Good morning from Santiago Chile!
Breakfast was from the buffet at the Club Lounge in the Ritz Carlton.
There was the display of fresh fruit.
Juices. The raspberry juice was very sweet, it tasted just like-you guessed it! Raspberries! I am sure it would taste great in a fruity martini!
Cold meats and cheeses.
Fresh honey and the honey comb!
After breakfast, JP and Maximo picked us up to take us to the airport and make sure that we were on the right flight to Balmaceda where we would be picked up and brought to Coyhaique River Ranch.
Santiago is in a valley and gets quite smoggy. You can barely see the mountains in the background. My throat was getting quite scratchy, I thought I was getting a cold, but it was the smog!
Lots of agriculture in the Santiago area. The Spanish were looking for gold here. Hardly any was found, but the climate was great for growing fruits and vegetables.
Agriculture went up as far up the mountains as could be done.
A snow covered volcano.
My snack. Chocolate chip muffin, raisins, and a Coke, straight up.
Steve picked the cheese muffin. Very dry.
Flying over the Lake District. We will visit here next week!
Ohh! A bon-non! How exciting. I have always wanted to sit on a couch and eat these!
No flavor. Airy with crunch inside and smooth milk chocolate. Will think about passing next time I am offered one.
The Andes! Let’s hope we get some better pictures than this on our trip!
A view from the window of the plane as we near Balmaceda. It has been raining, and the streams appear to be very muddy. This may put a damper on Steve’s fishing plans.
We landed at Balmaceda and picked up our luggage. We weren’t sure who was going to meet us. Finally I noticed a gentleman wearing a Coyhaique River Lodge shirt. This was Gaston, one of the owners. Two other guys joined us. They were boyhood friends, who decided to meet up and fish together for the week. They were going to meet their wives in Santiago at the end of the week. One guy was from Alaska, and it took him a really long time to get to Balmaceda.
The water was very muddy, Steve would not be able to fish this river, the Rio Simpson, which is supposed to be the best river in the region.
The farmers set the woods on fire to clear the land for cattle grazing.
The view of our valley in the late afternoon. Off the deck is a wood fired hot tub!
Here is Julio offering us a bacon wrapped date. Delicious! In the background is K, a non fishing spouse. I am to hike with her. She is into hiking and mountain biking. I am into reading romance novels while on the recumbent bike at the gym. I have asthma, she doesn’t. She will enjoy the hiking. I will last as long as I can!
Deep fried salmon and dipping sauces was another canapé.
This was a Chilean soup. It was very spicy. There were chunks of tender carrots and tough beef.
Squash with cheese, pork that looked like ham and delicious apple sauce. Steve doesn’t eat apple sauce, so I got to eat two applesauces!
Dessert was gorgeous but oh so sweet. Dulce de leche sauce, a fried dough spiral, and vanilla ice cream with crunchies on top. I did not finish this!
The view from the windows in the great room. The rainbows didn’t photograph well. It will stay light here until about 9 p.m. One of the wonderful parts about visiting the southern hemisphere during our winter.
Do you drink your tea with honey?
Do you honestly believe there is gold in a pot at the end of a rainbow?
Where do you eat your bon bons?
