As our bus dropped into Santiago from the Andes the anguish of the previous hours started to drift away as we made amusing conversation with a large group of travellers at the back of the bus. The group were all from varied countries, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Spain and all joked with each other about who was best. Making aquaintance also gave us an opportunity to drink Mate, the hot and herby drink which Argentinians especially can never leave home without and which tastes rather like extra strong tea but is drunk through a metal straw out of a ornate personalised mug. After arriving at the terminal and a scare over our luggage which was not in the hold but on the floor, we took a taxi to the Bella Vista hostel which we enjoyed so
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