This past week my Dad and Ellen came to visit! It was really great to see some faces from home and get out of the city for a few days. In true South America fashion the trip started off with a few unexpected bumps. They arrived, got their bags, went through customs and met up with me by 9a.m., but we didn't leave the airport until 12:30... All thanks to the rental car agency. It was quite the process but eventually we were off. Welcome to South America, where things never go as expected. 
Once we were on the road we got to drive through the gorgeous Casablanca Valley on our way to Valparaiso. Driving the freeways was easy, minus all the toll stops, but driving the city streets was a little more stressful. Also, if planning to eat at one of the top ten winery restaurants, make sure to call ahead so a tour bus of French tourists doesn't arrive before you and take over the place. The winding streets of Valpo greeted us with crazy drivers and poorly marked lanes, but eventually we found the top of Cerro Concepcion and The Grand Hotel Gervasoni. The hotel was a former mansion that was converted into a boutique hotel and offers unique views of the cresent-shaped bay and the characteristic hillside of Valpo. Walking the streets of Cerro Concepcion was colorful and full of character. It was easy to see the character of Valpo with it's skinny alleyways decorated with vibrant murals, colorful houses, restaurants and cafes, and scattered boutiques. Even though the forecast said rain the sun was out and shinning. 
On Sunday, the day after my dad and Ellen arrived, we made our way north up the coast to the towns of Viña del Mar, Reñaca, and Con Con. The coast was littered with GIANT hotel-resorts that lead right out onto the beach and restaurants. So many restaurants! Of course, since it was Sunday, all the cute stores were closed. We made it a great day though, walking along the beach and eating the best fried empanadas I've had yet. That night, when we were driving back to our hotel, the stray dogs of valpo decided to ambush our car. I've seen them do it to other cars, but it's really scary when you are actually in the car. They came out of nowhere and surrounded us! Barking and nipping at our tires, we just had to inch our way through the light. We made it out alive, but just barely.
Monday was a day for wine tasting! We drove back into the Casablanca valley with it's lush, green hillsides and perfectly symmetrical vineyards. The best winery we went to was Emiliana, it's 100% organic!! Thanks to our handy dandy gps, we got lost a number of times and decided that using common sense was more useful. We had to turn down a tiny dirt road right off the freeway before we finally arrived. It was all worth it though, the grounds were beautiful and the wine was delicious. There were alpacas, chickens, and peacocks all just chillin around the vineyard to help keep the natural order of things. It was so cool! The other vineyards, Emiliand and Casa del Bosque, were nice but Emiliana was the best. Also, the nice winery restaurant that we wanted to go to on our first day was at Casa del Bosque. Too bad it's closed on Mondays. We never got to eat there, but we had plenty of other delicious food. Warning: beware unmarked speed bumps when driving between the wineries, may cause you to be airborne for a few seconds.
Heading back to Santiago on Tuesday, we stopped at Isla Negra and Pomaire. Pablo Neruda's biggest house at Isla Negra is also the coolest in my opinion. His collections are all on display in the house-turned-museum and sits right on the beach. Because of Pablo's love for the sea, every room had a huge window with a different view of the ocean. I definitely would not mind living there. The pottery village of Pomaire was our next stop. The handicrafts are pretty, but get's old after the 5th store selling basically the same things. Nonetheless, my dad and Ellen loaded up on some of the unique pottery that Pomaire is know for. Santiago, and my host mom's house for dinner, was our final destination for the day. Driving the streets of Santiago was the scariest thing ever! Being on the micro is one things, with all the sudden stops and weaving in and out of traffic, but having to react to those crazy drivers in your own car is a whole other challenge. With so many one way streets and no left turns, which out gps did not register, it was suprising we made it from Plaza Italia to my house in an hour. If planning on traveling to Santiago, stick with the public transportation within the city and a car for excursions outside of the city. My host mom made a FEAST to welcome us. So much good food, and I think it was 5 courses! Once in Santiago we did the typical tourist stuff. Visiting the historic downtown area, strolling the pedestrian only streets, shopping in Santa Lucia and Pueblo Los Dominicos for local goods, stopping but not eating at mercado central (the fish market), sightseeing at plaza de armas, the cathedral, sanhatten, bellavista, plaza italia, las condes, etc. Oh and of course lots of eating, eating delicious food. On their last day, we all had another lunch at my host mom's house. Once again with delicious food, way better than any restaurant, and many courses. Literally the definition of "stuffed" after a full meal at Gloria's house. After lunch my dad and Ellen were off to the airport. The week flew by, but it was a great visit and incredibly nice to see family.
