DESTINATION FOCUS Pretty as pictures:
The aft view of MS Atmosphere (left); ‘mother hen’ Lisette (right); the view of Santiago from Mount San Cristobal (below); the statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception and inside the Viu Manent winery (below right)
peek-a-boo through the clouds; and the classic shape of Osorno looming like a living landmark in the background of Puerto Montt.
Impossibly tall waterfalls cascaded off cliff-tops, glaciers occupied mountain craters, and defi ant jungles blanketed huge swathes of the lower slopes, totally impen- etrable for much of Patagonia’s maritime length (but making our daily helicopter tours unspeakably enchanting, covering acreages that few human eyes have seen). And then there’s the wildlife. When it comes to dolphins, seabirds, penguins and sea-lions, Patagonia has it all in spades. In fact, this is one of the most bio-diverse
SUPER SANTIAGO
After a week with Nomads, a few days in Santiago to explore the city and then the surrounding wine country should be considered essential, says Susan Veness.
After Patagonia’s luxurious solitude, the energetic pace of modern Santiago induces a vibrant disorientation before settling around you in comfortable companionship. Towering offi ce buildings mimic the rigid mountain spires of the Cordón de Chacabuco, Angostura de Paine and Chilean Coastal ranges, highlighted by the magnifi cent snowy peaks of the Andes sloping gently down to the eastern edge of the city. Santiago is fi ercely proud of its place as Chile’s cosmopolitan center, its people disarmingly candid in their directness and the warmth of their welcome. The heart and soul of this boisterous capital is Plaza de Armas, formerly a military training ground, now chaotic with buskers, shysters, llamas in tiny hats and all manner of humanity going about the business of living, working, and worshiping.
Among the area’s most important landmarks is Metropolitan Cathedral. Modest from the outside, it becomes a spectacularly ornate behemoth inside, a beehive of devout locals and curious tourists. Mount San Cristobal is a favourite Sunday hike for the locals, best traversed by car or funicular for those of a less fi t disposition. Summit the mountain for a view over Santiago that
is nothing sort of breathtaking, even if you arrive the easy way! Craft vendors ply a steady trade nearby, while a short pathway leads to the 14-meter-high Virgin of the Immaculate Conception statue, her arms spread wide embracing the urban basin below. Wonderfully avant-garde Barrio Bellavista sits at the foot of the mountain, with quirky boutiques, gastronomic delights, and a dynamic
(if somewhat speculative) nightlife. Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda built his ship-inspired home, La Chascona, here, its name translated as ‘woman with unkempt hair’ in honour of his secret lover and eventual third wife. The house is now a museum offering tours in peak season. Tour the courtyards at Le Moneda, once the national mint, now housing key governmental offi ces, and don’t miss the palace’s Changing of the Guard
22 WORLD OF CRUISING I Summer 2010
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