Valdivia: old, new and expensive beer. - Northbound from Argentina through Brazil - CycleBlaze

April 8, 2011

Valdivia: old, new and expensive beer.

The view from the veranda of the hostel where I slept. The last night though, I didn't as there was a party with live music. One other note: I met a German cyclist here called Nina.
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Lobos marines, or Sea lions close to the city centre.
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The bay inlet which leads inland to Valdivia.
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Remains of the Spanish fort: the city was originally founded and named for Pedro Valdivia in 1552. It was abandoned in 1599 after a successful Indian uprising. In 1643 five Dutch vessels made landfall on the site of the ruin city but left soon after, which prompted the Spanish to comeback and rebuild the city; permanently reestablishing their presents with defences on the clifftops overlooking the entry to the bay from the Pacific.
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Dutch sea captain Hendrick Brouwer sailed from Pernambuco Brazil following rumors of the abandoned city. Finding the city almost returned to the forest, he and the crews of his five ships spent months clearing with a view to establishing a Dutch colony. But were soon frustrated by lack of co-operation from the local Mapuche people that still had fresh memories of the Spanish, so left.
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Napoleon occupied the Iberian Peninsular in the early 19th century and so Spain lost a grip on it's huge empire in America leaving armies besieged by revolutionaries. Lanky Thomas Cochrane in the employ of the British Navy helped Chile create an army and the Royalists as the Spanish were called were finally defeated at Valdivia in 1820.
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The batteries of cannons that remain today as testimony of Spain's defences against the ambitions of other European maritime nations.
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The quay by the city-centre.
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Boys on bicycles and a bored waiter waiting for customers to arrive.
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The beer sign is for Kunstmann beer: the brewery was established by German immigrants in the mid 19th century. The beer is though something like double the price of the national brands, Crystal and Escudos, and I noticed because of this locals drink the nation brands.
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