Week 20
- 5 days ago
- 16 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Day 142 / July 17, 2026
My 24th birthday started off in true Rudy fashion: early. I boarded the 3am bus from Talca to Santiago, switched to the Centropuerto bus, then went straight to SIXT car rental and had our car by 7:30am. I parked up, had a lovely chat with my grandparents (hello Nanny and Grandad!) then waited in arrivals hall for my special British package to arrive… and there they were!!
Lily and Tash came through with heavy bags and big hugs. It had been over a year since we had last seen each other and a reunion was long overdue. Their first chance to practice Spanish was right at a Starbucks outside, a success indicated by the warm bevs we walked away with. After that, we loaded up the car and started en route to Talca. They were very kind to bring delicious shortbread biscuits for the journey which we snacked on while covering so many catch up topics. New jobs, new homes, friend updates, family developments. Though it was impossible to cover it all, we made a solid chunk in that three hour car ride. We arrived back at home just after 12pm, had a lil cheese board, and chatted about plans for the day.
After a brief rest, we headed out in the rain at 6:00pm to play pool. It was a new spot, and we brought all the feminine energy the space needed (minus some pool skills in which I was severely lacking). Carlos, a Talca climbing friend, joined us at the end for completos and two intense team matches to finish it off. Excited for dancing and pre-drinks, we headed back home to wait for other friends to arrive.
At 10:00pm, Cristobal, Nicole, Nico, Cami, and Elias arrived. Everyone was so friendly to Tash and Lily and loved the chance to practice some English. Finally at midnight we headed out to Gitana. We all stuffed into Nico’s Suzuki Jimny and burst out laughing every time we hit a bump causing the lap sitters to hit the roof of the car. We got in by 12:30am and were told the dance floor wouldn’t be open until 1:00am. It was just our luck that Mauri, Cathe, Catha, and Cynthia had already arrived and saved us all seats at a table. I introduced everyone then we had a round of delicious cocktails together and hit the dancefloor. It was a blast! I was and am such a lucky duck to have such a wonderful crew to celebrate with.
Day 143 / July 18, 2026
After a late night celebrating, Tash, Lily, and I opted for a slow recovery day. It was drizzling at various points throughout the day so any hiking plans we had were going to be postponed anyhow. We nibbled on some ramen and leftovers then eventually headed out to Jumbo for a proper grocery shop.
The girls insisted I get some kind of birthday cake, so I ended up with a big banoffee pie. Lily made a delicious guac which we enjoyed with tortilla chips while watching the England v France commiseration match (what was that!?). Then it was a team effort for dinner, and let me tell you, it was a great reminder you are only as good as your weakest link. We agreed on oven baked chicken, brussel sprouts, roasted vegetables, rice and beans. I volunteered to take charge of the chicken and had a generational fumble. I drew inspiration from a peri peri recipe I had used previously. I started with a salt crust to dry brine the chicken. The problem was, in the recipe they did this to the skin of a whole bird whereas we had chicken thighs. The salt all over the meat was not the way to go. Add some merken to the mix, and bosh we had some of the saltiest chicken ever. The ladies were very kind and still ate it, ocean flavor and all. After that we had a quick slice of banoffee then headed to bed.
Day 144 / July 19, 2026
Lily and I woke up bright and early for a 5k run to shake out the legs. I showed her some of my favorite Talca spots around Parque Costanera, and back down Avenida Isadoro del Solar then through Plaza de Armas. Back at home we had some orange juice, leftover banoffee, and scramble eggs for breakfast. After quick showers we hit the road, the ladies said goodbye to Talca, and we set our sights on Valparaiso for the day.
The sun finally came out again and we soaked in the rays while listening to Shania Twain and other country’s greatest hits en route. To break up the journey and get some caffeine in the system, we stopped at La Romalia in Rancagua for coffees, empanadas, and sweets.
Back on the road we went, and the smooth journey with limited traffic meant we pulled into downtown Valparaiso by 2:30pm. We headed straight for the colorful streets of Cerro Concepcion. There was some very fruitful shopping in that first hour with Lily coming away with a gorgeous knit poncho and me with two llama hats.
We went from the artisanal stalls into WIP coffee for an afternoon sip and then decided on what else we wanted to see. Tash threw out the option to go to Pablo Nerudas house so we started on a 40 minute walk uphill through Cerro Florida to the neighborhood of Trinquete. So many stairs!!
The Spain v Argentina final was playing and even though we didn’t watch, you could hear all the updates walking through the city. It seemed like everyone was tuning in. When we finally made it to our destination we realized unfortunately the museum was closed. It’s all about the journey as they say, but this one had worked up an appetite and we were now further away from all the restaurants.
We locked in for a 40 minute walk back whence we came. Just to our luck we passed a few unknown spots including the understated Cascada de Tapas, or hubcaps, and many colorful staircases with cats.
We made it to Inquilino and had our lemonades and pisco sour order in by 5:30pm. We paired the Chilean classic with some octopus croquettes, ceviche, and tuna tiradito. By the time we were done, it was starting to get dark so we headed back to the car and made our way to our Airbnb in Santiago.
We were still a bit hungry upon arrival so after a brief walk around we stopped at Cancha del Bolsillo where I had a delicious gyro and Lily had an arepa.
We got home just after 10:30pm, had quick showers, then crashed into bed.
Day 145 / July 20, 2026
We woke up so excited to be reuniting with Alex just to receive the message that her plane had been cancelled (booooo Delta…already her second cancellation of the summer after her London to NYC was dropped). We chatted with to her to see what the options were, and it looked like she would be able to connect with us in the Atacama two days later. It wasn’t ideal by any means, but we would do whatever it takes to get Alex down here!
While Alex messaged back and forth with Delta through their chatbot (because they didn’t have a call center to fix this kind of a thing?) Tash, Lily, and I explored Santiago. We started through Plaza de Armas, past the Palacio de Moneda and over General Bernardo O’higgins body (which I never knew was sitting in a crypt below a glass panel at street level).
We snagged some coffees from Cafe Caribe then journeyed through Lastarria and picked up some empanadas for the walk over to Bellavista. From there we went on to Barrio Italia where Tash had an absolute W with her suggestion to lunch at El Hoyo.
We were tested at the door when a 45 minute wait was announced, but we put our names on the list and were sat in less than 5 minutes. The inner dining room is beautifully lit with hundreds of lights, and the menu contains a whole array of Chilean classics. Still full from the empanadas, Lily and I opted to split the tuna tartare and beef crudo, perhaps a mistake when El Hoyo is far better known for the asado style options. Tash had another major W and ordered the pastel de choclo which was so good. Of course, we shared the Terremoto for desert when we heard the drink was first created here. Consisting of pineapple juice, white wine, and grenadine, terremotos are a cocktail often enjoyed on Fiestas Patrias, or big Chilean holidays.
We walked off our lunch down the lovely Avenida Italia strip. Tash got a phone call from her family just as we were outside Cafe Raiz which I took as a sign we needed to stop so I could have the same chocolate cake I had enjoyed with Leslie two weeks prior. Sad to say, maybe it was my fault for the timing of it after such a big lunch, but it did not hit the same.
It was right around 4:00pm by then, and in an hour we were due at a wine tasting so into an uber we went south west bound to Viña Aquitania. Taken from their website,
“In 1984 Bruno Prats and Paul Pontallier (RIP), well known Agronomists Winemakers from the Bordeaux region, France, began to search in Chile for a high-quality Terroir to create an original winery. To achieve this, they partner with a common friend, Felipe de Solminihac, a Chilean Winemaker Agronomist of French origin. In 1990 they acquired 18 hectares in Peñalolen within the city of Santiago: This place at the footsteps of the Andes Mountains, is located in the “Quebrada de Macul”, in the historic heart of the Maipo Valley. The vines are planted free standing, not grafted, due to the absence of Phyloxera. Environmental health allows limiting treatments to foliage, which is grown under an Organic condition applying only sulfur to prevent fungal diseases. This vineyard has been working organically since 2019 to obtain Organic Certification for our wines as soon as possible. The 15 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and 3 hectares of Syrah are planted on traditional trellises at a density of 4,200 p/ha, under technical irrigation.”
It was just our luck that we were in a group with four recent graduates of Imperial University. What are the odds?! (honestly not that low) After a quick back and forth to cement the UCL superiority (just kidding, we were very polite) they shared about their trip throughout South America. It was a lovely coincidence and all the more interesting when we learned one of the boys had done an internship in planetary science at MIT with someone I had met just a few months ago. Small world!
The tour itself was fantastic. Our guide was only in her first month working at Viña Aquitania, but from growing up just five minutes away, she was well acquainted with the area. We had delicious cheeses paired with each wine as well as some dates. I would certainly recommend for anyone visiting!
We went straight from the vineyard to have dinner at CHPE, a restaurant which celebrates the origin of Pisco with all the best recipes from the northern Chile and southern Peru region. Lily and I shared ceviche, a seafood boil, and sopapillas while Tash had a steak.
We went home exhausted from a long day out, but there was still one last thing to do. Jesse, another student in the Fulbright program living in Santiago, had kindly agreed to hold my skis while I went to the Atacama which would save me a trip back to Talca in the event we hit the slopes straight away upon return. While Lily and Tash hit the hay, I made a quick drop at Jesse’s then came home and crashed too.
Day 146 / July 21, 2026
Early early day today!! We were up at 4:00am and out the door by 4:30am for our flight to Calama. I dropped off Tash and Lily to check in their luggage while I returned the rental car. We grabbed a quick bite from dunks then made our way over to the gate. Much to our dismay, we received an alert once boarding was already underway that the airbridge connecting to the door of the plane had failed meaning there was no way to get passengers on board. We were put on hold until the neighboring flight finished boarding allowing us to use the connecting gate. After a brief hour nap in the nearby chairs, we were back to boarding again. Once on board, we all went straight to sleep.
Tash and I started to stir 20 minutes before landing to take in the desert view. At this point, the other passenger sat in row 37 with us, introduced himself as Nicholas. He works in water treatment in the Atacama and had so many suggestions for things to do and see during our visit. Namely, to check out the open Chuquicamata mine owned by Codelco, and base jumping along the coast. Unfortunately we didn’t quite have the time for a 12 hour round trip journey to his number one rec of Iquique but we did save it for future!
Arrival was smooth and fast. We picked up our new rental car from Sixt, grabbed a quick coffee and breakfast sandwiches from Estación Central in Calama, and hit the road.
With no plans in mind, Lily and Tash agreed to the longer route to Antofagasta along route 24 west then route 1 south along the coast. Along the way, they very kindly supported three quick sample collection pit stops for my project. The first, was in Salar de Miraje, a very dry expanse around two hours into our journey.
We then stopped in the famous mining town of Maria Elena for lunch. Notably, this is the birthplace of Armando Azúa Bustos, a scientist that has been especially influential in my project design. La Pica de Burro had a ton of workers outside which was the sign we needed to know it was a good spot. The meals were offered in combos, we all had the soup to start and then Tash and I had beef with rice while Lily had an egg tortilla with mixed salad. We washed it down with some delicious juice then hit the road.
We took a quick stop for my second sample at the corner of B-180 and and Ruta 24 on the outskirts of Maria Elena. After that we cruised for an hour under blue skies, blasting some Tame Impala.
The descent to ocean level took us down some beautiful winding roads through a thin cloud layer into the stunningly graffitied Tocopilla on the water’s edge.
We were all in agreement the ocean cliffs were UNREAL. I’m no geologist so I have no idea what the rock type was, but the contrast between the barren landscape and deep blue water was something else.
Unfortunately in looking for my next sample, we found it rather hard to find a place without trash. It seemed all the passing cars must’ve grown accustomed to throwing trash out the window. At 4:30pm we found a little pull off that was good enough. I got my sample, then we set the GPS for our final destination, the Airbnb in Antofagasta.
The sky was golden so we opted to stop and watch the sunset from a McDonald’s parking lot. Golden sun in front of the golden arches? Life really doesn’t get better than that. Some small crabs scuttled around while birds circled above. It was beautiful.
We hopped back in the car for the last bit to the Airbnb when we realized we set the destination wrong and driven further into town than we had needed. In any case, we made it to check in in one piece, went up to the room to drop bags, then walked to the nearby Lider to get ingredients for dinner. We settled on a rotisserie chicken and a big salad. Everything was prepped quickly and a few minutes later we were eating and playing jenga.
We had an early night, excited to be reuniting with Alex the next day.
Day 147 / July 22, 2026
Alex’s flight was on schedule to land in Calama at 1:00pm, the sun was shining, and we were feeling good! With another long day in the car planned, Lily and I headed out for a quick run. It was 60 degrees and slightly breezy, a perfect mix. We went along the main strip down Avenida Jose Manuel Balmaceda, past where we had seen sea lions the day before, to a Tottus where I tried to pay a customs import fee for a surprise birthday gift. Unfortunately the code was expired, so the 30 minute detour was unsuccessful. Lily and I started heading back when we received a panicked messaged from Tash that she had locked herself out. In true Tash fashion, she had already sorted out a locksmith as the realtor wasn’t able to be there for another 2 or 3 hours. She had left wanting to get a coffee, so Lily and I opted to pick one up for her one our way home. Right as we made it upstairs, we heard Tash chatting with the realtor who had miraculously been able to change her plans and stop by. Just like that, we were back in business.
Lily and I had a quick shower, snacked on leftover chicken from the night before, and packed our bags. By 11:00am we were in the car en route to Calama. This time we took the direct route on Route 25. We passed desert trains, art in the sand, and the Pampa de Union ruins from a saltpeter mine in the early 1900’s. Just ten minutes out from the airport we got a low tire pressure alert for the front driver’s side tire. We didn’t feel any difference in the performance of the car and figured it must be a sensor error. Nonetheless, when we pulled through to pick up Alex we stopped to have a look at it and saw no issue. We loaded up the car, finally a full group of four, and headed to the nearby Jumbo to get some supplies for the next few days.
I noticed the tire pressure dropped lower so opted to go to the nearest gas station to put air in the tire while the girls shopped. Whatever had caused the puncture must’ve dislodged in the final stretch to Copec because as soon as I made it to the air pump, I could see the tire was totally flat. While kicking myself for not having it checked at the rental car store at the airport just ten minutes prior, I thought about what to do next. I first called Sixt to let them know and they told me a repair car wouldn’t be available for another few hours (hours?!? We were in the middle of Calama? A city?!). I sat in the drivers seat and sent the ladies an update. They asked what they could do to help but honestly I wasn’t sure, they suggested they uber to the airport to try and secure a new car which sounded like the way to go. I then messaged Val and my family to let them know what an idiot I was. Val instead called me and said I should just change the tire. Have I changed a tire before, yes. Did I understand the process, yes. So why hadn’t this occurred to me before? I don’t know. I guess I thought there was a small margin for error and dropping the car off the jack may cause more damage than just a flat tire. No, Val said it was easy. So I listened to his advice, got everything out of the car and started setting up to do it myself. Not even two minutes later, two lovely attendants came over and asked if I wanted help. They kindly took over and did practically the whole thing. In less than five minutes, the spare donut was on, and the punctured tire was loaded into the back. I called Tash, Alex, and Lily to let them know and they confirmed we had a replacement car ready. By 4:00pm we were finally wheels up, groceries in hand, on our way to San Pedro.
Alex filled us in on her past few days in NYC, Seb’s birthday celebrations, his new job and house, and her summer so far. The drive passed by so quickly with the girls “ooo-ing” and “aww-ing” at the crazy dunes along the way. We pulled into our Airbnb (along the path lined with turquoise stones) at 5:30pm and were relieved to see they had heaters for the cold desert nights.
Lily and Alex shared the queen while Tash and I unpacked in the room with twin beds. We grabbed a bag of ramitas to snack on, then walked down the driveway with the friendly house black lab Ati, to take in the sunset with a view of Volcan Lincancabur. It was perfect. Exactly the afternoon we needed after canceled flights, being locked out of Airbnb’s, flat tires. Finally peace, friends, ramitas, and sunsets.
We opted to stay in that night to play Dutch and later President, cook a pesto spinach pasta, and split a bottle of white from the Aquitania vineyard. It was so so cozy with the stove going.
By 8:30pm, the stars were brightly shining and we stepped out to watch them for a while. I swear I saw a shooting star!
Day 148 / July 23, 2026
We woke up bright and early, had some beautiful scrambled eggs from Tash, then sun screened up for a day outside. Our first stop of the day was Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). We had no backend which meant we got to take our time and see all the sites through. We had joked about the desert looking like an ideal filming site for Dune, and that quickly became the inspiration for a live reenactment. Tash became the sandworm, Lily Timothee Chalamet, Alex Zendaya, and me Rebecca Ferguson.
We danced on the dunes, sweat in the sand, and did all the desert things. With an open road and a low speed limit, Tash took the wheel and drove us out of the valley. Much to the benefit of drivers and pedestrians alike, it was a straight shot to the parking lot back in town. We locked up the car then scurried into town for a lunch at Agua Loca. Alex crushed it with this recommendation; for a mere $12 each, we had an appetizer, main, and dessert. We split an additional ‘ocean of the desert’ appetizer consisting of raw tuna, shrimp, and unrecognizable shellfish too.
At 4:00pm we left the restaurant and went for a quick walk downtown. We stopped to get some groceries for an asado dinner at home, then I picked up a scoop of ice cream to go. We loaded up the car, dropped off groceries at home, changed, then hopped in the car again. It was a race against sunset and luckily the open Route B-39 was on our side. We made it to the Laguna Chaxa Observatory at 5:30pm just in time for the sky to start glowing pink. We watched in silence as the flamingos ate their shrimp and honked at each other. With the salt flat, the mountains, the clear sky…. it’s an incredible place.
The staff began ushering us out, so we returned to the car and started the drive back. Tash queued up some Sam Fender and Olivia Dean to start the journey then the Noah Kahan, Sam Fender track ‘Homesick’ came on and everything felt right. It really does hit different when the “grew up in New England” lyric comes on.
Back at home we were hungryyyyy for dinner. Lily called her dad to ask about how to cook the mystery beef cut we bought. Meanwhile, I headed outside to try and light the coals for the BBQ. Doing it from scratch on a cold night with limited supplies is truly humbling. Alex and Tash helped me to gather dry brush behind the house. We stacked it all in the grill, threw in some cardboard and paper from the car rental agreement, then crossed our fingers. It stayed lit for a few minutes, but wasn’t nearly hot enough to get the coals going. We gave it three more solid attempts and finally saw the coals glowing white. It took at least 45 minutes from the first attempt to white coals, but good things take time as they say. We threw the beef and some veggies on and waited. I called Val who filled us in on his surfing adventures in Chicama. Ati, the house black lab, stayed nearby the entire time. She went off chasing some dogs trying to close in on the grill but kept us safe and sound. We did reward her with a small nibble for her troubles.
We sat down to dinner at 9:45pm at the table set by Alex, with some delicious pisco from Tash, and garlic spinach from Lily. It was a team effort, to the victors go the spoils!
Chau for now! :)
Another delicioso week in South America with wonderful friends. Love the flamingo at sunset pic, and especially Not Dune 3. It will be fun to see how your samples turn out.