Hats off to Air France for a fab flight...great selection of films (I watched The Favourite and Rocketman), delicious aeroplane food (yes, really...and champagne!) and most importantly, we got there safely. Arrived to find Santiago in a state of emergency. The taxi driver described the previous night as a war zone. Protests over increases in metro fares sparked military intervention and he said about 300 arrests. At the hotel, the owner had prepared a letter advising guests to stay in the area (Barrio Italia), although she said it would be fine to go out for a wander, giving us a map and some routes. Casasur Charming Hotel is a gorgeous boutique hotel where we got a warm welcome, coffee and lots of helpful advice before heading out to explore. We aimed for the Mercado Central and
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