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Issue Date: 11 / 2012 |
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Across the Andes - Twice in Four Days!
Tommie Sue Montgomery
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The monument above and the park in
which it sits are located at
Chacabuco.
It took General José de San Martín 21 days in January 1817 with 5,400 men, 1,500 horses, and 9,300 mules. They were the Army of the Andes and they were on their way to liberate Chile, having already driven the Spanish from Argentina. Once across the mountains, San Martín joined with Chilean General Bernardo O’Higgins to begin the second war for independence in the Southern Cone. On 12 February 1817, at the Battle of Chacabuco—60 km. north of Santiago—the Royalists lost 500 and another 600 were taken prisoner while the Army of the Andes suffered 12 killed and 100 wounded. San Martín wrote: "The Army of the Andes has attained glory and can report: In twenty-four days we have completed the campaign, passed through the highest mountain range on the globe, defeated the tyrants and given freedom to Chile." The war would drag on for another year but at Chacabuco independence was assured. (San Martín didn’t know about the Himalayas!)
We had a much easier time of it. The last port of call before disembarking was Puerto Chacabuco, over 1500 km. south of the battle site, and first visited by Magellan in 1520. It is a small port, founded in 1969, whose main industry is salmon farms and canning. Having been told that there were no independent tour guides to hire once ashore (not true) we took the ship’s tour to Coyhaique, the regional capital that lies on the other side of the watershed. At this point the Andes are not very high and are very green—the result of heavy rainfall. Puerto Chacabuco gets 3,000 mm. of rain annually; Coyhaique, 80 km. east, gets 1400 mm.
The trip included a few hairpin curves, wonderful alpine scenery, and the Aysen/Simpson River, which offers great fly fishing for brown and rainbow trout—both imported to the region years ago. Coyhaique, which means “land between the rivers” in Tehuelche sits in a high valley and now has a population of 60,000. Until 20 years ago, children had to leave the area to go to high school and university. Now the schools offer 12 years of free education and there are 2 small universities that offer majors in specialties related to the needs of the area—like tourism, agriculture, and forestry.
Getting off the bus at the central plaza in Coyhaique the first sight was a large sculpture of a Tehuelche mother and child. The Tehuelche, like many other indigenous groups in the Southern Cone, were wiped out by disease and slaughter before the end of the 19th century. The artist, Oscar Ziehlman, was nearby and we talked for a bit about his art, which is mostly carved on stones from the area. Oscar is a 3rd generation Chilean; his grandparents emigrated from Switzerland via Italy at the turn of the last century. Despite his name, he doesn’t speak a word of German!
The conversation with Oscar took up most of the half-hour allotted us , then it was back on the bus for a pit stop at a large community centre that looked like an oversized log house. Wonderful snacks, typical of the region, were set out, together with an assortment of drinks including Pisco Sour. The empanadas, made of cheese or meat, were excellent, but the prize went to the ceviche, served on half-shells. We were also treated to a pair of folk dancers from the area who performed with skill and panache.
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Back on the bus the next—and last—stop was the Simpson nature reserve, a lovely area next to the Simpson River where we might have seen condors…but didn’t. We had to settle for a kingfisher and the Virgin Falls, seen from the highway. Then it was back to the ship and on our way to Valparaiso.
Arriving in Valparaiso we took the bus that was transferring other passengers to Santiago and were met there by Rodrigo del Valle, a tour guide arranged through a Chilean agency. Rodrigo’s English is excellent; he lived in Los Angeles for 25 years! We had asked to see an area west of Santiago that we hadn’t visited on previous trips, the Maipo Valley. If you buy Chilean wine you have probably seen “Maipo Valley” on some bottles’ labels. First stop, however, was lunch, at La Vasquita Eché, where I enjoyed grilled lamb shank and David made his way through an obscenely large chunk of tenderloin. Argentines and Chileans are not acquainted with small cuts of meat! We were also treated to a guitarist/singer and another pair of folk dancers.
Then it was on to a small, family-owned winery, where the owner, Jaime, gave us a detailed tour, explaining along the way why he does things the way he does. The result, as we found during the tasting at the end, is a superb chardonnay with no oak taste and the only cabernet sauvignon in memory that I would choose to drink: smooth and no harshness. One of Jaime’s treasures is a 100-year old corking machine that he still uses to cork his sparkling wine.
Back to our hotel, check in, find a light supper, and in bed by 10. We had to be up at 6 for a 07:30 bus to Mendoza, Argentina—our second crossing of the Andes in a week. The bus was first-class with wide, comfortable seats, and our agent had gotten us the best seats: front, left on a double-decker. Lots of photo ops!
The trip normally takes five hours, but serious road construction on the stretch near the border - at 3,000 m. (10,000 ft.)! - cost us an hour. Chile clearly was trying to finish before winter set in and skiers want to drive up to Portillo, a large ski resort just short of the border. The stop at customs on the Argentine side consumed another hour.
The border crossing is efficient. Everyone drives into a huge building with several lanes for cars and 2 for buses. Bus passengers must get off and present their passports or—in the case of Chilean/Argentine citizens their national ID card. Sitting side by each in a glass-enclosed stall, a Chilean agent stamps the passport out of Chile and the Argentine agent stamps it in. A random check of suitcases (ours escaped), then back on the bus for a non-stop to Mendoza.
Three years ago, on our first trip to Chile, David and I had driven up to Portillo just to see the Andes. It never gets less spectacular but the best part is the 29 hair-pin curves (they are numbered) up the last mountain before the border. At this point we were at about 4,000 meters or 14,000 feet. On almost every straight stretch between curves, one can look down as see not only the valley but all the curves below. We had a VERY good driver!
The Argentine side of the Andes is quite different from the Chilean; one descends to 1,000 m (3,500 ft) at Mendoza and the road, for the most part, snakes through wide valleys. We got a partial view of Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, but its peak was, as usual, shrouded in clouds. The Mendoza River accompanied us most of the way and it was great fun to see rafters at different points. 100 km. outside Mendoza we passed a huge gas refinery; then, the vineyards began.
Mendoza province has been producing wines for over a century but only recently the Argentines have begun to catch up with the Chileans in marketing.
Leaving the bus terminal we were greeted by a giant condor alighting on its aerie, an appropriate welcome to one of Argentina’s most charming cities.
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