From Newfoundland to Chile…….

an awesome journey and a great hiking experience. Part I

Chile is the longest country in the world, 4000 km north to south and only  200 km east to  west. It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountains to the east.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinationRedirector?openMap=true&ethylCobjId=701

My sister happened upon Foothills Hiking Chile through their Facebook page and wanted to do something different for her 75th birthday……..so off we went. Well it wasn’t quite that simple….a 4 1/2 drive across the island, a 3 1/2 hr flight to Toronto and then a 10 1/2 hr flight to Santiago.

My husband joined us and we flew to Santiago, took a bus to San Fernando and on day three,  were picked up by Elizabeth and Jose  who run Foothills Hiking out off Puente Negro.     Foothills Hiking

This seven day/6 night hiking adventure is filled with great hikes, cultural experiences. visits to a winery, cooking class, horseback riding, star gazing; and a journey up a bumpy mountain road to Termas del Flaco where we hiked up the mountain to see the dinosaur tracks. Elizabeth and Jose make it all seem so easy.  Laughter and comradery filled the days as we hiked and learned.

We hiked in the mornings as the afternoons were quite hot.

Chile Puente Negro Foothills Hiking

First hike with Foothills Hiking

Drying plums for prunes

” He who does not travel, who does not read, who does not listen to music, who does not find grace in himself, she who does not find grace in herself,  dies slowly.”    Pablo Neruda

Chile Puente Negro Foothills Hiking

Dogs run wild here but are quite friendly.

Lapwings

Jose and Elizabeth are to be applauded for starting recycling in Puente Negro. I believe that others have joined to help them with the program now and it is great to see.

Drying plums

Plums on the tree and plums laid on tarps to dry…prunes.

Walnuts

Eucalyptus

Seeing the walnuts on the trees was new for me and the beautiful eucalyptus trees are everywhere.

Pablo Neruda was a Chilean and a Nobel Prize winning poet…….”Every day you play with the light of the universe.”

Many thanks to Elizabeth and Jose of Foothills Hiking. Please visit their site through the link above and follow my blog for further posts on Chile.