The Return To Maitencillo

With a little time on our hands (OK . . . you can stop laughing now!) and itchy feet, we thought a little road trip was in order . . . so we packed our toothbrushes and jammies and caught a north- bound bus to the resort town of Maitencillo. If that name sounds familiar, its because we were there recently with Ines. We liked it so much then that we decided it was worth another visit. This lookout tower may serve to jog your memory.



We knew when we left that finding accommodations could be challenging but were unsuccessful at booking anything on line. If it came to it, we could always come back home. We arrived at about 11:00 Tuesday morning, and like any good tourists . . . headed for the tourist info booth that, despite having an address, didn't exist! Plan "B" was to mosey along the beach front road and look for a room. It didn't take long to realize that this would be difficult. Imagine showing up in Banff or Jasper in July in the hopes of finding a room! As our hope began to fade, we struck up a conversation with a fellow from Santiago with nothing better to do than help a pair of Spanish- challenged tourists. Robert made it his mission to find us a place . . . and find a place he did. As an aside, he went in first to negotiate the price because he was concerned that the price would get jacked up if they saw us coming!! (We paid $80 CDN)

And this was our little corner of heaven in Maitencillo! That's it in the centre of the shot, perched on the hillside.



A lovely two level hacienda with a beauty on the balcony!



This is a shot from the balcony looking into the first level. Notice the spiral staircase . . .



Did I mention the view?? Spectacular!! An unobstructed view of the Pacific from both upstairs and downstairs with patio doors that opened up for the full audio / visual experience!



After getting settled in, and because we had a kitchen, we struck off to find some groceries. That meant a 3-kilometer walk each way, but the entire walk was along the shoreline so we had no complaints. (We could have found supplies closer but we also needed an ATM) Near home, we stopped at a vendor and picked up another adventure in Chilean cuisine. Corn is now in season in Chile and Humitas are being sold everywhere. It was time to try one! Whatever is inside is wrapped in a corn husk and tied with a string.



Inside, there is a paste made mostly of corn, with basil, onion and butter added. The ingredients can of course vary, especially from country to country.

Humita is a Native American dish from pre-Hispanic times, and a traditional food in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. It consists of masa harina (corn meal dough) and corn, slowly cooked in oil. Wikipedia



We can now recommend Humitas to those wishing to try something different.



After the corn snack and a beverage, we returned to the beach where I ventured into the Pacific for a quick dip. The water was "Chile" . . . but not prohibitively so . . . even for this cold water wuss!! The Humboldt Current comes from the south and runs along the west coast of Chile. It is this stream that keeps the waters on the cool side. The water is reportedly quite a bit warmer 3 or 4 hundred miles to the north.

The biggest decision facing us at bedtime was whether we should stay another day. Charlene suggested that if we wake up in sunshine, we would stay. Cloudy and cool would mean a retreat to Valparaiso. This is a shot from our bedroom window. As you can see . . . cloudy!!



This was the view from the main floor. Yup . . . that's a hammock on the right. Perfect for relaxing with a book . . . and that's the voice of experience talking.



And that was our mid-week road trip to Maitencillo. No history lesson, no drama . . . just a lovely little get-a-way. However, we were once again reminded of, and thankful for, the kindness of strangers. If not for Robert, our experience may have been much different.

Hasta luego,
Norm and Charlene