At the beginning of September the team of travelArt Santiago got visited by their colleagues from Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt. In a work intensive week, there were hold many workshops and meetings to prepare for the upcoming season. Besides a tough schedule, there was also time for an excursion close to Santiago with the aim of trying ourselves what we normally organize for our clients. The daytrip consisted of exploring the Maipo valley and visiting several wineries.

Our first stop was at the vineyard Pérez Cruz. This young winery impresses with its modern and functional architecture, and is integrated harmonically into the surroundings. During our tour through the wine cellar we got to know the sophisticated ventilation system, the earthquake proof storage and of course details of the wine production process. At the end we tasted two delicious wines, a Carmenére and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

After an excellent lunch at the restaurant La Calma de Rita, which will delight each of our customers, we went on to the estate Haras de Pirque. At this property they not only produce world class wines, but also breed horses. Our tour started at the stables, where we learned about the history and success of Haras de Pirque. This was followed by a tour of the wine cellar, which has the shape of a horseshoe. Again we had the posibility of tasting different wines – a white and a red one – which found great approval.

We arrived back in Santiago in the evening after a wonderful day with lots of useful and new impressions.

Nowhere else on earth astronomers are closer to the sky than right here in the Chilean Andes. In the Atacama Desert at an elevation of 5000 m above sea level, the biggest telescope installation is being constructed: ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) is the name of the project, which is fostered by astronomers from Europe, North America, and Japan.

From far away one can observe the metallic monstrosity, which has a semicircular design and is plane like a ufo, sparkling in the sun. ALMA is working in the area of infrared radiation, which will shortly be picked up with the help of 66 mobile parabolic antennas. So far only the ufo-shaped engineering unit is up. Linked together they will cover an up to 16 kilometer large area. The observatory should show an unknown picture of the universe: cold gas clouds, so far invisible planets, ancient structures – recorded in the area between radio waves and optical light. With this the depths of the universe can even be explored through thick dust clouds. With every picture a part of the sky is being covered that is bigger than the surface of the full moon. The celestial objects can be pictured and catalogued with sensitivity, which is forty times higher than the one of the existing telescopes.

ALMA should be finished in 2012; Initial scientific studies, which use just one part of the antenna field, should already start in 2011. The ALMA project is being realized by the ESO (European organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere) in collaboration with scientific institutes in East Asia, Europe, North America, and Chile.

It is not planned to open the ALMA site to the public. The observatories in La Silla close to La Serena and Paranal, Antofagasta, which are also run by the ESO offer guided tours. These tours last about 2-3 hours and are free-of-charge. Tickets should be reserved far in advance, since they are often fully booked for several months. travelArt also offers private tours at the observatory Space Obs close to San Pedro de Atacama.

Effective starting December 4^th, 2010, LAN offers only one connection between Santiago and Papeete/Tahiti per week. The flight will be operated each Wednesday afternoon, the return flight each Thursday in the early morning. Due to this change, also the connection to Easter Island is affected. As a consequence, there will be one flight less between Santiago and Hanga Roa on Sundays.

The airline offers the possibility to change or cancel existing bookings without a fee. We ask our customers to contact their respective LAN airline partner for further information.

Boutique Hotel Le Reve

The boutique hotel Le Reve is located in the Providencia district, the financial and economic centre of Santiago. The historic building, remodelled to include 28 rooms and 3 suites, was constructed in the French architectural style and is a protected National Monument of Chile. In the hotel’s courtyard is a beautiful summer garden, ideal for breakfast or afternoon tea. The interior has been designed with taste – a mix of classical European architecture and modern elements. Some rooms have a terrace overlooking the inner garden, and some can be combined with their neighbour to create a large family-friendly space. A shop with handicrafts and souvenirs is conveniently integrated into the hotel.

Le Reve’s location is ideal for evening excursions to the nearby restaurants of Providencia.

travelArt Tip: A small, fine hotel for the customer who appreciates personal service!

Website: www.lereve.cl