The Time Machine

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We arrived in Auckland airport 6 hours early, after giving back the motorhome, as the process went very smoothly and quickly. We killed time, as you do in airports, and headed for the check in desk when it finally opened, 30 mins late, to be told there was a delay and come back in an hour. Softening the blow with some food vouchers. This made us suspicious that something was not right. On return to the desk we found that our LAN air flight to Chile (12 hours duration) was cancelled. Arghhh! was the first response. Then they told us that they were putting us up in Auckland´s best hotel, the Crowne Plaza, with all food provided, and then gave us some more food vouchers to spend in the airport while we waited for them to organise the transport to the hotel. So we did the decent thing and spent it on beer, as we were already well fed from the previous lot of vouchers! Maybe it wouldn´t be so bad after all.

So they bused us back into the city centre. We liked Auckland alot, but really felt like we had seen it all. So we relaxed in the very comfortable hotel and had dinner and used the gym, spa and so on, although not in that order. The next day our flight had been rescheduled for the evening. There had been a wing problem apparently that was now fine! So once again they plied us with food and drink vouchers for the airport, and we boarded the plane on time (well sort of). It was an uneventful flight. The TV screens were too tiny to see, and the food was cold, but it was ok.

We landed at 1pm on friday 17th, and at the very same time we were sat having lunch in Auckland´s Crowne Plaza. Very strange. We crossed the dateline and gained a day. Now we thought that this would be an advantage, but it played havoc with our body clocks and we had jet lag from hell.

We stepped out of the airport to blistering sunshine and misty, smoggy haze that is ever present in Santiago. Our cheery taxi driver was unable to find our hostel and our spanglish directions were little help, but finally we arrived in the Santa Lucia Green House. It was a charming old colonial style building, a family run place with a few guest rooms. We really enjoyed it, it was relaxed and atmospheric, and right in the middle of all the interesting bits of the city. That afternoon we manged a bit of a walk, but found the heat (after cold NZ) and jet lag too much and had to have a snooze. In the evening we got up to find that the city had really come to life at night. It was busy and bustling, with open shop fronts and lots of street stalls. We indulged in a Chilean typical snack, a "completos", (mainly because the menu had a picture so we could recognise what it was!) which is basically a hot dog, but topped with every sauce imaginable, mayo, ketchup, salsa, sauerkraut, guacomole, so much that the hot dog itself almost disappears. It isn´t very nice really, but if you are hungry, it tastes good. We also tried "empanadas" the most popular flavour being "pino", these are basically a bit like cornish pasties with a thicker pastry and can be filled with anything, a pino had meat (minimal), onions(lots), slices of hard boiled egg and a black olive with the stone (watch your teeth). Again these are not our favourite foods that we have sampled around the world, but they are such a common part of Chilean fodder, that we later went on to try many different types and qualities.

We spent the night on email and watching tv (the hostel had sat tv thankfully), as our bodies thought it was daytime. The next morning after the hostel breakfast of tea and bread, we stepped out bleary eyed to explore the city. We actually had a great day. Due to our lack of sleep we were out and walking before 8am and before all the traffic had hit. We walked up the magnificent Santa Lucia hill, which is a park with old buildings and ruins in it, to get a great view of the sprawling city and the snow capped Andes lying behind. The smog is constant in Santiago and creates a white mist just above all the buildings. Despite that it was still amazing. We walked around all the sights of interest, the museums and parks and onto the Plaza De Armas. There were street hawkers, clowns, mime acts, street cafes. Also the contrasts of the ever present stray dogs, and homeless drunks sleeping on the benches. There are many universities in Santiago, so there are many students, and as it was a saturday they were having some kind of peaceful demonstration in the centre. I am not sure what it was about, but they were dressed as zombies, we think it may have something to do with hospitals. It was a great place for people watching. We have heard some people say that Santiago is boring and lacks character, we found it to be quite the opposite. It has beautiful buildings, some interesting parks, quirky people, and classy plazas.

By the afternoon we were shattered and had to give in to the dreaded jet lag and have a snooze, besides it was the hottest time of the day and it is the country for siestas. In the evening we ventured into an area called Barrio Brazil in search of something to eat. We found a quiet little bar that sold 16 different types of empanadas, this time they were delicious. We headed back in the direction of Santa Lucia, but decided to stop for a beer at a bar with tables out on the street. It looked quite relaxed and trendy. the next thing we know a group of Chileans had bought us a drink and invited us to their table. Difficult drunken conversation followed. They knew little English, we knew little Spanish. But the night was fun and they even gave us alift to the taxi rank to get us back home. We had been warned to watch out in S America for people trying to befriend you (and later rob you), but here in Chile it is completely genuine, and we found Santiago and later the whole of Chile to be a reasonably safe place. In fact i felt safer than I do at times in Cardiff.

The next day was a lost cause, with jet lags and sore heads we milled around the hostal all day and only really ventured out for some snack food. Do you know that a quarter pounder with cheese in spanish is 'cuarto libre con queso'?......Brilliant. Again 'Dirty Mackers' is on every street corner in Santiago, I hope that doesn't continue, although we were glad of it on that day!!

The next day we had a few tasks to do, we had to work out what we were going to do next, so we trudged around town until we found the bus terminal and booked our tickets for our next destination (in spanish!! kind of.... ). The rest of the day was free for sightseeing, so we walked up the famous San Cristobel hill, which was pretty exhuasting, but satisfying. we would have liked to have taken the funicular or cable car, but both were closed for repairs! At the top of the hill was a massive statue of Lady Mary and an outdoor church, with flower beds as the alter. It was a typically Spanish/Latin scene, (with the stray dogs using it as their home of course). The stray dogs really take some getting used to.

That afternoon, we were nearly pickpocketed. A man tried to put his hand in Stu's back pack which was actually locked anyway, but a Chilean lady kindly shouted at him and warned us!! Lucky.

That evening we had food in a small restaurant outside the fish market. I tried what we thought was lemon sole, although I am not sure that it was. It was ok. We are yet to be wowed by Chilean food, except for the wonderful garlicky, tomato, chilli, onion salsa they give you with every meal with bread instead of butter, i could just eat that all day. Most food places sell completos, fried chicken or pizzas, and lots of chips, so the Chilean diet isn't great. There are lots of seafood places nearer the coast which we thought we might try later.

The next morning we were up and out of the Santa Lucia Green House, and we tried to get on the metro to get to the bus station with our luggage, but they wouldn't let Stu come on with his surfboards, so we had to get a taxi. The metro system in Santiago is very good. Quite clean and efficient. There is just one price wherever you go, so it's much better to travel further. Anyway, we had to get a taxi. Santiago bus terminal is quite a civilised place, certainly alot cleaner than Cardiff bus station. The buses themselves are a pleasure, cleanish, with toilets, and tv - with spanish dubbing so not that great, and a.c.(the ac is never on however, the heat on the buses doesn't seem to bother the locals). And importantly, they are on time. The main company is called Tur Bus and seems to be the most popular and better than the rest although they all seem ok. We weren't on Tur Bus this time, but Pullman de Sur, which was ok. It took us safely to the beach town of Pichilemu. All in all we had really enjoyed Santiago and would not hesitate to visit it again.

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