Deep South Road Trip #5

Monday 23rd April

Our beds were far too comfortable but we had arranged for breakfast at 9am so we hauled ourselves up, enjoyed a fantastic shower - the power should be good, there’s a water tower in the middle of town!.  We had been offered the choice of pancakes or grits.  Our lack of enthusiasm for grits was met with an attempt at persuasion but we were not to be convinced. Blueberry and pecan pancakes it was (well, just pecan for Mia) with fresh fruit, fresh coffee and proper tea.  It was a veritable feast!  It was a bit of a shame our host did’t join us for breakfast as I’d have loved to chat with her about the house and it’s history. (Tip for budding AirBnB hosts; your guests do not want to chat when it’s late and they have been travelling and are tired.  They do want to chat when they are rested).

We wanted to see some of the town in daylight but we were very aware that we were still three hours from New Orleans (I don’t think we considered just how far it was when we planned) and didn’t want to hang around for too long.  We didn’t get a chance to properly visit any of the antebellum houses but we followed the green city trail for a time and then shifted onto the blue one back to the car.  The walking routes had information routes on the way showing photos of buildings both past and present.  I was particularly intrigued by the Eola Hotel, a grand old building on Main St which looks like it’s been left derelict for quite a few years.  It’s not really ever been my kind of thing but I can fully imagine spending a massive lottery win on buying and renovating it.  The information board talked of the famous guests of the past and mentioned it had reopened in 1982 but the board clearly needs updating.  I was rather taken with it even in it’s sad state.

The drive back to New Orleans was largely uneventful apart from me misjudging a lane and nearly coming a cropper (it would be typical after two weeks without incident!).  I drew the short straw of driving around the narrow streets of the French Quarter.  We left the car with the valet and checked into the Bourbon Orleans hotel.  This is one of the nicest hotels in the area and on the junction of Bourbon and Orleans so right in the thick of the action.  It was a final birthday treat for us both to stay in a “proper” hotel.  As soon as we got in we went back out – we had shopping to do!

As I mentioned back on our first day in New Orleans we both admired the paintings on display around Jackson Square but sadly it seemed many of the artists were only set up there for the festival.  Slightly disappointed we instead took a walk down Royal St, trying to avoid the expensive art shops with works starting at $1000.  We had found a shop selling more reasonable pieces and I think we had both previously admired the work of M Sani which showed black silhouettes of jazz musicians against various colour backgrounds.  I spent quite a while choosing (it was more reasonable but still not a small investment!).  Should I pick the purple which would go better with the colour scheme of my house or the more vibrant red or yellow?  I walked away to think about it, thought about sleeping on it but that wasn’t needed.  In the end I decided co-ordination was far less important than the one that made my heart sing so it was the red and yellow one.

Mia was even more impulsive over her choice of mask after looking at thousands of them.  She also wanted some more Mardi Gras beads and I picked up something slightly silly for my nieces.  Done with purchases it was another flit back to the room to change for the evening.  Although we were at the heart of the French Quarter we wanted to experience the slightly calmer atmosphere of the Marigny district and specifically Frenchman St.  We had dinner in the Marigny Brasserie accompanied by the Good For Nothing Band who played their own material in a jazzy, almost ska-esque style.  The songs were both fun and funny.  Service was a bit poor to start with but the food was damn fine.  I even got dessert – we had noted that the portions had been so huge we never had room for dessert and I was dying for proper American pecan pie.  I’m sure Mia’s brownie was bigger than my steak!

When we left the restaurant there was a brass band outside which we enjoyed, then had a stroll around the little art and craft market there.  We briefly stepped into the Spotted Cat Music Club but we seemed to be making a habit of turning up at places just as a band was finishing (it must have happened 5-6 times over the holiday!). It’s quite hard with all of these hives of music and nightlife because you have so many choices on where to drink and you want to try them all and it’s difficult to make a decision.  Maison eventually got our vote as a band was just about to start.  They were absolutely superb with a totally incredible singer who did amazing renditions of Proud Mary and Shout.  As she moved onto some ballads however I needed to move before I dropped asleep.

We returned to Bourbon St which had quite a different atmosphere on a Monday night.  The music booming from the bars into the street was very much more hip-hop based.  We found our favourite band from the Famous Door at a different venue but, surprise surprise, they were just two songs from the end of their set.  Mia got a photo with a couple of sailors who were in town for Navy Week.  We danced to the hip-hop that followed the band while it was old school but started to lose interest when they played anything from the last 10 years (I am 40 you know?!).  I was done.  It was pizza and bed for me.  Not even karaoke could keep me out.  We got back but Mia wasn’t ready to stop so she nipped back out but returned just 15 minutes later as the karaoke had finished.

Tuesday 24th April

Our holiday was coming to an end.  We did a final pack, getting all of our souvenirs in.  I carefully wrapped my painting in a few layers of clothes and put it in my hand luggage.  We had our breakfast at Café Beignet – we would have also had some beignets but the queue was too long and we had to request our car from the valet and check out.  After our previous airport experiences I was getting a little bit tetchy.  I needn’t have worried.  Dropping the car off was a breeze (although navigating to the nearest gas station to fill up was less so!).  No queues at check in so the bags were dropped and we were very happy when the assistant told us we wouldn’t need to collect them until London!  Easy enough through security and then we found a lovely little wine bar to rest until our flight.

Our transfer was via Chicago.  We had to change terminals and quickly spoke to BA check in to see if we could amend our seats as we hadn’t been able to choose them on check in.  She kept us on the same row but moved us from window / centre to aisle / centre in the hope no-one would choose the single seat.  She also said there was plenty of space on the flight so we felt happy we’d done the best we could to snag a “spare” seat.  We had a very tasty burger and I spent some time diary writing.  Our take-off was slightly delayed departing but we did get that spare seat!  I finished watching Downsizing which I didn’t quite complete on the flight from Miami but generally wanted to try to sleep after food (which we almost got missed out for!).  I dozed rather than slept.

We were obviously due some good karma on our return after our difficult outgoing journey.  Even our bags were more or less the first off the plane!  Once through customs and properly back in Blighty it was time to say our goodbyes.  Mia had a coach to catch and I had to traverse London to Euston for the train.

I feel the need to write a concluding paragraph but it’s hard to sum everything up in a few words.  We had the most incredible time.  We saw places we had dreamed of for years.  Indeed, some of my favourite moments were just sitting in these legendary places, drink in hand, soaking up the atmosphere, smiling to myself and saying, “wow, I’m really here”.  We had crossed 5 states, visited 4 cities and driven 1368 miles (at a cost of less than £50 in fuel!).  We experienced a wealth of food and music.  We didn’t get in any trouble (we didn’t even SEE any trouble), get arrested or get lost.  Most importantly we didn’t fall out.  I had the best time in the best company of one of my oldest friends.  It really was the trip of a lifetime.

Deep South Road Trip #4

Thursday 19th April

After our late night in Nashville we were late to rise and finally checked out at 11am.  Instead of taking the direct route to Memphis we wanted to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway.  This is an ancient track that has been used down the ages for many purposes and was preserved at the beginning of the 20th Century.  The 444 mile road is now maintained by the National Park Service.  It took us a long time to find the beginning of the Trace, using a combination of the SatNav (which we were still struggling with), maps and guidebooks we finally got onto the right road.  The entrance to the Trace itself was well marked and we think we entered right at the beginning (or rather by the mile markers, at the end).

We stopped quite a few times along the Trace for photo opportunities.  First was the Double Arch Bridge which was completed in 1996.  Next we took a detour into Leiper’s Fork which I think we could have spent quite a few hours in if didn’t feel like we had only just left.  There were lots of antique and curio shops and an good looking restaurant but we only really had time for a few photos.  We managed to stay on the road for 17 miles before finding another place we wanted to stop.  Water Valley Overlook was a lovely place for our picnic (well a couple fo sandwiches, some crisps and cookies).  There were then two beautiful waterfalls we stopped at, Jackson Falls and Fall Hollow Waterfall.  The whole journey was idyllic, we practically had every stop to ourselves.  I can imagine at the height of summer it would be really busy.

Just after crossing into Alabama we wanted to look at the Wichahpi Commerative Stone Wall but it had shut 15 minutes before we got there.  It was after 4pm and we were still 2 hours from Memphis so we routed the SatNav directly there and resumed our journey.  We drove down an incredibly boring road just south of the Tennessee border and got into Memphis around 7pm.

The instructions to get into our next Air BnB read a bit like a Crystal Maze puzzle but we made it in.  This one was very smartly decorated with exposed brickwork and in varying shades of grey and silver.  Rather industrial and definitely decorated by a man!  We needed food and Gus’ World Famous Fried Chicken was just around the corner.  This was the most incredible fried chicken I have ever had.  Seriously.  I don’t think I could ever eat KFC again.

Friday 20th April

We had so much on our list to do in Memphis but there were two really important museums to see and we planned to prioritise one each day.  Today we had tickets to Graceland.  A shuttle bus to Elvis’ home went from the Memphis Rock & Soul Museum which was close to our apartment As we waited for the bus a marching band  parade came down nearby Beale St and stopped all the traffic.  We were a bit worried that the parade would mean we would miss our 11:15 slot (although our ticket would still be valid all day) but we didn’t have a problem and were ushered into a small cinema to see a short film profiling Elvis before boarding a bus to cross the road to Graceland itself.

We were furnished with iPads and headphones and entered through the front door.  The tour goes in a specific sequence and it was very busy and crowded.  We started on the ground floor (the tour doesn’t go to the first floor as this was always considered the family’s private space).  The two rooms at the front, the living room and dining room are decorated similarly in white and cream sight he same blue and gold drapes throughout.  The living room also had some beautiful peacock stained-glass windows.  We also saw Elvis’ parents bedroom – Graceland was in part the fulfilment of a promise he made to his parents that he would look after them and buy them a nice place to live.  Elvis’ love for his parents is clear throughout the complex reflected in the two onsite restaurants being called Gladys’ and Vernon’s after them.

Behind the dining room we were led through the kitchen which was fitted out in dark wood.  Our audioguide included input from Elvis’s daughter Lisa-Marie who talked about this being a real hive of activity and that there were always staff making food for someone.  We briefly saw the famous “jungle room” before heading downstairs to the TV room, decorated in blue and yellow and with three TV sets and a bar.  This was attached to a pool room which was quite horribly decorated in a dark but garish pleated material on all of the walls and the ceiling.  The stairs back up had a deep green shagplie carpet on the walls and led us properly back to the ground floor and the jungle room.  It struck me how light and airy the rooms at the front (shown as they would have been when Elvis first decorated the property in the 50s) are but how dark the rooms at the back (representing the décor of the 70s) are.  Maybe a little representative of Elvis’ state of mind?

From the jungle room we went outside to Vernon’s office (Elvis’ dad managed many of his financial affairs).  We saw the paddock – Elvis had a great love of horses – then went to what was once the Trophy Room but now has exhibits items profiling the Presley family history and his wife and child.  Home videos were playing and it showed an idyllic life at Graceland.  Interestingly it very much glossed over his divorce from Priscilla and descent into ill health.  The tour came past the swimming pool (surprisingly small!) and into the Racketball Room.  The audioguide tells a very romanticised version of Elvis’ death – that he came here for a game of racketball, played a couple of songs on is piano here for his friends then went back to the house to rest before a concert that night.

The tour then goes back outside to the graves of Elvis, his parents and paterna grandmother who outlived them all.  The Meditiation Garden was created during Elvis’ lifetime and was a place he came to for peace.  I hope he finally found it.

On the bus back to the complex I reflected on how well the house tour was laid out chronologically  (indeed it’s just occurred to me how you see the 50s décor, then progress to the 70s décor).  We had lunch at Gladys’ Diner – I had to try Elvis’ favourite peanut butter and banana toasted sandwiches!  We then went through the other exhibits of stage costumes, detailing Elvis’ life in the army (he roughed it apparently by staying in a nearby hotel!) and a showroom of his cars, some of which had to be retrieved after they were sold on.  Finally we had 15 minutes to look at his planes before the hourly bus was leaving.  There is one smaller plane but the larger Lisa-Marie was much more impressive and you can walk right through the middle of the plane which is really cool.

The shuttle bus loops round to Sun Studios but we had stayed at Graceland much longer than expected (it was about 3pm) and decided to give it a miss.  Back at the Rock and Soul Museum we walked up a block for our first experience of Beale St.  The sun was shining and the bars were already thronging with people and music.  We dropped into a bar on with a garden and I had a Big Ass Beer which turned out to be a Big Ass Mistake.  I think it was about 2 pints, I’m a bit of a lightweight for beer and I hadn’t eaten much that day!

One absolute “must-do” in Memphis is to see the ducks at the Peabody Hotel.  The ducks are resident and live in their own apartment on one of the upper floors but spend the day in the hotel’s atrium and fountain.  At 11am they are ceremoniously walked from the lift to the fountain, and at 5pm they are ceremoniously walked back again.  As we walked toward the Peabody, Mia was sceptical as to whether this really was a thing.  It was definitely a thing!  The hotel lobby and bar area was packed with many people who had got there earlier and staked their claim to a view from the balcony.  We actually managed to get a place by the lift which meant we could see the ducks just before they disappeared back to their abode.  There was a long announcement about the history of the duck’s residency but it was hard to hear all of the details.  The “parade” itself was brief but we did manage to get some photos and video.

We were trying to find a grocery store so we could pick up some breakfast supplies but it seemed that, like Nashville, stores in town simply don’t exist.  One “convenience store” near the Peabody provided tea but no milk of bread.  Another “market and deli” near our apartment was definitely only deli.  Still, tea and creamer were procured and we headed home to change for the evening.

Back out and back on Beale St I really wanted to take in B.B. King’s Blue Bar.  We eventually got a table - unfortunately it was right next to the organ on the stage meaning we had a rubbish view but it was exceedingly loud.  The bands we saw however were absolutely superb.  We ordered some food but I could already tell the worst thing (for me) had happened – that Big Ass Beer had zapped my appetite!  I had a huge plate of delicious BBQ pulled pork in front of me but I could only pick at it and drink a lot of water to rehydrate.  I was tired but still had the energy to get up and dance a few times (one definite advantage of being sat right by the stage!). We had originally planned to take in a few bars but decided to stay where we were until we wanted to go home.  The lovely waiting staff boxed up my pulled pork so I could enjoy it again later.

Saturday 21st April

When we originally planned this trip I was thinking about the music, the food and the people we would encounter.  It wasn’t until I really started to research that I realised how entrenched the Civil Rights Movement was (and in some ways still is) in this area.  In particular I don’t think I really registered that Martin Luther King Jr was shot in Memphis until the memorials on the 50th anniversary of his death came around at the beginning of the month.  The National Civil Rights Museum is located in the Lorraine Motel where Dr King was assassinated in 1968.  It was an absolutely essential place to visit and just a few minutes walk from our apartment.  We spent absolutely hours in here (and we only actually completed half of the museum.  The first section was actually a temporary exhibit marking the anniversary but even this took us nearly an hour.  It gave lots of background on the politics and history of the Southern States and really helped to give us context, especially as it’s a history we are somewhat unfamiliar with.  It also profiled the owners of the motel at the time, Walter and Loree Bailey and how they had a very successful business as this was one of the few motels that allowed black people.  Many touring musicians at the time used the motel including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Otis Redding.  Loree suffered a stroke just hours after Dr King’s death and died herself five days later.  The motel, having now gained an unwanted notoriety, declined in business and was bought by the Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation following foreclosure in 1982.  The museum opened in 1991.

The permanent exhibition began with the story of how black people were shipped to the newly colonised continent of America by the European settlers and traders, primarily English, Spanish, French and Dutch.  The conditions for these people were appalling and I felt a sense of shame at my country’s part right at the beginning of this story.  This was followed by a short film talking about the struggle for civil rights for black people in the United States.  The museum then continued in a chronology through emancipation, the Civil War, the Jim Crow era and the various court cases and protests which eventually led to a number of laws to force equality between black and white people.  This culminated with Lyndon Johnson pushing through the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Most interesting were the stories of individuals who were prepared to put their lives on the line to obtain their rights to be treated equally.  Throughout the exhibits, Dr King’s doctrine of peaceful protest reigns, largely through sit-ins and marches.  The galvanisation of students and organisation of the community through church groups was inspiring and you really got a sense that even the most oppressed people can make a huge difference to the world.  There was so much of the whole era that I was not really aware of.

The tour of the main building culminates at rooms 307 and 306 where Dr King and his entourage were staying on that fateful day for the Memphis sanitation workers march.  We could look out onto the balcony where he was shot which is commemorated by a wreath.  The story continues beyond his death to the legacy and the ongoing struggles for African Americans up to the election of Barack Obama in 2008.  It concludes with a film showing three civil and human rights campaigners which was further inspiration for me!

We made some purchases in the gift shop and decided to have some lunch (Greek for a change!) while deciding whether to continue with the museum.  The Legacy Building is in the boarding house where the shot is believed to have been fired from but other than that we didn’t feel that it would add a great deal to the huge amount of information we had already consumed.  We chatted to the waitress of the café who told us how she worked at Graceland when it first opened, including a tale of how the airplanes were transported by road to the complex!  We tried and failed to buy some more bread for breakfast and returned home before setting back out for the evening.

As it was early when we headed back out we took a stroll along the Mississippi.  It’s unbelievably huge!  We got some nice snaps of the bridges and boats then headed back in to Saturday night on Beale St.  Our first thought was to eat at Rendezvous BBQ – recommended by a lot of people but not true BBQ as it is dry rub rather than sauced meat.  The wait was quite long so we grabbed a drink (Beale St is similar to Bourbon on a Saturday, lots of bars selling drinks in plastic cups and most people hanging out in the street).  The police presence is huge but friendly and the atmosphere was electric.  We saw a guy backflip almost all the way down the street and couldn’t resist a purchase of fudge from a delectable smelling sweet shop.  We looked at a few places and decided that we’d had our fill of BBQ and that we really ought to have had some Cajun cuisine – probably should have had it in New Orleans rather than Memphis though!  We saw a restaurant doing a Cajun Platter for two which sounded ideal.  We waited at the “Please Wait Here” sign for ages!  Eventually an American group came in – they weren’t for waiting and spoke to a server who said to just take a table.  We’re just too British!  Service was still a bit lacking but did improve.  The food was ok – we both really enjoyed the fried green tomatoes (neither of us had tried them before) and the crawfish etouffee but the chicken was dry and the gumbo was bland.  However the guitarist was a very enjoyable slice of blues.

Being a Saturday night a lot of the bars were charging for entry.  We would have liked to see the Prince tribute but at $15 it was a bit steep.  We ended up in an Irish bar with two pianists who were again brilliant.  All the musicians in all three cities work for tips and many take requests.  I normally struggle to think of something but I decided on Elton John’s Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting for a $5 tip.  The atmosphere was great for a time but oddly seemed to die off relatively early.  We considered moving on elsewhere but we were also aware that we had to drive the following morning so called it a night.

Sunday 22nd April

We finished our meagre rations of bread for breakfast, packed and moved on again.  It was Sunday and we were going to church!  The Full Gospel Tabernacle just outside of Memphis was founded in 1971 by soul singer Al Green.  We wanted to experience a proper gospel church and when I found out that the Reverend Al Green often presides over the services in his church we had to make the stop.  We arrived in good time and waited sheepishly outside the church with clearly the other tourists.  Eventually one church member arrived and invited us in (in that way that says “why are you out here in the rain?  Just come on in!”).  There was a Sunday School in session and – like most of our fellow tourists – we made our way to the back.  The service started almost on time at 11:30 and the Rev Al Green was listed in the order of service as attending but as time went on it was clear he had decided not to head out in the bad weather and his second in command was taking charge.  Slightly disappointing but the experience was still a joyous one.  The band were loud, tight and kept thrumming throughout the service (we’re sure they dropped Diamonds and Pearls by Prince in at one point!). The solo singers were uplifting but the gospel singing itself wasn’t particularly amazing (no harmonies!).  At the end of the day however this was a church service not a concert and we were bombarded with the word of God, verse after verse fully referenced in a very impressive manner.  The energy was palpable and you could see various members of the congregation getting emotional throughout.  We heard stories of one of their members recovering from three gunshot wounds and another who seemingly had a miraculous recovery from lesions on her brain.  I remain somewhat sceptical.  However the welcome was warm and extended to all of us as brothers and sisters.  It would be easy for this church to tire of tourists but we didn’t get that feeling at all.  Two hours later (it really didn’t feel like that long!) the service was over we filed out.  I asked one lady for directions to the restroom and in response I got many a “glory be to God” and a huge hug!  It was a really lovely moment for me (and yes, she did also show me to the restroom!).

The road beckoned.  We got a little more fuel, found a proper shop and bought some bread rolls.  We would have found somewhere more picturesque to eat but it was lunchtime and we were starving so we filled them with my leftover pulled pork from B.B. Kings (it was almost more delicious this time) and got going to Natchez.  We would have liked to have taken the road to Tupelo and picked up the Natchez Trace Parkway almost where we had left it but time was pushing on so we instead we joined it at Jackson.  The Southern Mississippi end of the Trace is a little rougher around the edges than Tennessee due to the softness of the ground and every time we got out for a photo we were accosted by midges.  We may have missed a big chunk out of the middle but we did complete the stunning and end of the Natchez Trace!

Natchez is a tiny city famous for it’s antebellum (pre-Civil War) homes and buildings.  It has been a geographically and strategically important place since the Native Americans with it’s location on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi.  La Perl was our home for just one night, a beautiful Victorian era home owned by Lorraine who was a wonderful hostess.  She suggested we go down “under the hill” for some food and a good bar.  We had a walk towards the river – we’d missed the sunset but the sky was fiery with red and orange which made for some good photos.  We walked south and eventually found the road down but it looked a bit dark and spooky and I really had a bad feeling about it.  I also didn’t fancy climbing the gradient back from river level to 200m above the river later!

However I did really fancy going to the oldest building in Natchez and some say the oldest bar in Mississippi.  It was gone 8pm on a Sunday night and we were a bit worried they would have stopped serving but the time we got there.  The town was practically silent except for the wind and we hadn’t seen much in the way of bars or restaurants.  However our fears were unfounded and the place was open.  They do proper cocktails, many featuring rum distilled next door in the Charboneau Distillery.  The food is a bit proper too, I had a crawfish pot pie which is up there with my favourite things eaten throughout the holiday.  We stayed until closing time (Sunday night, not much past 10pm).

Deep South Road Trip #3

Monday 16th April

We took our time getting up and enjoyed breakfast on the cabin porch.  We eventually packed up and left at about 10am and set the SatNav for the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  The drive wasn’t too bad and after two hours we started to see rockets looming into the sky as we approached.  This museum was Mia’s choice being a bit of a sci-fi fan but I think I probably enjoyed it just as much.  The first exhibitions were more to do with climate change and the history of the center itself.  We had a trip on a flight simulator (haven’t been on one of those for decades!) and grabbed lunch, then headed to the main event.  The Rocket park has 27 rockets and missiles including Saturn I.  From there we entered the Saturn V hall which includes one of only 3 Saturn V rockets in the world.  It was suspended horizontally which gave much more of a sense of the size and scale than the vertical rockets outside.  I think being inside made it seem even more massive - I actually gasped when I first walked in!  The hall detailed the full story of the Apollo missions from Werner over Braun’s beginnings developing the V2 Rocket for Germany in World War 2 to his progression to creating rockets that could send men to the Moon.  Among the artefacts were a chance to sit in the shuttle cockpit (it’s rather snug) and the Airstream that was used to quarantine astronauts on their return from the Moon.  The whole place was fascinating and really gave me a completely new perspective and understanding of the missions and the people behind them.

Before we left we walked around the Shuttle Park which includes the world’s only fully-stacked Space Transportation System that includes two solid rocket boosters, genuine space shuttle main engine nozzles and a genuine external tank.  This probably fascinated me most as it’s the style from the 80s and therefore how I often visualise a space rocket.  The shuttle park itself is a tribute to the Challenger disaster of 1986, one of my earliest “news” memories.

The drive onto Nashville was fairly easy although seemed to take us more on single lane roads rather than the Interstate.  Once we got into our apartment and settled in it was 8pm so we followed our hosts top choice for dinner at Taco Mamacita.  It was a great choice and only 10 minutes walk away.  Our apartment was nice – the bathroom needs some love but there were two very comfy double beds and it was nice not to have to make up a sofa bed for a change!

Tuesday 17th April

We hadn’t had the chance to pick up anything for breakfast so 20 minutes walk away was the highly recommended Pancake Pantry.  About time I had bacon and syrup pancakes!  There was a bit of a queue but it was worth the wait.  We then took the bus into Downtown.  This is where we noticed how poor the bus information was here.  Very nondescript bus stops with no timetables or any detail of what buses would stop there.  The bus station was near the Musicians Hall Of Fame which was my only must-do in Nashville so we went to tick it off.

The Musicians Hall Of Fame has two sections.  The first takes you through the histories of some of the big music centres of the USA.  In addition to Nashville it profiles Memphis and Detroit.  I really liked that they didn’t just focus on the big stars but profiled the session musicians who played on hundreds of hit records from the major labels of Sun, Stax and Motown.  There are lots of artefacts and instruments with information of what songs they appeared on.

The second part is the Grammy Museum Gallery which was a huge amount of fun.  As well as information on the history of the Grammys this was mostly an interactive experience.  There were opportunities to play guitars, keyboards and sing, simulations of recording studios and DJing.  There are video interviews with top performers and producers which give a fantastic insight into the work that goes into creating a record.

From the Hall Of Fame we took a walk along the Cumberland River towards Broadway.  We came through Fort Nashborough, a replica of a fort that stood nearby during the American Civil War.  The sun was shining and it was nice to stroll along the river but we were definitely ready for a drink when we reached Broadway.  This is the main drag of bars in Nashville with live music pouring out of every open window.  We took to a rooftop bar for a beer and some fries – it was very windy and I was worried that even my pint would blow over!  We continued our walk down Broadway and then took a left towards the Country Music Hall of Fame and Walk of Fame.  We wouldn’t have time for the Hall of Fame itself but had a look at all the stars so we could at least tick it off!

Back to Broadway we stopped at Rippy’s for some ribs and a terrific acoustic duo.  We then walked back towards the bus station and the War Memorial Auditorium as we had tickets to see Weird Al Yankovic as part of the Nashville Comedy Festival.  Emo Phillips was a very funny opening act.  Weird Al was brilliant too although as a lot of the humour is lyrical we sometimes found it difficult to hear the words.  He closed with a medley of his spoof covers and a full version of his Star Wars inspired version of American Pie.  Post show we waited an age for a bus home but eventually made it back.

Wednesday 18th April

We had breakfast at the Pancake Pantry again – I don’t generally like to go to the same place twice but surely it doesn’t count if you eat something different?  We decided to stroll around the south of Nashville today.  Firstly we headed to Belmont Mansion.  As the next tour wasn’t due to start for 20 minutes we walked around Belmont University first which stand on the what used to be the grounds of the mansion.  It’s a very beautiful and I can imagine an inspiring place to study.  The mansion was built by Adelicia Acklen who was a wealthy widow after her first marriage.  It was built during her second marriage (she eventually married three times and outlived her third husband too).  The house was used as a school after Adelicia’s death and many of the lavish decorations were destroyed and artworks were sold or passed onto Adelicia’s family.  Painstaking work and effort has been put into renovating the house as closely as possible to how it would have been in Adelicia’s day.  Sadly the stairs were being repaired and we couldn’t see the upstairs rooms but they showed us a video of the bedrooms so we didn’t completely miss out.  It’s a project of real care and passion and our guide was enthusiastic and knowledgable.

Our next destination was to walk to Centennial Park which contains a full size version of the Parthenon.  The park was nice enough, we spent a little time lazing and listening to a violinist who was practicing across the lake from us but it was quite windy and a bit chilly.  We finally found a supermarket and grabbed a few supplies (sadly no tea for Mia though!) and returned back to our apartment to rest for a while and get ready for a night out on Broadway.

We took the bus into town and hit the first bar we came to.  The drinks here are really strong – doubles in small glasses with just a splash of mixer.  I’ve definitely got a taste for Jack and Coke (if anything it’s just dead easy to order).  Food was needed and it was raining so we went next door to Jack’s BBQ.  The queue wasn’t quite out the door but it was very busy and we met with someone who used to work there so we figured it must be good.  It operates like a fast food joint, you collect the food then find a table.  We took our food upstairs to view the passers by and both went for brisket which was delicious (I don’t think we’ve actually had any bad food yet!).  After food we crossed the road and took in a bar with a band who were just finishing, then onto a karaoke bar.  Karaoke had to be done at some point!  It was very quiet so we got plenty of songs in and we tried to choose songs that reflected the trip (Proud Mary, Black Velvet, Run Baby Run and Mia even took on some country).  Then we went all disco with a duet of Enough Is Enough.  We got chatting to a group of guys who were in Nashville on business and joined them on stage for Don’t Stop Believing.  Even thought it wasn’t very busy we had a great time and unsurprisingly we were there until it shut!

We went back to Rippy’s mainly because we had their Wifi code and could order an Uber from there.  I couldn’t get Uber working though so I quickly downloaded and registered with Lyft instead.  Our Lyft was already outside and very friendly – a great first experience!

Deep South Road Trip #2

Thursday 12th April

We awoke early – I slept fitfully and I think Mia slept a little better despite having the less comfortable bed.  Mia had chosen the option of the downstairs sofabed so she wouldn’t have to climb the spiral stairs after a late night although I don’t think she considered the fact that the bathroom was also upstairs!  I was very happy with this however as it gave me the chance to unpack.  Once we felt more settled in we took a walk down into the French Quarter and the Festival.

We didn’t choose the most scenic route and ended up walking alongside a 6 lane highway and under a massive underpass (called the Basin, definitely not somewhere to stray late at night).  However we did walk right through the middle of the French Quarter and down Royal St, past many art shops (I could spend a fortune here!).  We chose Pere Antoine’s for breakfast where we both had eggs, bacon and toast.  Mia chose the more sensible accompaniment of fried potatoes whereas I thought I’d better try the local “grits” at least once.  Definitely a one off.  I don’t really feel the need to eat wallpaper paste again!  The rest of the food however was delicious, the service excellent and we sat watching people start to mill around for the parade that marked the start of the festival.

We walked up St Ann St to find a good position on the parade route.  It wasn’t too busy and the parade wasn’t due to arrive for a while so we popped into Boutique de Vampyre, a shop with special interest to Mia who loves stories of the undead.  The hostess was very lovely, explaining that a lot of the articles were made specifically for the shop.  Some of the items were simple and fun but made with care and love.  I bought a small votive which contains a charm and Mia bought a hand carved small leather notebook (fully expecting to return for further shopping on our last day!)

We could hear the Second Line parade in the distance when we came out.  The streets still weren’t overly busy – plenty of people around for atmosphere but we could get a front row spot.  This was largely brass bands marching through the short distance along Bourbon St and then down St Ann St to Jackson Square.  There were also quite a few of the local hotels in the line.  The whole French Quarter Festival is heavily sponsored by local businesses and international chains to keep it free entry.  The festival was started to try to encourage more tourism outside of Mardi Gras season and to support local bands and musicians and is now in it’s 35th year.  We really enjoyed and felt it showed a lot of the heart and soul of New Orleans.

Once the parade had passed we tried to circumvent it by walking to Jackson Square a different way but we didn’t quite achieve it!  The parade arrived at the same time as us and the square was very busy so we ducked into St Louis Cathedral for a quick look around.  It had some nice touches but I often find modern cathedrals less interesting than older ones.  They are certainly less opulent as a rule although his one did have a blinged up statue of the Madonna and Child which seemed to just have two sparkly crowns plonked on their heads!

The streets were a little quieter when we came out.  Jackson Square is surrounded by local artists selling their wares so we walked around to do some window shopping while listening to the music coming from the stage inside the square.  We both would love to take an original piece home as a souvenir.  We then went into the square and started on the frozen cocktails that would keep us inebriated for the next few days!  We watched the Preservation All Stars, gradually making our way closer to the stage.  There were quite a lot of chairs around (my fellow Glastonbury goers will know how irritating that can be!). The atmosphere was terrific though and plenty of people were dancing to the jazz band and cheering the elongated solos.

Once the band finished Mia needed another cocktail and I decided to start on the incredible range of food on offer.  This was brilliant for me as I was getting the chance to try lots of dishes from lots of local restaurants.  It was time to be brave and sample shrimp and alligator cheesecake.  “Cheesecake” turned out to be similar to quiche and alligator, unsurprisingly, tastes a bit like chicken.  I also had a pineapple snoball – shaved ice drenched in pineapple syrup.  We got chatting to a couple from Chicago who, like us had booked a trip without realising the festival was on.

There was a lot more to explore so we headed out of Jackson Square towards the Mississippi.  Near the river we got chatting to a pair of guys from Boston, Shane and Hunter.  We had a great conversation about language and they walked with us towards one of the riverfront stages but we felt they were getting perhaps a little too close from comfort and left them to watch another band while we went to the bar.  I made the executive decision that we should get the refillable bottles – they make great momentoes and they also worked well as water bottles (honest!)  I was grazing food again (a shrimp Po-Boy, the New Orleans equivilant of a sub sandwich).  Again we got chatting, this time to some locals which was brilliant.  The guy had toured the world singing gospel and his daughter had just joined the Navy but it was her friend who did most of the talking and insisted on getting a photo with us.  We knew people would hook onto our accent – we keep being told that people love our accent and I always say that I loooove their accent too!

None of the music was particularly taking our fancy so we walked back along the river towards the French Market.  We were still getting our bearings in the new city and as it was the first day of the festival there was still only a limited amount on.  From the French Market we walked all the way back up Esplanade Avenue (about 30 minutes) to our cottage.

We showered and changed and then headed back out for a night on Bourbon St.  Quick and cheap eats were the order of the evening.  Willie’s Chicken Shack is a bit of a chain but does great fried chicken along with frozen cocktails.  We hit a couple of bars but were starting to feel the effects of a long day in the sun drinking sugary cocktails.  First up was a bar with a soul band with terrible sound levels (loud backing vocals never sound good).  Upstairs was a bar playing more dance music but we mainly went up to get some photos from the balcony!  We called it a relatively early night getting the 10:30pm bus back but as that wasn’t for 20 minutes we very briefly stopped at Famous Door where a rock band were playing.  Much more our style!

Friday 13th April

We had a restaurant booked for lunch so headed towards the Garden District to take in a different part of the city.  Our bus could have taken us all the way but when I found out there was a Felicity St here I had to stop for a few snaps!  We strolled down Jackson and Saint Charles Avenues towards LaFayette Cemetery No.1.  You can see where the Mardi Gras parades come down Saint Charles because there are strings of beads hanging from the trees (it is a tradition for those on the floats to throw the beads to the spectators).  It’s a beautiful tree-lined street with some gorgeous houses and the classic streetcar running through the middle.

The cemetery itself was interesting enough.  I always like to imagine the stories behind the graves, especially as many of these are family graves.  Many movies and TV series have been filmed here but there didn’t appear to be anyone particularly famous.  We still had some time before our lunch appointment so we had a browse around a local photo gallery.

Lunch was at Commander’s Palace, famous for it’s 25c martinis.  The food was fantastic (Mia had beef and cheesecake, I had lamb and soufflé).  However the service sometimes felt a little bit rushed and I was slightly disappointed that our martinis didn’t come in martini glasses.

We had to take the streetcar at least once so we took the oldest running one all the way down St Charles Avenue to Canal St (kind of an equivilant of Oxford St in London).  From here we made our way back to the cottage on the bus to change for the evening.  It’s not too often I’ll find myself dressing up for the day and then dressing down for the evening!

Back out and down to the Riverfront for more of the festival.  More alcoholic slushies and an excellent soul / funk band called Chocolate Milk.  They were clearly a local favourite as the crowd knew a lot of the words and were very excitedly singing along.  However the locals obviously also know of the nightmare of leaving after the show has finished and gradually filtered out towards the end.  Great news for us – we got closer and closer to the front!!!

Chocolate Milk finished around 9pm and we started off planning on NOT going to the tourist trap of Bourbon.  We had a drink in another French Quarter bar but were drawn back into the seedy side.  I think we both knew that Famous Door from night before was worth spending more time in and we were right.  As we arrived they started on Proud Mary (so excited to have heard that in New Orleans!).  The band were tight with a couple of fantastic vocalists and very talented musicians all round.  We had foolishly imagined we would get the last bus and did almost leave at one point but What’s Up by Four Non Blondes hooked us in for another couple of hours.  We left at around 2am, grabbed a slice of pizza (which many passers by spied enviously!). and walked all the way back to our digs.

Saturday 14th April

We knew from the weather forecast that this was not going to be a great day.  We had expected rain but it was just grey and humid when we left the cottage.  We had booked onto a 9:30am tour of St Louis Cemetery #1 and when we arrived at our meeting point our guide Elizabeth told us that the whole Southern area was on tornado watch and that sadly the festival had been cancelled for the day. However the tour would go on and she hoped to have it completed before the rain started.

The tour was a terrific insight into a lot of New Orleans and Louisiana history.  Elizabeth is a native New Orleanian and speaks passionately about her city.  We saw two possible sites where the remains of voodoo queen Marie Laveau may lie.  The Italian monument is very beautiful – much more so than Nicholas Cage’s pyramid shaped monstrosity (let’s just say he’s clearly compensating for something).  The detail of how bodies are placed in the above ground tombs, how quickly they decompose and how they are “bagged and tagged” when the tomb is opened for the next incumbent were morbidly fascinating.  It was also amazing to see the wall tombs and how they marked the way the ground is sinking by about 3 inches every 100 years – the bottom row was half submerged.

As we left the tour the wind was starting to whip up and the rain was just starting to fall.  I sensibly brought my waterproof jacket with me but Mia only had her leather jacket to protect her so we spent most of the rest of the day skipping under as many of the balconies as possible.  We had to try the world renowned beignets at Café du Monde.  There was a queue but it moved forward quickly.  We were shown to a table that hadn’t been cleared and then seemed to wait an age for the table to be cleared and someone to serve us.  The first part almost certainly more time consuming than the first; the mountains of powdered sugar on the beignets gets everywhere!  It was worth the wait though.  The beignets – kind of the original “cronut”, a puff pastry donut – were warm and delicious.

It was becoming clear that today was not going to be worth “waiting for the rain to ease” (I believe about 3-4 inches fell during the day).  It was definitely a day for museums!  First up was the 1850 house.  Set in one of the Pontalba buildings that flank Jackson Square, this is decorated and furnished in an authentic 19th century style and would have been one of 16 apartments on each side of the square.  You could also see the servants quarters and kitchen area and there were brief histories of three of it’s former residents.

After a nosey in the shop we moved round to the Presbytere.  Built next door to St Louis Cathedral, this was originally intended to house the priests but it was never completed to serve that purpose.  Eventually the US government completed the building and it was used as the Louisiana state court for a time before becoming a museum.  It houses two exhibitions.  We started with “Living With Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond”.  The stories of how the storm built, how people evacuated and survived in the immediate aftermath were harrowing but tempered with the inspiring acts of heroism as people with any sort of boat rallied to save as many people from their roofs as possible.  The rebuilding process is still ongoing even 13 years on.

The other exhibition in the museum is about the famous Mardi Gras.  I don’t know if it was tiredness (largely in my feet!) but I found this one oddly a bit muted.  It didn’t really seem to convey the joy and spirit of the festival but it had some interesting information about the origins of the parades, krewes and balls.

We needed something to eat.  We intended to have a snack but I really wanted to try Johnny’s Po Boys, supposedly the best in town and, if I’m honest, I knew it would be a full meal in one.  This tiny place makes the submarine sandwiches fresh and has a small seating area.  I ordered Johnny’s Special which had roast beef and ham and Mia opted for meatballs but we swapped half so we could try both.  It was definitely a 4-napkin sandwich!  Delicious and very filling.  In a weird coincidence, one of the guys working there grew up near RAF Lakenheath, very close to where my grandparents lived.  I did a genuine double-take when he asked if Essex was anywhere near Mildenhall!

We weren’t sure what to do with the rest of our day / evening.  The rain was definitely dampening our spirits a little along with our general physical tiredness following three days on our feet.  Although our cottage wasn’t a massively long way away we knew we didn’t want to go back and head back out again.  We were wet and generally just wanted to not be on our feet any more so despite the early hour we took the bus back.  We spent the evening resting, writing the diary and packing for our first real drive tomorrow.

Sunday 15th April

The day dawned clear but a lot cooler.  We finished our packing, tidied up the cottage and checked out around 10am.  Mia was first to drive feeling it would be best for her to get used to the newness while in town on a quiet Sunday morning.  The combination of the bigger, newer car, her first time in an automatic and driving on the “wrong” side of the road made her feel like a learner again!

We both found driving mostly not too difficult and the car is very comfortable.  There’s loads of local radio available to listen to, particularly country and religious stations.  We had one quick loo / changeover stop, then another where we picked up a piece of fried chicken to keep us going – the Indian owners insisted on me also trying a samosa!  Eventually we made a proper stop for some food – we’d become obsessed about finding a Wendy’s!  It was actually pretty good too.

We decided to fill up the car with gas before arriving as we didn’t want to mess around the following day.  It was all rather confusing as I couldn’t use the pay at pump due to it asking for a zip code.  It turned out I needed to pre-pay for the fuel.  Having no idea how much it might be he put a $50 prepay on – it was only $25 in the end so I went back in for a refund.  Mia had her priorities straight and bought a couple of bottles of wine.

We arrived at Meadow Lake Lane in Chelsea around 5pm.  This was a real retreat, no TV, no internet.  There was a distinct chill in the air and our host was bringing some firewood over as we approached.  He was a really lovely man, explaining everything we needed to know.  The cabin was absolutely gorgeous and our host appeared to have thought of everything with notes and instructions everywhere and breakfast ready for us in the fridge.  I was wishing we’d grabbed more snacks at the gas station but we still had some sweets from our flight so we decided against going out again (our Wendy burgers had filled us up enough!). Instead we wrapped up warm and went for a brief wander to the lake to take a few photos and breathe in the fresh air.

Back in the cabin we got the fire lit, the wine open and settled in for a game of Trivial Pursuit.  It was clearly an American edition with some questions leaving us baffled even when we had read the answers.  I called it a draw when I was falling asleep chasing a yellow wedge with Mia desperately hoping for an easy green wedge question.  Mia had the main bed in the roof and I had the sofabed this time.  It was lovely to snuggle in for sleep in front of the burning embers of the fire.

Deep South Road Trip #1

Tuesday 10th April

And so began our long journey.  I treated us to one of the airport lounges so we could start in style.  We boarded the plane without issue and were all set for a slightly early take off until they realised there was some luggage still to come.  While waiting for that luggage BA realised there was a fault with the entertainment system and decided to try to fix that too.  90 minutes later (and 90 minutes late) we finally took off.  This was not good news as our connection in Miami was already tight and I had been made aware they we would have to clear immigration, collect our bags and re-check them in.

Still, given as they had taken the time to fix it I watched three movies (Darkest Hour, The Death Of Stalin, How To Marry A Millionaire) and some TV (I always seem to end up watching Family Guy on a plane!).  There was a lot of turbulence coming into Miami.  When we landed we found our flight to New Orleans was delayed and we were given our boarding passes in bright orange “Express Connection” envelopes which we hoped would help us through.  They were useless.  Queue at immigration wasn’t ridiculous but took a good 30 minutes.  Bags were collected quickly.  But Miami airport is very confusing with signs that seem to stop before you get where you’re trying to go.  After a few missteps we found the bag check in with 25 minutes to go and knew we wouldn’t make it.  No matter, another flight in an  hour.  60 minutes later, we get to the front of the queue.  There had been nothing in place to help those on connecting flights.  We were checked into the flight knowing we might not make it through security in time.  As it turns out we were 5 minutes late and now stuck in Miami without any luggage.

Another long American Airlines queue to find out that the two early flights to New Orleans were fully booked and we were checked into the 8pm flight.  The BA desks were now closed and the AA people couldn’t help with compensation but they did book us into a Doubletree which had a shuttle bus.  We would have to pay for everything and claim it back.

Wednesday 11th April

I woke the next morning with a few “coulda woulda shoulda”s (maybe we shouldn’t have tried to make that last flight.  Maybe we should have asked everyone in every queue if we could jump) but finally resolved that instead of spending another day at Miami airport we should see some of the city (or at least the beach!).  Mia had the same thoughts so we showered, put our dirty clothes back on and headed back to the airport.

We had wanted to speak to someone at BA first but the desk didn’t open until midday so we decided instead of wasting any more time we’d leave it.  We took a shuttle into Miami which took about 30 minutes then walked down to the beach.  It was now approaching lunchtime – I had had breakfast but Mia hadn’t.  We quickly popped into a shop to get me a dress and Mia some flip flops then chose one of the Ocean Drive tourist traps.  2 for 1 cocktails.  I’m sure I asked for a regular (at $35!!!) but these were humongous (and pretty strong!  When the bill came it turned out these were $55!!!!!). We both had seafood and fries but basically spent the rest of the afternoon trying to finish our bowls of cocktails.  We didn’t drink enough for them to pull a fast one when they tried to charge us for both cocktails but did leave hoping BA would be feeling generous with their compensation…

We decided not to return to the beach but to wander up Washington Avenue.  We did a couple of tourist shops and stopped for a sobering tea and coffee before catching the bus back to the airport.  We finally had a chance to speak to someone from BA who gave us a generous $72 of meal vouchers.  Immediately back through security – we had plenty of time but were determined not to miss this flight!  After a couple of places refusing to take BA vouchers (I was really starting to hate both this airport and the lack of cohesion between the codeshare airlines) we found a very nice restaurant to spend them.  We were just about sobering up at the point – just as well given one of us would have to drive tonight!

I dozed on the 2 ½ hour flight but got some great night time views of Miami as we departed.  I had been very nervous about whether our luggage made it but it appeared they held it back and it was put on the plane with us – soooo happy to see it!  We picked up the hire car, paying extra for a Sat Nav (we did bring some maps but for in town driving I find it essential).  The car was so new, shiny and like a spaceship it took me ages to work out just how to start it!  It’s incredibly comfortable but the Sat Nav is not very easy to use and we arrived at completely the wrong house at first!

When we did arrive at Creole Cottage we were met by Robert.  An insanely chatty man who insisted on providing stories at a ratio of around 3 per useful piece of information.  We finally managed to walk away with the keys.  It was nearly midnight and all we were bothered about was sleep.  We set up the sofa bed, I gingerly got my suitcase up the spiral stairs and we crashed.

Chile 2017 - Final Blog

San Pedro de Atacama – Day Four (26/05/2017)

The flight back to Santiago wasn’t until the evening so I had the morning to do more meandering around San Pedro de Atacama.  It is very small though and apart from shopping and eating there’s not a lot to do!  I took a walk through the cemetery which was a slightly odd place.  Lots of very simple graves of earth next to much more extravagant small buildings made of breeze blocks to house generations of the same family.  I’m normally ok in graveyards but this one was giving me the creeps.

The archaeological museum was closed for refurbishment but one of our tour guides had recommended the Museum of Meteorites.  It is nothing more than a large dome tent but for a few pounds you got an audio guide and the chance to see and feel some meteorites, including some of the oldest material ever found.  It was ok but the explanations were quite wordy and technical and difficult to follow.

Back in town I had lunch in the plaza and bought myself a final souvenir, a lovely ring of silver and lapis lazuli.  My Aussie and Kiwi companions joined me on the transfer and the flight back to Santiago – they were then connecting back home while I had one final day.  From Santiago airport I took a shared taxi again to my hotel.  The CasaNoble Boutique is a lovely little hotel, right in the centre of quite a decent part of town and it was a bargain!  Jay had recommended a restaurant in the area so I quickly changed and went straight back out to Casa Lastarria.  It was a really nice meal of slow cooked pork ribs that fell off the bone.  After dinner it was time for bed.

Santiago – Final Day (27/05/2017)

I didn’t rush up or out on my final morning but I wished that I’d been a little more speedy!  My breakfast was amazing, best of the whole holiday.  The shower was less so but eventually I headed out with the plan to visit a vineyard towards the south east of the city.  As it was still early and I didn’t fancy drinking before lunchtime I had a walk around the area near the hotel (I think I retraced some of the steps me and Josselyne took but we were too busy chatting for me to take much notice!). I found myself at a metro station, charged up my Bip! card and took two trains to Las Mercedes.  Lots of people visit Concha Y Toro, the famous vineyard behind the Casillero del Diablo brand but our guide at Valle de la Luna had introduced me to the Carmenere which is famously produced at Santa Rita.  A 30 minute bus ride later and I was left at the entrance.

It was a long walk around the vineyard to the visitors centre.  It was a gloriously sunny day and I’m sure it was the quietest place I had been to.  Everywhere else had either the chatter of tourists, the crash of the sea or the hubbub of the city.  All I had to accompany me was birdsong, the babble of a stream and an occasional light aircraft.  In keeping with the rest of the morning I perhaps meandered a little too slowly and consequently missed an English tour at midday by 10 minutes with the next not being until 3pm.  This wasn’t overly appealing as I knew the journey back to my hotel was liable to take 2 hours but I was kindly shown a few things I could look at in the mean time.  I started with lunch in the onsite café (the restaurant was way to pricey!).  Next was a museum – the owner of the vineyard Ricardo Clark has collected a huge amount of Andean and pre-Colombian artefacts and he offers them on display here for free.  There are (as always in these museums) lots of pots but the items that particularly caught my eye were the gold and the weaved materials.  There were some large gold pieces but the intricacy of some of the tiny pieces was a real thing of beauty.

It was already 14:30 when I came out of the museum so I decided that I would take the 3pm tour.  And I was very glad I did as I was the only one and I had a private guide!  The bulk of the tour is not so much around the vines themselves but inside showing the machinery and explaining the process.  The steel vats used for fermentation are vast and there are a huge number of them.  As it was also the weekend we were the only ones in the building so, rather excitedly, he took me up the metal stairs to get an overhead view from the gantry.  Even the guide had never been up here!

The cellars with the barrels of red wine had a really curious and strong aroma to them, the smell of red wine and oak.  There were some huge old wooden barrels that have been replaced by the steel.  I was also shown into the original cellar.  This has been damaged by the earthquakes in the area – unsurprisingly the walls have had to be reinforced as the original structure was held together by egg-whites!  This cellar is now a national monument.  Another cellar at the conclusion of my tour is where 120 patriots sheltered during Chile’s war of independence in 1814 (Santa Rita produced a commercial, easy-drinking wine called 120 in tribute).

This was where my tastings were to happen.  Again, this was really well explain, how to look at the wine and what to look for.  How to smell the wine and finally tasting.  There was a white blend, a red Cabernet blend and a Carminere (of course!).  It was a nice generous amount to taste too and I was sold on the Carminere and bought a bottle (if I had more room in my suitcase I’d have bought more!).  By now it was well past 4pm so I walked round to the entrance in the hope a bus would stop and take me to a metro station (any would do!).  I didn’t wait long but it was a rather nerve-wracking journey not knowing where I was going, where I should get off and just keeping a sharp eye out for the Metro sign.  It definitely took longer than I expected and by the time I got back to my hotel I had less than an hour to change and confirm plans for the evening!

I wanted to see both Josselyne and Marillion fan Nicole again so I suggested all three of us meet up.  There had been a bit of back-and-forth regarding a meeting place.  I knew I was early but Nicole got stuck in traffic and Josselyne was fashionably Latino late – I was starting to think I had been stood up and with no connection I wasn’t sure what was happening!  Both did arrive however and Nicole drove us to her apartment from where we walked to La Nunoa.  We stopped at a bar for terremotos, pisco sour and a bite to eat and chatted about all sorts of things.  It was gone “last metro” time when we decided to leave so Nicole drove us back to my hotel where I had two single beds so Josselyne could stop over as her place was a little further out of town.

Travelling Home (28-29/05/2017)

So I now find myself in Madrid airport with a particularly annoying delay.  Josselyne came with me all the way to Santiago airport and it was lovely to have someone to say goodbye to at the security.  I’m so glad that Jen put us in touch and that I took up the offer of a friend in Santiago.  I was checked into one of the worst seats on the plane – the back row – on a horrible old Airbus rather than the nice Dreamliner I had arrived on.  Fortunately the guy in the middle of three seats managed to get moved so I had a little more space.  It was a very turbulent flight with the seatbelt signs illuminated for most of the journey.  I dozed on and off – the neck cushion I bought made things a little more comfortable but I still couldn’t sleep properly.  However on waking from one doze I noticed that was were to land on Gran Canaria!  I had heard a call for a doctor earlier in the flight and it had been decided to stop to let the passenger get proper medical attention.

This was not looking good for someone with some pretty tight plane changes.  British Airways had been trouble with computer problems over the weekend which was already making my route via Heathrow look tenuous.  And what makes it all so annoying?  My flights via Heathrow are scheduled to be on time but the medical delay meant that I missed the flight from Madrid.  There are plenty of other flights but BA’s backlog means I’ll be 6 hours delayed getting back into Manchester.  It’s almost like I’ve been tempting fate.  I’ve thought with every flight that I would rather my final journey is the one to cause me problems – I think I’ve changed my mind!  Still, the diary for Chile 2017 is complete.

Over and out…

San Pedro de Atacama - Days 2 & 3

San Pedro de Atacama – Day Two (24/05/2017)

As I said our early start wasn’t quite as early as expected – our original pick up time was 5:30am but it had been changed to 6:30am for safety reasons.  It has been unseasonably cold here and there is a lot of snow and ice on some roads making them unsurpassable.  However our trip to Tatio Geysers was still going ahead which we were grateful for!

I knew there was the potential of being a bit cold but hadn’t really grasped the concept of an altitude of 4000m so I put on as many layers as I could including my new alpaca jumper.  We also had additional blankets provided for us in the minibus.  Joining Helen, Kerry and I were four New Zealanders.  The temperature certainly descended as we climbed higher and whether it was due to cold, the thinning of the air or just general tiredness I dozed off on a few occasions.  The landscape was changing from desert browns, gradually greener, then whiter of snow.  At one point when I woke I was surprised to see the view completely white!

Once at our first stop we wrapped up in everything we could (I was very grateful of the blanket which I used as a scarf) and were shown around the geyser field.  At 4300m this is the highest geothermal field in the world.   There are over 80 active geysers making it the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere (a fact somewhat disputed by the Kiwis in the group!) and the third largest in the world.   There are no dramatic spurts of water but the steam rising from the ground is somewhat eerie.  We made a couple of stops to look at various rock formations created by the boiling water and also heard stories of accidents due to tourists trying to get the best photos and falling in (someone recently died from 90% burns).  The different colours in the rocks were rather fascinating.  It was also interesting to see the activity cycle between the different geysers.  Very difficult to get photos at just the right time though, especially with frozen hands!

Due to the early start breakfast was included in the trip which we had in view of the geysers.  Breakfast al fresco at 4300m is a chilly affair and our guide and driver did a great job (I really wish I’d taken a photo!). Copious amounts of toast were provided with butter (rather solid), cheese, ham and dulce de leche.  We had been out for a good few hours by now and I’m not normally one to do anything until I’ve eaten, so with that and the cold I was famished and ate as if I hadn’t been fed for days.  Coffee and hot chocolate were also brewed, best drunk in a mixture of the two.  It felt rather insane to be stood outside the van in the sub-zero temparatures and winds!

On the way back down we stopped a few times to observe the birds and animals native to this part of the world.  I managed to catch a photo of a vicuna (an elegant type of llama) that crossed the road in front of us along with various coots and ducks on a small patch of frozen water (sorry I can’t remember exactly what for the bird fans!). We also stopped at Macucha, a very tiny village which is largely empty apart from tourists for most of the year.  Here I was able to try some llama that had been very nicely barbecued.  Our final stop was a canyon which is particularly green and where there is evidence of human habitation from thousands of years ago.

Our half day tour over and back at the hotel at midday I updated the diary and then went for a venture.  I bought a lovely ice cream from a local shop and walked to the square to try to pick up wifi but it doesn’t seem to have worked at all while I’ve been here.  I then remembered there was a football match on - the Europa League final with my team Manchester Utd playing Ajax of the Netherlands.  Given the events in Manchester over the last few days I particularly felt that I’d like to watch it so I found a table in the only bar in town, grabbed a litre of beer and settled in.  It’s a great little place playing rock music and it was full of English speakers.  Man Utd came out 2-0 winners in a win that felt it was a great tribute to the great city.

Two pints of beer on a relatively empty stomach at high altitude made me rather woozy so I grabbed and empanada at a local store (and rather impressed myself with my Spanish.  Maybe I should just get drunk in these places).  I thought I’d take the opportunity at the warmest part of the day to have a shower and wash my hair.  No water in the shower hot tap.  Reception was visited, a workman called out but it couldn’t be fixed.  They offered me an alternative room but rather than move all my unpacked stuff I asked if I could just borrow the shower in the other room (which is opposite so no major problem).

I met Helen and Kerry for dinner and we opted for Las Delicias de Carmen which had been recommended to both me and Helen by others.  It was ok but not amazing, the portions are huge and we all wished we’d taken the guide’s advice and just ordered two dishes between the three of us.  This place also isn’t cheap, something that the Aussies were struggling with after weeks in Bolivia and Peru!  We didn’t have enough Pesos to cover but fortunately I had enough for mine and they could pay in US dollars.  Nowhere seems to take credit cards here!  A relatively early night reading and a good night’s sleep was in order.

San Pedro de Atacama – Day Three (25/05/2017)

Our final tour was to take us to the salt lakes and the lagoons, however the bad weather was to hit our full day excursion.  We again had a slightly later start than normal.  The 8:30am pick-up meant I could enjoy the hotel breakfast – this hotel is pretty simple but the breakfast was probably my favourite of the trip (so far!).  All pretty standard fare but the crusty bread was fresh, the coffee was excellent, the juice was freshly squeezed and the fried eggs were top quality.  All finished off with cheesecake (well if it’s on offer it would be rude not to!).

Salar de Atacama is just 10km south of San Pedro but we travelled further to Laguna Chaxa.  This was definitely the bit I was looking for most on the “desert” section of the trip – flamingoes!  We took the long path round, enjoying the view and waiting for a large group of noisy Brazilians to move on.  The vastness of the flat is very other-worldly, especially for an islander.  The salt here isn’t white but more coffee-coloured due to many other minerals that also accumulate (lithium is among the mining here).  The pools of water evaporate to leave a brine in which millions of tiny brown shrimp live.  This is what attracts the flamingoes.  It was here more than anywhere that I really wished I had a “proper” camera.  I took lots of iPhone shots, hopefully some are worth keeping.  They were fascinating to watch.  There are three breeds and the Chilean flamingoes in particular turn in tiny steps to throw up more shrimp to feed.  There was something rather balletic about them.  There were also avocets, Andean gulls and plovers which were rather friendly and gave me my best photos!

We could have stayed and watched them for ages but moved on.  We took the road towards the high altitude lagoons of Minique and Miscanti but the road was shut just after Socaire.  This was where we were to take lunch but as it wasn’t yet midday it wasn’t ready yet.  Our guide showed us around a rather uninteresting church and it was around now that Kerry floated the idea that instead of our guide trying to fill time until our scheduled return of 4pm that we would be happy to just go back to San Pedro.  He came up with a few ideas but it was rather cold to be seeing things we weren’t that bothered about.  We agreed to think about it over lunch.

While we waited for lunch they agreed we could visit a hydroponic greenhouse in the village.  It’s obviously quite difficult to grow anything in the land around here due to the harsh and ever-changing conditions so the Chilean government has invested in the project.  Having worked on farms I find this stuff quite interesting.  They have lots of lettuce in various stages of growth.  The most impressive things was how consistent the crops were!  They also have various chards, spinaches and greens, strawberries and sweet peppers and they previously had a crop of fava beans.  It’s an impressive little operation.

Lunch was really good.  Our guide had brought some coca tea which was nice enough (he promised us we wouldn’t see white elephants from drinking it!) and the restaurant provided a vegetable soup, steak, rice, quinoa and salad and a set vanilla cream to finish.  We agreed when we got back to the bus that we were happy to go straight back to San Pedro which was still some distance.  We did make one stop at the road sign declaring the Tropic of Capricorn.  Again I dozed on the way back – as intriguing as the scenery is it’s also a little monotonous in this area.

More diary writing in my room, listening to the winds and rain in the driest desert in the world after seeing Facebook reports of glorious summer in the UK.  Typical!  Then out to do final souvenir shopping (I’ve forgotten what I’ve bought for who now).  The wind had whipped up a lot of dust so I braved a shower despite the cold in the room and the wind whistling through the window in the bathroom.  It was certainly refreshing!  Everything was unpacked and repacked, just leaving the last items for Santiago at the top (I’ve tried to do this as intelligently as I can!).

For my final evening in San Pedro I was meeting up with two Marillion fans who I first met at the weekend and who were in town.  I had passed Jay on the street the day before and Matt was flying in as I packed and got ready!  I met Jay near the one “pub” but it was packed so we found an alternative restaurant.  There’s only one place which doesn’t serve food so we felt a little conspicuous sat just drinking.  The place was nice enough, we sat outside by the fire listening to some live music and catching up.  When Matt finally messaged to say he and his friend Tony were checked in we moved on to La Pica Del Indio which I chose purely because it’s highly rated on TripAdvisor.  It turned out to be a good choice!  I had steak with mushroom sauce and piles of fries but having had a bit to drink and not eaten since lunch I almost finished the lot!  Jay had been out all day and had an early start so left and Tony also left a little earlier.  Matt and I ventured for somewhere else to drink and ended up in Adobe again, sat around the fire.  They said we couldn’t drink without ordering food which was a great excuse for dessert!  I had a chocolate mousse with basil which was stunning.  We were kicked out at closing time of 1am.  Probably a good thing…

Valparaiso / San Pedro de Atacama (Day One)

Valparaiso (22/05/2017)

Lots of guide books and people had recommended taking a trip to Valparaiso, a port city 90 minutes from Santiago.  Malcolm was transferring to the Crowne and by the time I had packed and checked out it was gone 11am.  We took the metro to Pajaritos and then picked up a bus.  The journey was largely uninteresting but it did take us past some vineyards.

Valparaiso – or Valpo as the Chileans call it – has it’s bus station on the opposite end of town to where we really wanted to go but we decided to walk across town as we didn’t have any firm plans.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t much like the place!  It’s all very run down.  You can see that it would have been very pretty in it’s day but everything is covered in graffiti, smashed windows and some are just facades propped up by scaffolding.  This is not just human dereliction – earthquakes have caused a lot of damage and the city, despite being a vital port, never seems able to fully recover it's former glory.

We walked west, stopping for a pizza on the way.  We gazed up the hills surrounding the city, steep streets with multi-coloured houses as far as you could see.  There are many funiculars that transport people up and down.  We made it to the port end and took Ascensor Artilleria.  This gave us a great view of the choreography of the port with trailers and containers weaving around.  The streets up here were a little nicer.

Time was ticking and I think both Malcolm and I were tiring of the place so we embarked on the walk back to the bus station.  It must have taken an hour – it was a long way!  By the time we got back to the Crowne so that I could pick up my luggage it was gone 8pm.  Sadly no time for a final drink.  Back in the metro, suitcase in tow.  Back to Pajaritos for the airport bus.  Then back out from the airport in a shuttle to my airport hotel.

San Pedro de Atacama – Day One (23/05/2017)

The two hour hop to Calama departed at 7am.  Not much comfort in this plane but I dozed and wrote a few words inspired by the sad events back at home in Manchester.  It felt particularly poignant, having travelled so far to go to music concerts and have such carnage take place at an arena I’ve been to so often.

During the 90 minute transfer I got acquainted with two British-born Australians who were to become my buddies for the trip.  They have been in South / Central America for three weeks and this is their last trip.  My hotel is much more basic, especially coming from a Western chain in the city!  And it’s so COLD!  The adobe buildings are far to insulated from the warmth for my liking!  I had plenty of time before the afternoon excursion so a wonder around the town of San Pedro was in order.

It’s not very big, full of hotels and hostels, tour companies, gift shops, restaurants and a bar / café or two but it still has a certain charm.  It’s what I imagine parts of Glastonbury Festival to be like if it were a permanent place.  I had decided I needed extra layers for the early morning trip tomorrow so I bought an alpaca jumper and gloves.  I also scoped the stalls out for more gifts (further shopping to be done on Friday morning!)

When the sun came out it was nice and warm so I sat in the square for a mochaccino and a chicken quesadilla, listening to some terribly cheesy panpipes from around the corner.  I then came back to the hotel and sat around the pool writing some diary.  The pick up for the afternoon / evening tour was 15:30 and we were heading to the Valle de la Luna.

It wasn’t too far to drive and we all agreed to take the walking option rather than the driving.  As the altitude is around 2400m our guide took things slowly – I had already noticed I was getting breathless quite easily.  The landscape is stunning and amazingly very variable, with many different rock formations in view at any time.  You could also see deposits of salt from the Salt Mountains which border these valleys and the salt flats (which I’m visiting on Thursday).  I took a few photos but it was almost impossible to capture the magnificence of the vista.

Back in the van and a drive to Valle de la Muerte.  This was never intended to be the Valley of Death but the Valley of Mars.  The geologist (I think our guide said he was Belgian) who named it was misheard between Muerte and Marte.  This was our spot for sunset and we were told that this would be an unusual one for us as we would be looking east, not west.  Indeed as the light dimmed the colours in the west were constantly changing.  It was stunning.  We then enjoyed some complimentary Chilean wine and cheese as we watched a few stars come out.

We were returned to our hotels around 6pm and told that our pick up time was slightly later than previously planned - only 6:30am!  We were also instructed not to eat too much and to not drink that night.  I arranged to meet my new friends for a light dinner.  After a bit of looking around we chose Adobe which has a nice open fire in the middle.  Taken out guides advice two of us had starters and Helen – who has been a bit poorly for a few days – ordered pasta which we all helped finish.  The wine we’d already drunk was enough in any case!