TRAVELOG 15: Exploring Los Andes and Valparaiso
Content and images from this adventure provided by Alexander Escobar and Suzann Stone
What feels like a long time ago in a world far away, we emerged from the remote stillness of Chile’s Aysen region in early March 2020. We continued our plans to explore the wine growing province of Los Andes and the historic seaside city and port of Valparaiso with caution. Although whispers of what would later rise to a global pandemic were in the air, we experienced the joyous openness of the present as of those still yet unaware to the future.
Returning to Santiago we witnessed the convulsions caused by the Estallido Social, a series of massive protests pointed against rising economic and social inequality within Chile. While boasting the strongest economy in South America, it was readily apparent that the gleaming corporate and residential towers of central Santiago have benefited only a small portion of the country's population.
From here we began our drive north to Los Andes and the Aconcagua Valley. Situated at the foothills of Andes mountains (and south america's highest peak Aconcagua) the region is known for its viticulture and boutique wine production. Blessed with warm days and campfire nights we migrated between our mountain pied-a-terre and visits to local farms and wineries. Of particular interest, we found the vineyard Vina El Escorial producing wonderful Malbec and Syrah. Yet another discovery was Flaherty Wines, founded in 2004 by a couple of California expats whose focus is to expand independent boutique wine production throughout Chile. As our love of the region grew daily, happenstance (actually Google maps) found us on the grounds of Quintessence & Co, the producer of the worlds finest Alpaca yarns. We were blown away by the ethical and sustainable structure of the farm and mill and left with some products and hopes to collaborate with them at some point in the future.
After a picturesque drive down the Chilean coast we arrived at the historic old quarter of Valparaiso. A UNESCO world heritage site often referred to as “The Jewel of the Pacific”, the old quarter is built into the surrounding hillsides resulting in improvised design and unique architectural solutions. Although the city’s prominence as a world maritime port faded with the opening of the Panama Canal, it has been both preserved and reborn in recent years through an influx of Artists and grass roots preservationists. Their passion and creativity can be seen throughout the colorfully painted houses, incredibly detailed murals, and visionary cuisine. The mural art we experienced in a three hour walk was the most impressive we’ve seen in years of combing many cities across the world.