inca empire) and drove to the Moon Valley. On the way, we stopped in Coyote Canyon (on a huge block hanging over a cliff at 3000m, she made the child take a picture, she was screaming in fear / self-preservation instinct works /), dropped into the valley of Mars (very similar to Jordanian Petra). Closer to sunset, the guide drove us even higher up the mountain - for high-quality observation of the change in colors at sunset and the magical shadows from the mountains.
Knee-deep in the sand, breathless to hell, but stubbornly crawled along the frying pan - ashamed in front of a herd of ancient old women with crutches in the form of a chair, and in vain did they climb into such a muhosransk? Beautiful, no words, above the crimson peaks, simultaneously with the orange sun, a full blue moon hangs - Martian landscapes (they say this is where the Americans filmed the Apollo landing on the moon). Photos, of course, are not the same as those of professional photographers, but very non-standard. Cool: our Russian speech aroused curiosity throughout the trip - for Chileans and other tourists it is exotic, everyone tenses up, and we just have fun. One Australian could not stand our laughter “Where are you from? ”- we answer Russia, Moscow. He has 10 hours of flight across the south pole, we have 23. Surprised hard, but with respect “OK! ". We returned, immediately to the kabachina - to relieve stress!
We chose a boy-style restaurant: in the center in the shape of a five-pointed star there is a huge fire pit, Chilean flags, drawings of Indian life on linen rags, huge cacti in the corners (but they are fenced off with understanding - you never know? ), and dashing waiters - cheerful polyglots, rush like electric brooms. We decided not to buzz much - in the morning departure at 4-30.
The road to the Tatio geysers (3.5 hours) is not for the faint of heart: night, close to the mountains (an oncoming car will definitely not pass you), a cliff from 2 to 4 km (closer to the peaks) and such shaking that every second we waited for the drive axle to fall out in a jeep and cold (in the mountains at night down to -10 degrees, so Moscow clothes / winter jackets, hats, gloves / came in very handy). At dawn, when the sun peeks out from behind the mountains, a real extravaganza begins - the activity of geysers at the highest point. In any place (even under your foot) a fountain of boiling water up to 50 meters high can explode.
For safety reasons, walk only next to the guide and watch should be carried out behind special blocking stone barriers (there were cases when very curious tourists got water fountains in the face and on the body, and the water was + 90 degrees and boiling steam! ). The geysers return to normal in 30-40 minutes, then our guides covered the meadow for breakfast - coffee was very handy, they ate very tightly, swam in a hot spring - and on the road (sleeping like elephants, turns and shaking in a fig). Lunch - and to the final destination, Calama's Park Calama hotel (www. parkcalama. cl, decent 4 *). We made all the trips on new Toyotas, the drivers are cool, but they unnecessarily follow all the rules of the road: even on a straight road, without a single car in the area, with a visibility of 20-25 km, they stop at signs and fully comply with their requirements, in short, with bust.
We heartily said goodbye to the driver and guide (cheerful guys, but it looks like yesterday they still drank our vodka, it was so bad for the girl). For dinner, they didn’t go out of their way - the hotel is 5 kilometers from the airport, a rich buffet for $ 12 - what else do you need? In the morning we were driven by a taxi (instead of a transfer with a guide, but we don’t care who is lucky, it’s free) and hello to Santiago airport, which at the end of the tour became like a home to us. They took the suitcase from the storage room, checked in for an international flight, and then a call - Ricardo is going to see us off (after all, he is not obliged, but has grown together with us with his soul! ). We smoked before the flight, kissed - goodbye Chile! Dutik in Santiago is just a miracle - I have never seen such prices anywhere else: cosmetics at 2.
3 times lower than in our country and in European countries, 50% discount on Giorgio Armani glasses of the current season (as a result, $ 100 or 3 times cheaper than at the Christmas sale in San Marino and Rome), Guerlain leather bag of the season autumn - winter 2008/2009 - $ 530 and a wallet of $ 125, and the standard of all duty-free stores "Absolut" - $ 11 (I used to think that the cheapest in Hurghada was $ 17 and in Siem Reap $ 19. We bought local chocolate , still immeasurably magnets and all sorts of crap. People, remember, on transit they will take away all the booze! So we took only a liter of vodka for a good sleep. There was not a single empty seat on the plane (as well as on the way there, although 3 flights departed from Madrid almost simultaneously in Santiago) and after 14 hours - Madrid, docking after 3 hours and native Domodedovo. The first call was made to a friend, whose trump expression is "Chilean sucker", - she explained to her that Chileans are very gullible people, they still have our socialist " telephone law - I'm from Ivan Petrovich.
Tour results: in 16 days - 3.5 thousand km on land vehicles, on foot - under a hundred kilometers and 55 thousand km (in total according to the flight data of each flight) for 11 flights and only 7 people of Russians on the way back from Madrid to Moscow ( 2 from Argentina in complete shock from the police escort throughout the territory and 5 satisfied divers from Costa Rica). Transit by Iberia through Madrid (6 hours from Moscow to Madrid and there is a smoking room in the terminal), 3.5 hours connection (convenient - in one terminal, not like Parisian Charles de Gaulle) and 14-45 to Santiago (night flight - sleep like an elephant, the seats are our business class, the food is flawless). A complete shock - the flight attendants of Iberia are old and scary, just Freken Bock. As it turned out, because of the crisis, the management of Iberia hired retired stewardesses with a payment of 50% of wages.
Separately, it is necessary to note the professionalism of all employees of the LAN company (all domestic flights in Chile):
- after 2 minutes from the plane stop - exit to the gangway, after 10 minutes - luggage is served, smiles, no rudeness, BUT not everyone understands English (I had to arrange performances from facial expressions and gestures - fun, we will laugh, have fun - no one a damn thing understands);
- a complete thrill! At all airports there are electronic terminals for check-in (outwardly, an ordinary ATM, you enter an electronic code (indicated on the purchased electronic tickets /reservation code column) and 3 days in advance you register for a flight paid for back in Moscow with a choice of a seat in the cabin.
Unfortunately, no one knew that my daughter and I would fulfill some plan for the flight mileage of this company and we would be offered (though on the last day of our stay in Chile, on the departure from Calama) a 3-day vacation at the expense of the LAN airline on two (accommodation at Holiday Inn hotels at airports on a breakfast basis): for $299 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and $199 in Lima (Peru).
We felt like complete suckers - if I had known the buy-in, I would have lived in Sochi - after all, it was only necessary to make a 30-day multi-visa to Chile upon arrival at the place for 20 bucks) and pay an extra $ 100 for rescheduling the date of departure and connection on an international flight (done in the left window on the 3rd floor of the departure hall). Bottom line: could visit Brazil for $270 per person or Peru - for $170, people, draw your own conclusions!!!
P. S. If you like a measured, calm life - this tour is not for you, sleep on the beach somewhere in Egypt and enjoy the closeness of your compatriots!