German
Chile: Evacuation, Viña Vik & Viñedos De Alcohuaz
November 2025
Border crossing with extensive inspection
We traveled from Argentina to Chile via the Pehuenche Pass. This time, we did not have a digitally completed entry form for food items. Therefore, we had to fill it out directly at the border.
We made the mistake of ticking “no” for all the collective questions. This proved to be our undoing, as the very thorough inspection by the official revealed an open packet of nuts. An additional official
used his flashlight to search for the furthest corners of the front of the vehicle, but found nothing. The nice official explained to Brigitte that open packages were not allowed. So that she wouldn't have to pay a fine, Brigitte was allowed to fill out the form a second time with the correct answer.
Refilling the gas tank in Chile
In Huasco, we saw a gas tank truck parked at a hotel. Large gas cylinders for the kitchen were being filled. We stopped and asked the driver if he would/could fill our fixed tank as well.
Here in Chile, too, the connection on our tank fits the gas nozzle on the truck supplier's truck – no adapter needed. The driver grinned and said that he wasn't allowed to do this, but that it would be okay in a place where no one could see us. He still had to deliver gas to another customer and would then leave the area. We were to wait outside the town in a parking bay. As agreed, the truck parked next to us after 30 minutes, and in no time at all, our gas tank was filled up again. This will last us another three to four months. It was a win-win situation for both of us.
Ikea evacuation
In Santiago, we visited IKEA to buy a few small items. We were on the sixth floor when a loudspeaker announcement reported a technical problem and asked everyone to leave the building immediately.
Things got hectic, with people coming from all directions and rushing to the stairwell. We went with the flow, and I left the shopping cart in a corner. Once outside, employees were already standing by with signs, dividing people into groups. After 30 minutes of waiting time, the statement was: TEST alarm.
Viña Vik
Located in Chile's Millahue Valley, VIK is a unique winery. Millahue is also known as the “golden place” by the indigenous Mapuche people. Surrounded by vineyards, the winery is a magnificent sight. You enter the winery via a central dam. Great wines are created using the best techniques and state-of-the-art technology. The winery is one of the best in the world.
Refill water tank
We usually fill our water tank with service water at large gas stations, which sometimes even advertise their water as drinking water. However, in the Atacama region, where water is rather limited, this was not possible at several gas stations.
On the outskirts of Chañaral City, we saw a car washer. We asked for water, and he handed me his high-pressure gun. The empty tank was quickly filled. He proudly said that it was drinking water. In the future, he will offer tourists drinking water in addition to car washing.
Here in the Atacama region, we will probably fill our water tank with purchased 20-liter drinking water canisters (approx. 3 to 4 Swiss francs) in the future.
Automobil Museum Colchagua E
Over 80 vehicles from different eras; Everett from 1890, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari...
One highlight is the original DeLorean vehicle from “Back to the Future.”
Viñedos De Alcohuaz
The vineyard is in the Andes. Not at the foot of the mountains, but on their slopes, at 30 degrees south latitude, around 2,200 meters above sea level.
We visited the winery built into granite rocks with its spectacular wine cellar. The wines are Andean wines and therefore benefit from the interplay of three fundamental factors: the granite soils, the altitude, and the sun of the Elqui Valley. This results in grapes with unusually thick skins compared to other valleys in Chile. At Alcohuaz, the first pressing is traditionally done by foot in stone basins. This technique is essential to their winemaking and allows them to produce wine with great tension, smoothness, and balanced tannins.
Fermentation is carried out using natural yeasts. To preserve varietal characteristics, the wines are aged in different containers. The RHU is aged for 35 months in 2,500-liter wooden barrels from Austria. The Syrah is also aged in wooden barrels, but for only 20 months. The Garnacha is fermented in truncated concrete tanks and aged in concrete eggs for 20 months, the same aging process as Malbec.
