Grape growing in the Elqui Valley (this one is with you in mind, Kila)

How grapes grow here I have no idea!!!!  It is windy, with brutal sun, and rocks for dirt and yet they do it.

The grapes must be sheltered from the wind.

The vines are trained tall so the grapes are sheltered from the sun and can be picked from below.  They are about six feet tall. 

We saw two varieties, but have to clue what they are.  Rob says that there are 13 varieties of grapes grown here to make Pisco, both red and yellow, mostly kinds of muscatel.   The one table grape grown here is the red globe.

Pretty amazing where the vines are planted.

And until the vines are established, they are covered.

They do use drip irrigation, but how are they otherwise nourished???  There is no dirt that I could see!!!!  You really can't see how steep the terrain is, but you couldn't take motorized equipment up many of the hillsides for sure.

These are the bus stops in the area.

Tongoy on the coast to Cochiguaz in the Andes

Leaving Tongoy we could see the fishing fleet that has already been restored.

We had camped across by the trees and the main wave hit to the left where they are now building cement retaining walls and piling up sand to break a wave that might come in again.  The restaurants 

 on the left were devastated, but are already open for business.  I had the best empanada (cheese and shrimp) I have ever had in one of them.

Here in this small resort village they have just built a high school right across from the beach.  I suppose it was started before the tsunami.

We follow the coast up to Coquimbo where one of the two mosques in Chile are.

We head west into the famous Elqui Valley .....up pass a dam.

..where there is a huge wind harp that is played by the winds that come up this valley.

We drive into Vicuña.

This is sun beaten, windy valley with mountains of all colors towering above it.  The western side of the Andes is very different from the eastern side.  We only can see a little snow.

In this valley grapes are grown in adverse conditions.

 And avocados are grown, too.  That triangle of green are avocado trees....growing in rocks as far as I can see.  And who tends these orchards on such steep terrain?

It is all pretty amazing!!!  We climb out of this valley to Pisco Elqui, the home of the famous poet, Gabriela Mistral.

And I get introduced to a drink....mote con huesillos. (barley with apricots) it is wonderfully refreshing!

We return to the Y and go up to Cochiguaz ( a zen, reiki retreat) where we will camp and go to the observatory at 9:30.

Camping by a mountain stream tonight. ....Adobe picnic table and benches....(the main building material here in this part of Chile.)

January 9th.....On the road again

Friday we drove into San Antonio again to get supplies for our camping trip north.  The casa redondo (trailer) is 8 hours south of here so there is no sense in driving down to get it when we are headed north.  So Saturday morning we picked up Rob's laundry in town, which is right next door to this cute little store.  Yep, you guessed it, it is a place to buy grass or seeds...legal here.

OK, we put on Willie Nelson's - On the Road Again and started our trip north.  We left behind the avocado orchards and oat fields.......driving through very dry country until we got to the coast where the sea was beautiful, but the land was not. We had planned to go to see one of Pablo Naruda's houses today, but the traffic there was awful. What were we thinking, it is Saturday!  So we drove up to the Pan American highway and went 500 km to Tongoy which is on a little bay that got hit by the tsunami.  

We went to a campground right on the beach where Rob has stayed before.

We set up our camp.  Me in the back of the car and Rob in a little tent.

We watched the sunset from the beach.

I will fall asleep to the sound of waves tonight.

Chile at last!!

I left my home in Forestville on Tuesday, January 5,  2016 and arrived in Santago at around 5:30 pm on the 6th.  Quite a switch.....from Xmas

And rain, to.....

Rob picked me up in Santiago and we drove 1 1/2 hours south to La Casita where he has been living.

I settled in and reorganized by stuff getting out all the things I had brought down here for Rob

And we talked and talked, catching up on our lives since we'd last seen each other 7 or 8 years ago.

Thursday we headed up to San Antonio to see the harbor, a mall (Chilean style), and to hunt for wi-fi.  No luck on the wi-fi so who knows when I will be able to publish my blog.  And I can access by gmail acct on Rob's computer, but no luck with my comcast acct. which is my business acct and the way I do my banking etc.

The mall....3 stories full of fast food and stores ... No wi-fi here

And down along the waterfront for lunch

Congrio Colorado Margarita (Congrio is a eel-like white fish and Margarita is a white sauce with shrimp, clams, and mussels)

Sea lions and Pelicans waiting for their suppers from the fish market.

After leaving San Antonio, we drove down to Santa Domingo and along the beach.  It reminded me of Santa Cruz.  Back home to the La Casita and my bed.