Hotel Acacias De Vitacura Santiago

... stock market, plenty of churches etc - very similar to any big capital city really. Santiago is also one of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, which is very believable - there's so much smog and pollution hanging over the city, which can't have helped with my coughing! The plan is to head for the coast after Santiago.

In the evening we all went out for our last meal together, and the next morning we we on our own! Most of the group were heading home or onto other ...

... gave you 2 tastings and a glass for your entry fee.....I´m determined to keep both glasses but not too sure how that will go consider I´ve broken most fragile things i´ve bought so far!!!
Then a final meal with Ali who´s on a speed mission to get down to Patagonia and back to BA in a couple of weeks so its unlikely we´ll catch up again in SA. ......bye Ali its been good travelling with you!!

... verbs are not used the same way in the spanish speaking world. Let me give an example. When ordering something from say a fast food place the cashier says "Aqui para cancelar" literally meaning "Here to cancel" instead of "Aqui para pedir" or "Here to order". So cancelar in this sense which should mean to cancel means to do the opposite, to order. What kinda **** is that? Get with the program Chile! I guess this was a "cultural" experience and I did end up getting food that ...

... area we are staying in kinda has a mix of Cuba St meet Arrowtown - narrow streets with cafes all out on the streets lined with autumn trees. The buildings can be quite elaborate with their big doors, lamps and decorative concrete facades. And painted some fairly bright colours at ties which is a relief from the dry brown and smog that colours much of everything else! currently the streets are filled with Chileans ...

... there was no drinking allowed at the show because it was nationally / internationally televised. Santana played amazing though (because he was on tv) and the light show was one of the better ones I have seen. Ryan and I were the only ones dancing... but I think we inspired others to and maybe we got on tv! The next morning Ryan helped me to the bus station and I went to Santiago to meet up with my ISA program ...

... was only to be a case of cervezas. Everyzing else would be taken care of. This strategy, naturally, was just fine by me. So became Santiago´s defining period in this backpacker´s spotlight.

Finding our alfresco kitchen in the Hype Park of the city alongside hundreds of other socialable Chilean´s, we added to the sizzling aroma of late summer by flaming the contents of a butchers shop in a giant wok. Another new circle of ...

... specialising in seafood and steak and you can take any bottle of wine you like to them, and just pay a small bit for the corkage, so we treated ourselves and blew the budget and took one of our 4 pound bottles with us. We have now returned to Santiago, back over the amazing route - although the Chilean customs are a lot stricter about what you bring in (no fruit, seeds, meat, cheese, etc), its on a par with smuggling heroin if you are caught with something ...

... we were completely shattered after our flights) and bought a few bits. Everything is totally Spanish. No English signs or speakers. This is going to be really good as we will have to learn the language to get by. It was really interesting trying to work out what food was what, just by reading labels. As we came out the supermarket, we saw a Domino's pizza p[lace!! As we were both knackered and couldn't be ***** to cook, this was the place to go! We got there ...

... whereas Santiago's blue skies had almost a pastel shade.

We decided to do what all good travellers do when they find themselves in a foreign city, a good old Lonely Planet walking tour.

If truth be told this was actually a bit ****, but I guess it did give us ...