Valdivia to Santiago

• Littleshivy's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Santiago

Trip Start Nov 29, 2007 Previous
Entry Trip End Jun 24, 2008 Next
Entry

  Santiago, Chile
Friday, December 28, 2007

We are getting the bus at 10pm, will let you know how it was when we arrive! We are going FULL CAMA tonight, which doesnīt mean we get our won double bed as Maria suggested when I spoke to her tonight! But we should get seats that are a lot more comfortable than we have been used to and it should be possible to sleep in them - we shall see!!!!

Before we got to the bus we were walking across town back to the hostel and guess how we saw, yes our friends Tom and James. We hadnt seen them since El Calafate so it was really nice to catch up with them briefly and we finally got their email address. We exchanged stories of Ruta 40 and cuaght up on news. James has been really ill, so that was not good. I will let you know if and when we meet again!

Well I can tell you that Full Cama sure is a world away from the crappy bus ride along Ruta 40

Full cama seats

! The seats were huge, we took some pictures, but it is hard to tell the size on the photo and of course you donīt get to see the comparison between that and what we have been used to. I didnīt actually sleep any better on the full cama seats, due to my height (or lack of it) I kept slipping down the seat and it was actually really uncomfortable on my back, but we did have plenty more room and Epi got a great nights sleep. The service on the bus was amazing, it is the best service we have had yet anywhere in South America. The guy came along and put your bags on the shelf above for you, then offered us drinks (only fizzy water) and then handed us pillows and blankets. Well he actually did more than that, he placed the pillow softly behind your head and then lay the blanket over you and tucked you in. He would eve recline the chair for you if you so wished, it was like heaven for us!!!!

It was also nearly pitch black in the bus and so quiet, which is not like the other buses at all. So all in all a very good experience. We even got woken up with a coffee and chocolate brownie, mmmm.

We navigated our way around Santiago fairly easily and got to the hostel in no time. The hostel is really nice, it is actually our most expensive hostel yet at around twenty-five pounds for the room, but it is a great room and we have even got an old Victorian claw foot bath

So much room!

. We dumped our stuff and headed off to the American Embassy to get Epė some more pages in his passport. And guess what was just across the street - a Starbucks, so the cost of making me go all the way to the embassy and wait was a grande cafe latte. But it was the cheapest Starbucks I have ever had, it was about one pound twenty and such a treat.

Santiago is actually a really nice city. I had heard bad reports, but I really liked it. Now granted it is a capital city and you have the usual traffic etc, but there is loads of big roads and much more greenery than I had expected. Of course it is also surrounded by the Andes, which you can see in the background which is pretty amazing to see.

We walked for miles. We went to Plaza de Arms and past the art museum towards the Mercado Municipal. It was the best Mercado municipal I have seen yet. A really colourful market with fruit, veg, fish and meat, but as with all of these markets lots of eating places in the middle. But this mercado was a bit more upmarket than the ones we had seen, a lot cleaner and just more expensive looking. But to our surprise it was no more expensive, so we sat at one of the restaurants on the first floor and had a meal looking out over the whole market. It was a great meal and a great view for people watching

Plaza de Armas

.

Then we headed off to Santa Lucia Hill, where there is a monument and you can climb up it to get a great view of the city.

Then we headed back to the hostel, where Max and his Dad Harry had kindly left us 3 very nice bottles of wine from their earlier trip to Santiago - now thatīs what I call friends!!!!
We were going to save them all for New Years eve, but figured it would be too much to carry, ok I am lying, we just wanted a bottle. We enjoyed our first bottle in the courtyard of the hostel, where the girl on duty lit is a candle and we ate our cheese sandwiches!!! It was actually a really nice and relaxing evening.

Up tomorrow to head to Valparaiso.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Plaza de Armas - wierd statue	Plaza de Armas - The artists	Santiago Mercado Municipal	The market again
Iglesia Rosa in barrio brasil, Santiago	Santa Lucia Hill	The view from the top of Santa Lucia Hill

Slideshow Print this entry Share Santiago hotels

Previous Entry Next Entry