Pretty adventurous way to start off our morning. It's a good thing our rental was insured for every kind of damage except thievery. For some reason, Chile does not offer insurance if the car is stolen.
Sam and TK had an earlier start and were already waiting for us at RE winery. It's a really unique winery where they use a mix of ancient and modern techniques to make some interesting and unusual blends like Chardonnoir. Their wine cellar is filled with giant clay jars instead of the usual steel drums and they play classical music to help the wine mature.
They also do liquor!
Since Chile has a zero tolerance policy, Alan was the only person able to do a tasting. You'll have to ask him personally about the wines.
Our next stop was lunch at Casa Botha. Usually lunch isn't mentioned in our blogs but this place deserves a special shoutout and also because it took as an hour to find it. We like to think TK and Sam just wanted to give us a tour of the countryside. Casa Botha offers a blend of Italian and Chilean dishes and is a favorite among the embassy employees in Santiago. If you're ever in the area, get the gnocchi and pet the cat which Alan named Gallo (his real name is Gris).
Valparaiso was once a booming city due to its port and location to the Straits of Magellan. When the Panama Canal opened, Valparaiso saw a major decline in port traffic and thus, the economy.
Still, the city has its charm - a little dilapidated from numerous earthquakes and fires, the city is alive with colorful graffiti lining all the buildings, buildings that look like ships, and cobblestone alleys that run alongside the funiculars.
-Priscilla
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