Algorrobo

Looking to steal away one last summer beach day, Matt and I got up early one Saturday morning and hopped on the bus to Algorrobo.  Coronvirus was a distant threat, so we purell'ed our hands extra and tried not to touch much on the bus... little did we know it would soon take over life.  

We had so much fun, we only took one picture all day- it's of Matt eating an Empanada.

Matt and a Cheese and Shrimp Empanada

Algorrobo was originally recommended to us by friends because it is just an hour outside of Santiago.  Unfortunately, we quickly learned that buses do not go directly there.  Rather, they run a loop that takes you south of Algorrobo and then wind their way back up the coast, which doubles the trip duration.  The only good news about this route is that the way home back to Santiago is direct.  Buses only run clockwise.

Karen had put some extra effort into online research to select a bus route that went directly to Algorrobo- the listed travel time was 1 hour and 20 minutes.  However, when we got to the bus terminal we were told that that bus was the same as all others.  Its arrival time was just inaccurate.  Oh well.

Once in Algorrobo, we enjoyed our day completely on foot.  The bus terminal is a 20-minute walk from the beach.  Karen desperately needed to use the restroom, and all restaurants along the way turned her down even when she offered to pay generously.  This town takes its bathroom privacy seriously.  Eventually, we made it to a food court that granted anyone from the public the privilege of paying double the normal Santiago price to use the restroom.  Meanwhile, Matt purchased a couple empanadas from a highly recommended spot.  They were tasty, but nothing special.

The real gem of the day was the beach!  The water was a clear turquoise blue, and the coast was dotted with large rocks that broke the waves and created nice gentle spots for wading.  Beaches near Santiago tend to be cold (think Northern California beaches), but the water was comfortable to get in with the summer heat.  Vendor stalls line the coast, and we rented a couple chairs to settle in for the afternoon.  We also indulged in a large palmier, which Algorrobo is mysteriously known for.  We chose not to go, but boats departed every hour for a tour of a local island with penguins. A man on a dock promoted the tour incessantly by yelling at crowds through a large cone.

Karen thought the seaweed was pretty so she left some on her legs to dry in the sun.  Matt thought it would be funny to sell like Cuban cigars which are rolled on women's thighs.  Maybe the joke was funnier in person than written on this blog...

After we got our fill of the beach, we walked about 10 minutes north to get some fried fish for dinner.  Again, the restaurant was highly recommended, but we didn't think it was anything special.  

Next stop, the largest pool in the world.  Unfortunately, only a small section of the pool is open due to sanitation and safety issues.

The largest pool in the world.  Photo taken from Pinterest.

Not wanting to get back home too late, we walked back to the bus terminal.  Overall, a fun, exploratory day at the beach! We'd love to go back next summer! Assuming there isn't a global pandemic...

Tereré

While in Chile, I've adopted the habit of drinking a tea called yerba mate for my morning caffeine boost.  It's a funny switch since most Santiaguinos don't consume mate themselves.  However, mate is consumed in southern Chile and neighboring countries including Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil so it is somewhat present in Santiago culture.

Although I normally think of mate being served hot, we recently learned that in Paraguay and parts of Argentina and Brazil, people drink a cold preparation of mate called tereré.  In addition to water and ice, tereré is jazzed up with juice.  We've read that pineapple juice, lime, and lemon are popular.  I'm personally a big fan of the orange juice and ginger combination.

We purchased our tereré from a mate store in a northern province of Argentina called Misiones, where mate is cultivated.  The store clerk told us that you can use any mate leaves for tereré, but the bags that specifically call out tereré are cut larger to allow for more ideal steeping in cold water versus hot.

If spiked, I think tereré could be the next hipster cocktail in San Francisco.