February 14 & 15 - Valpo Snap Quiz & Talca

One more photo of Valparaiso - the lights at night.

You are all waiting breathlessly (no doubt) for the answer to the snap quiz question: Valparaiso was the most important port in South America from about 1840 until 1914. Snap quiz:  Laura will buy a bottle of wine for anybody who can give us the reasons for both dates.  You get a glass for the reason for one of the dates. 

The answer is: During the 1840's the California Gold Rush began and with it the demand for passage to California.  Many boats went around Cape Horn and they all stopped at Valapraiso, giving the harbour and the town a boom.

In 1914 the Panama Canal opened.  Ships no longer had to around the Cape and Valpo's economy crashed.

Daphne had the best answer!!

On to Talca.  Talca is 3 hours south of Santiago by bus.  It's a nice highway (freeway) but we must have passed through 6 or 8 toll stations.  I guess you pay a toll for every little stretch. We are going through a fertile (due to irrigation) valley:  corn, grapes and a variety of other crops.  One thing I noticed - businesses and residences are built right up to the edge of the highway, much closer than would happen in Canada (like say with the new Island Highway).

Travelling hint - when going south try to get seats on the left (shady) side of the bus.  The sun coming in the window can be brutal.

Talca is a farming community and a bit of a centre for buses travelling north / south.  Talca was also hit hard by the 2010 earthquake (mag 8.5).  There is still some damage (for example, buckled sidewalks.

Here is a picture of one of the street markets - they have built a rickety frame and covered it with tin to house their stalls.  Across town is a brand new, ultra modern shopping centre.  Apparently, both types of merchants survive.  They don't have the myriad of rules for street vendors that we do.   

Our home for two nights is Casa Chueca.  It's out of town, a couple of kms past the end of the pavement,  but very pleasant.  Here's the building we are in.  The entire hostal is in this style.  It was started by a  German-Austrian couple who have developed the property, a trekking business, as well as acquiring other hostels.  If you are interested in trekking around here, this might be a good base to operate from.  Unfortunately, we didn't 

have enough time here to get out.

 Here's the inside of the room.  I forgot to mention they offer a vegetarian dinner here.  Tonight is a Mexican buffet, so we've signed up.

Please note for the record - Laura got a rose for Valentine's Day.  Nice vase, eh?

Another picture of the property - Cactii outside our door.  There seems to be a fair amount of irrigation available so things are a contrast between lush irrigated and drier areas.  

Here's a shot of the dining area.  Check out the gorgeous woven tablecloths.  It's warm here so we will be eating outdoors tonight.

Here's that dusty old road we have to walk down to get here (2 km).  We passed a field of lettuce, an apple orchard, a vineyard, and a pasture with cattle grazing.  Check out the truck just up ahead.  It's an ice cream truck! 

 Way out here in the boonies somebody figures he can make a buck selling ice cream from his vehicle.  They certainly have a different attitude to entrepreneurship here. 

Tomorrow is a longer bus ride to Temuco, overnight in town there and then 4 days in Pucon, where I hope to get out some more. Talk to you then.