• What to know if you go        • Recipe for Mote con huesillo        • See photos

LARRY MAYRAN/Special (ENLARGE)

Craftsmanship is serious business to artists such as this woodcarver, in Puertolito Los Dominicos, a small municipality with an artisans' village.

LARRY MAYRAN/Special (ENLARGE)

Refreshments, Chilean style, might include mote con huesillo, made with peaches.

LARRY MAYRAN/Special (ENLARGE)

The pool under the glass-enclosed rooftop spa at the Ritz-Carlton Santiago proved a welcome respite for a weary traveler.

LARRY MAYRAN/Special (ENLARGE)

Magda Saleh of Santiago's Ritz-Carlton defies convention as a sommelier, a rarity in a land where a male-dominated atmosphere still prevails. She studied under Hector Vergara, the country's only Master Sommelier.

LARRY MAYRAN/Special (ENLARGE)

Donde Augusto, a 1,500-seat restaurant, pulls in Mercado Central shoppers for lunch, offered until late in the afternoon.

Santiago, Chile — Long and thin like a string bean, this country stretches for nearly 2,700 miles on the western edge of South America. Its svelte size — only 120 miles at the widest point — makes Chile the longest, narrowest country on earth.

Its five regions contain astonishing landscapes, distinct ecological features and climatic zones that have shaped Chile's territory and history.

My two weeks in Chile started and ended in Santiago in mid-October — springtime in the Southern Hemisphere. In between were journeys by car into the Central Valley, driving southeast into the Maipo wine country that lies between the Pacific Ocean and Andes Mountains. I planned to drive southwest for an overnight stay in Santa Cruz at a colonial hotel in the heart of the Colchagua wine country, and tour the Museum of Colchagua, displaying one of Chile's finest collections of paleontology, Mapuche silverworks, pre-Columbian art, and colonial artifacts. But as with all memorable journeys, some encounters along the way did not turn out as planned.

In the Andes chain

Santiago, founded in 1541 by the Spanish, is cradled within the Andes mountain chain, where more than 6 million people, or one-third of the entire population of Chile, live. A slim veil of brown smog often hangs around the city, diluting the view of snowcapped peaks. On days when early morning rain clears the smog, Santiaguinos see a modern city bathed in golden sunlight shimmering down from the Andes.

Getting around Santiago is simple, with taxis available at reasonable rates — $4-$5 for a 10-minute ride — and the efficient subway stops near most landmarks and costs less than $1 one way.

I opted to hire a car and driver instead of taking a taxi or the subway because some locations required visits of several hours. The concierge at the Grand Hyatt, an attractive, 16-story cylindrical 310-room hotel, put me in touch with a driver, Reinaldo Pinto Derza, who turned out to be a fantastic find. His English was pretty good, he knew the city well, and I paid him by the hour or half-day, which turned out to be far more efficient than the subway, and less expensive than frequent calls for taxis.

I planned my excursions according to the weather — some mornings were rainy, turning to bright sunshine in the afternoon. Inclement periods were devoted to indoor or covered facilities like the Mercado Central (Central Marketplace), with its acres of stalls of fishmongers hawking sea urchins, clams, spider crabs, oysters, octopus, scallops, sea bass and conger eels. Fruit, vegetable and flower venders also broadcast their wares, adding to the lively din.

Upstairs were tiny seafood cafes, while on the main floor was Donde Augusto, a 1,500-seat restaurant with three kitchens and 36 waiters, serving an average of 4,000-6,000 patrons a day for lunch (no dinner) until 5 p.m.

A Latin American version of Atlanta's Varsity

A task force of shills (called "hunters" by the service staff) fanned out around the entrance to Mercado Central, trying to entice visitors to eat at Donde Augusto. Despite the tourist-trap ambience, I was lured to a table by the colorful spectacle of waiters barking orders as they raced from table to table with seafood dishes — something akin to a Latin American Varsity. Adding to the cacophony were roving musicians playing mostly Mexican standards, rather than Chilean numbers. (Go figure.) My Pila Marina, a thin broth with fresh seafood, and two beers cost about $14.

In Providencia, about a 15- minute drive from the Hyatt, is Puertolito Los Dominicos, a small municipality with an artisans' village. The artists were friendly but intent on their work — painting, sculpting, woodworking, crafting jewelry — and they didn't look up unless spoken to. Jewelry made of seashells, lapis lazuli, even recycled silverware, took shape before my eyes. Their creations are mostly of cottage-industry caliber, and you can bargain a little bit over your purchase.

Santiago is bisected by a three-mile-long, 325-foot- wide thoroughfare — ornamented with statues, fountains, trees and gardens — that the locals call the Alameda. Officially it's named Avenida del Libertador in honor of Gen. Bernado O'Higgins (pronounced O- Ee-heens) the Chilean liberator (1778-1842) in the war of independence from Spain.

Along the avenue is the Palacio de La Moneda, formally the Chilean Mint, but since 1846 it has been the official offices of the president of Chile.

Stunning view of city

In quest of the ultimate view of Santiago, Reinaldo drove me up the hill of San Cristobal, which rises 900 feet above the city. A huge statue of the Virgin Mary resides here. You get a panoramic view of the sprawling city below with its stunning backdrop of the Andes. You can also take a cable car, a funicular or, if you're very fit, run or bike up to the summit.

Dining in Santiago can be a gastronomic adventure, from simple $1.50 empanadas (pastry stuffed with meat and onions or cheese) from a street vendor to a repast in paradise at Puerto Fuy (pronounced FOO-ey), a chic restaurant commanded by 28-year-old Giancarlo Mazzarelli, said to be one of South America's hottest chefs. A tasting menu gilded with Mazzarelli's dazzling seafood presentations and paired with Ventisquero wines ($70 per person) was scrumptious.

Inspired to find the source of Ventisquero wines, I journeyed to the Vina Ventisquero Winery, about an hour southwest of Santiago in Melipilla. Unlike Concha y Toro, Undurraga, Los Lingues or Cousiño-Macul wineries, Ventisquero does not have regularly scheduled tours, but you can call the winery to arrange one. Ventisquero and its sister Apalta vineyard produces excellent white and red wines that are sold throughout the United States.

During an afternoon tour and tasting with winemaker Alesandrea Lozano and marketing director Melanie Whatmore, Lozano explained why Chilean wines can compete favorably with the best of Napa Valley, Calif., and France: "It's a combination of vineyards irrigated by the melting snows from the Andes, balmy climate and geography — what the French call terroir — that gives our wines their distinctive and complex character."

Guesthouse at the winery

Ventisquero, like some other Chilean wineries, has a guesthouse. Its small guesthouse, perched in the middle of the vineyard, was being refurbished but was available for the evening. I spent a restful night before being awakened by housekeeper/cook Señora Jimenez for breakfast. Later, after an extensive tour of the vineyards, she made me a mote con huesillo, a traditional dessert drink that was very refreshing (see If You Go information for recipe).

Leaving Melipilla, I hired another car and driver and headed farther south for a visit to the Apalta vineyard near Casa Lapostolle before continuing southeast to Santa Cruz. Along the way, the fertile plains of the Central Valley offer lush vineyards planted in rows of almost military precision, marching in endless formation up to the steep hills fronting the Andes. They give graphic insight into Chile's enormous capacity for wine production. Other fields of tomatoes, avocados and citrus stretched to the horizon.

Unfortunately, my driver got hopelessly lost in a maze of circuitous roads en route to Apalta, arriving too late to get to the winery to taste the red wines.

We finally pulled up to Santa Cruz Plaza Hotel at about 9 p.m., tired but with expectations of a refreshing shower, fine dinner and a good night's sleep. The front desk manager shook her head and said, "Sorry, no reservations for you." Showing her my e-mail copy of the reservation was fruitless. The hotel was full and the person who had made my reservation weeks earlier had obviously forgotten to confirm it.

The only Ritz-Carlton in South America

There was nothing to do but call the Ritz-Carlton in Santiago and secure a reservation a day earlier than my scheduled stay. After a dismal four-hour drive north, we arrived at the Ritz at 1:30 a.m., warmly welcomed by the night staff to a luxuriously comfortable sanctuary.

Opened in 2003, it is the only Ritz-Carlton in South America. It has 239 rooms and suites, and a glass-enclosed rooftop spa that offers a splendid view of the city framed by the Andes. A massage and facial, augmented by a relaxing swim in the palm-shaded spa pool, helped me recover from my disappointing Santa Cruz outing.

Particularly enjoyable was an evening's visit to Wine 365, the Ritz's wine bar and restaurant offering 365 wines from Chile (many available by the glass) and other famous wines from around the world. Helping pair food and wine choices was sommelier Magda Saleh. In a land where macho still rules and females like Saleh rarely, if ever, hold positions like sommelier, she is to be admired for her initiative. Initially schooled in London, she returned to Chile and progressed rapidly under the stewardship of Hector Vergara, the country's only Master Sommelier. Saleh displayed a knowledgeable wine presence, and encouraged, rather than questioned, my choice of wine for dinner.

To cap off my visit to Chile, I was invited to attend ceremonies marking the 150th anniversary of Vina Cousiño-Macul, one of the country's oldest wineries. Among Chile's most illustrious and aristocratic families, the Cousiño-Maculs pioneered the country's first hydroelectric company, built shipping lines and railways, owned coal mines, started the forestry industry and created many charitable foundations. They also established a renowned viticultural tradition carried on today by the sixth generation of the family.

Banquet in the cellar

In Santiago, Cousiño-Macul maintains one of the oldest wine cellars in the country. In 1872, French architects built a vast cellar 15 to 20 feet underground, providing for near-perfect natural temperatures conducive to wine storage. Touring the labyrinth of cellars was like entering a medieval castle.

Veronica Macul, vivacious wife of chief executive Carlos Macul, led us down narrow stone staircases where wrought iron gates opened to reveal warrens of passages containing oak wine casks tinged amber by candle and recessed light.

In the confines of the candle-lit cask room, a lavish banquet capped off the celebratory evening. To establish the beginning of a new chapter in Cousiño-Macul viticulture, winemaker Matias Rivera introduced a wine called Lota, named after a coastal town in central Chile founded in 1852 by Mattius Cousiño. Lota, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, produced a deep purple, velvety textured wine that danced around my palate with flavors of ripe fruit, black currents, mocha and dark chocolate. It was an elegant wine to savor all the years of dedicated winemaking and well-suited for continuing the dreams of their ancestors.

As I emerged from the wine cellar into the chilly night air, the convivial ambience and historic moment in the life of a pioneering Chilean family lingered pleasantly. The disappointing experiences of a Santa Cruz venture gone awry, and a driver who lost his way in a maze of back roads, softened in the light of so many other glorious Chilean experiences.

And after nearly 30 years of globetrotting, I've learned the most memorable journeys are those with hiccups along the way.

Triumphing over adversity always makes the best stories.

E-mail Mayran at lmayran@chateauelan.com.

IF YOU GO

Getting there

Delta flies nonstop from Atlanta to Santiago, Chile. American and LAN Airlines have one-stop service. Expect to pay $1,100-$1,300 round trip.

A visa is not required for American citizens, but visitors pay a $100 "reciprocity" fee on arrival (I recommend a U.S. $100 bill) and must fill out a tourist card turned back in to Customs when you leave.

Information

More information on Chile is available at www.visit-chile.org.

Where to stay, eat

• Ritz-Carlton, Santiago: Reservations. chile@ritzcarlton.com. Rooms start at $260 a night.

• Grand Hyatt, Santiago: www.santiago.grand.hyatt.com. Double rooms start at $250.

• Puerto Fuy restaurant: Nueva Constanera 3969, Vitacura, Santiago.

• Agua restaurant: Nueva Constanera 3467, Vitacura, Santiago.

Where to shop

• Artisans in Providencia at Puertolito Los Dominicos, www.pueblitolosdominicos.com

• High-end stores: Avenida Alonso de Córdova in the Vitacura neighborhood. Alongside international brands like Hermès and Starbucks are local designers who sell clothing, jewelry and furniture.

About Chile's wines

• Wines of Chile: The U.S. branch is in New York, 1-866-461-9463.

• Vina Ventisquero Wines and information USA: www.ventisquero.com/usa.

• Vina Ventisquero Winery, Chile: www.ventisquero.com.

• Cousiño-Macul, Chile: www.cousinomacul.com.

• Leading vineyards (such as Cousiño-Macul, Quilín 7100 in Peñalolén, 011-56-2-351-4100; Concha y Toro, Virginia Subercaseaux 210 in Pirque, 011-56-2-476-5000) conduct weekday tours by appointment, but it is probably easiest to sign up for a group tour. Agencies like Turistour (011-56-2- 488-0444, www.turistour.com) have full-day packages to the main Maipo Valley vineyards starting at $17.

Mote con huesillo

To make the traditional refreshing Chilean dessert drink: In a pot, boil 1 cup of buckwheat for about 30 minutes, then rinse in cold water and cool in the refrigerator. Boil 1 pound dried peaches (after soaking them overnight) in another pot with a vanilla bean until the peaches are soft — about an hour. Place peaches in the refrigerator (in separate container from buckwheat) to cool. When cold, fill one-third of a tall glass with buckwheat and two-thirds with peaches and liquid. Stir and drink. Add sugar if needed.