showed movie after movie, including such greats as “Big Moma's House”, “Free Willy” and “The Golden Compass”, all dubbed in spanish, of course. Our seats were comfortable enough and we did manage to sleep a bit. Early on the Atacama desert was impressive, but a bit too reminiscent of bolivia and peru. Then after several hours we saw the pacific ocean on the horizon – a very welcome sight! I managed to sleep a good few hours, and the next morning we awoke to see not only the ocean, but green landscapes – a bright, wonderful change from the dust and brown mountain vistas of peru. 
In santiago we already knew our way around a bit, and found a nice hotel with an “affordable” apartment-suite complete with kitchenette. After the very simple food of the salar trip, and the incredibly chewy beef of peru and bolivia, I was craving a good steak, so we splurged and went to a very nice grill restaurant nearby and had a huge meal of steak, potatoes and good chilean wine. That combined with a good night's sleep, and the batteries were fully recharged.
The next day we'd arranged to meet our friends Patty and Marco Torres, who we'd met in Mendoza, Argentina. We found them at the Plaza de Armas the next day at noon, and they took us via the very modern and technologically sophisticated metro (subway) and b
us lines to their home, where we met up with their kids, Belen and Martin. Patty prepared a delicious lunch of pasta and roast chicken, and Marco opened up a nice bottle of wine. Only a few days in chile, and we were living well!
We spent the entire day with the Torres – visiting a local park, and then to Patty's parents' house for “onces” (afternoon tea.) What a wonderful day. We're very lucky to have such hospitable and generous friends.
Our first visit to santiago had been in august – the heart of winter, and we'd not found it terribly pretty nor pleasant. What a difference a season makes – now santiago was sunny with green trees and blossoming flowers everywhere. We really enjoyed just walking around and visiting the small parks that dot the city. It proves just how wrong first impressions can be.
After a few days, though, we were eager to move on to the south of chile, which according to everyone we spoke to is one of chile's most beautiful areas. Marco Torres is from the southern lake district town of Valdivia, and after talking with him a bit, we decided that it should be our next stop. It was a good 10 hours away, so we bought tickets on yet another night bus...
Talor: After days spent in the desert, Santiago was such a welcome change with everything in bloom. What luxury to be able to go for a run in the morning (on paved asphalt!), pick up provisions for breakfast, and dine on fresh baked bread, rich delicious
cheese and luscious fruit in season, including my favorite, the chirimoya! Erik is right, what a difference a season makes! Made the 23-hour bus ride worthwhile.
Chileans are known for their hospitality and rightly so. The day we spent with Patty, Marco and family was just lovely. They welcomed us into their homes and prepared delicious meals for us as we chatted and got to know each other better. It was the best welcome back!
Our photos of Santiago...
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| Santiago, Chile |
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