Art and I went to Chile for our 35th anniversary, rented a car, and set off to the Central Valley’s rich farmland between the Andes and the Coastal mountains that rim the Pacific Ocean. What a country!
We headed south toward Rancagua and Pelequen, about an hour away. Some of the road was unpaved running alongside remote farms or meadows. We were on our way to stay in San Fernando at the spectacular hacienda, Los Lingues, part of the Angostura Estate. It was a gift from King Phillip III of Spain to the first mayor of Santiago in 1599. The same family has owned the land for more than 400 years. Today it is a 20,000-acre working ranch.
The house was constructed during the 16th and 17th centuries of adobe and cal y canto (stones held together with thousands of egg whites). Jesuits living nearby carved some of the elegant doors. Today some of the rooms surrounding a courtyard and fountain are rented to guests.
Despite some language difficulties, my two years of Spanish somehow got us to our destination. I misunderstood one man and reported back to Art that we were supposed to ask in the village for a lady named Gail. I have no idea what the man was talking about.
When we reached Los Lingues, we parked under a canopy of centuries-old trees and went looking for our host. Somehow, we took a wrong turn. Actually, a “wrong” turn is impossible at Los Lingues since every turn leads to something heavenly. We wound up at the stables where purebred Acuelo Creole horses put their heads over their stalls to check us out. While we were admiring the horses, three playful golden retrievers bounded up eager for a tussle. Naturally, Art obliged.
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Our host soon found us and made us feel as if we had come home. He offered a hearty Chilean lunch complete with a fine Chilean wine and then a short walk to the lagoon. I asked how to find it, and he said, “Don’t worry, the dogs will lead you there.” He was right. The minute we set off on the walk, the dogs charged ahead, happy to have a job. They frolicked with one another, and one stopped to lie down in a refreshing water-filled sluice. After cooling down, he shook himself off, and sped up to join his siblings.
The wide dirt trail was lined with scrub trees to the left with well-kept farmland beyond that . The dogs would run ahead then circle back again to make sure we were keeping up. Then they disappeared over the top of a hill and we followed. At the crest, we were surprised to see the lagoon below us with four of the ranch’s horses drinking from it.
Don’t visit Los Lingues if you don’t like dogs. They love to accompany the guests. We thought they were great. After lunch, we took a rest in the shade in pretty, crocheted hammocks with our ever-present guides resting in the grass nearby. This was when we decided if there is anything to reincarnation we are both coming back to Los Lingues as as Golden Retrievers.
We took another short walk around 4 o'clock, this time in the opposite direction to the swimming pool. On the way, we passed a huaso (Chilean cowboy) training one of the horses. He was able to get that horse to make the tightest turns imaginable. The hueso was dressed in traditional garb. He and his horse put on quite a show. Since there were only two other couples staying at Los Lingues, it was like having the place to ourselves. We had a romantic four-course dinner on the outdoor patio under starry skies. The main course was venison then we returned to our room where a chilled bottle of champagne awaited us. Not bad.
* Hacienda Los Lingues is in San Fernado in the Central Valley, and listed in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.