Its good to be a NZer!

Trip Start Dec 29, 2008
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Trip End Mar 22, 2009


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Flag of Chile  ,
Monday, December 29, 2008

I've finally landed in South America! Being a kiwi here is great because we don't have to pay a visa reciprocity fee like the Aussies, Americans and Canadians (USD35-50 depending on the country).

On the flight over I sat next to a Kiwi-Columbian who described Santiago as 'not like Auckland, more like Hamilton' and on first impressions she's right. Santiago is like Hamilton in the middle of a major drought. Although it has the Andes as a backdrop, if its smoggy enough you can't see them. The main street is wide with trees and a walkway through the centre.

I found my way to the hostel on a Tur-Transfer bus (USD$8) and have checked in and had a swim. Its hot here- around 28C and sunny. The dorm rooms have a window into the corridor, but not to the outside. This seems to keep the room quite cool. On checking I found out its 19% cheaper paying by USD because you don't have to pay tax. There's a tourism office here and they advised me that I don't need to book a bus to Valparaiso for tomorrow, I just need to take the Metro to a station on the outskirts of town.
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