Chile again and again and again...
Note: Click on the photos to see them full size.
We thought this might be Aconcagua when we saw it but it wasn´t
This was not Aconcagua either!
At last, Aconcagua 6,959m the highest mountain on the continent of South America
About to enter the road tunnel that took us under the highest section of the Andes. No, this was not Aconcagua either...
The Archbishop caught red-handed trying to set fire to the Cathedral on Easter Sunday
None of your mundane pipe organs here, the choir was supported by a concert orchestra
There were TV cameras and floodlights everywhere
Cheryl and me sun-bathing in downtown Santiago
At last we see the beautiful mountains above Santiago
For the fifth time we entered Chile on Saturday and what a journey it was from Mendoza, Argentina across the Andes to Santiago, Chile. The scenery was spectacular as we followed a river valley with huge desert mountains in all shades of red, yellow and orange. Then some snow appeared on the higher peaks and we were wondering which one was Aconcagua which at 6,959m is the highest mountain on the continent. The road slowly went higher and higher until there was snow on the ground we were passing, then at the highest point we disappeared into a long tunnel which tooks us to the Eastern side of the mountains. We are now old hands at the customs and immigration checks at these border crossings and it all went very smoothly, even the obligatory Chilean sniffer dog seemed bored with the smell of our bags. After passing a ski resort just over the border the road dropped dramatically down an almost endless series of hairpin bends into a deep valley that had hydro electric power stations every 10 or so kilometres. This is certainly another of great road journeys of the world.
Santiago is feeling very comfortable to us now and we laugh at the memories of ourselves the first time we were here. The city even turned on some good weather for us, the pollution levels were low and for the first time we saw the snow capped mountains that overlook the city. As it was Easter Sunday we trotted along to the Cathedral for midday mass. They do not do things by half here with the mass being said by Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz the Archbishop of Santiago, the choir supported by a full orchestra and the whole thing televised. I have to admit that I am not one for listening to hymns but the sound of that choir and orchestra and the incredible acoustics in the cathedral sent tingles through me. We thought the holiday was winding down when we left Mendoza however South America continues to surprise us right up to the last minute.
We thought this might be Aconcagua when we saw it but it wasn´t
This was not Aconcagua either!
At last, Aconcagua 6,959m the highest mountain on the continent of South America
About to enter the road tunnel that took us under the highest section of the Andes. No, this was not Aconcagua either...
The Archbishop caught red-handed trying to set fire to the Cathedral on Easter Sunday
None of your mundane pipe organs here, the choir was supported by a concert orchestra
There were TV cameras and floodlights everywhere
Cheryl and me sun-bathing in downtown Santiago
At last we see the beautiful mountains above Santiago
For the fifth time we entered Chile on Saturday and what a journey it was from Mendoza, Argentina across the Andes to Santiago, Chile. The scenery was spectacular as we followed a river valley with huge desert mountains in all shades of red, yellow and orange. Then some snow appeared on the higher peaks and we were wondering which one was Aconcagua which at 6,959m is the highest mountain on the continent. The road slowly went higher and higher until there was snow on the ground we were passing, then at the highest point we disappeared into a long tunnel which tooks us to the Eastern side of the mountains. We are now old hands at the customs and immigration checks at these border crossings and it all went very smoothly, even the obligatory Chilean sniffer dog seemed bored with the smell of our bags. After passing a ski resort just over the border the road dropped dramatically down an almost endless series of hairpin bends into a deep valley that had hydro electric power stations every 10 or so kilometres. This is certainly another of great road journeys of the world.
Santiago is feeling very comfortable to us now and we laugh at the memories of ourselves the first time we were here. The city even turned on some good weather for us, the pollution levels were low and for the first time we saw the snow capped mountains that overlook the city. As it was Easter Sunday we trotted along to the Cathedral for midday mass. They do not do things by half here with the mass being said by Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz the Archbishop of Santiago, the choir supported by a full orchestra and the whole thing televised. I have to admit that I am not one for listening to hymns but the sound of that choir and orchestra and the incredible acoustics in the cathedral sent tingles through me. We thought the holiday was winding down when we left Mendoza however South America continues to surprise us right up to the last minute.
posted by Laurie Barram at 6:07 am
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