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Sails South America 2010

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 01:47:12 +0000

Chile is celebrating its 200th birthday with an array of events, one of them is an international sailing race. On Tuesday the 13th of April, 11 participants of the 2010 Sailing Race will moor in Valparaiso. The meeting and race is organized by the Chilean and Argentinian Armada, while participants Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico also look back on their recent history. (Foto: Velas Sudamerica website)

Valparaiso after the earthquake

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:56:50 +0000

Last Saturday, Chile was hit by a mayor earthquake and Valparaiso was very very lucky. Slowely life is taking it’s normal pace again in the Fifth Region. It will take longer in the South of the country and we send all are strength to everybody suffering the consequences of the earthquake. Travelling in Chile is safe, there will always be tectonic activity, but nothing to worry about. Here in Valparaiso you will find no problems in getting around, admiring the urbanic landscape, having a nice diner, visiting a cafe or doing whatever visitors did before in Valparaiso.

Traditional Tea at Cafe Con letras

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:56:09 +0000

Chileans traditionally have their tea, also known as onces, around 7pm. Cafe Con Letras is a cosy, quiet place to try a typical Chilean tea, including a sandwich, pie, coffee or tea. The place offers a dozen tables surrounded by bookstands, feel free to browse through them. In 2009, they won the prize for the best once patrimonial in Valparaiso for the second time. For CLP3.500 you have coffee or tea, homemade pie, crunchy sopaipillas and a sandwich. Our personal favourite at Cafe Con Letras is a steaming hot chocolate with an incredible kuchen de manzana, best described as a reversed apple crumble, outside at the tiny terrace.

You find Café con Letras on the corner of Almirante Montt where Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción meet. Check www.cafeconletras.cl

restaurant tips and (dirty) tricks

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:13:51 +0000

Something has been drawing my attention the latest weeks in Valparaiso. Several restaurants add a (credit card) note with a 10% extra on top of the normal bill. They then return the change that corresponds to this note and not to the real amount of the check. When I look at other people’s checks, or better Chilean people checks, this does not occur. My conclusion is that in some restaurants staff try to take their 10% tip, whether I like it or not, and because I look European/Gringo. Do not accept this if it happens to you because it is illegal. Always ask for the right change and then leave the tip you wish to leave. Do not feel embarrassed to explain this in your ‘horrible’ Spanish because that is what some people are counting on. Just stay friendly and calm, ask for the right change, and this extra note practice will disapear as fast as it came.

Note: Waiters and waitresses in Chile have a very low basic salary. Half of their income is depending on your tips. If you are happy with the service, a voluntary 10% tip is standard. You can always leave more of course.

Rene and Carolina’s Valpo experiences

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:07:37 +0000

Rene and Carolina run the friendly Bed and Breakfast La Nona. They are very keen on taking their clients to the best spots and experiences in the region so that’s why I asked them what their ‘Valparaiso top 3′ is.

1. A visit to the Casablanca wine valley. Casablanca is known for its whites but is building a reputation on red wines. 25 vineyards at a short drive from Valparaiso.

2. Horseback riding in Ritoque. To Rene and Carolina this is the best way to connect with the natural beauty of Chile’s fifth region. Ritoque´s dunes, a soft sea breeze and a blue sky are the perfect setting for a ride on men´s second best friend.

3. Lunch at Deportistas. This family run restaurant, hidden in Valparaiso´s Cerro O´Higgins is only known by insiders. You can have chicken or fish but people come for the meat. The owners are proud to serve Uruguay´s best quality meat. Lunch at Deportistas is abundant, high quality and a social experience.

More information at info@bblanona.com

How to be a gringo in Chile

admin — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:16:07 +0000

After spending more than a year and a half in Chile, we have a list of tips on how to “stay a gringo”…

Fear body contact and people standing close to you.
Avoid colectivos (shared taxis) because it’s a sweaty and too personal experience.
Get very upset if things don’t work out as planned.
Tell it as it is. Doesn’t matter if ‘they like it or not’.
Insist on having a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ as an answer.
If you’re an independent woman, insist on paying the bill.
Wear shorts when it’s freezing cold.
Initiate state of the art political discusions

Learn how to act as a local and how to behave in Chile

Delicious fastfood

admin — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:38:46 +0000

Travelling Chile or Latin-America is almost impossible without trying an empanada. From Mexico to Chile, fried pastry is being stuffed with meat, chicken, cheese or seafood. In our search for Valparaiso’s best seafood empanadas (‘empanadas de mariscos’) we headed for the Mercado del puerto. Around and in The Central Market, located in the old historic center, you’ll find lots of empanada and fastfood places and we tried Juliano’s seafood restaurant. A friendly waitress served a crunchy empanada stuffed with fresh shrimps, mussels and tasty vegetables. Accompanied with a pebre, a medium spicy chili sauce we had the perfect snack in a tourist-friendly and clean seafood restaurant ‘Juliano’.