So we have started the second phase of our travels. After four months running around the UK and Europe, we are geared up for travelling again. Paul has had a good result from all the doctors’ tests, so it is a good time to start again. South America holds a whole different set of places to visit, and new challenges, not the least of which is the lack of Spanish spoken by the both of us.
We started by flying into the Chilean capital, Santiago. It was a bit of a surprise to arrive in a colder climate, but it is winter here, south of the equator. For most of Asia we travelled around in shorts and T-shirts, but we have switched to a mid-layer and trousers; although we do expect warmer weather as we head north.
Santiago is large at 5 million people, around 25% of the population of Chile – in fact the vast majority of Chileans live within a few hundred miles of here. It is quite a mix of people from all over South America. It sits in a flat plain between the Andes on one side and the Coastal Mountains on the other, so is fairly flat and makes walking around easy.
We spent a few days exploring the city and its districts, or barrios. We stayed in Barrio Lastarria, which is the arty area. It was a great place to stay, as it was lovely with small artisan shops and outside bars and cafes, and there were lots of street vendors and artists. In the evenings there was street entertainers from violinists to men dancing the Argentine Tango. We found it easy to relax amongst the young locals who frequented the many coffee shops.
Across the river is Barrio Bella Vista, which is the party area. We went to some great restaurants and bars. The area is brightly coloured with murals on all the walls, and it comes alive with all the locals out on a Saturday night – though only after midnight. The colourful murals make a good contrast to the graffiti that is found everywhere else in the city, which along with strong shutters at night, makes the place seem a little edgy.
We climbed the hill called Cerro San Cristobal too. This is the highest point of the city and has great views in all directions. We could see the snow-capped Andes to the east and the whole city below us, laid out in straight lines in all directions. It was slightly obscured by the layer of smog that lies over the city, but was a great experience.
We enjoyed Santiago; though it’s not a “world city” it has a nice feel. We have started fairly gently, and taken it fairly easy to get used to Chile and get over the jet lag. It has been fun as Santiago is a nice city and we haven’t had to speak much Spanish. But next we move on to the enigmatic Easter Island.
