Blogs from Santiago, Santiago Region, Chile, South America - page 6

SANTIAGO, CHILE IMPRESSIONS I arrived in Santiago in the dark. The taxi was overpriced and that makes me cranky. I smoothed my own feathers, not liking the persona of the grumpy old woman tourist. I forced myself to chat amicably with the taxi driver, and when we arrived at the hotel I allowed the driver to carry my bags into the hotel, which I do myself, all the time. The driver stood in the lobby waiting for a tip and all I had was a fifteen dollar bill in local currency, forcing me to hand it to him. It left a really bad taste in my mouth. Not an auspicious beginning to my stay. I am ashamed to say I had no expectations for Chile. Santiago was simply the point of embarkation to my next dive ... read more

And I am ready to The end of this journey . I have really enjoyed Santiago and do recommend it to anyone . I have walked and walked for the time I was here and it has always been interesting and I have always felt safe . The other day I climbed the stairs to the top of Santa Lucia and although I was a little winded I had no trouble with the climb . I am thinking that the physical exertion I have been through the last 4 weeks has been good for me ... although the good meals that are also huge portions has not helped my waistline. Shirley asked about water shortages and it really is getting to be a crisis in Bolivia . The rains are overdue and the farmers and the ... read more

Sorry I am super late on the blog posts, I will try to catch up ! Santiago is a big city and it even has a tube which was very handy!! It is real pretty and I was lucky to meet up with Belen who I know from her boyfriend (a uni friend Matt) so we had met in London a few times. She was nice to show me around and even invited me to her family pre Christmas cocktail evening ! We visited the house of Pablo Neruda together and hadn't lunch in the Bellavista area where all the bars and restaurants are. The next days when she had to work, i did a walking tour of the city where I met a few other travellers, we visited the market and the cemetery as these ... read more

It's 'Hola!' for a final time today, as we bid farewell to South America, after an incredible four weeks here. From the lush Uruguayan countryside to the barren Atacama desert, we have come to love the place; particularly Chile, which with its sheer contrasts we both agreed is probably the most beautiful country either of us have visited. No more were these differences more apparent than en route from chilly Punta Arenas in the far South, to the gritty copper mining city of Calama, which sits in the Atacama desert, just inside the Tropic of Capricorn. Dramatic glacial landscapes gradually gave way to green rolling hills and then to bone dry desert as we flew north, nothing else better highlighting the sheer length of the country, which spans 4300 km from top to bottom. Further stretching ... read more

I like to picture myself as a good guest. One with her eyes open to new experiences, who respects the local customs. A person who, if she doesn’t know the language, will at least not expect everyone else to know hers. As a guest, I don’t expect the food to taste like the food I’m used to – at least I sincerely HOPE it doesn’t! I expect people to do things a little differently than I would – maybe with a little more ease and a little less obsession about doing everything very quickly. I hope people will treat me the same as they treat people in their own country, but if I stand out like a sore thumb, I understand they might not. I also understand that people working in the tourist industry are trying ... read more