| Some of you are going to realize while planning | | | | Carolina. The home was recently renovated to display |
| where to go on your honeymoon that you are an | | | | 4 comfortably sized, private bedrooms, a bright and |
| amateur history buff and no form of traveling is | | | | colorful kitchen (which travelers may use) and a |
| worth the sojourn without knowing the story behind | | | | spacious living area where travelers may swap |
| the people and the land. If so, the formerly isolated | | | | stories. It is the perfect honeymoon location for |
| country of Chile with its varied landscapes, climates | | | | budget travelers. For a very reasonable price, |
| and cultures might be your next honeymoon | | | | honeymooners can expect a bit of history in this |
| destination. | | | | heritage home, with gracious hosts who know |
| The country of Chile appears slightly perplexing on | | | | everything there is to know about the city and |
| the map: a pencil thin stretch of land following the | | | | country (Carolina is a history teacher), and a |
| Pacific Coast of South America, bordered on the | | | | complete rustic breakfast of fruits, empanadas (a |
| opposite side by the high Andes Mountains. But | | | | national dish), breads, salamis and cheeses. |
| depending on your honeymoon tastes, there are a | | | | And, on top of all this, your host, Rene is a true and |
| variety of things to do: to the north, is the famed | | | | verified cowboy. Rene is a horse riding guide and |
| Atacama Desert known for its immense landscapes | | | | friends with ranch owners of Ritoque Expediciones. |
| and pristine skies. Central Chile boasts hundreds of | | | | Every month while the temperature is right, this |
| fertile vineyards, yielding some of the world's most | | | | horse ranch and eco-tourism outfit runs a full moon |
| famous wines; and Southern Chile is lush with thick | | | | horseback ride across the Ritoque Sand Dunes, thirty |
| rainforests and mythical creatures until one hits the | | | | minutes outside of Valparaiso. Dressed in spurs and |
| vast icy peaks of the Patagonia and the Antarctic | | | | boots, chaps and a cowboy hat, Rene arranged for |
| Peninsula. There are so many things to do, from | | | | us a beautiful tour under the full moon and stars. He |
| sampling some of the best wines, to soaking up the | | | | and 11 other cowboys led us across the desert like |
| sun of the Pacific, to trekking along the foothills of | | | | sand dunes of Ritoque for a 3-hour ride. I had never |
| the Andes. | | | | seen the moon so vast and clear as I rode down |
| But with such a tie to the land, Chileans (or Chilenos, | | | | steep hills of sand, across shallow rivers and between |
| as the locals call themselves) are also known for their | | | | the brush of the dunes on my lovely horse Tefani. |
| cowboy culture. One thing to sample while in Chile is | | | | Then we reached a secluded fire pit surrounded by |
| the rugged history of the cowboy culture, descended | | | | more dunes, trees and the open night sky, where |
| straight from the country's colonial beginnings when | | | | we listened to cueca, live Chilean music of drums, |
| Pedro de Valdivia, founder of Chile, had his work cut | | | | singing and the cajon. The music was infectious, and |
| out for him as he set off from Peru as a consort of | | | | even though we didn't know the words we were |
| Spain. Most of his men on horseback and on foot did | | | | compelled to sing along - our guide told us that some |
| not survive the Atacama Desert. But when de | | | | of these were national songs about the desert, the |
| Valdivia set his flag down in what is now modern | | | | history and the people. We sang along and enjoyed |
| Santiago after months and months of trekking and | | | | typical Chilean drinks and meats and cheeses. After a |
| riding across the treacherous desert, he had given | | | | few hours of singing, dancing and eating, we saddled |
| birth a new generation of people - fearless, rugged | | | | back on our horses for another 2-hour ride, this time |
| and in love with the varied landscape. | | | | across the Ritoque beach back to the ranch where |
| Highly recommended by the Lonely Planet guide and | | | | we started. |
| many of their travelers, Bed and Breakfast La Nona | | | | You will learn from this expedition not only what a |
| in Valparaiso is where we began our journey. This is a | | | | traditional Chilean night of music, food and drink is like, |
| spacious and bright home set high in the hills of the | | | | but how one's tie to the land, no matter where you |
| city, owned and operated by lovebirds Rene and | | | | are from, is the root of your soul. |