Nogales Express Providencia

... to go to the Mendoza thermal spas and hot springs. This was a true treasure to experience. After the massages and mud baths, we enjoyed an all day relaxation in many different hot springs overlooking the snow-capped Andes mountains. Lunch was also included which I took as we were getting a pork bar-b-que, was actually more like a night out at Ryan´s Steak House with an entire buffet of every kind of meat you could imagine. This meal was paradise ...

... then meet back in reception just before 3pm. We also booked for the Chilean dinner at 7pm as we thought it would be a good chance to sample the local food and also mingle with some of the others in the hostel. It was only 4,000 clp (about £4) and the city tour was only 3.5 hours so we should be back just in time. I had a wander to the local mini mart and bought a large bread roll and a pack of cheese. I made a cheese butty for lunch but it was that big I kept ...

... Juan'' began to scream and cry, and didn't stop until I came back over an hour later. As soon as I came back into the room he began to smile and laugh. I feel really guilty leaving all the guaguas to go back to classes, especially when I've gotten so close to them. All of this is making me less and less happy about returning to the States come July, so if I find a job here I will be staying and volunteering after (or before) work.

... lunch the last time we were here. We drove through the sand dune area - the refinery and power plant and then up and along the beach. We had a very nice lunch and then headed back - enjoying the coastal drive all the way back to Vina del Mar and then into Valparaiso. We stopped and saw the sea lions along the way - and wished that we had more time in this beautiful part of Chile. Next port of call - Arica, Chile - up along the Peruvian border.

... the city of Santiago must have prepared for our arrival. Upon reluctantly conceding that this spectacle was not intended for us, I felt light on my feet as the city of Santiago seemed to be singing out, "Bienvenida a Santiago!" The setting sun backlit the sky with a blurred palette of roses and aquas as the water and light danced in front of us. We made our way to the Bellavista area and ate at Azul Profundo on Calle ...

Well we´ve been in South America for 6 weeks now, and have been trying very hard to test out our Spanish where possible. In Brazil and Argentina it was pretty hard, as most of the places we visited everyone spoke such good English that the moment we attempted our carefully prepared sentences, they would immediately reply in English. In Chile it was somewhat more difficult, and our Spanish was tested a little more. Here are some of the ...

Santiago, ***, Monday May 14th-18th, 2007. Maccie Ds actually seems to be a lot more popular in Chile than Burger King which is a new Latin American phenomenon... Arrived in Santiago after an enjoyable twelve hour day bus journey of very bad films! Now I know I always seem to be harping on bout capital cities but once again, I was impressed! Really liked Santiago...and in any case, ye better get ready for the biggest harping in the history of harping when I get to Buenos Aires cos ...

A very scenic 4.5 hour trip over the Andes yesterday brought us to the city in very good time. As soon as we arrived we popped out to have a look around town and stumbled across the lovely Cerro Santa Lucía slap bang in the middle of down town which provided us with a nice evening stroll and some views from high over the city and of the distant Andes. Santiago has ...

Hayley and I flew to Santiago a couple of days before our tour was due to begin in order to rest and relax before beginning the 5 week trek through Chile, Bolivia and Peru. The tour was due to start on the Saturday and we arrived on Thursday booked into a nice hotel and had to meet the tour leader and group in a different hotel a couple of days later. On the Friday night at about 11.30pm I suddenly had an awful feeling I had read somewhere that we were supposed to meet the day ...

advanced diving and canadians...but before all that a return to cartegena......the first place i indeed did return to...and even though this time it was the bocca grande...no great shakes it was a statement of intent. off to providencia ..via san andreas...that airport in providencia and the sign...set it all in motion and robably the best written story yet...certainly enough feedback on it.... so there was felipe diving and another ...