Blogs from Santiago Region, Chile, South America - page 148

27 July Thankfully it had at last stopped raining although this wasn´t going to help our sight seeing as we were heading off to Santiago. Breakfast in the hostal and packing our bags for what felt like the hundreth time already we set off to the bus station. A quick hour and a half later we were dropped off at the bus terminal in Santiago. On the approach to the city we had been gifted a great view of the city hemmemed in by the Andes in the background which were covered in snow. As we got into the city though they became obscured by a brown cloud of smog which ruins any photo opportunity. We managed to find our way to the metro stop and had a relatively easy ride into the city centre. The ... read more

Olemme tulleet tulokseen, etta olemme molemmat erittain positiivisesti yllattyneita Chilesta ja Santiagosta! Luimme kylla etukateen Lonely Planetista, etta Santiagosta loytaa amerikkalaisia ja eurooppalaisia vaikutteita, mutta emme osanneet varautua taysin lansimaiseen katukuvaan pukumiehineen, ei kerjalaisia ja joka toisessa kadunkulmassa sijaitseviin Pizzahutteihin, McDonaldseihin ja Dunkin Donatseihin! Olemme ilmeisesti vaihtaneet mannerta huomaamattamme.... Jossain maarin tama on ollut myos pettynyt, koska emme ole nahneet paljoakaan asioita, joita voisimme kuvailla chilelaisina tai paikallisina - jollei lasketa niita matkamuistokojuja, joihin Hanna raahaa Hannua. Vietettyamme ensimmaisen yon Santiagossa HI-hostellissa, jonne olisi mahtunut yksi rykmentillinen majoittumaan ja jonka tunnelma oli kuin suoraan opiskelijasolussa, loysimme Hostelworldin avulla pienemman ja huomattavast... read more

Happy Birthday to me! I'm all alone in Chile. Feliz cumpleaños a mi! I made it to Thirty! Well, I am kicked back and relaxing in Santiago after a 23 hour bus ride through the northern desert region of Chile (the driest desert in the world). The ride was long and grueling, but the scenery was nice to look at (as far as deserts go). The Chilean capital is a booming metropolis, with skyscrapers elevated high across the city. Although, nothing can help but be dwarfed by the mighty Andes (second highest mountain range in the world) that lie only a few kilometers away. The snow caps make for a refreshing sight when surrounded by giant buildings and the noise of city traffic. Although, the mountain range is often obscured by the haze of smog that ... read more

16th -20th July 2006 Made it back to Auckland for a tour of the highlights of the city and a night with Brian and Jill. They have surpassed themselves with food and kindness. Katie got a second morning with Dusty the horse, and Jill. Sadly for Hugh and I this is a definite highlight for the child and something we can’t second! After a hurried exit we’re off to the airport. Flight is 11 hours long and time going backwards. We leave New Zealand at 6pm and arrive in Santiago at 1pm on the same day! The small blonde is as good as ever. What a natural traveller she is. Hugh and I knackered and have spent the last two days reminding one another what the ‘real’ time is and making ourselves feel worse. Sad articles ... read more

We've had many happy accidents of being in the right place at the right time, but on this sort of trip, there will always be a few "we should have gone here instead of there" moments. And right now, WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT BUENOS AIRES! We mentioned in our last couple of entries that Argentina is very affordable. Cheap hotels, cheap food, and cheap wine - all excellent in a background of fantastic culture and nightlife - mean that, really, there is no reason why you all shouldn't begin planning your next trip there. We returned to Buenos Aires from the northern Missiones district because we wanted to spend Saturday night in the capital and we heard that the Sunday antique market was fun. You can really find anything in the San Telmo market, from ... read more