We got the first lesson of our travels before we even left Sydney. You cannot enter Chile without a ticket out of the place. So $42 later 2 bus tickets were purchased taking us from Puerto Natales to El Calafete in Argentina.
We (I) coped ok with the overnight to Santiago in the back of the plane and before we knew it we were in out little apartment in the heart of old Santiago.
We spent the afternoon exploring San Cristóbal Hill – a funicular to the top followed by a teleferico from one end to the other. A great way to get view across the whole of Santiago. A bit of a shame that the pollution prevented us from seeing the distant mountains. Also the statue of the Virgin Mary was spoiled by being surrounded by radio masts.
The next morning we explored our local area, visiting the main Santiago Cathedral (worth a visit) and also the Pre-Columbian Museum.
Some highlights / observations to date:
- the local Cathedral has confession on tap with 6 stalls inhabited by priests ready to hear your sins. A red light indicated god is ready
- the dogs in this city are very independent and take a deep sleep wherever it suits – often in the middle of busy walkways listening.
- Chile will not win a gold at basketball
- It’s not as cheap as we thought it would be. Coffee and meals are not far off what it costs in Aus.
