Last Posting: Dec 27
Kyle & Paul play tour guides at Concha y Toro Winery, largest winemaker in Chile
More winery photos below
First wave!
Today's Spanish quiz
What does this mean? It was told to Gene by a taxi driver after discussing Gene's vast knowledge of Chile and Latin America:
"Necesita un devuelta de su education del universitario".
(Could be a compliment).
Answer below
Hola! Welcome to the Chile Expedition page. Paul, Erik, Kyle & Gene will be publishing photos and writing stories of our trip for the next few weeks, so click on this site for (not so) daily updates.
In the meantime, anyone who would like to find a great weight-loss program as a New Year's resolution should try the Ceviche at the Grand Fish Market, Valpariso.
Here´s our first photo taken in Lima at, of course, a bar. We´re waiting for our flight to Santiago. 11 hours of flight time down, only 5 to go.
Here are Erik and Paul in their first photo back in their homeland on a Santiago bus.
Welcome Home!
Rode past Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception church on the national holiday, December 8. Thousands of people walked miles to get here to crawl on their knees into the church. I think this is a Catholic country!
Modern electricity is everywhere!
Chilean resident and St Elisabeth School graduate Jason Furlano welcomes the Eberts on their patio in Renaca.
Paul shopping for Christmas gifts. Is that a fruitcake?
One of the eight swimming pools at our resort in Mantagua. Thanks, Watson!
Our porch, Mantagua
Happened to run into Karaoke Night at our restaurant.
I wanted to try Cielito Lindo, but my tablemates were still eating.
The tourist preparing for the "Touristas."
Below: Gene finally touches water
Zapallar
Second wave
Kyle & Erik
Zapallar is the Newport Beach/Pebble Beach of Chile.
Here's one of the gatehouses that guards a large German estate.
We were escorted out shortly after this photo was taken.
For any wolves watching, (Photo Credit: Kyle)
The street dogs of Chile are strong, healthy, and coexist with the people, but don"t let them sit in your lap, because they will. Here's one Erik fed outside our restaurant in Mantencillo, where Kyle was just hired to teach surfing.
Kids in Quilpue
No tortillas here
Valparaiso Lighthouse
Alternate route to Algarrobo
Here are some horsemen who inform us that the road doesn't go through to Algorrobo.
So far, this has happened to us 30 or 40 times. Rental car gets good mileage
Monument to Chilean miners
Street dogs eye Paul
How many street dogs in this photo? How many are holding beers?
Answer later
Paul Christmas shopping for his parole officer, Renaca
Presidential Residence, Santiago
Kyle stands at the front of Palacio de la Moneda, the Presidential Palace,
which was bombed in 1973, (with our help)
We came here to help Paul renew his Chilean passport and find his birth certificate. This is the public employee strike we encountered on the first day of our quest.
Typical news stand
Palacio de la Moneda, the Presidential Palace
Paul, Kyle & Erik look toward the future after former Chilean President Portales
Paul helps inspect the guard
Gene with one of our heros, who died 200 yards from this site, in the 1973 bombing of Palacio de Moneda.
You don't see many bronze statues of people wearing horn rimmed glasses.
Palace perro
In addition to the street dogs, there were police everywhere, especially because of the strike.
These hats are wool. I tried to get one, but came away with just a citation
Government bureaucrat multitasking
Palacio de la Moneda, bombed in 1973
Bernardo O'Higgins, Liberator de Chile.
Let's hear it for the Irish!
Street scene outside Moneda Subway Station, Santiago
Paul braces himself for the mass of humanity on the subway
Nice boots, and he's carrying a guitar.
Another in a series of "Street Dogs of Chile" soon to be a webpage
Chicken soup and Coca Cola
Actual meal consumed by Gene
That's how good the Valparaiso diet is!
Erik tries the Santiago ice cream
Burned out building from February earthquake
Gene tries and fails yet again to make a call
Now what World War II Axis power country do you guess these uniforms are fashioned after ?
Nice bolt action. These guys don't move. At least Paul moves faster than someone
Palace dogs
Flag, Presidential Palace
Have you ever seen graffiti with a happy face?
On our way out of town, the demonstrators started a bunch of fires (really)
Answer to Spanish Quiz:
"Necesita un devuelta de su education del universitario"
means
"You should get a refund on that college education"!
One of 100 sunset photos, this one in Mantagua, from our porch
Can you identify this Chilean citizen?
After losing 7 pounts in five days, Gene decides to exit his Valparaiso Diet with the help of the miracle drug, Diaren, also called yellow jackets
Antonia, daughter of Jason and Maria Paz, and grandaughter of Tonie Furlano
Jason and Paul work on the design of the new Caribou silk screens gear
After his diet, Gene tries a bag of mayones clasica on his sandwich
Street dog Christmas shopping, Santiago
The old feed bag, Renaca
Looks like a good place for a beer
It IS a good place for a beer
Police and their street dog make sure no one bothers us while we have our beer
Surf shop, Renaca, the only place on the trip where I heard Rap Music!
My backup band. Gracias, guys
Ice cream shop
At least the graffiti is political
Changing of the Guard, Palacio de la Moneda
Since most people who apply for a driver's license don't have a car, this is what they take their road tests in. We saw many disappointed candidates fail, mostly on parallel parking.
More Changing of the Guard and a street dog
Municipal worker feeds the old street dogs at the Palace. As I mentioned, the people coexist with these dogs. You never see them abused, or hit by cars
One of the national drugs of Chile
Old bronze monument, Providencia
Really old brick monument, same park
Belgian, Embassy, car for sale
Erik makes a phone call using his new camera
Kilo empanadas and pastel de choclo
Maria Paz and Paul prepare dinner over the wood burning stove
Simon & Antonia relax at the Resort de Mantagua
You lookin' at me?
Side shot of one of our favorite beers
Punta Lobos, Pichilemu
Finally, some surf
Punta Lobos
Here's Gene not surfing Punta Lobos, Pichilemu
Horse surfing, Pichilemu
Tonie arrives in Chile for Christmas
Maria Paz, with children Antonia & Simon
try to figure out why Paul gave them this stuffed caribou
The Algarrobo crew, raindeer (caribou) included
When you squeezed its paw (hoof?) it played an obnoxious Christmas song that we're still trying to get out of our heads
Antonia and Simon say farewell to us and thank Paul again for the singing raindeer, while their parents search inside the house for a Phillips head screwdriver to disable the battery of the new singing toy
Huaso, on our way up the Andes
Notice you can't see our rental car in the photo
Background: Snow on the Andes
Mapuche River, Andes
Cascada de las Animas Eco Resort, the Andes
Our cabana
Inside our Cabana
Dec 24
We now interrupt this presentation to bring you some backdated photos of stuff we forgot we did.
Gene and Jason at lunch, Renaca. This guys knows ALL the places, and why not: He's related to Kenny Furlano
Gene explains his Ventura sous chef job to culinary wizard Tim
at the Furlano's spread in Mantagua
When I told him in detail about my kitchen food preparation regimen, he said, "Here we'd call you a busboy."
Antonia & Simon play musical chairs
liberator & first president of Chile
Rental car agency, Renaca
Erik checks out Horcon
I think I'll take this one
Gene prepares for the day he, too, can get an internet connection.
Looking for a gig, Santiago
Eric memorizing the recipe for Pastel de Choclo, a famous dish of Chile
Authentic bakeware is made in this town, and the Eberts bought many pieces to bring back to California, where the promise to feed us all.
First prize, Best meal of the trip
Erik, Kyle & Gene try to figure out how many Pisco & Cokes ("Piscola) they've had at the Algarroba beach house owned by Maria Paz's mother.
Gene comes up with a quick answer.
Pisco Llama is the national booze
Jason barbecues and does his Aussie accent for Tim,
which Tim says sounds way too British
Now back to our eco-resort cabana in the Andes
Tough life - All beveled glass
Kyle enjoys a Pisco Sour on the patio outside the restaurant
Arriving back at our cabana, we are greeted by one dog
Excuse me, three
Make that four. They were all very healthy. What a life.
Then in five minutes they disappeared into the night to go hang out at another cabana for ten minutes
Eric & Kyle enjoy breakfast in the restaurant, which hangs over the river
Paul enjoys breakfast and eco art
Day 12, 10,000 dogs and this was only the second cat we saw
The Andes, straight up
Erik checks out the Maipo River
Yosemite feel in the Andes
Not Disneyland
Long drop to the Maipo River
Equipment used to rappel 500 yards across the Maipo River
Rappel cables, also known as zip lines, 500 yards long
Huaso
On an educational note, we discovered that here in the Southern Hemisphere, the toilet paper rolls go the opposite way, under instead of over.
You're welcome.
Concha Y Toro Winery gift shop
Gene, Paul & Kyle prepare for their wine tour
Estate
Original family residence, 1880
French oak barrel, Seguin Moreau, Napa Valley
Scariest photo award...Paul enters Casillero del Diablo, cellar of the Devil
Check out the brick ceilings
Casillero del Diablo
Our personal tasting of Marques Casa Concha, one of their higher end wine labels,
(Concha Y Toro features over 30 labels sold throughout the world, their best being the Don Melchor label)
Shown here: Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet
Our fantastic sommelier, Kirsten, explains winemaking to Paul
Paul explains wine snobbery to Kirsten
Concha Y Toro Crew successfully finishes all their wine
Flashback one week to Horcon, fishing village on the coast
Popular name
Above and below: Street dogs, Horcon
Paul tries to go fishing
Eric checks out Horcon version of Arch Rock
Pelicans check us out
Tough Life
Statue of San Pablo, patron saint of fishermen
Harbor entrance, Horcon
Arch Rock
Hostel, Last pad, Santiago
We were the only guests here, (old family residence)
Wi Fi, too, (made our editorial staff very happy)
See what I mean? Southern Hemisphere, opposite way. Unreal
One last bottle of sparkling Casillero del Diablo for breakfast
before we go Christmas shopping and jump on a 11 hour flight to LA
Erik admires the Peruvian influence on the northern Chilean rugs
My favorite gift:
Chess set with natives vs conquistadors
Shops
Mas Shops
Can't pass up a guitar shop
Erik makes one last attempt to sneak back into his childhood home
Kyle & Paul, Santiago
Last meal:
Jason Furlano told us that if we love Cupid's Hot Dogs, we should try the Chilean version,
called the "Completo,"
which consists of a giant hot dog, smothered in salsa, avacado, and mayonaise
It sounded like a new version of the Valparaiso Ceviche diet, so we passed
Gene and Kyle are toasty in their Lemma Construction hoodies,
checking out the waves in Pichilemu
OK just one last dog, Horcon
Finally,...Bread Box...Santiago kitchen
Thanks for following our Chilean adventure.
Adios!