Well, we did it. My wife and her sisters created a plan for 40th birthday celebrations in Chile and Argentina. After lots of planning we hit the tarmac and set out on a multi-country adventure. Our first stop – well, we missed our plane. Our actual first stop was Houston, Texas. Jenna and I landed in Houston and literally almost got to watch our connecting flight leave the runway and head to Chile. Right when I landed and knew we were staying for at least 24 hours, something popped into my head regarding Houston. The Rothko Chapel is located in Houston! Now, most may not know this about me, I am a huge Mark Rothko fan. This had literally turned into a once in a lifetime opportunity as I had never planned on visiting Houston 🙂
After 24 hours in Houston, we finally made it to our connecting flight and started towards summer. Back at home, we were about to experience the shortest day of the year but, in Santiago Chile, it was just the opposite! Once we touched down, the layers started coming off. It was such beautiful weather the whole time and it certainly added to the enjoyment of the experience. The city of Santiago was easily comparable to LA.
We stayed one night in Santiago and ate at one of the most amazing restaurants 040. It was definitely a culinary experience unlike any I have ever had. Before arriving to Valparaíso Chile, we stopped for lunch and drinks at a wonderful vineyard, Casa Del Bosque. Probably one of the best meals I have ever had. Amazing wines as well and the estate was absolutely beautiful.
Continuing north, we came to the costal town of Valparaíso, Chile. I would definitely say, other then our culinary experience, this was my favorite city of the trip. Away from the hustle of the metropolitan giant Santiago, this city had a totally different hustle. It was less a melting pot and more an authentic taste of the the culture and grunge Chile had to offer.
I guess I missed the memo about the dog population of South America …. No one owns them? This is just an example of my worldly knowledge, or lack there of. I had no idea the dogs belonged to the streets and was just perplexed to find out about it.
After a rather fun night puking from food poisoning, we hit the tarmac again. This time to fly directly over the Andes, into Mendoza, Argentina. If you ever get the chance, this flight is something to experience. If you look on a map, Santiago and Mendoza are just over the Andes from each other. The Andes, the longest mountain range in the world, has peaks in it that tower upwards of 22 thousand feet. Literally with the plane ride being just 34 minutes, you travel upwards to 30 thousand feet just to clear this range and land in Mendoza.
Yay! No more plane rides for at least 4 days! We stayed at the perfect place called Entre Cielos. I would recommend this place to anyone traveling to Mendoza. We stayed in the most comfortable rooms and with the best service ever. In the end, if you pick the right places to rest your head in a foreign country, they’re not expensive, they’re priceless.
At Entre Cielos, one night, we stayed in for an exclusive dinner and empanada class from an onsite chef. So much fun to take a cooking class and bring your knowledge back to friends and family. We met some wonderful people and ate until we couldn’t stand it anymore. Below you’ll find a picture of salad, just salad. In Argentina, they eat so much meat its amazing. One night, we had ten courses of different meats!
Below is a legitimately hi-jacked selfie. My sister in law Chiara took an image of herself that I was jealous of, I went back and stole it. I love you Chiara, yours is better – it’s original. Also pictured is my brothers-in-law and I walking the streets of Mendoza together and a picture of us all crammed into a very small rental which we surprising found mandatory as Uber is illegal in Argentina 🙂
As people come and go from Entre Cielos, they leave messages behind, as we did. One last trip over the Andes and we were homebound. I can’t say enough about how traveling effects your mind and expands your knowledge of the world through your experiences. I came home and nothing is the same. Do your life a favor and get out there. There is nothing unachievable and no land not worth seeing. Amazing trip, the next one is already slated!
Pictured below is Aconcagua. It’s the highest point in the Andes and the highest point in both the southern and western hemispheres. Photo by Chiara Sulprizio.
