Modern South America

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06 /07/09
After much searching I found a nice hostel in Santiago But first I had to go and get my (hopefully) repaired camera at 7 am because my check in to go to Chile.
I left it till? So then went but guess what, even though I was promised, there was no one around so back to my hostel who phoned a mobile and after getting my bags and negotiating a deal to the airport ‘headed back of see if mg camera was repaired. It Was, praise be to God now I could get on with two cameras and a reduction of budget by $200. Lesson learnt cameras not made for water should be kept dry!
Left to Santiago via Iquique and was amazed at how beaurocracy and rules can cause a whole plane to disembark to go through immigration only to get back on the plane of get back off an hour later to walk past immigration.

On the flight I also made the blunder of my trip by asking a couple in front of me what right game They were watching, to be told it was the Ireland Wales final 6 nations, where I then blurted out ”oh the one Ireland won” to be told “No I have avoided the result for 5 months !’’ oh well ‘guess he should have said some thing before telling me who was playing.
Arrived in Santiago and got my shuttle to my hostel and if was painless, so very easy when you know how. Checked in lo find the hostel still being built, it had only been open 3 weeks and it was lovely.
Free wifi TV was the biggest I had over seen and a lovely new room just decorated. Met two Brazilian guys called Renato and Kyle. They proceeded to teach me how to play Pool until I decided to give up. Went out with these-two guys for sushi but my stomach was smaller than my eyes and Kyle had to help us out at the end, we then went to a bar a Canadian guy had suggested that was quite the happening place. Land have to check carefully next time I listen to a Canadian their idea of happening is different of most people I know, as this place was for lack of a better word a brewing house for cheap moonshine and we lasted long enough to use their toilet. In the tend we ended up at the bar next to our hostel where Pisco sour was the order of the day.
7/7/09

Woke up at 10 after a great sleep once the building contractors had decided to stop partying outside my door in the early hours of the morning, the newness of the hostel not being that great at 3am.
up arid off to town to see Santiago, got to city centre and sent some postcards, whilst I was in the Post office 5 got some boxes to send some stuff home was surprised at how long it took for the woman helping me, Not to find what, was looking for.
Headed home then packed all stuff to send then sent it from the under ground post office. The underground in Santiago is really great, it doesn’t suffer from the same delays caused by leaves on the track like England does!
The most amazing thing happened today as well. There are 6 million people in Santiago and whilst walking around a friend of mine bumped in to me whilst crossing the road so the odds are amazing.
Decided to go out but there was no one around so I went to an area called Bella Vista where all the restaurants are situated and found a lovely seafood piece where I had a king crab salad and some Chilean wine. Was lovely. The taxi ride to the place was 850 pesos but the return they wanted to charge 3000! Well I decided to walk back and was surprised that there was so much traffic. It turned out that the local football team had one the championship and it I had taken ataxi it would have taken forever to get home!
Strangely enough the night was quieter as the building contractors supported-the losing team, ha ha!
Had more pics but unfortunately deleted them by mistake ,learn this lesson early and you wont lose pictures!!

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