I’m getting off topic. To the question, “what is a reality tour,” I will try my best to explain. Think Reality TV takes a vacation. This is your access to the moments, the stories, and the pictures that bring a destination to life. Mixing blogging, video and photography, the Wines & Wonders of South America tour comes to life. For travelers who are thinking about exploring this region or just love travel – this is your channel.

WHO’S GOING?

Collette Vacations’ creative director, Debbie Moniz, and travel writer, Melissa McKee (that’s me), have packed our bags (okay, I’m doing some last minute packing and really should get back to it) and are hitting the road tomorrow.

Melissa in Munich in 2006

We work in Collette Vacations’ Marketing department and are lucky to be joining a group of Collette passengers on this journey through Argentina & Chile. Between us we have done a fair amount of travel to destinations including Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Germany, and the Canadian Rockies. South America is a destination that has been on both of our travel wish lists, and we’re really excited to explore it!

Debbie in Florence at the Duomo in 2008

I’ve been a writer here since 2003 and Debbie’s been a graphic designer here since 2004 and now heads up our design team. We’re based at Collette’s headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island – a great mill city that was the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.

With 11 days that include traveling from Santiago, Chile, across the Andes Mountains into Mendoza, Argentina, the land of sun and wine and flying to Buenos Aires, birthplace of the tango – we hope you keep checking back with us!  As the name implies, we’ll visit vineyards, sample wines and truly experience these rhythmic cultures, first-hand.

Tomorrow we board our flight in New York City and head for Santiago, Chile, the first stop on tour. So stay tuned for take off!  I probably should pack now.

No hablo mucho español but… Adiós for now!

-Melissa

When I tell my friends about my “business” trip, they laugh. They theorize that taking photos and video is what most people do on a vacation anyway and writing a blog is the equivalent of a traveler’s journal entries.  Thanks for the clarification. With my departure imminent, I think, perhaps they are right and I have just hit the jackpot of dream jobs.

I finally finished packing last night so I’m ready to go. Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you that when it comes to packing I organize my neatly pressed clothes into ensemble outfits complete with accessories. When your closet is a world away, it’s best to be prepared! I also roll my clothes to optimize space and pack them in clear plastic bags.

Little did I know that passengers in line would see first hand the contents of my suitcase when I was forced to pull things out of it in order to bring my personal belongings to a manageable 50 lbs. The reservations agent was clearly not impressed with my packing skills.

Once at JFK we took the train to terminal 4, the home of LAN Airlines. Here we found a reservationist with a sense of humor. In an effort to make small talk while he tapped away at his magical keyboard, I asked if the plane was full. Answer:  yes. Configuration of the aircraft? Answer:  2-3-2. Pushing my luck with a third question, I asked if his typing would result in good seats for us, and Debbie piped in, “First Class, perhaps?”  Answer: “Very funny, like I haven’t heard that one about a hundred times today.”  His timing was spot on and his delivery as he looked at us over the top of his very hip, very European eyeglasses was droll yet effective. Debbie and I had a good laugh over that…probably our last before our 10-hour LAN flight from New York to Santiago, Chile.

Oh, wait, it’s time to board.

More later!

-Melissa

Still reeling from my 4 extra pounds of clothes now stuffed into my carry-on, I can’t help but notice the attire of our female LAN flight attendants:  red tailored blazers accessorized with neck scarves, navy skirts with hose, and RED pumps. Very snappy. Still, no bright colors in the world or arrival anticipation can keep me awake and alert for the duration of this overnight flight.

Airports aren’t really the best place for pictures-taking (so that portion of the reality tour that includes stylish photos & videos (hopefully) really takes off tomorrow… excuse the pun). But in my excitement, I do want to share a couple with you from today…

Enough said. Tomorrow I report from Santiago, Chile.  Hasta luego!

-Melissa

That's Kevin, our Tour Manager!

I don’t envy the tour manager’s job. He or she handles so many behind-the-scenes details many of which entail a steady stream of communicating with step-on guides, restaurant managers, hotel reservations staff, and goodness knows who else. They seem to take pride in the fact that you will never again have to touch your overweight luggage until you arrive at the airport for your return trip home. Tour managers love maps that show where the hotel is in relation to tourist sights as well as hand outs that include information like the local time, currency exchange offices, telephone centers and tipping customs. These are typically handed out to passengers on the coach, where it seems the front and back seats are prime real estate. Tour managers consider you part of their family. If you’re having a good time, they’re happy! At least, that is what our tour manager, Kevin, says.

We first meet our fellow passengers at the Welcome Briefing. This is where the tour manager has everyone introduce themselves. Kevin has wisely opted to hold this meeting outside in a small, sunny courtyard off the Mediterráneo Restaurant and Bar of the Atton El Bosque, a conveniently situated hotel in Santiago’s downtown located in a modern 18-story building with spacious guest rooms. Most of the group has traveled through the night and the fresh air keeps us awake better than any air conditioned conference room ever would.  And while I am certainly tired and in need of freshening up, the 80-degree sun warming my face makes me glad to have finally arrived in Chile. And that is when I am hit with my first revelation about this destination:

Revelation#1

There is little jet lag to counter when crossing over the equator unlike crossing the pond.

 OK, time to freshen up and get ready for some sightseeing!

More later,

Melissa

ps- I read through comments left on my first 2 entries. Thanks for following me on my tour! I’m sure I’ll be discussing shopping, and for those just interested in this destination, hopefully this is a great insight into it, in case you do want to make this one of your next stops!

Chilean pesos

Armed with Chilean pesos, we are now ready for our afternoon city tour of Santiago, a city of 6 million inhabitants wedged between the Andes and the Pacific. For those of you interested in geography, Chile is the elongated string bean of a country along South America’s west coast.

Max is our step-on guide and he is an encyclopedia of information on the history of Santiago. Born and raised in the area, Max has experienced many of the cultural, political and social changes that this country has lived through including the storms that played out in the streets during the Allende-Pinochet years. Today, however, he has the tough job of keeping us alert and informed which is not always easy on the first full tour day seated on a comfortable motor coach.

Part of his strategy for keeping us awake is to get us off the bus for a walking tour. We begin in the civic center neighborhood, stopping at La Moneda Presidential Palace (btw, the President of Chile is a woman) and ending in the Plaza de Armas (the center square).

La Moneda Presidential Palace (that's Max, our local guide!)

For history buffs, the Plaza was founded in 1541 by the conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, who continues to keep watch over the square from his equestrian statue.

Plaza de Armas

Max says you get to know a lot about Chile when you walk among the locals. He stops to chat with a street vendor and Kevin purchases a Mote con Huesillo, a concoction of dehydrated peaches with stewed barley in water or peach juice. We all share it (oh, except Debbie—I have learned that my room mate is a bit of a germ-a-phobe) and most everyone give its sweet, syrupy flavor a thumbs up.

A Santiago Street

form a dramatic backdrop. Everywhere the people seem young, engaging, and passionate. Public displays of affection are the norm; not just reserved for teenagers in love.

 Back on the bus, Kevin announces one final stop before heading back to the hotel for some R&R before tonight’s festivities. I can hear a few concealed groans…weariness from a night spent sleeping on a plane has definitely settled in. He promises it will be worth the effort. You don’t travel 5,000 miles to let a challenge like that go unheeded.

So now, off we drive to Cerro San Cristobal…

More later,

Melissa

Funicular, Funicular

The park on top of Cerro San Cristóbal, the big mountain overlooking Santiago, was incredible.

Marion, Marjorie, Carolyn and Elizabeth on Funicular

Our group took the 10-minute tram ride to the top, where a few last steps (o.k., it was a workout and Debbie and I were the only takers) led up to the 72-foot statue of the Virgin Mary, who seems to be casting a protective eye over the bustling cityscape where the Andes Mountains loom large. It seems romantic couples head here as well to enjoy the epic view…

 Revelation #2

South America is NOT home…there are cultural differences that take some getting used to.

I’m no spring chicken but even I was slightly amazed that our group wasn’t departing for dinner and a cultural folkloric show tonight until 8:00pm. For passengers used to eating early and retiring at 10pm, all I can say is “we’re not in Kansas, Toto!” Things don’t get started here until much later with dinner served between 9pm and 10pm.

So off we went after a very short rest in our spacious room at Atton El Bosque to Los Buenos Muchachos, a quirky (the ladies room is adorned with posters of shirtless male models), popular restaurant with a nightly show that showcases traditional Chilean dances. Our group was seated at a long banquet-style table. The venue holds 1100 people and while it was certainly by no means full, there were an impressive number of patrons for a Thursday evening.  The food was quite good (and we tried our very first pisco sour and it tasted like a margarita) for this type of venue and the show portrayed dances of the different regions of Chile from the far North to the Patagonia region.

Pisco Sour Drink

The best part…they get the audience to participate! And yes, Debbie and I did oblige…

I vaguely remember twirling a white cloth napkin over my head and Debbie did a nice Easter Island routine (think Polynesian influences)—I only wish I pressed the right button on my video camera and had captured Debbie’s dance for posterity’s sake! I, on the other hand, was apparently attempting to fake my way through the national dance of Chile, the Cueca. This dance has historical roots in both African and Native American cultures and is a parody of the courtship of a chicken and rooster. The dancers wave handkerchiefs above their heads during the dance. These handkerchiefs can symbolize the feathers of the bird or the rooster’s comb. The choreography (movements) of the Cueca consists of circles, moving in semicircles back and forth (known as half moons), and turning towards the partner and then away. Luckily, I had an understanding partner (we just smiled and nodded at each other since neither of us spoke the other’s language) and thankfully it was all over quickly! Here’s a little snippet of me doing the dance…

I can’t believe I’m still up. It’s 11:16 here…. 9:16 pm at home. That’s right, we’re two hours ahead!

Buenas noches until tomorrow,

 -Melissa

 Favorite shot of the day:

Debbie & I at the top of Cerro San Cristobal

Picture stop along the way, such a beautiful view!

Debbie and I are opting for this day excursion to Valparaiso – a UNESCO World Heritage City—and definitely on my wish list for things to do on this tour. We set off mid-morning for the two-hour drive north of Santiago with Kevin, our tour manager, Max, our step-on local guide, and some passengers from our group including Maggie from Virginia, Jim and Sue from Colorado and Pat and Bob from Ohio. The day is picture perfect for a drive to the small, historic fishing port and one-time naval base.

 Almost there! More later.

The poet Pablo Neruda made a home here in Valparaiso which is now a museum and open to the public.

Pablo Neruda Home

While there is a nominal cost to go inside, the fantastic views from the patio are priceless. Self guided with the help of an audio guide (English version available), we set out to explore the small, charming house of five floors including the outside terrace. As a writer, I applaud the poet’s decision to face his desk toward the endless Pacific. The ocean views and cramped smattering of colorful homes that tumble below his perch toward the harbor are quite inspiring.

Lunch was at a restaurant overlooking the harbor. The seafood is delicious and the conversation with our fellow passengers flows as easily as the wine! Though the tour is dubbed Wines and Wonders, you can easily wash down any meal with some beer shared the South American way– in liter bottles. So far the brands I have seen are Cristal and Escudo. Over lunch (Shrimp Crepes…YUM!) , Debbie and I hear intriguing hear stories about our groups’ travels… Israel, Kenya, China, Poland, Russia—the list is endless. Our new friends certainly are a well-traveled group!

Dining with fellow travelers: Debbie with Lavinia; me with Marian & Maggie... and shrimp crepes!

Looking at local craftmanship - souvenirs!

We head to Plaza Sotomayor, located in front of the light-blue wedding cakethat is the former setting of Chile’s naval headquarters, and do a bit of street shopping before boarding the coach for Vina Del Mar.

The city, also known as ‘the Garden City’ was founded in 1874 by the engineer Jose Francisco Vergara Echevers, and has grown into Chile’s most luxurious beach resort town, attracting

Valapraiso has some very cute things!

visitors from all over the world. And what’s not to love? Vina Del Mar has a tropical atmosphere with its grand tree lined streets, horse drawn carriages, winding coastal route, and vast stretches of soft white sand.

Kevin instructed the motor coach driver to pull over at Playa Reñaca where we took off our shoes and put our feet in the cold surf. While it was not my first dip in the Pacific Ocean, it was my first time doing so south of the equator.

On the beach! That's Marian in the middle!

All in all, a pretty heavenly day!

-Melissa

Late yesterday on the way back to the hotel from Vina del Mar… (see video)

… we made two additional stops—one was a surprise to see an original (not replica) moai sculpture from Easter Island. My knowledge of Easter Island at the time was limited to this scene from the movie Night at the Museum:

Easter Island Head: Hey! Dum-dum

Larry: Yes?

Easter Island Head: You give me gum-gum

Larry: I give you gum-gum?

Easter Island Head: You new Dum-dum. You give me gum-gum.

Larry: Gee, okay, you know what? I have no gum-gum. Sorry. And my name isn’t Dum-dum. My name’s Larry.

Easter Island Head:  No, your name Dum-dum.

[People screaming]

Easter Island Head: Oh, you in trouble, Dum-dum. You’d better run-run. From Attila the Hun-hun.

[Larry runs as Attila and his gang are chasing him]

Easter Island Head: See you later, Dum-dum!

Pat & Bob

So…the Easter Island Head in the movie scene is called a moai and there are more than 850 moais spread around the island which is called Rapa Nui by the local population. Easter Island whose name comes from its discovery by Dutch explorers on Easter Sunday in 1722 is the most isolated inhabited island in the world. Here are photos of Debbie and I and Pat and Bob in front of the moai sculpture. They are sort of like a mute sentinel and remind me of my 13-year-old daughter’s reaction when I inquire, “How was school today?”

This moai was brought to the continent in 1957 by ship and may be the closest I ever get to one. At 2,200 miles west of continental Chile and 1,290

Debbie and I: Easter Island, Moai Replica

miles east of the closest body of land, Pitcairn Island, it is difficult to imagine getting here anytime soon. It is essentially the remoteness of this island, which is no larger than the District of Columbia, that makes it so fascinating. As Max, our local guide tells us, moais are carved from compressed volcanic ash found on the slopes of the Rano Raraku crater. Moais average 13ft. in height and weigh in at around 12 tons. The fascinating part (for me at least) is how the Rapa Nui transported the moais from the Rano quarry to their final resting spot either erected atop an ahu (ceremonial altar) or left lying in transit to an ahu. I mean the weight of these sculptures is impressive but what is known about the transportation of the moais is they did so atop tree trunks. This is where things went horribly

Us at the Vina Mar Winery

wrong for the Rapa Nui. Their mode of transport led to deforestation which stressed the island’s environment and caused war, starvation and the toppling over of the moais.  It’s hard not to love this kind of information especially when you try to fathom that we’re talking some time around the 8^th century!

The second stop we made gave us our first real taste of Chilean wine. That’s when we stopped at Casas Rivas, established in 1992 at María Pinto in the Maipo (pronounced MY-po) Valley. The vineyards are planted at the foothill of the West Coastal Mountain Range and the main building constructed of cool, white stucco is enhanced by a sweeping veranda overlooking a reflecting pool.

The group gets a lesson on wine...baby grapes...Maggie, Lavinia and Kevin with their purchased wine!

When our group arrived in the late afternoon, the sun was still high in the sky bathing the entire valley in a golden glow. After a brief tour, we gathered around a weathered oak table set with wine glasses too numerous to count.

Wine Cellar

Debbie and I bellied up to the table and learned to twirl, sniff (rather forcefully I must admit) and sip a variety of wines. There was one that I particularly liked and eventually purchased a bottle to take home. It was Casa Rivas’ Gran Reserva Carmenére, made from Chile’s own signature grape. The story goes that this red varietal disappeared from European vineyards in the mid-19^th century and reappeared among Chile’s Merlot vines a hundred years later. It has a spicy aroma that I learn is provided by being aged in French oak barrels.

For more on Carmenére, the Bordeaux of Chile, and its storied history, visit http://chilean-wine.suite101.com/article.cfm/carmenre_the_bordeaux_of_chile

Debbie and I board the vintage train and grab seats up in the front of the car which our group has been assigned. Burgundy velvet seats and wood paneling gives the 1913 train a nostalgic feel.

Debbie and I having fun on board the Tren del Vino! Look at Maggie dancing at the Santa Cruz Train Station!

I must admit I’ve never been much of a train person …it brings me back to family vacations when my three children were toddlers. My husband and I — thinking a train journey would be fun for the kids (or at the very least lull them into a nap) – would opt for a journey through the White Mountains of New Hampshire or the cranberry bogs of Cape Cod. It was never pretty. Sure, they were excited…especially when the whistle blasted and the first tug of the engine jerked us out of the After that, the inevitable, “Are we there yet?”. Try explaining that there is no “end destination” to 5, 4 and 2 year old children! It’s just a ride, I’d tell them. No, not like Disney. They were clearly not amused.

But with my kids back home in Rhode Island thousands of miles from Chile’s Colchagua Valley, I am free to enjoy the relaxed rhythm of a train journey without the whining. Almost immediately, a stream of young ladies comes through our car to distribute wine glasses for our tasting of rosé, white and red wines followed by cubes of cheese and fresh fruit on skewers to cleanse the palate I presume. I quickly find out that my traveling companion is more partial to sweet rosé wine while I prefer a full-bodied red. We drink them all, of course! Next, warm empanadas nestled in a large woven basket are handed out—yum! These small fried pastries with fillings like ground beef, cheese, onions and sometimes bits of egg and olive—watch the pit!—are a Chilean staple. While we savor our munchies and swirl our wine, two gentleman wearing what appear to be sombreros serenade us; one plays the guitar and they both sing their way down the aisle of our car.

Maggie taking a picture with Kevin our tour manager...Debbie and I posing for a photo...Collette passengers Marion and Marjorie enjoying the train ride.

View from the window of the train...Santa Cruz Train stop, I love the bright yellow color...Debbie says hi from the train!

A nice feature of this vintage train is that the windows can be opened to let in a nice breeze.  My nerves, however, are beginning to fray watching Debbie stick her head out to catch the perfect photo of the train’s locomotive engine up ahead. Finally, a branch grazes her cheek and she wisely pulls her head back inside. I guess it’s my motherly instincts surfacing (to clarify, though, I am not old enough to be her mother!) Next thing I know, Debbie–who clearly enjoys trains–is pulling me through the sliding doors that connect the cars. I find myself thrust into that loud, rocking, open area where I am certain one sharp turn could land us both on the tracks! All for the sake of a photo!

Collette Passengers Dottie and Marion taking a picture...Debbie pretending she is stopping the train.

Two hours later the train pulls into Santa Cruz station. Passengers spill from the cars to watch a short, lively performance. Colorful musicians accompany a man dressed in a poncho and black hat who is doing his best to woo a maiden in a swirling dress.  Even our own Maggie gets pulled into the action and does a fine job dancing the traditional cueca!

and board a motor coach bound for a luncheon and tour at the Viña (means vineyard) Santa Cruz outside the village of Lolol.

Upon arriving, our group contemplates–and conquers–the rather steep hill that leads to the glass-sided restaurant overlooking the steep hills surrounding both sides of the valley. Some opt to take a nice slow pace up the hill’s steep incline while others take the offer of a ride in a small pick up whick turns out to be a thrill ride all its own. Debbie and I watch as the driver backs up a few hundred yards, revs the engine, and guns it up the hill. The small engine strains against the incline but safely deposits our passengers at the top.

Lunch at the Santa Cruz Restaurant...great food and an amazing view!

However you get to the top, the view is worth the effort! We lunch on grilled meat (that was cooked nearby over an open fire) accompanied by colorful salads and regional side dishes.

Next, we tour the mansion that houses the winery but to be honest the food and wine has made my attention wander and I don’t remember much about what was discussed—sorry!

Maggie in Santa Cruz wine cellar... and the group touring!

What I do remember is Max telling me that the owner of Santa Cruz vineyard is a big proponent of Chilean culture which probably explains the curious, mock indigenous village that we get to by boarding an aerial tram – a “time machine” that floats our group to  the top of Chaman Hill.

Aerial Tram

Here we tour replicas of three dwellings built by indigenous tribes:  Mapuche from Chile’s south; Aymará from the north and Easter Islanders. In each dwelling there are displays of clothing, jewelry, domestic tools and other objects to bring to life that distinct culture. Debbie gets a bit too close for comfort to a llama (pronounced “yama”) but we get the photo before he nips her. Before making our descent, I ask Max why the entrance to the Easter Island dwelling, which resembles an upside down canoe, is proportioned for a 5-year old. “Home security system,” he tells me. Intruders entering on their knees are not in the best position to attack.

I am not sure anything could top today.

-Melissa