Coquimbo, Chile (Monday, March 05)

It was somewhat foggy when we sighted land.   As we entered the port, through the haze we saw ISLAND PRINCESS tied up at the only pier.  This was significant to us for two reasons. 

First, there being only one pier and ISLAND PRINCESS taking up its entire length, we would be anchoring rather than docking, therefore having to take a tender to and from shore.  G-r-r-r-r.

More significantly, aboard her was a friend of mine for the past 57 years and his wife who I have known nearly as long.  And Pam has enjoyed knowing them both for 40 years. 

I fired off e-mail and text messages in the hope of connecting with them. 

My attempts having failed, we stuck to our plan to go on our scheduled tour.  Not to get ahead of myself, but in hindsight spending all day standing on the pier looking for our friends might have been more interesting.  

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Today's Tour: PETROGLYPHS AND VINEYARDS IN THE LIMARI VALLEY

We depart from the pier and drive south on the Pan-American Highway, along the coast and past beautiful beaches such as La Herradura, Las Tacas, and Guanaqueros. As we leave the coast behind, we will observe the permanent thick fog known as camanchaca, or coastal clouds, above the hillside, a phenomenon that produces moisture in this area. Then, going inland to the east, we will see crops of "pepino", here called sweet cucumber - and the raising of cattle.

We will drive towards "Enchantment Valley" traveling on a country road. This valley has great archaeological importance, being considered an open-air museum of scientific and cultural interest. The "El  Molle Culture" and other groups of hunters inhabited this valley from circa 2,000 B.C. until A.D. 600. In this area, it is possible to find an incredible and interesting number of petroglyphs depicting masks, heads with antennae, tiaras, sun symbols and snake-like and fish-like shapes deeply engraved in rocks. Also, it is possible to see pictographs of lineal drawings, human beings and other figures in natural paint. We will also have the opportunity of seeing the small cup stones or Piedras Tacitas.

Continue along the Road of Grapes and Vineyards towards Tabalí Vineyard.  The offer from Viña Tabalí consists of eight different types of wine, each one with its own special and distinctive characteristics. The main characteristic present in its two lines; Reserve and Special Reserve; is that both were prepared "over a slow fire" as a result of a very moderate climate where the maximum and minimum temperatures are not extreme and where there is scanty rainfall.  You will have an informative visit of the winery followed by a wine tasting. 

You will re-board your coach and return to Coquimbo.

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Our guide Judith met us at the bus door.  Anticipating that the in smaller ports English speaking guides could be less fluent and more difficult to understand, it was a bit of a surprise to have her greet us with a very proper British accent.  We later learned that she had married a Chilean.  When she moved to Coquimbo she spoke limited Spanish, so being a tour guide was one of only a few job options.  Luckily for us, twenty years later she was still a guide. 

Clearly understanding every word Judith said, we left Coquimbo heading for Enchantment Valley, about a one-hour drive.  Along the way Judith pointed out a variety of sights and provided an interesting monologue about the area. 

Third Millenium Cross Monument

One of my take-aways was that some years back the Chilean government had implemented a program to stop the incursion of the Atacama Desert into this area of Chile.  Thousands of a thorny plant with a deep root system and minimal water need were planted.  The project was successful.

Turning off the Pan-American Highway, we went inland a short distance on a secondary road, then down a dirt road to Tabali Vineyard.  

Tabali is a modern, progressive operation with vineyards in many locations within the district.  It has 'distinctive' wines due to the unique mineral mixture in the various soils.  

This was the general theme of the sales pitch, and this stop was a sales pitch.  There was no tour of the vineyard.  We saw some barrels.  We went down into a 'wine cellar' that was not used for storage.  There was a long mural painted by a 19-year-old artist.  We turned into a large room. We sat at a conference table to view a public relations video about distinctive Tabali wines.  We were told this room was where the family met to discuss weighty issues relating to the future of the vineyard.  It looked more to me like a snotty venue for a corporate retreat or an expensive private dinner with wine pairing; probably both.

We walked to the far end of the cellar to admire a piece of art.  We were told that it that captured the essence of the petroglyphs we would be seeing later in the tour.  

Huh?

Back along the 'cellar' we turned right, went through a door and found ourselves outdoors again. Our tour into the making of Tabali wines had come to a screeching halt.

We followed a short upward path back to the patio from which we had taken the stairs down into the cellar.  There were two varieties of wine available for tasting along with some quite good local foods.  Those who tried the wines seemed to think that the red had some personality and that the white at $7.00 a bottle was overpriced.

Pam had a near miss, tripping on a slight edge between floor surfaces masked by a shadow.  Fortunately she had the presence of mind and accompanying quick reflexes to push away the glass she was holding so that she did not fall on it.  She arose embarrassed but uncut.  The next morning she had some stiffness in one leg that worked itself out as the day went on. 

Onward to the petroglyphs. 

The holes in stones were apparently done by tribes that came down from their home their Andes Mountains.  While the 'why' they made them stimulated intellectual (ceremonies involving a hallucinogenic beverage being among the options), the works themselves were of little interest.  

From there we moved to more intricate...and hard to see...ones.

By far the most visible petroglyph, and not coincidentally the logo for Tabali Vineyards. A cynic might be suspicious.

Time passes quickly when you're having fun which explains why this tour seemed to be so long.  Thankfully, it was now time for the one-hour return trip to Coquimbo.

Bravo to our guide Judith for a good show throughout the trip conveying interesting information about the area and doing all she could to make the two stops on the tour interesting.   

Back at the pier, and still unable to connect with our friends on ISLAND PRINCESS, we got on a tender back to SIRENA.  About an hour later she weighed anchor and steamed out to sea.  

Two hours after our departure, my friend e-mailed me, "DAMN!"