Terra Extremus Hostel Santiago

... the same route as the tour buses over to Vina del Mar but is a public bus so much cheaper. Having enjoyed some spectacular views as the bus drove over the cliffs toward Vina del Mar the intrepid duo found themselves in the lovely seaside resort of Vina del Mar. They followed the promenade along to a sandy beach, past a huge number of pelicans perched on the shoreline.

“I once stroked a pelican on the head and it nuzzled against my knee” said Duncan. “Yes I know ...

... quicker and quicker….after a couple hundred meters she went silent and let go of her axe….we thought she had passed out or maybe had a heart attack from the fear…..eventually after about 500m of sliding she started to slow down as she neared a ridge of snow in the distance, beyond which we had no idea what lay! Thinking she had stopped, we watched as the little momentum she had remaining took her over the edge and out of sight...nuts! I honestly thought ...

... Forestal, it even has a pool table (with unbelievably tiny pockets, impossible to pot in after a couple of pints). It was a Thursday evening so we thought it best to find a bar right away... and we happened upon the most lively street in Santiago immediately. Its called Pio Nono and it is closely overlooked by the large Cerro (or Hill) San Cristobal". The street is full of outdoor tables for all the bars that string along the street, and it was packed. One ...

... with each word fired at you like rounds from a machine gun. And they love this fact! It´s like their badge of honour that nobody has a clue what they are saying!

The second thing I noticed was that it was bloody cold. Bone shakingly freezing in fact. And the concept of central/heating of any description is slightly lost on Chilean culture. In fact, my hostel (which is actually very good), manages to be colder inside than it is outside ...

So I'll start at the beginning, Aggie picked me up from my exam (which was rubbish by the way) and took me straight to the airport, I got there really early but check in took forever! Went to security, I happened to be going through at the same time as a cheer leading team... needless to say I wanted to cut out my ears. Got to security where they took my deodorant, citing it a a dangerous weapon and made me fill out this stupid form, same on them I didn't sign it! Chilled in the ...

... looked like mud. While we were waitng for our order a fellow with a guitar came over and seranded us. He was a great singer. I couldn´t understand what he was singing but apparently it was something along the lines of ´yankees go home´... :) On the way we had passed Pinochet´s bunker which sparked a political discussion between the marine and our guide. I couldn´t understand what they were ...

... Valley and stood next to the conveyers and press) vs. the quick tour of the MUCH larger Concha y Toro estate (with gardens) was certainly a contrast. I took away from both tours a new love for the Carmenere grape (and a bottle of Carmenere wine from Aquitania to enjoy back in Santiago). Another highlight of my time in Santiago was meeting Christian Urazan and his wife, Paola, for dinner on Friday night. I was introduced to Christian by my longtime ...

February 23-27 This week, Michael and I had "training" for our teaching positions. On Monday, I had a free day and Michael went to a meeting for all the colegio teachers. He said the day consisted of about a 30 minute meeting on their expectations/roles, then the rest of the day was spent getting to know everyone and going to lunch... a lot of fun, but not enough information. He did get to meet his principal and his school's English ...

... it was a great start. The rest of the week has been pretty charged.. it would be long to resume in writing.. but a here are a few highlights- - getting lost in the HUGE central food market surrounded by intense people, smells & activity - meeting interesting people from all over the world - getting daily headaches that come with learning a new language - eating at great ...

... pens and lack of appropriate facilities. After the zoo, we made our way up the funicular to a vantage point which allowed for excellent views of the city, revealing its mountainous backdrop and true expanse. We also took a cable car ride across the park gardens to catch a glimpse of the suburban area, which was vastly different from such areas in the Andean cities, with their white picket fences and back yard swimming pools. The remainder of our time in ...