Nobel-prize-winning writer Pablo Neruda called Valparaiso “mi ciudad desordenada,” or “my disorganized city,” according to my guide from Chilean tour company Ruta Chile. But don’t think that’s an insult; after all, this city’s wonderful informality — most noticeable in the seemingly random array of fascinating historic architecture on its winding hills — is what makes…
Category: Chile
In Santiago and Valparaíso, Graffiti and Street Murals are Vibrant Works of Art
Street art and graffiti are vibrant in the Bellavista district in Santiago de Chile. BY MARK CHESNUTIn most parts of Chile, citizens and property owners — as in many parts of the world — frown upon graffiti and street murals. But that’s not the case in two of Chile’s most artistically interesting neighborhoods: the Casco…
HOTEL REVIEW: The Aubrey, Santiago de Chile
I’m staying for four nights as a guest at Santiago’s hottest new boutique hotel: The Aubrey. Set in a mansion built in the 1920s in Santiago’s now Bohemian Bellavista district, the Aubrey (which just made Conde Nast Traveler’s 2010 “Hot List“) sits at the foot of the Parque Metropolitano’s funicular railway and just around the…
Quirky Furnishings, an Artist’s Life and a Nation’s History: Pablo Neruda’s Home in Santiago
“A lot of people think that being a writer, a poet, Pablo Neruda would be boring or stuffy,” says Gonzalo, my tour guide at the home of Chile’s most celebrated writer, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1971. “But that’s not true. He was a cool guy. He was a party guy.” The…
Arriving in Santiago de Chile, and all is well
Santiago’s airport is up and running fine. It’s 8am, and I’m sitting on a private balcony at the foot of the Parque Metropolitano, a verdant, hilly city park in Santiago de Chile. I’ve just checked into the Hotel Aubrey, a new luxury boutique hotel set in a former private mansion. I’ve just landed in Chile’s…
Indie Music Compilation Benefits Chile Recovery
U.S.-based Nacional Records, a label that specializes in alternative Latin music (including groups like Fabulosos Cadillacs, Aterciopelados and Manu Chao), has released a compilation of music called Fuerza Chile, with all the profits going to benefit victims of the recent earthquake.The collection features an eclectic array of Chilean artists, including Los Tres, Francisca Valenzuela and Javiera…
Traveling to Chile: The Latest
Looking at the Bright Side: Santiago, about 36 hours after the quake. (Courtesy of Santiago Adventures) The earthquake that struck Chile on February 27 has kept the destination in the news for the past few days, as reports of damage and casualties continue to make headlines. So should you cancel your next trip? The U.S….
The Disaster in Chile
My thoughts and best wishes go out to all the people affected by the massive earthquake that has struck Chile. Tragedies like this are difficult to fathom, especially when new information is still coming in. I’m sticking close to the TV and the computer screen. Santiago’s international airport remains closed for now, and LAN Airlines,…
Sports Illustrated Models Show Off Chile in Photoshoot
Chile’s Atacama Desert made for a dramatic backdrop for this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, which hits newsstands this week. Four of the models — Julie Henderson, Daniella Sarahyba, Irina Shayk, and Zoe Duchesne — traveled to the Atacama Desert and posed at the Alta Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa. Photos were made on guest…