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Published: October 23rd 2011
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Ok, I've made a decision to blog. I have ambivalent feelings about blogging. I'm kinda uncomfortable rabbiting on about my experiences and boring the bejesus out of my beloved family and friends who may feel obliged to indulge me. However, I've had a few asking how Dee and I are faring and I'm starting to get mixed up with who I've emailed and what I have said. As well, since I have started working, I haven't been on the computer as much as my time is a little more restricted. Also our internet is charged by time and not amount downloaded. It's bloody expensive. So maybe Blogging can help us keep you updated on our doings.
So here goes.
We arrived on the 19th August, the day after Santiago had snow in the city, the first time for many years. needless to say it was freakin cold. The overnight flight from Madrid was interesting - it was an older plane and the staff were distinctly unhelpful. One had to queue up at the stewards' cubby hole and help ones self to water! All was forgiven as the dawn broke and we flew very close (it seemed) to the tops of
the Andes. The sun glittered and glinted off their snowy heights. Descending into Santiago, the valley plains were brown and looked very dry. On landing there was some confusion as a steward gave us incorrect information and we were held up a little with filling in a few documents and I had my almonds confiscated. Dazed, tired and wondering what the hell we were doing, we badly negotiated a cab ride from the airport to our hostel. I mixed up my exchange rates and paid over the odds - my brain clearly not functioning.
After a wild cab ride, hurtling along an 8 lane highway, where we saw a bloke taking his farm produce to town on his donkeycart blithely trotting along the road shoulder and makeshift cardboard and tin shanty towns on the sides of the highway, we finally made it to our hostel. Our faces dropped when we saw what I had booked for our first night in Santiago. It was right next door to a multilevel building site complete with power grinders, nail guns, hammering, sawing - you name it. Our host - a very aged gentleman- spoke no English and led us into a room
with 2 single beds. The roof was uninsulated corro iron with plastic over those bits destroyed by the building going up next door. It was freezing. The only warmth was a very inadequate kero heater. After putting all our clothes on, we quickly left to find new lodgings for the morrow.
After having a rather expensive dinner and my first pisco sour, we trudged back reluctantly to our cold lodgings and spent a miserable night huddled, separate and jetlagged.
In the morning, we couldn't wait to leave especially when the toilet overflowed. Unbeknowst to us, you are not supposed to put toilet paper into the toilet. You are suppose to put it in the bin beside the loo. So with our room covered in shit we bid a hasty retreat to a hostel that cost twice as much but was WARM and comfortable and was conveniently located.
On Saturday, I think I slept from about 3pm in the afternoon to 8am the following morning! Our spirits rose considerably and we spent the next week exploring Santiago Centro and trying to find more permanent lodgings.
We particularly enjoyed Cerro Santa Lucia with its views of the Andes,
its many patios and cherry blossoms. On the Saturday we were there, people were practicing martial arts, climbing to the lookout where Darwin had once stood surveying the city, and making out. yep everyone does it here. Couples are smooching everywhere - old and young. a very precocious 13 or 14 year old walked passed us and possibly made some very cheeky suggestions to our Dermot. There was something in the way she walked and winked at Dee that made it obvious that what she was saying was a little saucy.
We were also quite excited with the atmosphere of protest that was engulfing the country. There was a 2 day national strike and for the first time we saw hundreds of police on horse back, foot, trail bikes, amoured vehicles, guancos (water cannon trucks) and tear gas trucks. this was to a regular occurence and I'll talk more about that in later blogs.
Another astounding feature of Santiago that strikes me as much as the towering Andes which can be seen around nearly every corner, is the presence of street dogs. They are every where. Even in the midst of protester and police clashes, there are the
Terrazo Neptuna
Cerro santa Lucia dogs - no one hurts them, the police don't touch them. Dad would get into serious trouble with his big stick approach to dealing with stray dogs. Here,they are not only tolerated but loved. They own the streets with everyone walking around them if they block the path whilst lazing in the sun. I have never seen such relaxed dogs. Santiagoans pay a tax every year which goes to the hospitals to help pay for the treatment of people who have been bitten by the dogs! But so far - 2 months in we have only seen 1 incident where a woman was bitten by a dog. Don't know if I really want to know about the incidence of rabies in this country
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Jane
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Awesome blog, Deb.
Great idea! Don't be bashful. We could never have seen all of the pics so easily (and related to the text) on FB. Keep it up and stay safe :)