Santiago -> La Serena

---

---

We arrived in Santiago at about 5:30AM. After paying the $132 USD reciprocity fee immigration was a breeze.I got some money out of an ATM (they all seem to charge a $2500 Chilean peso service fee, on top of whatever your bank charges) and was soon on my way with TransVip airport shuttle for only $6000 peso to meet the rest of the group.

Today was essentially a travel day, with a 7-hr bus ride to La Serena. For some bizarre reason we boarded a bus at the central bus station to take us to another station where the La Serena bus was waiting. It was only about a 10-min transfer but I quickly dozed off, from the lack of sleep on the trans-equatorial flight.

The hotel we stayed at was Hotel El Escorial. It was basic but clean. We had seafood dinner at La Recova – I had salmon, not bad. I wondered if it was wild or farmed.

---