South from Vapareiso

After a transfer  back to Santiago we picked us our hire car in Santiago Airport (after a row with the company who tried to give us a car without a/c in a heatwave) and after some initial difficulty finding our way out of the city because of the lack of signs and just different road layouts e.g. no roundabouts making getting on and off motorways particularly confusing, we eventually found our road for Santa Cruz in the central valley/Colchagua wine area.

The countryside was green and lush, following the Maipu river, then scrub hillside on one side, snow capped peaks on the other. We again stayed in a vineyard, near Santa Cruz, great to be able to walk through the vines in the evening to local restaurants; good stargazing including the best shooting star we have ever seen.

We also visited the Museo de Colchagua, funded by the inventor of cluster bombs apparently but a extensive collection of pre and post Columbian artefacts and also the canister that bought up the 33 Chilean miners alive in 2010 after over 70 days from deep underground which became a important symbol for the Chilean people.

Museo de Conchagua

Vineyard accommodation 

A tasting at Lapostelle Clos Apalta and a very long lunch overlooking their vineyards was throughly decadent.

We then had a short drive to Curico, to the Mapayampay Lodge Gastronomic, the clue being in the name, our hostess being Concho y Toro’s executive chef. Really in the middle of nowhere and an interesting drive to get there. More serious eating and drinking followed at least balanced with swimming and a proper walk in a remote  mountain area near the Argentina border ( intended rafting impossible because river too high).

Lapostella ; not a grand piano in sight.

Nerve-racking bridge crossing!